In order to provide efficient services, contracted Behavioral Health (BH) Nurse Practitioner and Registered Nurses shall approve and make sure the Mwangaza Behavioral Health Residential Care policies and procedures for self-administration of medication are implemented and complied with at all times. Frontline personnel members (Behavioral Health Technicians – BHTs), shall receive rigorous training from the RN and BH Nurse Practitioner.
Personnel members providing assistance to residents shall demonstrate knowledge of:
- Medications commonly prescribed for residents with behavioral health issues;
- Common benefits, side effects and adverse reactions to those medications;
- The signs, symptoms, or circumstances indicating that a resident should not take a medication and of who to contact to review and address the resident’s situation;
- Of the differences between assisting in self-administration of medication and medication administration;
- Skills in assisting in self-administration of medication;
- Medical terminology used in assisting in the self-administration of medication, signs, indicators, and symptoms of toxicity or overdose;
- Skill in responding to medication error or medical emergency;
- Skill in documenting assistance in self-administration of medication.
Mwangaza Behavioral Health Residential Care personnel members will assist residents with self-administration process of medication. Agency personnel members will not administer medication and will follow resident self-administration of medication process under the monitoring, training, and oversight of the Agency Registered Nurse. This monthly monitoring process will also include a review of resident’s medication regimen, benefits experienced, any adverse reactions and/or side effects. The monthly monitoring process will ensure personnel member’s compliance with the self-administrating process, appropriate documentation, and through resident review, if medication is achieving the desired results.
The oversight of self-administration of medication will basically involve the following:
- Agency personnel member will inform resident of specific time to self-administer medication, and resident to obtain a full glass of water
- Agency personnel member unlocks the designated secured medication cabinet
- Resident should read the medication label and dose as prescribed (if he/she can); or
- Agency personnel member will read the medication label to the resident to ensure the medication is taken as directed; confirms time, confirm person, confirms medication, confirms doses and route.
- Personnel member opens medication container for Resident if resident cannot open the bottle.
- Personnel member will not touch the medication.
- Personnel member observes resident while the resident removes medication from the container and takes medication with water.
- Resident will stay with personnel member until process is completed, and forms are signed.
- After completion of resident self-administration of medication, the personnel member will secure the medication in the designated locked area.
The agency has a written agreement with a behavioral health professional/Nurse to provide consultation and directions as needed. The RN shall also provide on-going in-service education to personnel. (Self-Medication administration procedures will be reviewed and signed on by the Registered Nurse).
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For service arrangements, please Set An Appointment today. To request for more information about this service, please contact us at 520-248-1295.