Pre-setting meds....

[mtgirl63]

Do you pre-set your meds? Why or why not?

I personally do not pre-set meds and think it's a very unsafe practice. I've worked with a nurse who pre-set meds right in the hallway -- she might have as many as 10-12 cups of meds sitting on top of her med cart at once. Her logic was that it was ok because she never left her cart. My thoughts is that all it takes is for her to turn her back to the cart to give a resident meds, and although she's still right there, it would be way too easy for another resident to grab the pills and take them before she knew what was happening. We have too many wandering, curious, confused residents for that to be safe. Another nurse thinks it's ok to pre-set if she does in the med room. My problem with that is the time you are taking in the med room pre-setting pills for 15-20 residents you are totally oblivious to what's going on outside the med room. While she was in there once pre-setting pills the other nurse was going on her dinner break but had not left the nurses station yet when a CNA called to her that a resident was choking. By the time the nurse that was supposed to be on break got to the resident, she was turning blue and required the heimlich (sp?). The nurse pre-setting the meds --- she didn't have a clue any of this was going on until she came out of the med room and the other nurse told her!! In my opinion there's just too many chances for med errors to pre-set. How do the rest of you feel about it? Our DON doesn't like it, but apparently there's no policy against it --- and I wish there were.

[TracyB,RN, RN]

Pre-set meds was a routine thing where I used to work. I was always nervous about it.

Anyway, about the med times, I just was at a LTC facilty that had their TID meds given at 10a, 1p & 5p. Has anyone else seen this? Never saw TID scheduled so close together before. When I questioned the DON about this, I was told, "That's just the way it is." Needless to say, that, among other things, will have me not going back to that facility.

[NursieRN]

Pre-pouring meds is pretty common where I work too. It's allowed

as long as you keep them locked up and don't pour too far ahead.

Sometimes it's just a necessity because of everything else going

on.

But those med times are atrocious!!!!