Patient education on medications

[rich2008]

Some nurses in the LTC facility I visit once a week have asked me a question regarding patient education on prescription medications. In this facility, Speech Language Pathologists do "memory training" with residents. Part of this training is medication education where the speech language pathologist create a list of medications and the reason the resident is taking the med. The nurses feel this is "wrong" as they think the SLP are not educated in all ht meds. I dont know if this is true? They feel they are acting "beyond their scope of practice". Anyone have any thoughts on this?

[BlueDevil,DNP, DNP, RN]

I think it's fine and it sounds like a very constructive exercise with benefits to the staff as well . If your colleagues are concerned, perhaps they should work cooperatively with the SLPs to make certain the indications are being identified accurately.

[CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN]

Then...why don't the nurses fill out the reason for the meds? I'm a nurse in LTC and love the idea. I'm not sure what the fuss is about ..if the nurses don't want to fill it out, why can't they ask the docs or NPs for the dx for the meds?

[amoLucia]

I think it's clever and kudos to them for an innovative approach. As for 'educated', the SLP's probably have their Master degrees (or close to it). And anyway, how difficult is it for someone to buy a drug reference book from the bookstore or go on line? It's not some deep dark national security secret to know that lasix = water pill, norvasc = blood pressure pill, lanoxin = heart rhythm pill, glucotrol = diabetes sugar pill, etc.

If there's more than simple info, ie drug action, side effects, etc, then there might be an issue. It's info that nsg would be be providing otherwise. Posters #1 & #2 suggested just getting an approved list for them to use.

[rich2008]

Thanks for the comments! The nurses at time need someone to hate and right now its the SLPs.