UAPs administering meds

Nurses Safety

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:cool: Please help! The Facility where I work is going to initiate UAPs administering meds. I want to know if a nurse can refuse to be responsible for this. The facility is calling them Med Techs but my understanding is that Med Techs go to school to learn about meds and the administration of meds. UAPs on the other hand do not. Am I being too conservative to go along with this practice? This situation has caused a turmoil at work.

Thanks for any advice.

Melinda Sue

Thanks to everyone for your replies! You all have been very helpful and I certainly appreciate your advice.

I have been on a quest for the last 2 wks. gathering info. re: UAPs giving meds. I do not wish to be responsible for this new policy.

The nurses at our facility were never spoken to about this plan. One night at work, one of our nurses shows up at work and finds out she'll have a so-called Med Tech carrying Narc. keys and being responsible for a whole unit! She called the DON, who was sleeping, and then called the ADON.She was told to just go along with it . There was a resident in the dying process receiving Oxyfast bucally Q15 min. Prn pain and also receiving Oxyfast Q6hr. routinely (Hold if unconscious).

This "Med Tech" had only studied a Med-pass booklet and answered the questions in the booklet 2wks. prior to being handed over the keys to the Med. Cart! She had no clinical experience at all! My understanding is that she picked up the booklet at the local Dept. of Social Services or the Dept. of Human Resources. Does that make any sense to anyone?

I'll try to keep you informed about this situation.

Thanks again for everyone's input!

Melinda Sue

My Lord. What is this world coming to? :uhoh3:

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