Medpass frustrations

[shakerattleandroll]

Hello everyone, hope you're having a good evening. I work at an ALF, as a PCT. My primary duty is passing morning medications to around 50 residents. In addition to the medications, (we have residents that take up to 15 am meds at one time) we have routine wound care, nebulizer treatments, insulin sliding scale injections, and various suppositories, enemas, ect. We also have residents on certain medications such as coreg, which have parameters based on their B/P and pulse which takes up quite a bit of time. I'm starting to feel overwhelmed, and my company doesn't seem overly concerned. We are lucky to have a nurse at our building half of the time, and it is annoying to have to call 5 people over a medication discrepancy. *phew got off topic, back to it*. When I was first told I would be trained on meds, I was really surprised that a non licensed person could be responsible for medications at all. They replied that because it was medication "reminders" and not "administration", it was all legal and fine. I don't personally understand how when i'm giving eyedrops, administering insulin, and physically squirting roxanol in someone's mouth how I am "reminding" them to take their meds. I feel that i'm good at passing meds, but only because I am very careful and always self educate. The other people that I work with, I have less confidence in them. We were given an 8 hour course which was basically bullocks, no pharmacology training, and weren't even trained on injections. I want this facility to have trained nurses passing medications, and I feel like something is amiss, but I can't find any concrete information about the rules in michigan! Does anyone else work in a facility like this? Any help or information? Sorry this was so long, I just appreciate all of your input and could use a little help.

Take care,

shakerattleandroll

[miabia, BSN, RN]

I don't know about where you're at but the state that I live in only licensed professionals are allowed to give insulin. Roxanol should ONLY be given by a professional because of the fact that a professional will need to access the patient and their breathing after giving it. I would talk to your ombudsman and tell her your concerns as you could face serious trouble. Remember you have to cover your own butt, no one else will.

[shakerattleandroll]

Miabia, I appreciate your response, and I see where you're coming from. Unfortunately, where I work, this is considered standard procedure. I don't even know what an ombudsman is, as sad as that may sound. I just feel that i'm in a situation that I do not feel is safe, and I can't find any information as to what is or what is not legal. I think many things that go along with med-pass need a nurse's experience and expertise with assessment. I do thank you for your reply, how to i find information about a ombudsman?

- SR&R

[miabia, BSN, RN]

your facility is required to maintain an ombudsman's contact information. basically an ombudsman is as quoted,

"[color=#333333]a person who investigates [color=#333333]and [color=#333333]attempts to resolve [color=#333333]complaints and problems, as [color=#333333]between employees and an [color=#333333]employer [color=#333333]or [color=#333333]between [color=#333333]students [color=#333333]and a [color=#333333]university. "

i looked up an ombudsman in michigan who if you give your location will be able to direct you to the proper personal to help you figure out if what the facility you work at is doing the right procedures.

mi seniors - contact the michigan office of services to the aging

this is their website. i hope it helps. no one should feel unsafe in their job. my only worry is the fact that you're not certified in the medications you're administaring (especially the narcotics and insulin) and should something happen you could be found liable and the facility could say, "we never told her to do that". it's better to be safe than sorry. good luck. [table=class: ts]

[tr]

[td=width: 80][/td]

[td][/td]

[/tr]

[/table]