When administering medications it is critical to pay great attention to the task at hand. This task becomes more important when administering medications to the elderly because of the different physiological and psychological changes that occur in the body. Equally important are, the lab values related to the medications being administered, differences in administering medications to the elderly, and the use of the six rights and three checks. As people age, their body goes through changes. One of the most common changes is decreased visual acuity (Touhy, Jett, 2012). Decreased visual acuity can lead to taking the wrong medication, which could have detrimental effects to the patient. Elderly patient also experience a decrease in saliva and esophageal motility and impairs their ability to swallow pills (Touhy, 2012). In addition, fat tissue can more that double in elderly adult (Touhy, 2012). A buildup of fat tissue becomes important when administering lipid-soluble drugs because, the drug can be absorbed by the fat and create a toxic effect (Touhy, 2012). Lastly, most elderly adults have slower metabolisms which results in delayed gastric emptying (Touhy, 2012). This becomes important because, some medications will not make it to the small intestine to be absorbed in time to cause their therapeutic effects (Touhy, 2012). There are many different reasons to get lab work done before a medication is given. For example, it is important to do a WBC when suspecting a bacterial infection in order to know which medication will be effective (Touhy, 2012). Also, when giving blood thinners such as heparin, it is important to know the prothombin time which determines whether or not to give the medication (Touhy, 2012). In patients with dia... ... middle of paper ... ...umented immediately after administration to prevent errors in documentation (Potter, 2013). All six of these rights are to be complete three times before a medication is given (Potter, 2013). The first of these three checks is done when removing the medications from the storage unit (Potter, 2013). The next check is done when removing the medications from the container they are in, and the final check is done at the patient’s bedside just before administration (Potter, 2013). All in all, administering medications takes a great deal of responsibility and care to prevent errors from occurring. It is also important to know that administering medications to the elderly can be significantly different because of their physiological changes. Finally, it is important to have a system like the six rights and three checks to consonantly screen against medication errors.
...estions if not 100% sure of something or use a double checking system. When a nurse is administrating medication, they should use the ten rights of medication administration (right patient, right drug, right route, right time, right dose, right documentation, right action, right form, right response, and right to refuse). Nurses should always keep good hand hygiene and always wear appropriate clothing to prevent from the spread of disease. Good communication with patients and healthcare team members is also key to success. Keeping on the eye on the patient within an appropriate time is important. If the patient ever seems to be looking different than their usual self vitals should be taken immediately. Encouraging patients to ask questions if they are unaware of something can prevent errors as well. Nurses should make sure the patient is on the same page as they are.
Overall, I retain three goals for this clinical day: Safely and efficently administer medication, enhance my nursing/CNA skills, and determine how to implement infection control into a health care setting. This week reflects my assigned time to administer medication in a health care setting for the first time, with a resident who retains nearly twenty medications. I except this experience will be a great learning experience, but it will also subsist slightly stressful. With the assistance of my FOR, my goal is to administer all of my resident 's medications without complications. To ensure that medication safety, I will perform the six medication rights and three checks prior to administration. Along with medication administration, a goal
The main quality initiative affected by this workaround is patient safety. The hospital switched to computer medication administration as opposed to paper medication administration documentation because it is supposed to be safer. So, when the nurse gets the “wrong medication” message the computer thinks something is wrong, this is a safety net that is built into the computer system. If the nurse were just to administer the medication without any further checks, he or she would be putting patient safety on the line. The policy involved that pertains to this workaround is the “8 rights of medication administration”, which are: right patient, right medication, right dose, right route, right time, right documentation, right reason, and right response (LippincottNursingCenter®, 2011). Each nurse it taught these eight rights of medication administration in nursing school, therefore it is a nursing policy. When this workaround occurs the nurse should use his/her judgment before “scan overriding” and ensure these eight checks before administering the
The geriatric population is rapidly growing as individuals continue to benefit from medical advances and pharmaceutical treatments. A large number of this population will need to take some form of medication to maintain a functional lifestyle. Multiple medications can affect the elderly population differently than younger generations. This paper will discuss how polypharmacy impacts geriatrics and the will focus specifically on analgesics and antihistamines. It will also examine demographic factors, changes within the aging body, prescription and nonprescriptive medications, and the role of the nurse practitioner when caring for these patients.
Trained research nurses will observe administering of medication for appropriateness. According to Poon (2010), direct observation methods will be used to measure error rates. The research nurses will shadow the nurses during medication administration of the first 100 veteran patients, that agree to the study. During direct observation, this allows the research nurse to record detailed information regarding the medication that is administered to the veteran patient. At this time, if the research nurse feels that a medication was administered erroneously, the researcher can intercept, and record this information regarding the attempt to administered a medication error by this nurse. The medication errors are defined as timing, and transcribing. Data will be collected in addition to any incident reports. The study will use a monitoring system that is use surveillance of adverse drug events (ADEs) for reporting system for observed and new ADEs at Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical facilities (VA, 2014). VA ADERS allows individuals to report, track, and electronically submit serious adverse drug events to the FDA’s MedWatch system (VA, 2014). This would be the way to gather baseline data and measure the
Medications are an essential part of life for many seniors. From pain relievers to beta blockers, medicine can extend and increase their quality of life. On the other hand, when not taken properly, medication can have many harmful side effects or even become toxic.
