Reasonable time frame for prn medication to be given?

Nurses General Nursing

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When a patient asks for a prn medication lomotil how long is reasonable time to wait for the med to be given, the nurse stated she would be there shortly, then stated she will get to her when she gets to her No emegencies going on.... Also said when she finishes her med passing.... 2 part question time frame and how she spoke to the family handling the situation. Ty. It was given an hour and half later pt. had abd pain and loose stools that entire time.

Why the new account? Just reply as yourself, OP.

Yep, hard to explain that post any other way!

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Specializes in Med-Surg., LTC,, OB/GYN, L& D,, Office.

Once very frustrated at a family insisting "Mother, must be changed, right now", only to find a tiny smear in her brief, not the massive mess the family led me to expect, with additional threats of reporting to the administration, I thought I would need to explain in language that did not include nursing hours, shortages, and similar jargon. I said, we have a certain number of residents, some like your mother have interested caring family, some do not. If I only concerned myself with the families that threatened repercussion when there was no observed ill effect or discomfort what would become of those that had no-one but the staff to look to their needs? I continued with what I thought was a fair analogy. Imagine a mother of triplets, all three are in their nursery, each one soiled, all of them screaming crying and most likely hungry...mother starts with baby 2 her decision not made out of spite, does not mean she loves the other two less, it simply means she has to start somewhere. Further discussion about orderliness in a facility, and the importance to prevent a chaotic work environment with poor time management, and greater risk for error, ensued. They never raised another complaint because Mother was indeed cared for by her family as well as the staff.

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Specializes in Emergency, Telemetry, Transplant.
I love how defensive nurses get when someone makes a comment about time management lol.

Those of you making comments about how "loose stool" is not an emergency should actually be ashamed of yourself because 1 u don't know what's causing it

I would prefer to be defensive on here explaining why a nurse didn't give a PRN antidiarrheal, rather than defend myself in a deposition trying to explain why I ignored my pt in respiratory distress so that I could get Lomotil because the family was getting antsy.

If I don't know what is causing the loose stools then I shouldn't be running for a Lomitil anyway.

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Specializes in Med-Surg., LTC,, OB/GYN, L& D,, Office.

Now this is just getting silly and beneath everyone with any degree of common sense or empathy..No situation plays out exactly the same and there are exeptions to every rule. Make peace and move on!

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Specializes in Travel, Home Health, Med-Surg.
I love how defensive nurses get when someone makes a comment about time management lol. Nurses work hard...harder than most people will ever understand but be honest....there are bad nurses out there who make people wait for no greater reason than they annoyed them. And if u really get honest...EVERY nurse has done this...made an annoying patient or family member wait just because you can. I've worked in the healthcare field my whole life...in different capacities along the way and I've been a patient and I've had my share of amazing dedicated hard working nurses but I've also had and seen my fair share of horrible nurses that don't belong working in a vet clinic let alone a hospital. Those of you making comments about how "loose stool" is not an emergency should actually be ashamed of yourself because 1 u don't know what's causing it and 2 to a patient experiencing it or a family member watching someone they love suffer IT IS an emergency to them. Its the world to them and guess what? ITS YOUR JOB to take care of any and all patients no matter how silly or insignificant their symptoms are to you. That patient may have had loose stool for days....weeks....do you know how that feels? The cramping? The fatigue? The being frightened that something bad is wrong with them? A patients fears and concerns and needs as well as their families should never be dismissed because they aren't an emergency in your eyes and if a patient or their family asking 3 times in an hour bugs or annoys you then maybe YOU shouldn't be a nurse!!

Are you a nurse? Doesn't sound like it, and quite frankly you would scare me if you were my nurse. I don't think anyone was "dismissive " of the patient, just prioritizing like we are trained to do so patients stay alive! I am sorry you are bugged by this but that is the reality and you should be greatful, not bugged and annoyed.

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Let me tell the doc next time he wants to intubate my patient with a sat of 72% that we must wait because my other room requested lomotil for grandma first. Nope, I can't pull those meds from the Pyxis until that lomotil is given.

I'd probably be fired for my incompetence.

Nursing is all about prioritization. Because if we don't prioritize, people die.

Let me repeat this again. People will die. Nurses are not just there to give everyone meds, clean up poo, and fluff pillows. It's my job to keep your loved one alive.

Sadly, too many people don't get that.

