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Learning Objective #1: list two ways to decrease the number of medication passes per resident each day.

Learning Objective #2: discuss implications for nursing practice as a result of the study.

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PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to identify if decreasing the number of medication passes for residents per day will decrease the amount of time spent on medication passes in nursing homes. BACKGROUND: Limited research has been done on the time spent by nursing on medication administration. One unpublished study done in a nursing home showed that a decrease in the number of medication passes for residents decreased the overall amount of time spent passing medications. Nurses felt less stress and had more time to spend with residents. METHODS: A pilot study was done on one unit in a nursing home. A review of the medication administration records (MARs) was done to determine the number of medication passes per day for each resident and to make recommendations for changes in medications and administration times. The MARs were reviewed after the recommended changes had been implemented to determine the medication passes per day. Observation of time spent on medication passes before and after the recommended changes was completed. FINDINGS: 1. Forty-six residents were present at the pre and post testing times, of these thirty-two had changes implemented. 2. The average number of medication passes for these residents decreased from 6.72 to 5.94. 3. Time spent by nursing staff did not decrease from the pre to post testing times. CONCLUSIONS: The findings from this pilot study indicate that the number of medication passes per day can be decreased for residents of nursing homes. The amount of time nursing spent on medication passes did not decrease in the pilot. This may have been due to limited pre and post time evaluation. The study will be expanded to the entire facility to determine if results remained constant. By decreasing the time spent on medication pass, nurses can spend increased time on resident assistance.