PRN ducolax suppositories, okay to give right before shift change?

[GardenDove]

We got a little sidetracked on another thread about this subject. From my point of view, it's perfectly fine for night shift to give a suppository at 6 AM, even if the next shift deals with the results. I have no problem with that. I think it's best to give a suppository at a good time for the pt. If a nurse at shift change told me that she just gave a suppository to a pt, I never would think that she was trying to pawn her work off on me. If I was working nights, I would not give a suppository until after lab had come and woken up the pt, which would mean that would be at about 6AM.

When I worked LTC, the policy was that the nightshift checked the BM records and gave them at around 6AM or so. That meant that possibly the next shift would be dealing with the results of these oftentimes incontinent pts. I never heard any complaints about that.

Yet someone on another thread thought that it was inconsiderate to the next shift. What do you all think of this burning issue?

[Pepper The Cat, BSN, RN]

I think giving a supp at 6:00 am depends on several things:

1) Time of shift change 7:00 pr 7:30?

2) Time of breakfast trays - no one wants to interupt their breakfast to have a poop.

3) If a pt rings to go the BR 5 minutes before shift change, will night shift stay and toilet that pt? Or make them wait for shift change and report to be over with, possibly resulting from a fall because the pt tries to get to the BR alone.

4) Type of nursing - we do total pt care - I would much rather give the supp on my shift, when I can plan my care to be around when the supp starts working!

Just my two cents

[all4schwa]

She had a BM yesterday and I'm not giving her anything."

I've seen this, sometimes the bm they had yesterday was really liquid stool pushing out around and impaction...'well, according to the aides she's had diarrhea for days'

ok, when was the last 'real' bowel movement?

[adrienurse, LPN]

do people get upset when diuretics are given on the earlier shift and someone pees?

[lamielpn]

I would think that unless this person was on a check and change toilet plan, you would want to time the suppository so that they could be gotten up at a reasonable time, ie morning or evening to facilitate as normal as possible bowel regime. With the new Ftag, bowel protocols are coming into focus. It should be about the patient, resident, not the nurse or other staff. This does not mean that there are not times when a suppository or enema is not given . It should be, per the MD order on the basis of need. That may be 5 minutes before the change of the shift. This is the nature of our job.