What kind of pill crushers are you using?

[GLORIAmunchkin72]

Ours is loud and at times messy and I am not crazy about breathing the powder dust that it creates. I am short and practically at eye level with my cart. Tried masks for a while but it got too hot and uncomfortable. I also tried to use a pair of plyers(long time ago) but end up tearing up the little souffle cups. There has got to be something better. I wouldn't even mind buying it out of my own pocket and taking it home at the end of the night so it does not disappear.

[RobCPhT]

Silent Night is what all of my facilities use. It really gets the job done without the mess.

[Marylou1102]

I used to work at a place that used the heavy metal crushers. One night another nurse was trying to pulverize some meds. After she got done pounding I heard a frail elderly voice call out "Come in".

The Silent Knight is a great improvement.

I have one of those twisty pulverizers, never thought about taking it to work. Sounds like a good idea though.

[prowlingMA]

I have found that for one or two pills the back of a metal spoon in a bowl works when you are in the dining room and need a quick crush.

[seva]

I have found that, in an absolute pinch, you can crush the meds in their packages using forceps (or any other smashing/crushing implement) to crush the meds then pour them, very carefully, into the cup.

I used to have a problem with the Silent Knight not crushing the pills at the top, until I recently figured out that you could fold the plastic envelope over and invert it, as the crushing action seemed to be the best at the bottom of the device. Make any sense? Probably not.

But the forceps thing works a charm.

seva

[Indy, LPN, LVN]

I used a silent knight in school clinical, for a lady who had a LOT of pills to mash up and stick in applesauce. It worked really well for a large volume of pills.

We have a twisty crusher, that I can't stand, and a mortar and pestle, that I use 90 percent of the time. I figure it's been good enough since the stone age and I'm not allergic to washing it when I'm done.

[BJLynn]

We use the Silent Knight on all of our floors too. Very convient. Except when one of the pills pieces gets all sharp and pokes through the plastic sleeve.

[GLORIAmunchkin72]

And they say nurses aren't creative? This is hilarious!

I thought I'd seen this recently,

https://allnurses.com/forums/f8/oboy-did-i-date-myself-today-142425.html

[tatgirl]

I work in LTC and we use the Silent Knight pill crusher. Just put the pills in the plastic pouch and crush away!! No dust, and they are quiet. With the larger pills, I have to rotate the bag while crushing to make sure there are no uncrushed pieces.

Wendy

LPN

[hollya5334, LPN]

At my LTC facility, we have the most archaic thing!! It is a block of wood with holes in it, for the cups. We pop the pills in the cup and pound them with a small hammer!!! I just take out the cards, beat the heck out of the pill with the hammer and pop the crushed pill into souffle cups, and pound some more. Still doesn't get it good. Oh, to have a Silent Knight! Used them in clinicals, and they are AWESOME!! And I wouldn't get the meek lil "hello?" "come in!!" and then finally, the "I SAID COME IN!!!!!!" lol.

[GLORIAmunchkin72]

Silent Knight is definitely the winner. I priced them at $89.95 plus tax and you have to buy the individual pouches (1000 for $41). It looks like I'm going to be pounding for a little while...

[RNHawaii34]

we use this brand called "silent knight", in the ltc facility where i work. in my other workplace we have this pounder thing called mortar and pestle...(?). yeah, the little dust is sorta annoying sometimes.:lol_hitti

[S.T.A.C.E.Y, LPN]

This is the pill crusher we used on our clinicals. "Personal Pill & Tablet Crusher." Pop the pills in the little cup, put on the lid and keep twisting till you've crushed 'em! No lost little pieces, or airborne dust. If you're buying it for yourself, this one is small enough to pop in your pocket and take home with you. And....its only $8....not $80.