New medication technician concerned about facility

[Pnwmedical]

Hello, 

I have a diploma in emergency medical technology, a diploma in clinical medical assisting, and a nursing assistant certificate. About a year of experience in prehospital care with an incredibly heavy volume of critical care. And 1 year of experience in outpatient internal medicine. I recently took a job  that I feel combines both of these skills incredibly well as a medication technician. They don't require certification, and since my training already encompasses everything and more in a medication aide program they were comfortable hiring me. This is where my first concern comes in. I assumed that meant they would be hiring primarily people with medical training. However I am the only person on staff with any training or licensure besides the DON. Including the other medication technicians. And the orientation included no training in pharmacology at all. 
One of the med techs recently asked me if morphine was addictive. She also cannot perform any nursing assisting Duties because she's never been trained as that either. The other med techs have only CNA experience before hand. One of them suggested PRN lorazepam for pain. A resident had a respiratory emergency and all they did was take BP. Which was low and they charted it as normal. We had a resident with coffee ground Emesis and melena, for 8 hours before I got on shift and they didn't even take a BP. I took it and she had a map of 60, and HR in the 140s.  I genuinely feel unsafe leaving the residents under their care sometimes. This is a pretty high acuity population, and a nurse is only there 9-5M-F. Besides that the fully responsibility is on the med tech. But they for the most part show they don't know anything about how medications works or side effects, etc. 

second. 
more then once I have been surprised with a shift with no nursing assistants at all. Just me for all three floors. Passing meds, and trying to provide nursing aide care. I don't feel comfortable with these assignments, it was nearly impossible and some of these are two person assist. But I can't just leave them with no one. 
 

 

[CrunchRN, ADN, RN]

Is this assisted living or?

[Pnwmedical]

CrunchRN said:

Is this assisted living or?

It is supposed to be, however about half the residents are higher acuity then when I did skilled nursing. 

[CrunchRN, ADN, RN]

Wow. That is crazy. I know the ALF where I had my MIL had a training program for care assistants to become med techs, but it included all the things missing from the one where you are working. The nurse in charge should be handling these issues and training needs.

[Pnwmedical]

CrunchRN said:

Wow. That is crazy. I know the ALF where I had my MIL had a training program for care assistants to become med techs, but it included all the things missing from the one where you are working. The nurse in charge should be handling these issues and training needs.

Right? Do you have any advice for talking to the nurse? I'm still new there and I don't wanna push it or come in basically say there staff is dangerous. It's all very nerve wracking, but these residents need better care so I'll just suck it up. 

[CrunchRN, ADN, RN]

I would just relay the bare bones of what you have observed without naming names and let the nurse come to their conclusions. At least as a 1st step.

[Pnwmedical]

CrunchRN said:

I would just relay the bare bones of what you have observed without naming names and let the nurse come to their conclusions. At least as a 1st step.

Thank you, sincerely 

[londonflo]

Pnwmedical said:

I have a diploma in emergency medical technology,

You have an EMS designation? Our an aide to give Medications?  Confusion resulted when you added the "technology". Or are you "patient tech"? Where does Emergency come into this?

Pnwmedical said:

I have a diploma in emergency medical technology, a diploma in clinical medical assisting, and a nursing assistant certificate. About a year of experience in prehospital care with an incredibly heavy volume of critical care. And 1 year of experience in outpatient internal medicine. I recently took a job  that I feel combines both of these skills incredibly well as a medication technician.

Now you are a 'medication technician'.  To really understand your situation I am asking to your write each program and its certification directly on a  Curriculum Vitae (this activity will actually provide your entrée to other jobs.) We all have had to do this at some time. And boy it will clarify your education achievements as well as certifications. 

1) 

2) 

3)

 

 

[Pnwmedical]

londonflo said:

You have an EMS designation? Our an aide to give Medications?  Confusion resulted when you added the "technology". Or are you "patient tech"? Where does Emergency come into this?

Now you are a 'medication technician'.  To really understand your situation I am asking to your write each program and its certification directly on a  Curriculum Vitae (this activity will actually provide your entrée to other jobs.) We all have had to do this at some time. And boy it will clarify your education achievements as well as certifications. 

1) 

2) 

3)

 

 

In my initial post I listed everything you said! 
I have the aforementioned certifications and am working with the job title medication technician.  This is in accordance with my state laws. 
the emergency comes in because my patient population is very prone to emergencies and keen assessment skills are needed, and as an EMT I worked primarily in prehospital and ER setting. 
emergency medical technology, is what is studied by EMS providers, so therefore I was granted a diploma in emergency medical technology program completed over two years.

[vintagegal, BSN, DNP, RN, NP]

Woah... let me unpack all of this for a minute. First off, I am very glad that you have some health care experience that will indeed make you a great asset to the team. However, it is not your position or scope to assess, diagnose, plan, implement or evaluate. You also should not delegate to anyone. For assisted living, the DON should be on call for questions, concerns, or changes in patient condition. This is their job to improve if this is not happening. The medbook should be clear what PRNs are available and what they are for. This again is not your issue to undertake. If you have concerns, relay them to the DON. If they don't address the concerns, you can report them to the state or seek out other employment. Don't get yourself in the weeds...

[londonflo]

londonflo said:

You have an EMS designation? Our an aide to give Medications?  Confusion resulted when you added the "technology". Or are you "patient tech"? Where does Emergency come into this?

Now you are a 'medication technician'.  To really understand your situation I am asking to your write each program and its certification directly on a  Curriculum Vitae (this activity will actually provide your entrée to other jobs.) We all have had to do this at some time. And boy it will clarify your education achievements as well as certifications. 

1) 

2) 

3)

 

 

I have no idea what the scope of your practice could  be based on some titles that are unfamiliar to me. 

It sounds like "anything goes" there.  Please fill us in on your education/certification. You must have provided this information when you applied for the job. Then we can help you with the legal job parameters/

[londonflo]

Pnwmedical said:

I recently took a job  that I feel combines both of these skills incredibly well as a medication technician.

You are very conscientious and have the patients safety at heart. I would make an anonymous call to the agency the monitors this institution for the patients own health care needs. If this lack of care, medication oversite etc, continues to  fester, you may go down with a bad reputation to get another job...(Pnwmedical worked at that institution that got shut down for poor patient care) 

Pnwmedical said:

We had a resident with coffee ground Emesis and melena, for 8 hours before I got on shift and they didn't even take a BP. I took it and she had a map of 60, and HR in the 140s. 

A GI bleed needs to be at the ER immediately. Whether or not vitals showed the drop in blood volume. the patient needed to go the ER at the first sign of coffee ground emesis.