Hello I have another question and this forum seems the best place to ask these questions.
How many of you have worked in Facility's that may assign you the medication room job and then also place you on safety checks. (Every 15 minutes)
I am currently in a facility on a unit with the most violent Psychiatric patients.
There is bare bone staffing. And they are also utilizing Licensed Mental health Counselors. Which is not a bad thing , I am just sharing to give a visual.
There is one Charge nurse ( recently a new Nurse and only a few months experience and a week experience as a charge nurse) One Medication Nurse ( me who is Agency) and 2 LMHC for Patients with a history of violence.
I find myself the Medication nurse daily because I am agency and not trained for charge.Although I do have 18+ years of experience in this realm. 27 years experience as an RN.
However as a Medication Nurse it is my responsibility to make certain that the medications are set up and passed safely.
This is the first facility I have ever worked in that does not have a psych tech(s) to do safety checks, and they have the RN's and LMCH's to do checks.
Well, pray tell how do I safely pass medications, PRN's etc and also be responsible to do State Mandated Every 15 minute checks?
The facility Administration refuses to have more staff even though it is the most violent, acute unit.
I have never worked in any Psychiatric Facility that expects the RN's to do these checks and still maintain a safe med pass as well as be available for high unit acuity and escalating patients.
Recently we have had a rush of all violent men. Myself an Agency Nurse on Medications(I have loads of experience but have not been oriented to all the policy's of the hospital as well as paperwork) A new RN charge nurse and two young, female LMCH's. We had 3 admissions last night. A high unit acuity with physical and verbal altercations between the patients.
In the middle of me attempting to pull medications, or return medications because of refusals and document, the LMCH wanted me to do checks. I said No, because I needed to finish what I was doing.
I can honestly say I have no down time in this job, have not taken any regular type breaks(How can I with unit acuity being this high and bare bones minimum staff)
I am on the unit in Milieu as often as I can safely be. But I am also in a back room with an Omni Cell and computer so I can pull medications, document and do my BIRP notes.
I feel pulled in many different directions here. My feeling also is if a patient escalates the Charge RN should give the checks to the LMCH's ( who cannot pull meds) and have me pull emergency medications.(Also last evening I had a diabetic patient with a very high blood sugar.... but oh wait... Stop everything , I have to do safety checks! )
I have NEVER worked anywhere that is not the expectation.
If I am wrong about this please feel fee to share.
I am humbling asking what other peoples experiences are in this and thoughts?
Why can't the charge pass a prn or two while you are doing safety checks. I know our 7-3 shift is great for the I'm not the med nurse when someone asks for a Tylenol or whatever and the med nurse is busy. It upsets me when the other nurses in the station wont. We have been told repeatedly by management
that any nurse can give meds if needed. Heck I pass pm pills on patients of the med nurse has went to the bathroom or whatever if he patient asks for it.
Mandychelle79, ASN, RN
771 Posts
Why can't the charge pass a prn or two while you are doing safety checks. I know our 7-3 shift is great for the I'm not the med nurse when someone asks for a Tylenol or whatever and the med nurse is busy. It upsets me when the other nurses in the station wont. We have been told repeatedly by management
that any nurse can give meds if needed. Heck I pass pm pills on patients of the med nurse has went to the bathroom or whatever if he patient asks for it.