Question about Administering Med's

[pat8585]

I am NOT a nurse. I am a prospective LPN student, anway, i have a question about passing meds in a Nursing Home.

I was at a nursing home one time and a Certified Medication Aide was filling paper cups/holders for the residents medications.

Now here is where my question comes in...does the LPN take the paper cup that the CMA has filled, and then pass it to the resident? Or does the CMA pass them out HERSELF? Because if hte CMA would make a mistake and the LPN passed it out, the LPN would be responisble for teh mistake right?

Sorry if i sound like a have bricks for a brain. I dont have any nursing experience. Thanks in advance !

[Blee O'Myacin, BSN, RN]

Its your license and your responsibility that the right resident gets the right meds. I would never pass meds without checking the MAR, the patient's ID band and the meds in their packaging.

Always check with your facility policy too.

Good luck,

Blee

[KellNY, RN]

Usually a CMA passes the meds s/he has poured. As an LPN/RN I would never pass someone elses meds--with very few exceptions (ie, it was a PRN tylenol and I saw that it was, indeed, 2 tylenol in the cup...or I knew the Pt and the nurse well enough to know that s/he takes a ditropan XL with her baby asa and labetolol at 9am and I identify that that's what's in the cups).

If you do a basic search you will see that MANY, of not most, licensed personel do not feel comfortable working in a facility that employs CMAs, because we are still responsible for the Pt's well being. A CMA has no license to lose.

[allantiques4me]

I am an LPN and would never pass medications that someone else has poured.I am very consciencious with my med pass.

[NurseyPoo, RN]

Wow! That is dangerous. I would never pass out a medication that I did not personally pull, check against the order and then check the patient. That is why we have proper order in place...It sounds like a med-error waiting to happen. Also, there are several medications that look alike. What if you mistake a cardiac drug for an anti-depressant? Too scary to even think about.

[PANurseRN1]

I am NOT a nurse. I am a prospective LPN student, anway, i have a question about passing meds in a Nursing Home.

I was at a nursing home one time and a Certified Medication Aide was filling paper cups/holders for the residents medications.

Now here is where my question comes in...does the LPN take the paper cup that the CMA has filled, and then pass it to the resident? Or does the CMA pass them out HERSELF? Because if hte CMA would make a mistake and the LPN passed it out, the LPN would be responisble for teh mistake right?

Sorry if i sound like a have bricks for a brain. I dont have any nursing experience. Thanks in advance !

Never pass meds someone else has prepared.

[GingerSue]

let me put it this way - I wouldn't give any medication that someone else had poured (how do I know it's correct, and handled properly - like it wasn't dropped on the floor?)

and I wouldn't ask anyone to give a medication that I had poured (how do I know if it would be given to the right patient?)

and then ask, who will be held responsible if an error occurs with problems?

[k9's mom]

Too much at stake to let anyone else handle meds if I'm the one responsible, I'll pass them...I've worked hard for my nursing licenses...first LPN then RN and I'm currently working on the pre-reqs for BSN