Can a registered nurse give medication in a residential home or just in a nursing home? What about a care home that is both residential and nursing? What are the legal requirements?

Answered by Quality Compliance Systems (QCS)

A Registered Nurse can give medication in a residential home as long as they have had the relevant medication training. However, they will not be able to carry out specific nurse procedures that would normally be undertaken by a district or community nurse for example for insurance purposes.

In a nursing home the Registered Nurse is the only person that can administer certain medications to residents/service users who qualify for nursing care – this is because the funding is based on the person receiving care by a Registered Nurse and their needs being more complex that requires oversight and monitoring by a Registered Nurse.  However, in some cases a non-nurse may be able to administer some medications to a nursing resident/service user as the nurse will delegate this task to the trained carer or support worker. The Registered Nurse must be confident that the carer has the appropriate training and competency and the carer must ensure they are confident in administering the medication. Care workers should only administer medicines that they have been trained to give and this will generally include assisting people in: taking tablets, capsules, oral mixtures; applying a cream/ointment; inserting drops to ears, nose or eyes; and administering inhaled medicines. An appropriately trained care assistant can also be a second signatory for the administration of controlled drugs. The administration of medicines by invasive or specialised techniques, or the administration of controlled drugs, will normally involve a Registered Nurse, however, suitably trained and competent senior support staff may administer certain medicines when it has been deemed in the best interest of the resident/service user and these are usually in the capacity of a nursing associate role. or carers with additional training and discussed with the multidisciplinary team. The aim should be to benefit the resident/service user.

Although this is the legal stance on medication administration in a residential and non- residential setting, some providers will have very blanket policies in that only registered nurses must administer medication to nursing residents/services users.

For more info on how QCS can help you deliver and evidence quality care, visit https://www.qcs.co.uk/care-nursing-homes/full-care-management-system/