.what aspects of the course prepared you most for medication administration?

by Dr. Leda Bartoletti 8 min read

What are the basics of medication administration?

Understanding the basics of medication administration When it comes to medication administration, a nurse must personally prepare any medications properly ordered for a patient and personally administer them. Log In Sign Up Courses Courses Unlimited CE Free CE Courses Certification Review Requirements By State Webinars Partner Courses Gift Cards

When it comes to medication administration a nurse must prepare?

When it comes to medication administration, a nurse must personally prepare any medications properly ordered for a patient and personally administer them. Log In Sign Up Courses Courses Unlimited CE Free CE Courses

What are unique situations to do prior to administration of medications?

TEACHING TIP: Unique Situations to do Prior to Administration of Medications – Crushing Medications and Mixing in Food Locate the device used for crushing medications, review the policy for crushing medications and mixing medications in food at the adult care home, and inform the student of facility’s policy on crushing medications

How long does the medication administration course take to complete?

30 minutes Section 2 Medication Orders 30 minutes Section 3 Medication Administration (Includes Skills Checklists) 180 minutes Section 4 Ordering, Storage and Disposal of Medications 30 minutes Total 300 minutes Prerequisite Skills Review and Validation Medication Administration 5-Hour Medication Course for Adult Care Homes 1

What are the most important aspects of the medication administration process?

One of the recommendations to reduce medication errors and harm is to use the “five rights”: the right patient, the right drug, the right dose, the right route, and the right time.

What would you have to consider when preparing for the administration of medication?

Safety considerations:Plan medication administration to avoid disruption: ... Prepare medications for ONE patient at a time.Follow the SEVEN RIGHTS of medication preparation (see below).Check that the medication has not expired.Perform hand hygiene.Check room for additional precautions.Introduce yourself to patient.More items...

What factors are important in choosing a medication route of administration?

The route used to give a drug depends on three main factors:the part of the body being treated.the way the drug works within the body.the formula of the drug.

What is one of your main responsibilities in medication administration?

Nurses' responsibility for medication administration includes ensuring that the right medication is properly drawn up in the correct dose, and administered at the right time through the right route to the right patient. To limit or reduce the risk of administration errors, many hospitals employ a single-dose system.

Which factors would a nurse focus on when preparing and administering medications?

Following the basic rule coupled with the “8 rights of medication administration” — right patient, right dose, right medication, right route, right time, right reason, right response and right documentation — can help you avoid medication administration errors.

Why is it important to follow instructions on the preparation and use of medication?

Why is doing these things important? Simply put, not taking your medicine as prescribed by a doctor or instructed by a pharmacist could lead to your disease getting worse, hospitalization, even death.

What are the principles of medication administration?

While there are several principles of drug administration, the five important ones are: the right patient, the right drug, the right dose, the right time and the right route of administration.

What strategies can you use to stay safe choosing and using medications?

Top 10 Tips for Safely Using Over-The-Counter MedicinesConsult your doctor or pharmacist before purchasing an OTC product. ... Read the label carefully. ... Do not take medicines with the same active ingredients. ... Only treat the symptoms you have. ... Keep a current list of medicines you take.More items...•

Why are the 5 rights of medication administration important?

To help reduce the risk of medication errors, nurses are taught the “Five Rights of Medication Administration.” Also known as the "5Rs”, these principles help to ensure the right drug, right dose, right route, and right patient, at the right time.

What is medication administration in nursing?

Administering and Documenting Medications Given by a Common Route. Documenting Medications Given Using All Routes. Participating in the Medication Reconciliation Process. Titrating the Dosage of a Medication Based on the Assessment and Ordered Parameters.

What are the 7 steps of medication administration?

7 Rights Of Medication AdministrationMedication administration. ... Right Individual. ... Right Medication. ... Right Dose. ... Right Time. ... Right Route. ... Right Documentation. ... Right Response.

What is the first general principle of medication administration?

Proper preparation and medication administration. One of the first general principles in medication administration that a nurse must adhere to is to personally prepare any medications properly ordered for a patient and to personally administer those medications.

Can a nurse falsify medication?

In contrast, if the nurse who administered the medication that you prepared documents the medication as given, your nurse colleague also has falsified the entry, since he or she did not prepare the medication. Falsification of any record is a serious allegation that can result in an employee being fired or reported to the state board of nursing.

Is it safe to administer medication that another nurse has prepared?

Nor is it acceptable practice to administer a medication that another has prepared. The reasons for this strict rule are numerous. First and foremost, because preparation and administration are fraught with potential for error, relying on another nurse to prepare a medication that you administer is dangerous at best.

Can you give medication to more than one person?

Although there may be instances in which more than one healthcare provider may be required to administer a single medication, such as in a code, it is not generally acceptable practice to prepare any type of medication for another person to administer.

Can you administer a medication you did not personally prepare?

