Locking up meds

hik PoimtlessQuestions yes I was workoing as a nurses aide on 11 to 7 shift alone on the third floor and I supposedly had the key to the narcotic chest but as usual the head nurse from first gfloor came up to do the shots as I was not trained to do them so she borrowed the meds key of course to give the shots. Okay. I did my charting then went around to check midnight vitals on certain patients, In one room I found the head nurse from first floor passed out in a chair, I could not wake her so called the second floor staff nurse. WE finally got her awake enough to learn she had oded on phenobarbital from the narcotics closet. She was fired of course. But I had had the oddest feeling something was horribly wrong when I did not see her come out again and give me the key to the narcotics and go downstairs to her own patients. In this case my having locked the narcotics cabinet did no good at all. seems since she had been in the hospital with severe pneumonia she had become addicted to phenobarb and once they got off it and was clean again she was let back on duty but not as a head nurse. This time when she went up to give the shots I went with her to every patient and when she finished the key was back in my possession until the day shift came and took over then the key went to the on coming head nurse. She was one whom I did trust too.]

There are all kinds of ways that people can abuse medication, even over the counter meds. I work with the adult disabled. They need help remembering to take meds on time and not taking too many. Sometimes they would like to take too few. A good example of another obsession with medication is the person who is focused on their bowels. They take laxatives, stool softeners, drink prune juice, and take fiber supplements and then buy high fiber foods like "Fiber One" bars as well. They take so many helpers that it actually blocks them up. Sometimes, if the caregiver is not qualified, they get too focused on medication. Like someone who needs a controlled substance when having a seizure if it lasts more than ten minutes, and can take another after thirty minutes but no more than three in twenty four hours, and the caregiver (family member) will give two immediately and so many that the person ends up dopey and respirations are suppressed etc. These are two examples, greatly edited, to protect people I work with.

When a person gets to that point, then they usually get placed in a home. Have not had on client that has had to have medications locked up. Monitored yes, but not locked up for fear of them taking them.

That is quite hilarious to hear but i find it a bit strange and odd to have locked them ideally but they can get over it and giving sleepless nights,quite true,infact it can happen at places,i have heard it

I think every mother has this job and needs to put away all medications especially when children are small and even throughout teenage years. It is always a good practice to keep. Medications and my system don't work well together. It takes my system about 2-3 days to become completely immune to any type of pain medication. Which stinks when you are in severe pain but a good thing too since you have an automatic cut off naturally when you body says enough of this stuff and just try and tolerate the rest. It will be better for you in the long run.

yes it is best to keep meds put safe and away this does not only go for aging but our young kids

ive never had that with a client luckily. of course i mostly worked with elderly people that some could not even walk over to where i kept meds. but i did have to hide my meds from daughters bf was here. times when i had pain killers after surgery.

I agree, even parents need to lock up meds at home. I knew a young girl in las vegas, who took all of her dads meds once... and was sick for months.