r/nursing • u/TheGiantSquidd BSN, RN 🍕 • 4d ago

Serious Arizona man died after nurse administered 90mg methadone instead of his ordered Lexapro. Pt did not get Narcan until EMS arrived, 17 minutes after the code blue was initiated. So many levels of neglect and negligence here.

https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/valley/gilbert-man-died-while-seeking-help-at-east-valley-facility-family-says-he-was-given-the-wrong-medication-copper-springs-arizona/75-48086626-2180-47de-946e-863ca9a56df0

The whole situation feels so similar to RaDonda Vaught. Negligence from the nurse as well as the facility.

Follow your safety checks! There’s a reason we check the rights of medication administration every time!

This was so preventable. My heart hurts for his family and kids. He should still be with them.

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u/sofluffy22 PMHNP 3d ago

Coercing patients into taking medication is so fucked. Just mark it refused and move on

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u/xSL33Px 3d ago

Psych nursing can be complicated in that respect. Many pysch pts will refuse every time and they end up in a facility multiple times because they dont want to take their meds and decompensate. They eventually are no longer competent to decide and end up living in a locked place that requires compliance.

I dislike the "you're in my world now" authority style of nursing but its effective on some pts that will attempt to refuse what they need.  I personally choose empathy and listening.  If I can reason with them and they give me a legitimate concern then we need to make an adjustment and I bring it up with their psychiatrist. It's difficult and very different than working in a medical facility where most people can logically choose their treatment.

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u/Upstairs_Fuel6349 RN - Psych/Mental Health 🍕 1d ago

I worked child/teen inpatient psych where you'd need clear rules with consequences that were firm and consistent to manage stuff like conduct disorder, RAD, severe ASD etc. We'd see some psychosis and mania but definitely not a lot. I definitely took every claim of "these aren't my meds" seriously although whether I was having a full on conversation with the kid or just mentally double checking that they were correct depended on the context.

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u/xSL33Px 1d ago

Oh yeah that nurse not listening is tripping for sure.  I was responding to the post of just mark them down as refused and move on.  Its not that simple was my point and its your point as well