In addition, since you administered a medication you did not personally prepare, you will need to overcome the testimony of a nurse expert that a general, cardinal rule in administering medications is that one never administers a drug not personally prepared.

What are the benefits of medication?

Benefits are effective management of the illness/disease, slowed progression of the disease, and improved patient outcomes with few if any errors. Harm from medications can arise from unintended consequences as well as medication error (wrong medication, wrong time, wrong dose, etc.).

What is a medication error?

One commonly used definition for a medication error is: Any preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use or patient harm while the medication is in the control of the health care professional, patient, or consumer.

Is there research on medication safety in hospitals?

Research addressing the complex process of medication use in hospitals is badly needed and requires a new approach to produce valid knowledge from studies done in the field with few controls of confounding factors. There is a large and growing body of research addressing medication safety in health care. This literature covers the extent of the ...

What is the role of a nurse in medication administration?

Nurses have a unique role and responsibility in medication administration, in that they are frequently the final person to check to see that the medication is correctly prescribed and dispensed before administration .[1] It is standard during nursing education to receive instruction on a guide to clinical medication administration ...

What happens if you don't deliver a drug at the correct rate?

Similarly, it is crucial that medications that are given by an infusion, such as intravenous medications, are administered at the correct rate. Failure to deliver a drug at the correct rate may lead to devastating consequences for a patient.

What is right drug in nursing?

[1] ‘Right drug’– ensuring that the medication to be administered is identical to the drug name that was prescribed.

Do nurses follow prescriber orders blindly?

Medical errors have an interprofessional nature to them, requiring that all healthcare workers uphold their unique responsibilities to ensuring mediation administration safety and adherence to the five rights.[5] Additionally, nurses should not merely follow prescriber orders “blindly.”.

How to follow the principles of medication administration?

To follow the principles of medication administration, you should talk with your patients, wash your hands, question any order that seems inappropriate, report errors, and practice the rights of medication administration.

How to promote safety of medication?

To promote safety, you want to remember to wash your hands before and after handling medications.

How to reduce errors in medication labels?

To reduce errors, you must compare the medication label to the medication order form three different times. Check that you have the right drug before removing the drug from storage, as you prepare the dose, and before returning the drug to storage.

What are the principles of safe drug distribution?

One of the main principles of safe drug distribution is to practice the rights of medication administration. We can sum the rights of medication administration up by saying that a nurse needs to give the right client the right drug in the right dose at the right time via the right route, and when that's all done, ...

What is the job of a nurse?

If you're a nurse, you must be knowledgeable about the medications being administered. You must also ensure that the right medications are given to the right patients in the right way. In this lesson, you'll learn about some of the general principles of medication administration.

What is the responsibility of a nurse?

For a nurse, administering medication is an important responsibility. To avoid errors, a nurse must adhere to the principles of medication administration. Learn about the general principles, including the rights of drugs administration.

Can you take insulin before a meal?

So, the right time is another consideration when administering medication. For example, a diabetic may require insulin before a meal. If a medication irritates the stomach, it may be tolerated better when taken with food.

Why is medication administration important?

The Importance of Medication Administration: 5 Ways to Improve. Ensuring that medications are given safely and accurately is a cornerstone of safe medical care. The importance of following the “Five Rights” of Medication Administration (right patient, drug, dose, route, and time) is ingrained in every medical, nursing, ...

How can organizations reduce the risk of error with "high alert" medications?

Some of the ways ISMP suggests that organizations can reduce the risk of error with "high alert" medications include: standardizing the ordering, storage, preparation, and administration of these mediations, limiting their use, and using automated alerts to heighten awareness when prescribing or administering them.

What is medication administration?

Medication administration also includes identifying risks and precautions and being able to respond to adverse events appropriately and in a timely manner. The purpose of this self-study course is to provide Licensed Practical Nurses with a review of pharmacology, the role of medication management and the various components ...

What is the role of pharmacology in nursing?

Pharmacology and medication administration is a key role and responsibility in the scope of practice for Licensed Practical Nurses. This role includes assessment and monitoring of the client, safe medication administration, health teaching and coaching about medications, and continuous evaluation and documentation of ...

How long is the medication administration course?

During the Medication Administration – 5-hour Training Course, you will be tested on skills listed below. You will be expected to do the skill without comments or instruction from your instructor/evaluator.

What are the activities related to ordering medications at the adult care home and teach/demonstrate?

Review procedures for the following activities related to ordering medications at the adult care home and teach/demonstrate: simple refills; emergency pharmaceutical services; receiving medications when delivered from the pharmacy; accounting of medications administered by staff.

What is a student manual?

A student manual may be created using the handout and activities. The student may benefit from review of the materials prior to the training. The student should receive a copy of the skills checklist. The information will help the student understand and perform the basic competencies required to safely administer medications by the following routes: oral, sublingual (under the tongue), otic (ear), ophthalmic (eye), nasal (nose), topical (on the skin), and inhalant (breathed into the lungs).

