General Questions Flashcards
What role do agonists have on receptors?
Activate
What role do antagonists have on receptors?
Block
What could the benefits be of IM over oral medications?
- Doesn’t require accurate digestion for Medication to enter the blood stream
- Increased active dose ensured
- Less frequent repetition needed
- Useful for patients who are unable to unlikely to comply with oral medication
- Avoids patients crushing or chewing oral medication (which can decrease absorption)
What are the benefits of patients recieving Oral medication over IM?
- Potenitally easier for the patient to manage and maintain
- No pain associated with injection site
- Absorption may be better through oral than IM if peripheries are poorly perfused
- Needles are likely to provoke stress in individuals, especially children or those with poor mental competency.
If a drugs chart becomes illegible, what action should you take?
- Not give any medication
- Ensure a new drug chart is written up for the patient promptly to avoid delays in medication administration
- Discuss with mentor/nurse in charge to inform of incident and ascertain which medication have been administered at this point
- Document issue/incident form if a delay in administering medication
How many levels of ‘Self-administration’ are there?
3
If a patient is deemed to be able to self-medicate at Level 2, what protocol and procedure is followed?
- The registrant is responsible for the safe storage of the medicinal products.
- At administration time, the patient will ask the registrant to open the cabinet or locker.
- The patient will then self-administer the medication under the supervision of the registrant
If a patient is deemed to be able to self-medicate at Level 3, what protocol and procedure is followed?
- The patient accepts full responsibility for the storage and administration of medicinal products.
- The registrant checks the patients suitability and compliance verbally
What Procedure is followed for patients self-administering medication at level 1?
- The registrant is responsible for the safe storage of the medicinal products
- The registrant is responsible for the supervision of the administration process ensuring the patient understands the medicinal products being administered
Name the only proceses under which you should supply and administer medicinal products?
- Patient specific direction (PSD)
- Patient medicines administration chart
- Patient group direction (PGD)
- Medicines Act exemption
- Standing order
- Homely remedy protocol
- Prescription forms
Prior to administration of medication, what 8 things should you have checked?
- be certain of the identity of the patient
- the patient is not allergic to the medicine
- know the therapeutic uses of the medicine
- be aware of patient’s care plan
- prescription or the label on medicine dispensed is clearly written
- expiry date
- considered the dosage, weight, method, route and timing
- whether to administer or withhold in the context of the patient’s presenting condition
What must you do if you notice contra-indiciations or if the patient reacts adversly to the medication?
Contact the prescriber
Following administration (or refusal) of medication, what must you do?
- Make a clear accurate and immediate record
- ensure the signature is clear
- in the case of refusals, detail the reason for this
Who may provide a secondary signature in the case of administering Controlled drugs?
- Ideally a health professional
- Can be a non-qualified individual if they are assessed as competent to sign.
What are the 7 advantages of Self-administration?
- Encourages patient/client to take an active role in their treatment
- Encourages patient compliance
- Allows patient to become familiar with new drugs in a safe environment
- Empowers decision making
- Identifies potential for education
- Reduces medication errors
- Saves nurses time
What are the 4 disadvantages of Self-administration?
- Clear policy needs to be in place and adhered to
- Patient may not want to undertake self administration
- Not all medications are suitable for self administration
- Education, training and assessment of patients is time consuming
What are the 4 key roles for Nurses in the self-administration protocol?
- Check medications
- Appropriate storage
- Assess your patients
- Document
Outline the typical management options for a patient who is experiencing Dry Mouth
Fluid intake increase
Outline the typical management options for a patient who is experiencing Constipation
- Increase Fiber
- Laxative
You are about to administer medication but notice that the patient is not wearing their wristband. What do you do?
- Verify with patient their details, check patient’s details in notes and confirm with another member of staff
- Ensure a nameband is written and provided for the patient
- Inform mentor/nurse in charge that the patient has no nameband
- Document findings/complete incident for
Outline the typical management options for a patient who is experiencing Ataxia
Advise patient not to drive/use heavy machinery etc.
Outline the typical management options for a patient who is experiencing Nausea and/or vommiting
- Monitor fluid input/output
- consider antiemetic
- administer medication with food to alleviate GI upset.
