Is it wrong to start infusion that will not finish till next shift?

Nurses Medications

Updated:   Published

A coworker had a one-hour antibiotic infusion scheduled for 0600. She opted to hang it at 0635 so it wouldn't finish at an inopportune time during the 0700-0730 shift change. Another coworker indicated that this was seriously inappropriate of her. They even said, "Well, it's your license on the line," implying that action could be taken against her license.

I'm really curious what could possibly be wrong with this. An antibiotic scheduled for 0600 can be started any time between 0500 and 0700 (at this hospital at least) and still be considered on time. I don't see any reason why the person who hung the antibiotic has to be the one to saline-lock afterwards. It's not like you have to stay with and continuously monitor the patient during antibiotic infusions. If that were the rule we would have a 1 to 1 nurse-to-patient ratio.

Does anybody agree with this other nurse? Is there something I'm missing that makes what the nurse did horrible?

humerusRN said:
And there is nothing worse than having to flush a syringe pump during shift change.

I can think of a lot of things that are worse.

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Bingo! You've made the correct assessment.

Please watch out for the newbie and watch YOUR back with the accuser.

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Specializes in SICU,CTICU,PACU.

This can't be a real thing?? The future of nursing is in trouble.

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Specializes in NICU.

Wow if that is what some nurses find annoying,they will have gone into resp arrest at some of the things witnessed in a real job,lol.[sarcastic comment] Lose your license,seriously?...I am sure many Have been left so much crap by previous shifts that if I/we got "annoyed" and reported every single event there would be no one left to work the shift. Try diaper full of smeared **** left on top of bed,isolette,bili light/shelf ,floor

sticky counters with old dripped on liquids,pumps crusty with spilled liquids,dirty linen,empty iv bags just left in the sink ,liquid spills hardened inside drawers,

empty syringes on medfusion pumps,uncapped stop cocks,...

then there is the over aggressive cleaner dumps all your supplies everytime she comes in,including your tape,scissors, unopened supplies,linen, but she is incapable of putting a refill soap bag in the dispenser cause she is waiting for "housekeeping" to do it...meanwhile the visitors and staff have no soap for their handwashing...lmao...good grief..how come I am not in a straight jacket!

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Dialysis.
RNperdiem said:
The only thing won't do right at the end of shift is give a laxative suppository. Antibiotics? No problem.

Funny but true. Our protocol is to give the laxative suppository at the end of shift. End of NOC shift to be precise. When I worked nights I gotta admit there were days I took a particular glee in that, depending on who was working the next shift.

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Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.
Capp said:
A coworker had a one-hour antibiotic infusion scheduled for 0600. She opted to hang it at 0635 so it wouldn't finish at an inopportune time during the 0700-0730 shift change. Another coworker indicated that this was seriously inappropriate of her. They even said, "Well, it's your license on the line," implying that action could be taken against her license.

I'm really curious what could possibly be wrong with this. An antibiotic scheduled for 0600 can be started any time between 0500 and 0700 (at this hospital at least) and still be considered on time.

I don't think the nurse did anything WRONG, and that was nice that she thought about shift change, but couldn't she have started the 0600 med at 0545? It would be less "off" on the time than 0635, and then she can finish it and saline lock the patient on her shift instead of passing it to the next shift to do.

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This is ridiculous. Work is constantly passed on from one shift to the next, that's just the nature of nursing. If the medication hadn't been hanging at all, that would be one thing, but that wasn't the case-and even that probably wouldn't result in legal action. It's also not that hard to take down an IV bag. This other nurse was just being a pain.

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Specializes in ER.

I'm gobsmacked. I'd like to see her try telling a seasoned nurse that horse hooey.

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