In more than 30 years of nursing, I've never before written to a journal. But I had to comment on the nurse who says nurses in her unit not only prepare medications a day or more in advance, but also let nursing assistants administer them ("Medication Administration: Planning Too Far Ahead," Advice, p.r.n., December 2002). I have a few questions for her and her co-workers.

* If they have time to prepare medications ahead of time one day, why don't they have time to administer them the next day?

* What are the nurses doing while nursing assistants are distributing medications? And meanwhile, who's doing what the nursing assistants should be doing?

Perhaps someone needs to adjust the staff schedule in this unit.

I often respond aloud to questions I read in your journal; I'm glad I wrote this time.