Can a nurses aide administer Morphine?

In some states a CNA can give PRN meds that have been ordered by a physician as directed by a registered nurse. (The meds were, obviously, prescribed and on hand and meant to be administered.) It is telling that you are a hospice nurse who appears more concerned with who's giving the meds than whether your father-in-law is comfortable. Couldn't the aide hand the morphine to your husband to administer? Would you also want the aide to avoid giving oxygen to your FIL, because that is a PRN med? I don't know if you're nuts or not, but if I'm in your FIL's shoes, I don't care who's giving me meds; just make me comfortable. I hope that while the hospice was directing the aide to make the patient more comfortable, they were also dispatching a nurse to assess and adjust the POC if needed. I'm sorry for your husband's ordeal and yours as well.

I guess it depends on alot of things. If your father in law was at home on hospice anybody could give him morphine without any certifcation, correct? My father in law was in my home on hospice and we all gave them him morphine as needed and we had no training or certification. Of course it also depends on what state you are in. Here in Colorado you don't have to have a DNR to be on hospice but alot of other states require a DNR. I use to work at a assisted living, and we don't have to be CNA certified to work their. We can also take a 2 day class, and be able to pass meds, without being CNA certified. So it just depends on states and certifications. I would think as long as she had permission from hospice and a nurse there shouldn't be any issue. I do have a big issue with giving morphine for labored breathing??? Isn't that contraindicated for morphine?