First Week Flashcards
Single Medication Order
(one-time)
single prescription indicates that the medication is to be given only once at a specified time, usually before surgery or diagnostic procedure
Standing Medication Order
- These are officially accepted sets of prescriptions to be applied routinely by nurses for the care of patients under certain conditions or under certain circumstances, such as drug allergies or sensitivities
- They establish guidelines for treating a particular disease or set of symptoms
- (as needed, can be there until discontinued)
PRN Medication Order
- As needed
- in collaboration with the patient
- prescription specifies the condition for which the medication is to be given and the minimum time intervals between doses
Communication of Orders
- handwritten
- pre-printed
- oral
- by telephone
Chemical Name of a drug
the exact description of the drugs chemical composition and molecular structure
Generic Name of a drug
(non-proprietary name)
- assigned by the U.S. Adopted Names Council (USAN Council) when the developing manufacturer is ready to market the drug
- usually similar to the chemical name, but in a simpler form
- company develops a drug and gives it official name (lower case name)
- usually cheaper
ex: acetaminophen
Official Name of a drug
official name of the drug
Brand Name of a drug
- what the drug is sold at in stores
- begins with a capitol letter
- drugs commercial name, which may vary
ex: Tylenol, Motrin
Components of a Medication Order
- Clients full name (some locales require address)
- Date and Time of medication order
- Name of Medication
- Dosage size, frequency, # of doses
- Route of Administration
- Printed name and signature of prescriber, including relevant credentials and legal registration identifier or DEA # (written prescription)
Types of Medication Orders
- written order
- automatic “stop” date
- STAT order
- Single order
- Standing order
- prn order
Automatic “stop” date Medication Order
- This is a protocol that hospitals use for discontinuing medications after a certain length of time
- Most narcotic prescriptions are in effect for only 7 days
- If the medication is needed after the automatic stop date, the care provider must write another prescription
Written Medication Order
-apply without a renewal date until the prescriber writes a prescription to alter or discontinue the medication or indicates on the original prescription a specific stop date
Medication Administration Safety: Three Checks
- Before you pour (mix or draw up medications): check the medication label against the medication administration record (MAR)
- be sure that the NAME, ROUTE, DOSE, and TIME match the MAR entry - After you pour: verify the label against the MAR
- after you prepare the medication, and before returning the container to the medication cart, check against the MAR - At Bedside: check medication again
The 6 Rights to Medication Administration
- Right Drug
- Right Dose
- Right Time
- Right Route
- Right Patient
- Right Documentation
Right Drug, to the right Patient in the right Dose using the right Route at the right Time with right Documentation
Oral Medications: Enteral Medications
for patients who cannot swallow or who have feeding tubes, you can give oral medications through nasogastirc (NG), gastrostomy, or jejunal tubes
Oral Medications: Buccal and Sublingual
Buccal- held in the cheek
Sublingual- under the tongue
-intended for absorption in the mucous membranes rather than the GI tract
Topical Medication
- applied directly to body surface/ body cavities
- local and sometimes systemic) effects
- lotions, creams, ointments
- trans-dermal patches
- eye (drops, ointment)
- ear drops
- nasal sprays
- suppositories
Trans-dermal patches
- topical medication
- designed to be absorbed through the skin
- trans-dermal medications are prepared as patches made up of a special membrane
- patches allow constant, controlled amounts of medications to be released over 24 hours or more, giving prolonged systemic effect
Route of Administration: Respiratory Inhalers
Absorption via alveoli and blood supply
- Atomizers
- Aerosol
- Metered- dose inhaler
Nebulization
production of a fine spray, fog, powder, or mist from a liquid drug
- the patient inhales the medication mixture by breathing deeply through a mouthpiece attached to a nebulizer
- the airways and alveoli are highly vascularized, therefore absorb inhaled medications rapidly
Atomizers
Disperse the medications in the form of large droplets
Aerosols
Suspend the droplets of medication in a gas (e.g. oxygen)
Metered-dose Inhaler
type of nebulizer that delivers measured doses of a nebulized drug
Route of Administration: Parenteral Medications
-Intradermal
-Transdermal
-Subcutaneous
-Intramuscular
-Intravenous
(IV push, IV piggyback, medicated drips)
Parenteral Medications: Intradermal
- medications are given into the dermis, or layer of skin located beneath the skin surface
- commonly used for allergy or tuberculosis (TB) testing
Parenteral Medications: Subcutaneous
- into subcutaneous tissue, the layer of fat located below the dermis and above the muscle tissue
- absorption is slower than intramuscular because subcutaneous tissue does not have as rich a blood supply as muscle
- speed of absorption varies with site selected
IV Piggyback
the smaller (secondary) container is connected to the primary (continuous) infusion line at the upper (primary) port -this set up allows for intermittent use only
What to do If You Commit a Medication Error
- Assess vital signs and physical status
- Report findings to primary care doctor
- Notify the nurse manager and report events surrounding the event
- Check with agency specific policy regarding incident reporting