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I love how defensive nurses get when someone makes a comment about time management lol. Nurses work hard...harder than most people will ever understand but be honest....there are bad nurses out there who make people wait for no greater reason than they annoyed them. And if u really get honest...EVERY nurse has done this...made an annoying patient or family member wait just because you can. I've worked in the healthcare field my whole life...in different capacities along the way and I've been a patient and I've had my share of amazing dedicated hard working nurses but I've also had and seen my fair share of horrible nurses that don't belong working in a vet clinic let alone a hospital. Those of you making comments about how "loose stool" is not an emergency should actually be ashamed of yourself because 1 u don't know what's causing it and 2 to a patient experiencing it or a family member watching someone they love suffer IT IS an emergency to them. Its the world to them and guess what? ITS YOUR JOB to take care of any and all patients no matter how silly or insignificant their symptoms are to you. That patient may have had loose stool for days....weeks....do you know how that feels? The cramping? The fatigue? The being frightened that something bad is wrong with them? A patients fears and concerns and needs as well as their families should never be dismissed because they aren't an emergency in your eyes and if a patient or their family asking 3 times in an hour bugs or annoys you then maybe YOU shouldn't be a nurse!!

there are bad nurses out there who make people wait for no greater reason than they annoyed them. And if u really get honest...EVERY nurse has done this.

No. And, just so you know, even if you use a lot of capitol letters, this is not true.

Those of you making comments about how "loose stool" is not an emergency should actually be ashamed of yourself

Loose stool is not an emergency.

Definition:

"an unforeseen combination of circumstances or the resulting state that calls for immediate action: as. a : a sudden bodily alteration (as a ruptured appendix or surgical shock) such as is likely to require immediate medical attention."

Shock is an emergency. A burst appendix is an emergency. Loose stool is inconvenient, uncomfortable and could be an indication of a larger underlying problem. Even if it is a sign of a larger problem, Lomotil will not fix the larger problem.

to a patient experiencing it or a family member watching someone they love suffer IT IS an emergency to them.

This is true, patients and families often misunderstand things. They sometimes see relatively benign issues as ominous, and ominous issues as benign. Part of the role of the nurse is to sort through these things.

ITS YOUR JOB to take care of any and all patients no matter how silly or insignificant their symptoms are to you

AGAIN, YELLING ABOUT SOMETHING DOES NOT CHANGE THE FACTS. You did hit the nail on the head with part of this though. "Any and all patients". Not just he ones who make their needs known, or have vocal advocates. The good news is that is if a family member of yours is having a true medical emergency, I will make them my priority. Even if somebody has the runs. I have knowingly left little old ladies laying in their own feces so I could effectively prioritize. You think I like doing that?

And, thank you for explaining my job. Is there a forum for your job that you belong to? I would be happy to start a new account for the express purpose of telling you how to do your job, if you think that would be helpful.

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Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.

@hherrn... I think I love you. :inlove: :laugh:

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And if u really get honest...EVERY nurse has done this...made an annoying patient or family member wait just because you can.

That is patently FALSE.

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Specializes in Emergency, Telemetry, Transplant.
If I don't know what is causing the loose stools then I shouldn't be running for a Lomitil anyway.

I just reread my post. Forgot to add: no pun intended. :cheeky:

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Specializes in Critical care.
I love how defensive nurses get when someone makes a comment about time management lol. Nurses work hard...harder than most people will ever understand but be honest....there are bad nurses out there who make people wait for no greater reason than they annoyed them. And if u really get honest...EVERY nurse has done this...made an annoying patient or family member wait just because you can......A patients fears and concerns and needs as well as their families should never be dismissed because they aren't an emergency in your eyes and if a patient or their family asking 3 times in an hour bugs or annoys you then maybe YOU shouldn't be a nurse!!

Wrong, not every nurse does this- I can honestly say I've never done it and I work with nurses that would never do this. A happy, satisfied patient/family typically means a happier nurse- I certainly don't like being harassed about a med or something that I told the patient or family I would bring in as soon as I could. Continuing to make repeated requests typically doesn't increase the speed in which they get it and could in fact slow it down because it means some other emergent need doesn't get taken care of as quickly. I don't want my patients uncomfortable and give meds as soon as I am able and getting in my face about it is not going to change that, but it is going to piss me off.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Med-Surg, Psych, Geri, LTC, Tele,.
Well I'll tell you what the nurse definitely WASN'T doing: sitting on her rear twiddling her thumbs....If all six of a nurse's patients decide they need to pee, poop, or get some pain medicine at the same time, it can easily take an hour and a half to work through all that...But some people would rather believe that a nurse is just out to get everyone they can.

This! ^^

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