M8:L35 Medication Administration and Dose Calculations Flashcards
What are the 10 steps to administering Meds?
Wash your hands.
Assess the prescription and compare new medication prescriptions with the current list of medications (reconciliation). If there are questions about or inconsistencies in the written prescription, the person who wrote the prescription must be contacted immediately and the prescription verified.
Ask the client whether he or she has a history of allergies.
Determine the purpose of the medication.
Assess the client for existing medical disorders in which the prescribed medication is contraindicated (e.g., many medications are contraindicated in pregnancy and for breastfeeding clients).
Check the client’s age. Absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of a medication are affected by the client’s age and physiological processes (e.g., the older client and the neonate are at greater risk for toxicity than is an adult client).
Assess the client’s vital signs and significant laboratory results (e.g., the potassium level in a client who has been prescribed a loop diuretic).
Assess the client’s understanding of the purpose of the prescribed medication.
Identify and address concerns (e.g., social, cultural, religious) that the client has with regard to taking the medication.
Use the appropriate resources (e.g., medication formulary, pharmacist) as necessary when preparing the medication.
What are the 6 rights of administering meds?
Assess the six rights: right medication, right dose, right client, right route, right time, and right documentation.
How prompt must you be when giving medications?
Administer the medication within 30 minutes of the prescribed time.
What is a big thing that affects the absorption of medications?
Grape fruit juice.
What are two meds that affect the absorption of other meds?
Anti-acids and iron.
Can you recap needles?
Technically no.
How should you discard medications?
Never in the trash. Follow agency policy.
How do you document medications?
Document administration of the medication given — including its name, the dose, the date and time, and your initials — immediately after giving the medication.
What should you monitor the patient for when you give them a medication?
Monitor the client for side effects or adverse effects (e.g., allergic reaction) to the medication and take action if adverse effects occur.
Can patient abruptly stop a medication?
No. Never.
What should be done about over the counter medications and herbal medications?
They should only be taken when cleared by the healthcare provider.
What kind of medications should you wear a medic-alert bracelet for?
anticoagulants, oral hypoglycemics or insulin, certain cardiac medications, corticosteroids and glucocorticoids, antimyasthenic medications, anticonvulsants, and monoamine oxidase inhibitors.
How do you discard a controlled substance?
If any part of a dose of a controlled substance is discarded, a second nurse witnesses the disposal and the record is signed by both nurses. (Agency policies and procedures are always followed.)
What kind of pills cannot be crushed?
Enteric coated and sustained release tablets.
How should you place the pills in the medication cup?
Pour them in dont use your hand.
