[MaRiNa]

This morning I was counting the narcotics with a licensed practical nurse. I am a registered nurse. This nurse has been an LPN for about 12 years. I have been a nurse for a total of 12 years. That shouldnt really matter, but the question I have does.

We are counting a certain narcotic. Where you can write the narcotic amount given many of the nurses are putting in 1/2, I put in .5 which is the amount that the doc has prescribed. ok, 1/2 or .5. All the same. Right? The LPN has a fit, runs to the other RN who is getting ready to take over for me and tells him that I am wrong. He tells her that there is nothing wrong with what I wrote. She huffs and finally after a few minutes of goofing off we get the narcotic count right.

I am tired of being belittled by nurses who think they know more than me. This happens quite a bit at the facility where I work. I had a LPN tell me that 1/4 was not .25 I am ready to scream.

Any suggestions?

[Old_School]

Hi MaRiNa, welcome to the forums. Without knowing the exact drug of which you speak it is hard to say who is right. The only instance when you cannot substitute 0.5 for 1/2 is when the dosage is in Grains.O_S

[1mg.epi]

It should be addressed in your P & P. If not, I think it should not matter. Most places though want .5 vs 0.5. But in all my education, 1/2 = .5.

[MaRiNa]

hi, and thanks for posting. The order is for .5 which should actually be 0.5 mg for clarification. Many of the nurses are writing in 1/2 in the narcotic sheet. I write in .5 because that is the order. It is written clearly on the medication card, and the MAR. I dont know whether its a matter of just wanting to put 1/2 because its 1/2 a tab, the tabs are cut in half by the pharmacy, or just because the nurses dont know you can go by the order that the doctor has written out.

I just dont understand why these nurses dont know that 1/2 is equal to .5 and 1/4 is equal to .25 I have checked a site called www.math.com. There are the decimals and their equivalent fractions written out next to them. Its not that hard and the nurses where I work make it so hard on themselves, plus try to make me look like I dont know what I am doing. Its an uphill battle all the time.

[hppygr8ful]

I can see whay some nurses would say that 1/2 or 1/4 does not equal .25 or .50 in fact if the order was written as you stated you transcribed the order correctly. If however the medication in quest is in a strength or less than or greater than 100mg and order read 1/2 or 1/4 Tab which I have never seen a Dr do, then 1/2 of a .75mg tablet would be .375mg in any case in order to avoid transcription errors that may lead to patient harm it is best to transcribe the order as written by the Physician. The Big thing is of course PT safety and CYA. At least that's what I think. Just because everyone of a lot of nurses at your facility do it doesn't mean you have to. As for them belittled, so what if you are looking out for the safety of your patients then let it slide off your back like water off a duck.

[cassioo]

we don't count narcs anymore but we'd never have 1/2 or a 0.5 in a count because we'd waste then 0.5 or 1/2 tab if we weren't giving they whole thing because once the package is opened it's given or wasted but they are the same. I have seen a doc write 1/2 tab they write ABC med xyz mg give 1/2 tab...when it doesn't come in smaller mg.

[Old_School]

[ QUOTE ]
If however the medication in question is in a strength of less than or greater than 1 mg and the order reads 1/2 or 1/4 Tab, which I have never seen a Dr do, then 1/2 of a .75 mg tablet would be .375 mg

[/ QUOTE ]


Good point hppygr8ful, I did't even think of that. Welcome to the forums.

O_S