When administering medications to Mrs Smith or any patient some safety precautions the enrolled nurse will follow is to have a glass of water ready for the patient, have the patient sitting in an upright position for swallowing thus reducing the risks of chocking; ensure the patient is awake and responsive. Also assess the patient this may be done by taking the patients vital signs especially a pulse reading for digoxin (Lanoxin). Bradycardia is an adverse reaction to the medication Lanoxin which Mrs Smith is prescribed so before administering Lanoxin taking a pulse and ensuring the pulse reading is within the acceptable range. If Mrs Smith pulse was sitting at 50 bpm, administering the drug Lanoxin may further lower the pulse rate and cause further complications (Tiziani, 2013, p 634). Therefore before administering any medications to Mrs …show more content…
As an Enrolled Nurse working in a facility, part of the responsibility of administrating medicines is to check the medication/prescription order has been filled out correctly in the medical chart or on the prescription. It doesn’t matter if the enrolled nurse is working in a hospital, aged care facility or in the community all prescriptions/medication orders must have the patient’s full name, address/ward and date of birth (Drugs and Poisons Act 1996, p 74). Before administration of medicines can occur six items must be present as part of the medication order this includes:-
• Current date that the order is written.
• The name of the medicine being proscribed written in full, using the generic name (Drugs and Poisons Act 1996, p 74).
• The route of administration which can be abbreviated.
• The dosage of the drug to be administrated and the frequency, for example four times a day (QID) (Drugs and Poisons Act 1996, p 74).
• The time or times for the drug to be administered.
• The full signature of the prescribing
6. http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/drugs/drugs-law/Class-a-b-c/, article title: ?Class A,B and C drugs?, by the home office, accessed 12th June 2008.
was approved in 1982 and in another form, that is to be taken orally rather than
...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.
Hochadel, M. (2014). Mosby's Drug Reference for Health Care Professionals (fourth edition ed.). : Elsevier.
"Regulatory Information." Federal Food and Drugs Act of 1906. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 20 May 2009. Web. 14 Apr. 2014. .
It is not unheard of for a nurse to accidentally make a medication error by not following the five rights of medication administration; this could potentially harm a patient. If the nurse reports the mistake right away to their supervisor, regardless of the consequences and makes sure the patient is safe they are being honest and acting in the best interest of their pat...
Taking medication - medications in pill, injectable, liquid and other forms – nursing education / monitoring
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.
An Bord Altranais (2007) Guidance to Nurses and Midwives on Medication Management. (http://www.nursingboard.ie/en/policies-guidelines.aspx) (accessed 15th October, 2011) (Internet).
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...
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 medication education is conducted by the nurse. Medication education includes informing the patient the reason for the medication, when and how long to take the medication, drug interactions, and importance of checking with primary care provider prior to taking any over-the-counter or herbal products. If the nurse is unfamiliar with a certain medication, a drug book is available for the nurse to utilize and gain knowledge regarding the drug use, action, adverse reaction, and contraindications.
Administration of medicines is a key element of nursing care. Every day some 7000 doses of medication are administered in a typical NHS hospital (Audit Commission 2002). So throughout this essay I will be evaluating and highlighting the learning that took place whilst on placement at a day unit.
I was also responsible for monitoring medication orders and reviewing patient profiles to ensure that the proper drugs and dosages were prescribed and that the pharmacy technician had prepared them properly. In many instances there were mistakes made in the preparation phase and sometimes even before, with incorrect dosages or drugs being prescribed and prepared, which could result in serious adverse effects for the patient. A clinical pharmacist’s role, however, is to make sure that these mistakes never reach the
Secondly, they advise their patients in assuring the appropriate use of medications. It is important to tell the patient about the name of the drug, what is it for, when to take the drug, how many times per day, whether it should be taken before meals, after meals or with meals, the method of taking the drug and its side effects and possible drug-drug interactions. (Swanson, 2005)