----- Original Message -----
From: "Dr. Tudor Codreanu" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, February 08, 2002 11:43 AM
Subject: Nurse delivered analgesia
> I wonder if other A&E Centres have a different approach to Nurse
> administerd analgesia.
> In our department, I am told, nurses cannot prescribe simple analgesia (ie
> paracetamol) to the patients while waiting to be seen, unless at the
> doctor's request.
politics pure and simple
Nurses except for some District Nurses and Health Visitors cannot
'presecribe' at present, most of the arrangments outside of some ENPs and
Walk in centres which is supply of a limited quantity of medication, are
supply and adminster single doses, and then these arrengements are in my
experiernce mainly about event cover - as a Nurse on duty with SJA at
present i can supply and adminster four different drugs ( aspirin in chest
pain, paracetamol , oxygen and entonox, five if you count oral glucose as a
'drug') , which is the same as the ambulance crews and a good proportion of
the first aiders and unless i can convince my county Nursing officer and
county medical officer this won't change - although i understand London SJA
has a more formalised system beyond individuals making agreements with the
CNO and CMO)
> As pain is a major triage criteria to me it seems illogical for fully
> qualified A&E nurses (even at ENP status) to be forbidden the
> administration of a couple of paracetamols when they are freely available
> from the across the street filling station.
liability, pure and simple, plus Nurses are quite conservative as a
professional about exposing themsleves to risk, so they might not push as
strongly for it themsleves, it all depends on the Nurse managers and the
trust head of shed of nursing.
> The other illogical thing to me is that if a patients phones A&E asking
for
> advice, it is often suggested analgesia/antiinflam. in form of products
> available freely to the public. So, it is OK to suggest analgesia over the
> phone but not to actual give it in the patient's hand?
>
you haven't supplied it then, you have only suggested it, it is still the
patient's own choice to act on that advice and therefore it is hoped that
liability is reduced.
> Are we isolated in doing this?
> Thanks for your comments.
>
> Dr. Tudor Codreanu
> SG A&E
Martyn Hodson
[log in to unmask]
Registered Nurse
SJA Ambulance Attendant
writing for myself, views expressed are entirely my own,
and may not reflect those of my employer or St. John Ambulance , Nationally
or locally
-Duct tape is like the force, it has a light side and a dark side,
and it holds the universe together.
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