Currently, through observations and clinical experience on Med/Surg at Cary Medical Center, medication is administered by the nurse. Nurses are responsible and accountable for administrating medications to patients. Patient me...
Precision of a patient’s intravenous medication is essential; it must be safe from. contamination, toxicity, and side effects. Most people believe these medications are compounded or mixed by a trained and licensed individual. However, this is inaccurate because the pharmacy technician actually compounds a large percentage of a patient’s medications. Compounding involves a technician’s math skills, aseptic technique, and professional ethics.... ...
Polypharmacy among the elderly is a growing concern in U.S. healthcare system. Elderly who have comorbities and take multiple medications are at a higher risk for potential adverse drug reactions. Elderly who take over-the-counter medications, herbs, and supplements without consulting their physician are at risk for adverse reactions associated with polypharmacy. Polypharmacy can result from patients having multiple prescribers and pharmacies, and patients who continue to take medications which have been discontinued by the physician. There is a great need for nursing interventions regarding polypharmacy, including medication reviews also known as “brown bag”. As nurses obtain history data and conduct a patient assessment, it is essential to review the patients’ medications and ask open-ended questions regarding all types of medications in which the patient is taking. In addition, the patient assessment is also an opportunity for the nurse to inquire about any adverse reactions the patient may be experiencing resulting from medications. Nurses are in a unique position to provide early detection and intervention for potentially inappropriate medications and its associated adverse drug reactions.
The medication reconciliation process compares the medications taken by a patient prior to admission to a facility with the medication orders at the facility. The Joint Commission (TJC), the accrediting body for health care organizations, stipulates that the medication reconciliation process must be completed with 24 hours of admission (Sentinel Event Alert, Issue 35, 2006). This process begins with compiling an accurate list of the patient's home medications which are also referred to as prior to admission (PTA) medications. At UCHealth North, it is the job of the Pharmacy Admission Specialist (PAS) to compile and verify this list. The PAS must collect, record and communicate to the provider an accurate list of the patient's PTA medication using every means possible.
A number of factors influence the nutritional status of the elderly. First, several physiological changes impact elderly nutritional requirements. Changes in taste and smell may decrease an individual's appetite or desire for food. Gastro-intestinal motility decreases with age and may lead to constipation, decreased nutrient absorption, and a decrease in fat and protein absorption. Metabolism also slows with age; this results in a decrease of lean body mass and an increase in body fat (8). Lastly, bone mass decreases, leaving the elderly vulnerable to bone fractures from falls and osteoporosis.
... their mediation regimen closely. Many elderly patients are taking several drugs that can reduce the efficacy and increase the toxicity of one another. In order to avoid complications it is important to always educate the patients on proper usage, side effects and specific drug interactions. If a patient misses a dose they should never double up. This could increase their risk for possible overdose. Certain OTC drugs and herbal supplements can have adverse reactions and reduce the efficacy of these drugs. Patients should be advised to that alcohol or tobacco consumption may alter the absorption of the medication and should be avoided. Lab work should be completed routinely to avoid renal and liver toxicity when taking these two classes of drugs.
Medication errors are the leading cause of morbidity and preventable death in hospitals (Adams). In fact, approximately 1.5 million Americans are injured each year as a result of medication errors in hospitals (Foote). Not only are medication errors harmful to patients but medication errors are very expensive for hospitals. Medication errors cost America’s health care system 3.5 billion dollars per year (Foote).Errors in medication administration occurs when one of the five rights of medication administration is omitted. The five rights are: a) the right dose, b) the right medication, c) the right patient, d) the right route of administration, and e) the right time of delivery (Adams). Medication administration is an essential part of the nursing profession, taking up to forty percent of a nurse’s time in providing nursing care (Fowler). Consequently, nurses are commonly held accountable for medication errors. To improve the safety of a vital aspect of nursing care, bar code scanning was introduced to reduce errors in medication administration. Although bar code scanning has its advantageous aspects, there are also disadvantageous qualities.
Multiple steps are conducted to ensure that medications received and administered to nursing facility residents are the intended ones. Nursing facility regulations specify that the facility “must develop and implement appropriate policies and procedures for accurate acquiring, receiving, and administering of all medications” (CMS, 2014). Before medications are packed for delivery, a LTCP employee checks that individual content of a package match the prescription label on the package (CMS, 2014). It is crucial for the nursing staff to be conscientious on the order submission cut-off time so the medications can be delivered as soon as possible.
Firstly, the main role of a pharmacist is to dispense medicines to their patients according to the prescription given. Before this, they have to ensure that they delivering the right drug, the strength and dosage of the medicine are appropriate, as well as ensuring the medication is safety and can work effectively in the human body. (Swanson, 2005)