Disciplinary Scenario

[Eydawn]

Drug checks on employees- for their safety and yours.

Review personnel files, make sure they're not just careless in general.

Create great big BLUE stickers to put on one of the drugs, with the drug name printed on it to avoid further confusion. Other than that, all of what has been written above. Bet they'll triple check next time.

Wendy

CO EMT-B

MI EMT-B

[Dustdevil]

Okay, a little more info on the scenario:

Although the medic involved did report the error immediatly upon discovering it, she didn't discover it until a month after the accidental wasting. Another medic coming in to relieve her did the count and discovered it. So, the original medic did not notice her mistake for over a month, even though she signed every day during that time for accountability of the wasted drugs.

Does this change how you would handle the situation? How and why?

[Just Plain Ruff]

Well that does change things I believe.

We now have on top of a mistake in wasting the wrong drugs, we have the possiblity of patient safety jeopardized because they had expired drugs in the cart.

Did the medic not look at the expiration dates after the day she wasted them.

I know that every narc box check we did we always checked the expiration dates even if we didn't use any narcs that day.

I still think that drug tests are in order but they aren't gonna tell you crap if it was over a month after the fact.

I think a talking to regarding being more attentive to things like this is in order but there should be no termination or suspension.

I'm sure that medic is kicking theirselves in the arse due to this error and it is pretty much a guarantee that this won't happen again on their watch.

[JPINFV]

Assuming a clean record, it's time to send the medic on an unpaid vacation. There is nothing I can't stand more then people just signing their name and not doing what they signed off on. My very first job was at a movie theater and I refused to sign the paper stating that I received a manual and was trained when I hadn't (standard HR paperwork, nothing shady or anything). Interestingly enough, I was placed in one of the most coveted departments, box office. Even now, I will not sign something like a unit checkout sheet if I didn't check out the unit. My signature means something at least to me.

Now I don't believe that she should be terminated over this. I can see the entire, "I'm one of a limited number of people who have access to it (only person?), I wasted it, there is no reason that that shouldn't be the right drug" argument. It's not entirely valid because the employee's job is not to assume that everything is there just because they were the last person, or trusts the last person, to have access to the drugs.

Oh, and a memo definately goes out to deter anyone else who thinks their signature means nothing.

[Lone Star]

Yes, this changes things!

First off, the narcotics are SUPPOSED to be checked every day...I'm presuming that this also includes checking the expiration dates. There is NO reason that this 'mistake' should have gone an entire MONTH before being discovered. This is a gross dereliction of duty, and at the very least, the medic in question should get an unpaid vacation. There is NO reason for such negligence of duties!

Second, the medics that came in on the shift after this medic was done, should have caught the error, so I'm thinking this is getting more and more widespread. If the medics in this company are this lazy in routine duties, what does that say about their performance in the field as well?

With higher licensure comes greater responsibilities, and also higher penalties for 'errors'.

I would consider termination in this case, but would have to take a long, thorough look at the personnel files and any performance reviews therein.

Not only would these steps be taken, but I would also have to look at the supervision staff, after all, they're allowing such behavior be repeated day after day.

When I perform My 'routine equipment checks' at the begining of my shift, ...if the list says I need X number of 4x4's...you can BET that there will be a MINIMUM of that many, or they're stocked.

I don't trust anyone to 'insure' that they're there if it means I could get my ass in a sling if it isnt! It's a matter of strong work ethics and attention to detail.....nothing more!

[Dustdevil]

Excellent points, LS. But...

Second, the medics that came in on the shift after this medic was done, should have caught the error, so I'm thinking this is getting more and more widespread. If the medics in this company are this lazy in routine duties, what does that say about their performance in the field as well?

The scenario reads that the next oncoming medic DID catch the error. That is how it was discovered.

Not only would these steps be taken, but I would also have to look at the supervision staff, after all, they're allowing such behavior be repeated day after day.

There is no on-site medical supervision in this scenario. This is a REMOTE clinic with one person staffing it and supervision from afar. Those supervisors have to rely on the records of the solo medic being accurate. There can't be a supervisor at every site anymore than there could be a supervisor on every ambulance. And, of course, supervisors are humans who are also prone to errors, so who supervises them?

I don't trust anyone to 'insure' that they're there if it means I could get my ass in a sling if it isnt! It's a matter of strong work ethics and attention to detail.....nothing more!

Those are indeed two of the most important keys to success in this business. Without them, your education and intelligence are nothing.

[Lone Star]

The oncoming medic may have discovered the problem, but it still took a MONTH in order to find the mistake. This tells me that the job of inventory isnt being performed each day. (As it SHOULD be)

The supervision that I refer to is from the company in general. We inventory our supplies not only for cost control, but in order to keep tabs on controlled substances, such as the drugs. This will only work if all involved pull their own weight and do the jobs as they're SUPPOSED to be done!

[Dustdevil]

Agreed.

This is just one example of why I roll my eyes when some low-time rookie EMT or medic says he wants to go work at a summer camp, or in the oilfields, or in some industrial setting. Without a tonne of experience, you are immediately in way over your head, both medically and operationally, when you try to be a one-man show.