Pulling Meds For Another Nurse To Pass

[Dudlydorite]

I refused to pull meds for another nurse to pass. Although the meds would of still been in the sealed package and pill bottles placed in the patients box, I refused. I cannot guarantee the other nurse passing them will verify correctly and/or administer the right med to the right patient. I see this has been done previously on all shifts and I was told, “that’s what we do so the floor nurse can do her assessments right away when shift starts”. It doesn’t matter if the meds are still sealed, I’m responsible for verifying meds for another nurse I’m supposed to trust to verify again?  No! Uh nuh! Excuse me, but I’m not going down under the bus if that nurse makes one human error. Am I wrong for refusing? I’ve never heard of such practice and have never done this in the 18 years of practice. 

[Susie2310]

I would refuse to do this also.

[NurseLy, BSN, RN]

I have seen this done and I have done this before in places I have worked. Occasionally if the oncoming shift is going to be very short or especially busy we will pull meds for the oncoming shift and store them in the locked patient bin in the Pyxis. 
 

We do not pull anything controlled or anything that would be in a vial that can’t be verified by the nurse administering, like insulins. Generally we would write on a small piece of paper what meds are missing and put it with the pulled medications.

If there would be an error with a medication administered it would be on the nurse giving the medication. I think it’s similar to being in an isolation room and peaking out and if your hall partner is free asking them to pull a medication for you so you don’t have to doff the PPE.. 
 

I am not saying you should do this if you are uncomfortable just sharing that it is done other places. ?

 

[klone, MSN, RN]

If the medications are in their original packaging where the nurse can do the 5 rights, I guess I don't see what the problem is?

And I guess I would sort of understand you not wanting to give meds that another nurse has pulled out, but why aren't you willing to help out your coworkers?

[gere7404, BSN, RN]

Never did it on the floor for even just a PRN Tylenol, do it all the time in the ER with pretty much every med even controlled stuff

[vintagegal, BSN, DNP, RN, NP]

No narcs! 
Maybe I’m off base but we all have our nursing friends, the ones we trust, the ones who would pull you out of a pinch and help set the record straight if something were to happen. 
I would pull meds for someone, I’d even give pulled meds, provided I knew who was doing it and someone that was doing it wasn’t a jackrabbit. 

[LovingLife123]

I always pull meds for my teammates in ICU.  We just do that for each other.  If it’s a narc requiring a waste, I make sure it’s wasted.  Not sure what the big deal is.  

[FolksBtrippin, BSN, RN]

If it’s in the original packaging, and the nurse administering is the one documenting, it’s not a problem. 

[JKL33]

If there were a medication dispensing cabinet involved I wouldn't do it unless I would be able to verify what happened to the med.

I know this is extreme, but it is in response to an extreme. I take employers' hatefulness very seriously, and I have been in meetings where they are point blank ranting that any medication that isn't verified as having ended up at a proper destination (or properly wasted/disposed of) is "diversion" and "theft."

So. I make my decisions accordingly. And I take no responsibility suggestive of "not a team player;" that is pure foolishness.

I didn't say it, they did and it was pretty intense.

[Sour Lemon]

I wouldn't mind doing it, with the exception of controlled substances ...assuming the nurse actually giving the medication is responsible for documenting that they gave it.

If they wanted me to pull and document meds that someone else was passing, that would be a "no way".

[Nurse Beth, MSN]

If nurses are unable to do their jobs without having another shift pull their meds, there's a problem that needs another solution.

[JBMmom, MSN, NP]

I pull PRN medications all the time for other nurses to administer. Sometimes a patient on the vent is getting out of control and that nurse (or myself), can't safely leave the patient so they'll just call out for someone to pull a PRN. If someone is in a precaution room I'll pull meds for them as well. Maybe our unit is just lucky that no one has been accused of diversion or anything shady, but it's all been okay so far. We are pretty lax with our narc/waste/pull procedures at times, not the standard to go by. However, they also moved our pyxis as far from the patient rooms as possible about 18 months ago to begin med room renovations that have never been started. So the chance of finding a nurse to witness at the time of a med pull is pretty slim. 

As far as pulling a medication for an oncoming shift, I've sometimes pulled an antibiotic or electrolyte replacement that was due but I can't hang because something else is already on the secondary.