UnBELEEEEVABLE

[Joules]

At my hospital, Pitt County Memorial Hospital in Greenville, North Carolina (on the eastern side of the state), the administrators have just installed the new Pyxis System (all this without even consulting the nurses OF COURSE). To say this new system is a disaster, is putting it very mildly. Now, if you even want ONE alcohol swipe or a small tube of doppler jelly, you have to select the patient's name and then punch in for EACH one you take!!!! In one of the machines, there are even individual disposable cups!!! While up on the unit, there was a code. Literally, supplies could not be found. As we all know, seconds count in a code and you don't have time to be scurrying around hunting down scarce supplies and typing in information into a tempermental machine. Suddenly, it seems as bad as a third world country around the hospital. I keep my OWN vacutainer and my OWN tourniquet for drawing labs on my person at all times.... because new ones simply CANNOT be found!!! Infection control has been a BIG issue at this hospital... 43% post-surgery infection rate!!! Been in the news and in the newspaper, and the administration is trying to "educate" staff about proper infection control. Now, if you can't find proper supplies for asepsis (not EVEN an alcohol pad to wipe off your stethoscope after each patient visit) and have to keep reusing supplies that are supposed to be used once... how is this going to help the infection problem??? Our hospital is also having a TERRIBLE time retaining nurses... Units are having to close down beds to sick patients simply because there are not enough nurses. Some units are 50% travelers... Now the moral is SOOO LOW and nurses are SO PI$$$ED OFF

Forgive me for ranting, just have to vent:o

[SmilingBluEyes]

I LOVE PYXIS...but it is something to get used to. That they put alchohol swabs and the like in there is INSANE and needs to be changed. Only things that are chargeable directly to the patient (not floor stock) should go in there. You need to have a meeting w/your manager about this ASAP .......or else you will never resolve the valid issues you bring up. WE NEVER use PYXIS for FLOOR STOCK..........it's great for drugs/narcotics and such. That was what it was designed for. Good LUCK! If you do iron this out, I think you will LIKE the system. I sure do.:)

[Sleepyeyes]

Our pyxis system works GREAT!!

But.....

only MEDS are in the locked cabinet. Other supplies, like syringes and alcohol swipes, dressings, etc, are in the box in Clean Utility or (surprise!) Pt. Supplies. Yes, there's a handy=dandy lil button that we're supposed to swipe this baton-thingie with, and we do it most of the time, and there's no issue.

What I really like is, I can see if an unsigned med was given or not, because the time of the last dose for that patient med is clearly given. That ROCKS.

[nell]

How incredibly STUPID!!! Isn't that just like the suits who don't have a clue to institute something like that without even asking for input from the people who will be using it.

I agree that the Pyxis is useful for meds, especially narcotics, but to use it for things that you need a million times/shift?

[spineCNOR]

Dang!! No wonder your hospital has retention problems!

It's truly pathetic that the staff nurses - the people who would be directly affected- were not given a chance to evaluate this new suppy management system before it was put into place.

[flowerchild]

WHAT???? They put alcohol swabs, disposable cups, and doplar gel into the pyxis???? IMO, the code cart should be well stocked and you should never have to use the pyxis for items needed during a code!!! The only thing that should be on the pissusoff/ oh I mean pyxis, is meds. What, are they charging the patients for those items or what? Give me a break. Just another example of the suits trying to make a buck. Everytime I think I've heard it all, someone posts something like this and I just cringe.

[maizey]

Pyxis is great if used properly. Our hospital does not put floor supplies in it and you need to bring this to someones attention right away. you will spend half your night going to the pyxis for alcohol swabs, etc. Once you get used to it for meds and narcotics you will love it. No counting narcotics each shift.

[indynurse]

I miss our Pyxis. We now have an "Accu-Dose" system and it is the pits. Drawer errors occur for no reason at all. Sometimes you can clear them and sometimes you can't. It malfunctions in some way at least once a week (that I am aware of...) The pyxis was easy to use and we rarely had problems with it malfunctioning. Even our bio-med guy comments on how often he gets calls to fix it.

I did work for a hospital once that stored the acetone swabs in the pyxis. I thought that was odd and a waste of timewhen I needed to remove nail polish from a perfectly manicured nail so I could get a pulse ox reading. But they didn't store the alcohol swabs in there. That is just going too far with the supply management and bean counting.

[MollyMo]

What rocket scientist put alcohol in the Pyxis in the first place!? Pyxis is for po and iv meds not stuff that should be floor stock. I'm not holding my breath but I dream of the day where administration asks the people who actually use the equipment what we want before they buy it.

[Qwiigley, BSN, MSN, DNP, RN, CRNA]

There are 2 kinds of pyxis. Those of you who have responded that "only meds" go in pyxis need to know. The med pyxis is the old standard. The supply pyxis is like a room full of shelving with clear doors in front of ea shelf. It cuts costs and bills out the more expensive things. It also communicates with Central Supply for inventory. We never run out of anything because supply pyxis tells central. You should have carts of supplies for basic things, though. Outside of pyxis is individual syringes, needle-less ports, alcohol, etc. But things like feeding bags and diapers etc. SHOULD be in pyxis to prevent waste. Each morning when you go to work, fill up your pockets with the basics until mgmt gets the bugs out.

(that's why, one reason, to wear nursing uniform and not t-shirts)

Also, if nurses are too lazy to get alcohol etc to do their work. SHAME ON THEM. That is ridiculous. Don't give meds without washing and using alcohol.

Unbelievable. Don't fall into the lazy trap of blaming someone else for your lack of professionalism.

[shay]

I have used the supply pyxis before, and loved it ...........HOWEVER..

They didn't do stupid stuff like put ALCOHOL SWABS in it (WTF?!!).

Um, not to sound ugly, but I have always heard baaaaaaaaaaad things about Pitt (yes I am in NC). Just par for the course, from what I've heard about the management down there.

Sorry about your sucky situation.

[Nurse K-Bear]

our pxis just has the narcotics and floor stock meds. We did have a machine at one time called an omnicell. This held all the supplies. All the floor stock stuff was in it in bulk such as boxes of preps, syringes etc. I loved this system it had a search feature! We hardly ever ran out of stuff. the bulk items were charged to floor stock (there was a button for that). Now we are on the index card sticker system thing to charge patients it was easier with the omnicell. I do not know if omnicell is from the pyxis company or not