A nurse discontinues patient-controlled analgesia per the health care provider's prescription, and notes that there is 10 mL of morphine sulfate left in the cartridge. All other nurses on the unit appear busy. What is the most appropriate action by the nurse?

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Opioids (eg, morphine, hydromorphone, fentanyl) are controlled medications, regulated in the United States by the Controlled Substances Act and in Canada by the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. These laws contain regulations (eg, methods of disposal) for various controlled substances. To properly dispose of leftover opioid medication in a patient-controlled analgesia pump, the nurse must have a second licensed nurse witness the waste of the medication (Option C). Hospital policy should be followed to properly waste the medication and discard the empty cartridge. When a controlled substance is discontinued, the nurse documents the date, time, amount used, reason for the waste, and amount wasted. (Option A) Unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) cannot witness the waste of medication as it is outside their scope of practice. Two licensed nurses must document this process. (Option B) Simply documenting that another nurse is not available does not follow government regulations for wasting controlled substances. Disposal should occur only when a second licensed nurse is available as a witness. (Option D) It is never appropriate to waste a controlled substance without the witness of another nurse. In addition, nurses should never document or sign off on anything that was not personally witnessed or completed as this constitutes falsified documentation. Educational objective: Waste of controlled substances (eg, opioids) must be witnessed by two licensed nurses to comply with facility policy and government regulations.

A Nurse Discontinues Patient-Controlled Analgesia Per the Health Care Provider's