If anyone has any advice on passing meds, please share! because I can never seem to do it in 2 hours, there is NO way! I am like 75% done by the time I have to start my 12:00pm meds, it’s just crazy! I am freakin out, lol , my med cart has no dividers, no categories, just my MAR and the pill crusher, water, juice, little cups, straws and the little tiny paper cups where you put the meds and apple sause. I have 33 patients and it’s one hallway. My distractions would have to be the patients calling me, talking to me, yelling…and the 3 tube feeding patients…...

I take it that you work in a nursing home... First of all, how is your med cart arranged? is there dividers for am, noon, afternoon your 20:00, HS and PRN for each patient? It's all about order and timing. Can you give us a little more detail? Like how many patients, hallways, how many other distractions do you have when you do your med pass?

no dividers, no categories, just my MAR and the pill crusher, water, juice, little cups, straws and the little tiny paper cups where you put the meds and apple sause. I have 33 patients and it's one hallway. My distractions would have to be the patients calling me, talking to me, yelling...and the 3 tube feeding patients......

Wow that gives you about 3 minutes per patient. Do the patients have their meds in a lock box in their room, or do you cart them around?

What should I do?! ahhhh!

Thank you so much for actually replying :) It makes me feel better to know that there is someone else that thinks it's a tough situation. I work for registry and I come in a do meds for them, they have 3 stations, and they are all the same...so it's hard to get familiar with the stations, becuase they move you around, but I always go to the same nursing home.

My hospital just finished its Joint Commission re=accreditation visit, and the highlights of the comments were related to safe med administration....so NEVER compromise the safety of your patients, particularly where meds are concerned! It sounds like short-staffed is an understatement of how your facility is at the moment....3 minutes per patient to administer meds is not nearly enough time....and is that all that you do?? what if a patient needs to be re=positioned in bed, or to use the commode?? no wonder you are feeling overwhelmed! I am fairly certain that I would not take a job that required me to administer meds to 33 patients, particularly if there were other duties assigned!!! Regardless, please don't lose your passion for nursing that has gotten you through school and to this point....one day at a time:)

I have worked in a nursing home and I feel your pain. It was the hardest nursing job I've ever had. I worked there for 2 1/2 years and it never got any better. My hall ,with 35 patients had 15 diabetics, with BS checks at 4pm and 9pm. There was never enough time to do everything that needed to be done, plus we were always short-staffed (CNAs) and sometimes had to help with their work as well. It was overwhelming, to say the least. I worked 3-11 and most nights didn't leave until midnight or 1am (and then got written up for overtime) And with the paperwork and treatments, on top of everything else going on, it was an impossible task. Not to mention if a patient went bad or you got an admisssion (with 20 pages of paperwork). Heaven forbid, you leave something undone for the next shift. It was a nightmare. I stayed as long as I did because of the patients who I came to love. Now for your question. It's so hard to complete your meds on time with all the interruptions. Before I could complete 4pm meds, and dinner, it was time to start all over again at 9pm. Sometimes it's just impossible to do it in the time allowed. Being a new grad, you're taking alittle longer too. Once you feel more comfortable, you'll get alittle faster. But don't go too fast. You want to take enough time so you won't make mistakes.Nothing is scarier than going home and thinking you missed someone's medication or forgot to take orders off a chart. Remember it's your license that's on the line if a mistake is made. Moving around from station to station, even at the same nursing home, can rattle you too. You don't get a chance to get to know the patients and their medications like you would if you only worked on one unit. Patients in a nursing home are not your typical patients. Some are ambulatory and you have to chase them down. Many are confused and need coaxing to take their medications. And the there are the tube feeders, who take time. I was a seasoned nurse with 20 some years experience and I had a real hard time. Don't feel bad. You're just getting your feet wet. If it's too stressful, maybe you should consider another type of nursing. There are all kinds and some are less stressful than others. Then after you have some experience, you can go back to this.A nursing home is not a good place to get experience right after becoming a nurse. There are too many immediate decisions to be made and too much stress. I haven't really answered your question except to say to give it some time and maybe things will get alittle easier for you, if not , my advise would be to find another job. less stressful. Whatever you do, I wish you luck and keep your chin up! We've all been there at one time. ps- if you have any more questions or I can help you in any way, please let me know.