Parents send med in pre filled syringe

[maryen]

Hi,

I am hoping to get some advice. I have been filling in as a one on one nurse to provide nursing care to students with special needs at school. One of the students is to recieve 10ml Depokote via G-tube. It states in her care plan that her parents send it in daily in a pre fill syringe for the nurse to administer. I was hesitant about this as I have never given a med that I have not drawn up myself from the original container. I contacted the district RN and she said that is the way it is done and to give the student the med. I did and I documented that I gave pre filled syringe of med sent in from parents.

I am I doing the right thing?

[schooldistrictnurse]

There must be some manner of authorization signed by a physician. Does that read the same way? I would also have some discomfort with this system unless it was filled and labeled by the manufacturer. Otherwise you have no way of knowing what you are giving. Parents can send a partially filled bottle and empty syringe for the nurse's use just as easily as pre-filling.

[Flare, ASN, BSN]

i agree - and besides - barring the not knowing what the heck could be in there factor...isn't sending a prefilled syringe messy? I would be afraid that something would depress the plunger enroute to school and cause the medication for the day to disappear into the backpack (or whatever carrying vessel)

[tranquillight]

I used to work in a school setting as a 1:1 nurse, and I always drew up the medication myself. The problem with giving medicine the parents drew up themselves in an unlabeled syringe is that you have no idea what you are giving, and you are liable if anything happens. The parents could have drawn up the wrong medication and you would never know for sure. I would have them send in the medication bottle with empty syringe like schooldistrictnurse said above. Although I'm sure the parents are on top of things, you need to protect your license.

[AdobeRN]

Do you have a rule about properly labeled medication in your district policy handbook? If so, I would use that as leverage. If not - I would just refuse to give it until a labeled bottle can be brought in - Parents should be able to go to pharmacy and ask for an empty labeled bottle for school use.

[NutmeggeRN, BSN]

And if not in the handbook, it needs to be put in!

[BostonFNP, APRN]

Don't give an injection you didn't draw up unless sealed from the factory!

Sent from my iPhone.

[amoLucia]

First thing that I thought of was how would you know or NOT know if the med had expired?

I never did school nsg, so every time I read here I find it so informative and I have the greatest respect for you who do.

[mariebailey, MSN, RN]

I agree with the other posters; it would be ideal to have a bottle from the pharmacy to keep at school. The parents could work w/their pharmacy to get 2 bottles to divide up doses or try to get their insurance co. to cover another bottle. At the very least, the pre-filled syringe that comes every day should be labeled with name/drug/dosage. I think your school or school district needs to review it's policy to make it safer. I'm sure if you work with the parents & your employer, you can come up with an adequate solution.

[Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN]

I agree with all the other posters. You have the law on your side.

[maryen]

Thank you all for your responses! You all said what I felt to be true and brought up such good points. I am not at that school site this week but I plan to address this issue with my agency.

Thank you again ?

[APRN., DNP, RN, APRN, NP]

Whenever I am on the fence about whether to do something or not, I always picture myself sitting up on a chair by the judge and explaining to a courtroom full of strangers why I did, or didn’t do, whatever it was that I was concerned about. That pretty much helps clarify things for me.