What is a medication aid in adult care?

A Medication Aide in adult care homes is an individual who has successfully completed the required Medication Aide course(s) approved by the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, passed the state written medication exam for unlicensed staff in adult care homes and has competency skills validation at the employing facility.

What to do if a resident refuses to take medication?

If the resident refuses and gives no reason, wait a few minutes and then offer the medication again. If the resident refuses again, try again in another few minutes before considering a final refusal. This is particularly important with residents who have a diagnosis of dementia.

Can a medication aid accept a verbal order?

The pharmacy also may not accept a verbal order from a Medication Aide

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Results

Curriculum

  • The client should be educated about the safe and correct method of self administration of medications. In addition to the education discussed immediately above, some clients may also have to be instructed about special procedures like the proper use of an inhaler, taking insulin, mixing insulins, giving oneself an intramuscular injection or self-ad...
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Safety

  • Narcotics must be in a locked and secured in a safe place; other medications must be stored in a place that is secure and one that prevents accidental poisonings among the pediatric population and also among those who are confused and/or cognitively impaired. Additionally, medications that need refrigeration must be refrigerated.
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Risks

  • The risk factors associated with medication errors and other medical errors such as wrong patient or wrong site surgery are discussed below: Psychiatric disorders: Patients/residents/clients with a psychiatric disorder are at risk for medications as based on their psychiatric mental health disorder and the medications that they may be taking. Some psychotr…
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Scope

  • Developmental disorders: The same concerns and interventions described above for infants and children apply to those with developmental disorders, as specific to the degree of their developmental delay.
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Prevention

  • Infants and children: These young children are at risk for medication errors because they are not able to ask questions about medications and procedures; they may not even be able to state their name. The support and presence of the family is one way to prevent medication errors among this high risk population. Sensory disorders: Assistive devices, such as eyeglasses and hearing aids, …
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Administration

  • The routes of administration include the following routes: The oral route of administration is the preferred route of administration for all clients but the oral route is contraindicated for clients adversely affected with a swallowing disorder or a decreased level of consciousness. Oral medications can, at times, be crushed and put into something like apple sauce, for example, for …
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Security

  • All incomplete, questionable and/or illegible orders must be questioned and validated by the nurse transcribing the order before it is administered to the client. This questioning and validation requires that the registered nurse use, integrate and apply their critical thinking and professional judgment skills. Automated order entry using a computer eliminates some medication order erro…
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Writing

  • Medication orders are often transcribed by hand onto a medication administration record (MAR) or Medex, when the facility is not using computerized order entry.
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Contraindications

  • The client's allergies are determined, all contraindications for the medication as based on the client's health problems and disease conditions are determined, pertinent diagnostic laboratory results such as checking the client's prothrombin time and partial thromboplastin time prior to the administration of heparin, client data like a blood pressure and a pulse rate prior to the administr…
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Example

  • For example, if the client has an order for 10 units of NPH insulin in the morning and they also need 3 units of regular insulin according to their sliding scale for coverage, the client will draw up both insulins according to the above procedure and then inject 13 units total for the NPH and the regular insulins.
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Treatment

  • Some topical medications are only suitable on intact skin and others that contain a medication are used for the treatment of broken skin or a wound. Ophthalmic eye medications are applied using sterile technique which is one of the few routes that require more than medical asepsis or clean technique.
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Preparation

  • Transdermal medications are absorbed from the surface of the skin. The site should be without hair so it may be necessary to shave the area and these medications are applied on the client's upper arm or chest. Some transdermal medications are commercially prepared with the ordered dosage and others require the nurse to measure and apply the ordered dosage on a transderma…
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Medical uses

  • Subcutaneous injections can be given in the abdomen, upper arms and the front of the thighs. Subcutaneous injections are used for the administration of insulin, heparin and other medications. The sites for these injections should be rotated.
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Locations

  • The sites for intramuscular medications are the gluteus maximus, the deltoid muscle, the vastus lateralis, the rectus femoris muscle, and the ventrogluteal muscle. The gluteus maximus muscle and the deltoid muscle are NOT used for infants or young children who are less than 3 years of age.
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Equipment

  • The procedure for IV push without an existing IV line is as follows: The procedure for an IV push bolus with an existing IV line is as follows:
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Operation

  • When a bar coded entry system for narcotics and controlled substances are used, each nurse can access these medications because the nurse's identification is automatically processed and the controlled substances are also automatically processed and recorded. When this automated system is not used, the \"narcotic keys\" are retained by one nurse and, if another nurse has to a…
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Recording

  • All controlled substances are documented on the narcotics record as soon as they are removed, and all controlled substances, like all other medications, are documented on the client's medication record as soon as they are administered. If a controlled substance is wasted for any reason, either in its entirety or only partially, this waste must be witnessed or documented by th…
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