Pre-Pour medication: to do or not to do

Sehille4774 · May 10, 2012

That's a really bad practice! Wow. That sucks.

As I see it...you do not have alot of choices besides go get another job, go along with it, or do things your own way but at the expense of taking some flack.

Obviously alot of the people are complacent at that facility or else you would not have a whole staff going along with it....and, on that note, obviously administration is aware if everyone is doing it...(Kinda hard to do anything about it if the management staff is going along with the sloppy practice)

I have no prob. standing up for where patient safety is concerned.....but if it is a battle that I definitely have no chance of winning then I am not going to throw myself in the line of fire...for what?

I think if it was me....(and I have been this person quite a bit) I would do it the right way...make it kinda clear that it is my right to practice in a safe way..and defend with rationales if necessary, but otherwise kinda leave the other nurses to do what they want and I do what i want...but just be really polite about it..dont give them a hard time unless you feel it will actually get you somewhere towards improving the practice of the facility. Continue to participate in the group dynamic in a positive way. If you dont make a huge deal about things...it has been my experience that in this situation you can kinda slip under the radar without having to get a whole new job.

Being THAT nurse can come with consequences tho, in varying degrees. It can make u a target for ridicule and if admin is one of those types that tries to find a way to get rid anyone who does not do what everyone else is doing...then maybe u would be better off getting another job. You could try to go directly to admin about it and run it by them to see where they stand on it.."Hey, just so you know I do not want to pour meds that will be given by another nurse because of x y and z. And I will pour my own meds..(maybe find a nicer way to phrase it haha)....And if administration supports your right to give the meds the safe way..then problem solved, you don't have to worry about what everyone thinks of you becasue you have been told by your boss that you are allowed to do it the right way. It helps to be organized and have clear objective arguments when u go into a meeting like that.

Good luck!!

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · May 10, 2012

Why would you prepour? I mean I organize the pill boxes so that all the pills for my regular night med pass are in line, then Am med pass are all grouped together, just to save time.... but I don't pre-pour or pre-pull. I pull the pill from the box while viewing the MAR as I go and then line them up on the cart, check them against the mar, then they get put in the cup and taken to the patient, then I come back and sign them off.. I don't see how pre-pouring could really even save you that much time. You spend the same time pulling them ahead of time that you spend during med pass. I mean I know med pass takes a long time and maybe you want to save time there but it's not worth a mistake. I also sign off meds as I go, and I do ones that are narcotics and crucial timing/insulin, etc., first at the scheduled hour, and if someone gets their senna and tylenol an hour late it's not the end of the world.

She is talking about pouring for the NEXT shift!. It's the oncoming nurses that are not happy.......... :eek:

OP once again please don't participate.

Do_Good · May 12, 2012

She is talking about pouring for the NEXT shift!. It's the oncoming nurses that are not happy..........
OP once again please don't participate.

Esme12....I haven't seen this on the forum yet. Do you mean "Other People"?

jmdRN · May 12, 2012

Do_good, OP means "original poster", the person who started the thread ( in this case.. you :) ).

And I agree with the others.. no way in heck would I willing pre-pour for another shift!!! that's just plain crazy!

morte, LPN, LVN · May 12, 2012

I a thinking that you already have a target on your back. Get a new job, asap. Before someone sets you up for a potentially license losing incident.

julianp · May 12, 2012

According to the rules I don't. According to reality I do. But to pour for someone else? Hell no. Even when I prepour it's just stool softeners and vitamins. Never narcotics and I don't even know on what planet giving someone elses meds would be ok.

Not_A_Hat_Person, RN · May 12, 2012

My first nursing job was very funny about pre-pouring. First it was okay, then it wasn't (but people did it anyway), then it was okay if the meds were given out within 15 minutes. I went along with pre-pouring at first, but I wised up and stopped.

One night, I had to take over for the med tech after he went home early. I refused to give the meds he'd pre-poured. Everyone was irritated, including the DON, but I held my ground. I started job-hunting soon after.

Don't pre-pour meds if you don't want to, but watch your back, and start looking for a new job.

NutmeggeRN, BSN · May 13, 2012

Dont. Ever. Do. It. it is your license...call the BON if you need help.

lumbarpain, ADN, RN · May 19, 2012

Many nurses do if they are regular full timers that are there everyday on the same floor with the same patients. But its a dangerous practice and the MAR must be checked for changes, DCs, and new orders every shift. NOt a good thing to do. Even though I knew my meds, I always checked the MAR everytime I was on the floor. Never Assume........ Dont do it.