URGENT-staff & meds

Editorial Team / Admin · Mar 20, 2015

Lock the med cabinet. Meds should never be left unattended when there are others who have access to them, whether by permission or not. Hopefully the person only has a key to the office and not one to the med cabinet.

lvnforschool · Mar 20, 2015

The med cabinet is locked, but we have to keep the keys in an open drawer for the office staff to get to, in an emergency. I am taking the keys with me when I leave for a short time- but that does not cover me before and after I leave. I guess since No meds are missing, I am stuck relying on the honor system. Just feels wrong to let anyone and everyone access to meds. Just cause your a teacher or admin doesnt mean they dont have addicition problems. :no:

Farawyn · Mar 20, 2015

Lock up as much as possible, and document. Document what the Principal said as well. If you have a Nurse Supervisor make her aware.

Order a double lock cabinet?

Do count if you have to.

amoLucia · Mar 21, 2015

Lock up as much as possible, and document. Document what the Principal said as well. If you have a Nurse Supervisor make her aware.
Order a double lock cabinet?
Do count if you have to.

Good suggestions. Sad that it has to come down to this.

Have a suggestion - can you 'split out' your meds??? Like the emergency meds like inhalers and epi pens and diastats are in an unlocked section of the med closet but the 'routine' kind are locked up.

By the way, I suggest that you put something in writing to your administration - without naming names but as a general concern. If something DOES happen, there might be a rampant case of 'amnesia du jour' in the administrative offices. You'd have some documentation to CYA.

Your gut feelings are alarming you - stay aware.

And I always toot the horn for your own individual malpractice insurance, if nothing more than for expert advice/counsel if needed.

amoLucia · Mar 21, 2015

Having a second concern. Wouldn't unlimited access to meds pose a potential breach of privacy r/t to HIPAA (you guys have some equivalent, I think?) It is obvious that meds reflect medical information - why is it nec for that administrator to have knowledge of 'routine' meds/information?

Just another point to consider in your 'letter of concern' to your principal. (I am assuming that I'm correct.)

Jolie, BSN · Mar 21, 2015

The med cabinet is locked, but we have to keep the keys in an open drawer for the office staff to get to, in an emergency.

I'm sorry, but this makes no sense. Does the principal leave a set of keys to his/her office in an open drawer for others to access in an emergency? I highly doubt it.

You have a key. An identified and consistent second person should have the other, either on his/her person, or in an obscure place in his/her desk.

I don't know where you live, or what state laws govern school nursing practice, but I can't imagine that even in an emergency, just anyone can legally access or administer meds. In our state, lay individuals can be trained for emergency medication administration, and in that case, would be appropriate candidates to carry med. keys. But having keys in a known location that any Tom, Dick or Harry can grab hardly seems to meet the letter or intent of any policy or law regarding medication security.

mycsm · Mar 23, 2015

Just because she is an "administrator" does not mean she has carte blanche to your office. Maybe a sign on meds closet door. Please do not help yourself, please see the nurse for medication". It kind of covers everyone, staff, kids, parents.

I have this issue a lot with staff just helping themselves to ALL my supplied, bandaids, tissues, a whole tube of antibiotic crÃ¨me, a whole bottle of contact lens solution. And I politely say, While I am happy to help you, please keep in mind, I am not CVS, my supplies are budgeted and I do not have any extra.

That usually stops the "shopping" in my office.

Flare, ASN, BSN · Mar 23, 2015

I keep my controlled meds in my double locked cabinet. The key is in a place where i know the location. At first the admins questioned me at the where the keys would be kept until i asked them why back and why they wanted access to my controlled medications so badly and if they would take responsibility if meds were to go missing. Now i hide my keys where i want to and don't hear a word about it.

AdobeRN · Mar 23, 2015

I have split up my medications - keep the controlled meds locked in a cabinet. I do have an extra set of keys that only the principal and his secretary have access to.

All of "emergency" medication - inhalers, neb treatments, epipens & OTC stuff are in a separate cabinet that is unlocked during school hours and all staff have access.

I keep stuff like contact lens solution, bactine, vaseline etc in another location for staff to have access. I am lucky though - most of the staff treat the nurse clinic as if it was my own space so they are very respectful and usually ask for permission before digging around looking for stuff.

amoLucia · Mar 24, 2015

My suggestion was exactly what I had in mind as PP AdobeRN commented. TY to her.

lvnforschool · Mar 24, 2015

Its so frustrating to me that I basically work at school with the mindset of 1800's! :banghead:

Ive witnessed sooo many things here that would never fly in another school district! Its a feeling of, that everyone "knows" and trusts eachother and theres NO "BAD" people. I will probably be screwed if a staff member decides to get into the med cabinet, but my Prinicpal won't do anything about it. The RN just kinda tells me to document when staff is in my office. Shes here one day a week, and sounds burned out already. Thanks for the suggestions' ive tried to implement some but the RN always shoots it down. I guess I will just have to deal. At least I have it on social media that I tried to speak up. thanks