75 residents/3 nurses

[TrickieTam]

Hello fellow Nurses,

I am an LPN who currently works at a Sub-acute LTC facility. We have just about everything a Med-Surg nurse would encounter and more. I work 7p-7a and recently my facility went from using 2 nurses on a unit with 75 residents and 3 carts, to 3 nurses who have their own cart. I will admit things are easier cause when there were only 2 nurses I was often afraid and feared for my residents safety and my license. Last night one of our nurses got sick and we would go down to 2 nurses. We were told that we had no other option. Now we have 2 sometimes 3-4 RN House Supervisors in house for 225 residents in the facility who are supposed to take a cart, but they weren't willing. Myself and my co-worker refused due to the workload and so many critical people on my side. I just didn't feel comfortable. My question is, is it legal for a nurse to work more than 1 cart? Would you as a nurse have taken the keys? Legally if I had taken the keys then I would have taken responsibility for whatever happended.I was told in nursing school that 1 nurse is not to have 2 sets of medication cart keys. I have fear of sharing a cart due to 2 nurses both sharing a narc box. Not that I don't trust her, but many nurses have got into trouble with other nurses who's narcotics are off count and no one wants to claim its their error. If I am going to get into trouble with narcotics being off count its gonna be due to my own error. The RN excuse for not taking a cart: "I don't know these residents cause I am new"! She has been employed with this facility for over 3 months and if anyone should know about each resident it should be her! All you don't know about a resident you can consult a nurse on that unit, a CNA or read your MAR or chart. Thanks for letting me vent

[CapeCodMermaid, RN]

You might want to call the DEA or your state BON. This doesn't sound like good practice.

[TrickieTam]

our nurses have to share a cart on all 3 shifts. we are lucky though that everyone has worked together for a long time and trust each other. but when an agency nurse comes into the mix or in recent history a supervisor with sticky fingers for the narc drawer, its harder on them. they finally came up with only one nurse will keep the keys and pull the narc for the other one and they take turns holdng the keys.

Sharing a cart during the day? No way, its hard enough to pass meds and complete new orders. I bet that's a nightmare.

[TrickieTam]

You might want to call the DEA or your state BON. This doesn't sound like good practice.

My co-worker who refused to share carts told me she may do that. She was involved once before with the same situation.

[kstec, LPN]

In two out of the last 3 facilities I've worked at we shared a cart. I thought it was pretty much common practice since you always work short in LTC. Where I'm at now we have 4 med carts but usually only have 3 nurses so there are 2 nurses getting into one cart throughout the shift. LTC is one of those places where a good show is put on for state but the reality is much different. Sad but true.