Prns

[Pamcorey]

When a long term patient ask for.prns what is late to give meds to patient once they request it.

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

Im sorry but it waa due at 3:29 because I got 8 hours prior.

So are you the patient in this scenario? If so, this is not where you need to be addressing your concerns. You need to address your concerns with the facility.

All prns are due 8 hours apart or if i did not take take prior dose and wake up at a certain time.

You clearly misunderstand the purpose of a PRN medication. They are not due at scheduled times- they are to be given if requested. Orders dictate the minimum amount of time between doses or general timing (such as bedtime for sleep aids).

Like tonight I will miss a dose. If i get my prn at 9:45pm the next 8 hours wil be 5:45. If i dont get it then i have ti wait till 7am.

Again, continued lack of understanding about PRN medications.

The last time. I complained about prns being late The Texas Medicaid ppl cxld my medicaid for making false accusations. So its all when they log it in the computer and write it down. It makes it looks like the patient is lying. They believe the med staff that is why I am asking is there a required time when a med tech should deliver the prn once it is requesred.

Again, needs to be addressed with the facility.

[lindseylpn]

The question was simple yes but, the answer really isn't simple as different facilities will have different policies. You need to ask what the policy is at your facility but, they may not even have one. Nowhere I've worked to my knowledge has had a policy regarding how quickly a prn must be given. I mean in a perfect world I would say as soon as possible after a patient asks for it but, sometimes that's just not how things go. Especially at night when there's a skeleton crew.

Example A: The patient asks for their prn during the CNAs round at 3am. The nurse is sitting at the nurses station charting. The CNA finishes toileting the patient around 3:10am, walks down the hallway and let's the nurse know that they requested a prn. The nurse gets the med ready and takes it to the patient around 3:15am, speaks with the patient for a few minutes, signs the mar and charts the med given at 3:20am.

Example B: Patient asks for a prn during the CNAs round at 3am. She tells the patient she'll let the nurse know. The nurse is on lunch or otherwise attending to something else and isn't readily available. The nurse returns back to the nurses station at 3:20am and the CNA is toileting another patient and finishes at 3:30am. The next time the CNA and nurse cross paths is at 3:40am and the nurse is in the process of changing a catheter, dressing etc and the CNA let's her know that 2 people requested a prn while she was doing her round, 1 person has started running a fever and another person has an abrasion/skin tear that needs to be looked at. The nurse finishes what she's doing at 4am and then goes to asses the patient with the fever and then the patient with the abrasion. It's now 4:20am and the nurse starts working on the prns requested, she gives the first person's prn at 4:25am, signs the mar and charts the med as given, then gives the 2nd person's prn at 4:30am like, signs the mar and charts the med as given.

If the patient is always requesting a prn the minute it's available to be given again then I'd ask the Dr to reevaluate the patient and medicine. Maybe the med needs to be scheduled instead of prn or a different med needs to be given etc.

[JKL33]

PRNs are never "due" in the sense that scheduled meds are. If a medication order states, "every 8 hours PRN" and you receive it at 2200, that doesn't mean it's due at 0600. It only means that another dose can't be administered until at least 0600. And there is no general rule about how fast a med must be given after it is requested, so no one on the interwebs can answer your question.

Hope that clears it up.

Any other questions, refer to those caring for you.

[allnurses Admin Team]

Im sorry but it waa due at 3:29 because I got 8 hours prior. All prns are due 8 hours apart or if i did not take take prior dose and wake up at a certain time. Like tonight I will miss a dose. If i get my prn at 9:45pm the next 8 hours wil be 5:45. If i dont get it then i have ti wait till 7am. The last time. I complained about prns being late The Texas Medicaid ppl cxld my medicaid for making false accusations. So its all when they log it in the computer and write it down. It makes it looks like the patient is lying. They believe the med staff that is why I am asking is there a required time when a med tech should deliver the prn once it is requesred.

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Please speak with the healthcare providers who are overseeing your medical treatment.