Who can witness a waste?

[MQ Edna]

I just finished orientation classes at a new job. It's been going really good and I am pleased with how thorough and professional the educating trainers have been. Yesterday we went over medication administration. We were told that at this facility a narcotics waste can be witnessed by anyone, even non-nursing staff. It was clearly stated that housekeeping, dietary, maintenance staff, "anyone you can grab" can witness a waste and sign the reconciliation sheet. I guess this could even mean family or visitors if no one else is available (they didn't clarify if it had to be a facility employee).

You should have seen the look on the new orientee's faces! One of the RN's doubled checked what had been said, the trainer repeated "wastes can be witnessed by anyone". One of the STNA's said, "I feel really uncomfortable about this, at my other job only RN's can witness a waste".

I agree. At my previous job in a metropolitan ICU we were told that another RN had to witness a waste. Now, that floor was staffed by all RN's and a CTA. This new job is more of a mixture of STNA's, LPN's and RN's.

The reason cited for this rule was that in some areas of the facility (like the Alzheimer's Unit) there are no RN's employed, yet narcotics are given.

Wow! Help me out with this one . . .Is it true that "anyone" can witness a waste???

[crb613, BSN, RN]

I won't waste unless i see the product getting wasted.

Same here

[WOLFE, BSN, RN]

must be an rn or lpn to witness a waste

[mamason]

I agree with the previous posters. I always wasted with another RN/LPN. And I would not sign a waste unless I actully saw the drug being wasted.

[luvmy2angels]

At my facility narcs must be wasted by Rn to Rn, any other meds can be wasted by Rn to Lpn or Lpn to Lpn.

[nursekatie22, RN]

As a student nurse extern this past semester (having finished my nursing classes in December) I could waste as long as the other person was an RN. At the hospital I'm at now as an RN, it has to be another RN.

[AgentOrange]

In my state, anyone can witness. Ideally it is another RN, but some wards only have 1 RN on at a time. It would be detrimental to pt care to wait until another RN or licensed person could come from another ward. It would be a security risk for the RN to just give the med and then have someone witness the wastage later. Clerks and other personnel are given a pyxis sign-on for the purpose of witnessing wastage. They have *no* other privilages in the pyxis, the system recgonizes their sign-on solely for the purpose of witnessing wastage.

[RNDreamer]

When a drug is "wasted" is it thrown in the garbage or poured down a sink? Or is it disposed of in a way that someone could not go digging in the garbage and retrieve the pills? TIA!