My LTC facility is starting to Hire Med Techs

pagandeva2000, LPN · Jan 14, 2008

From what I hear, the nurse is uiltimately responsible for any error they make. I used to be certified to administer meds years ago when I was an aide working in psych. Eventually, they took that cert away because we were making way too many errors. There were some aides that would over medicate the troublesome clients, for example, or not doing treatments.

I would look a see how it works out snce you are really satisfied with this job, and be sure that you are on top of them in case mistakes are made. I think I remember hearing that if you respond and do something about the person that made the mistake, it is better than ignoring the act and letting it continue.

kat7ap · Jan 14, 2008

When I lived in Texas we had "Medication Aides" or "CMA". Basically just CNA's with experience and short certification course. We had the opportunity in nursing school after we finished pharmacology, to apply for the certification so we could work as a Med Aide while we finished up school.

Med Aides seem to be widely used in Texas in LTC. At my first job in a nursing home, my particular floor did not utilize Med Aides on a regular basis. I had 20 residents and other floors with Med Aides, the nurse would have about 35 residents. I was actually glad to be able to do my own meds. That way I was able to interact with each of the residents daily and I just felt better knowing that I was giving them their meds and could see for myself how they were doing. The Med Aides could give narcs even PRNs (but I think they were supposed to check with the nurse first). They could not give Coumadin, no injections, and nothing but PO meds.

From what I understand is that you are not responsible if the Med Aide/Tech gives the wrong drug, dose or whatever, but you ARE ultimately responsible for the pt/resident if there are any adverse affects not to mention YOU have to call the doctor and do all the paper work if something happens.

linzz · Jan 14, 2008

I have not heard of any skilled nursing facility here using med techs but they are used in some retirement homes. I don't know what restrictions they have on what meds they can pass. Our hospitals don't use any techs and many are even doing away with LPN's or only using them on a casual basis.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Jan 14, 2008

My facility in Texas has been using medication aides for years. Since I do not like to pass pills, I actually like working with med aides. They enable me to focus on other tasks such as breathing treatments, wound care, g-tubes, blood glucose monitoring, family member complaints, and charting.

marryweather · Jan 24, 2008

I worked with a med tech when i was working at a facility for develpmentally and physically disabled individuals. It was the first time I've ever worked with a med tech and wasn't very comfortable with it. I handled it by following her at different periods of the day and watching her. Turns out I was very lucky she was good at what she did and she was a big help for me. Different facilities have different policies about what they allow their med techs to do. Because I had patients with tubes and patients with out I had two carts one for my tubes and one for po patients. We both passed meds together she would take the tube cart on one med pass and I would take the po and then when it was time for the 1200 and 1400 med pass we would switch. After all med passes were done I would go through the MARS looking for holes. She would also go through the med cart daily and remove any out dated medications and pull labels for medications that needed to be reordered which freed me up to do my treatments and my charting. I was fortunate that I had a very competant med tech.

bluegeegoo2, LPN · Jan 24, 2008

I work in a privately owned LTC center in S. Indiana, and we have TONS of CMA's. We are the exception rather than the rule. I'm not sure how long their training is, but after classroom training they have to have 40 hrs of verifiable med pass experience before they can test and be certified. They are tested by the State of Indiana and have a rep. from the state proctor the test. They are responsible for their own errors, but like mentioned above, the patients' well-being is my responsibility. They can give meds p.o. or by tube. They have to get an O.K. from me before giving a narc, and I have to initial behind them that I O.K.'d it. They can also do some tx's. Unfortunately, I work 3rd's, and therefore rarely have the benefit of a CMA. I enjoy having them b/c they "do" my tx books and I&O's, which frees me up for other things. I would likely be leery, though, if they only had 3 days of training. In fact, that would scare me to death!:plsebeg:

TCJan · Jan 25, 2008

I work with Medical Techs in a Hospital. I think the Board of Nursing across our nation is either being very non protective of the patients lives or they are being paid off to look the other way! I went to school for 12 months to obtain my LPN. We had 3 months of Pharmacology. WE were trained on the units with instructor supervision as well, in regards to medications. Most hospitals I began working in after graduating, also had me as a LPN go through their pharmacology class. Experience also teaches if you want to learn more. I am amazed that we are standing by watching the healthcare system go down the tubes. Nurses need to speak out about these practices that are being done by for profit facilities or we will soon be out of jobs, by people they can hire off the street and teach what we know in 3 days. Report these facilities to your board of nurses if you want job security. Healthcare has developed into a heirarchy with CEO nurses making the big bucks and the CNA's doing the work of licenced nurses......It's coming and you better speak out now or forever hold your peace when all the jobs are gone!

bluegeegoo2, LPN · Jan 25, 2008

Good point! I misspoke in my earlier reply. We have QMA's, not CMA's. There is a difference, and I apologize for the discrepency.

pagandeva2000, LPN · Jan 25, 2008

Good point! I misspoke in my earlier reply. We have QMA's, not CMA's. There is a difference, and I apologize for the discrepency.

What is a QMA?

caliotter3 · Jan 25, 2008

I agree with TCJan in that the true purpose of having these personnel is to ultimately hire less licensed nurses and to do away with the jobs of licensed nurses. Personally, I wouldn't want to add another worry concerning whether or not adverse effects are brought about by anyone else's mistakes but my own. And I wouldn't care to have the extra work of taking care of changes of condition brought about by these errors. Every LPN/LVN in particular should be wary of these institutions. How many LPNs are out of a job at a particular facility, because CMAs or Med Techs, whatever they're called were hired? I worked at one facility that hired nurses for only a partial shift to cover a med pass in order to have less personnel cost. Imagine how much money is saved by having an aide do what a licensed nurse should be doing. Every penny saved by hiring aides instead of licensed nurses results somewhere in a nurse having an overly difficult or impossible time in getting work. LTC facilities are the employment of last resort in many cases for LPNs to begin with. So where are displaced LPNs to go? Not every area is bursting with jobs, remember.

Atheos · Jan 25, 2008

LPN's will always be able to find a job. If you work somewhere that is actually trying to replace LPNs with medtechs shouldn't you be trying to find a better place to work? Med techs and CNAs are there to lighten the load on the nurses. Not replace them.

I must say though that assuming med techs are just dangerous and prone to making errors because they are not licensed is the same as saying the licensed nurses are dangerous because they are not registered. Think about it.