rogle34

Well, as the op I can tell you this did happen. I have done extensive education on "not" borrowing meds since. Not only narcs but any meds. Hell it says it's against federal law right on the label. Anyway, I do, as most, live in the real world and realize that there are times, the pt. is outta digoxin and another pt. has the same strength, that one must do what one must do to "protect" their pt. I am working hard to make sure that this will never happen again!!! We do have an emergency box, not the right strength, coulda got an order for the right med, I know, not sure, as stated before, why I didn't think about it. Wouldn't have mattered since the EX, thank god, adon, insisted that her ORDERS be followed.

OK, here's what should have happened. You as the pts advocate, the pts nurse and a Paramedic should have taken control of the scene! As a former Paramedic that has, in the past, treated LTC nurses with disdain I can now see where you are comin' from. I came from the ER, as a nurse, to LTC as a nursing supervisor and I am still shocked at nurses that will put pts on 02 via a non rebreather mask @6 liters. Now working in LTC I get attitude from EMS personell all the time, my attitude is usually "I've forgot more than you'll ever know, cotjockey.

Wasn't upset that the topic strayed, not a problem at all, happens sooner or later in every topic. Wasn't "upset" really, more shocked that it seemed this happened other places and that some didn't think it was problematic. I do appreciate all the opinions and thoughts, keep them coming. I did know the answer, yes, however we all know in real life the right thing is not always done. When I got to work yesterday yet another nurse had done the same, "borrowed" the lorcet from pt A to give to pt B. They passed it on in report that the DON was out till Monday and since the extra bottle of Lortab elixer was in the lock room in her locked office my nurse would have to "borrow" the lortab from pt A. My nurse came to me before doing it, not because she thought it was illegal but she was concerned that pt A was gonna run outta the meds. I did some education, called the ADON to do some more education, was told she was the ADON and I needed to remember that and do as told if I wanted to keep my job. I hung up with her and called the pharmacy to get a small bottle of lortab from the backup pharmacy to do until Monday. The facility will have to eat the cost of it, oh well. The main problem with the entire situation is the DON is new to the facility and noone seems to have a telephone number for her, by God if I won't correct that on Monday.

And yes we have an ER (funny cause I'm an ER nurse in my main job) box for pain meds. Crazy that none of us thought of this!!!

OK, SERIOUSLY!!!!!!! I am the OP here and everyone that replied here should know that it is not only unethical to use another pts meds it is also a felony in almost all fifty states to user another pts narcotics. I know I asked for opinions, however I didn't know that there were so many people that didn't understand how the gov't stood on this!!! COME ON, let's get into the twenty first century!!!!

I supervise lpn's and cna's in a ltc facility. I got a call last night that a pt had only 10 cc's of Lortab elixer left and was suppose to receive the med at MN and 6AM. They had already talked to the ADON and this person told them to borrow a 7.5mg lortab from another pt, crush it and give it to her per her G-tube. They told her they were uncomfortable with doing this and she said to write on the sign out sheet "borrowed for (pts. name)" and to note "OK'ed per ADON". I asked them to not do this and that since the pt was sleeping to circle their initials on the MAR and note on the back, "pt. sleeping, lortab w/h." And then give the 10cc at 6am since she will be awake then. I also asked that they call another supervisor and ask her opinion. She told them since they had an ok from the ADON they had to do what she said since she was ahead of me on the chain of command. BTW, this was a few mins after MN and no backup pharmacy was available at the time. Thoughts? Opinions?