Re: Chloroscrub vs. alcohol swabs/phenergan issue

[Jennifer Kettle]

My thoughts on question #2:   Understanding the effects of phenergan and being told the effects (as I'm sure this instructor has been) and then not requiring her students to do what is reasonable and prudent for the patient is very poor judgement. I am upset that students would be taught this type of "critical thinking" or lack thereof. How often do standards change and how long does it take to get all of our policies and procedures up to date with those? It is always an evolving process and nurses are required according to their licenses to stay up to date and knowledgeable and to also do what is reasonable and prudent when compared with their peers. I would say that this instructor and her students should not be allowed to give phenergan in your hospital. Show her some infiltration pictures r/t this drug and literature to support your claim. Her reasoning and thought process would never hold up in court. I am even more concerned that in general, possibly her students are being taught this type of critical thought overall. I am sure that you do not have a policy against throwing patients out of the 5th story window but that doesn't mean that they should do it until there is a policy in place stating that they shouldn't. Also, students as far as I know are a guest in a hospital and the RN in charge of the patient being cared for by a student is responsible for the care given. That RN can not allow the student or the instructor to do something that is in such poor judgement. Anyhow, re: the chloroscrub swabs, we don't have those but they sound curious. So, no input there.     Jenny Kettle, RN, BSN >>> "Tami Spaeder" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 3/9/2006 10:18:00 AM >>> Questions for the group:  2.  We have the ability to now use the Chloroscrub Swabs in our hospital. They are, however, more expensive than alcohol swabs. We are trying to decide what to ask our hospital for regarding what we need and what we would use the swabs for. Most of our nurses don’t spend the required amount of time swabbing hubs/caps with the alcohol swabs. Is anyone else switching over to these swabs in place of the alcohol swabs? And, if you are, are you using them for all IVs or just for central lines? Our local college has clinical for the nursing students at our hospital. At a recent staff meeting one of the instructors said she will not require her students to dilute IV Phenergan unless we make a policy. In looking up Phenergan in two Mosby’s we have, we found one states to dilute and the other says it is optional to dilute before giving. Our PICC team knows the affects Phenergan if it infiltrates into the tissues. I look at this as being a normal, common sense ‘nursing consideration’ for a medication. Many medications have ‘nursing considerations’, they don’t all need a policy to back it up. Any thoughts?     Tami Spaeder, RN, BSN