Medication Administration Flashcards
Subjective assessment
PMH Medication history At home/OTC Allergies Current condition Diet
Objective assessment
Mental status Fine motor skills Swallowing ability Vitals Other meds Labs
Renal and liver labs
UOP
BUN
Creatinine
SGOT
SGOT
Serum glutamate oxoloacetate transaminase
Medication info
Name (generic, trade) Classification Mechanism Therapeutic effect Side effect Adverse reaction Allergic reaction Route Dosage
Onset
Time interval between when Rx is given and first sign of its effect
Peak action
Time it takes for Rx to reach its highest effective concentration
Duration of action
Time period from onset of action to time when response is no longer seen
Plateau
Blood serum concentration reached and maintained after repeated fixed doses
Therapeutic range
Range of plasma concentration that produces the desired effect without toxicity
Peak
Highest serum concentration
Trough
Lowest serum concentration
Factors affecting safe dosage range
Age
Body weight
Current condition
A medication order includes
Name Date and time of order Medication Dosage Route Time or frequency of administration Signature of provider
AC
Before meals
PC
After meals
Verify with another RN before giving
Insulin
Digoxin
Heparin
Aseptic technique
No bare hands
If pill falls on the floor, discard
Don’t talk over meds
6 rights of medication administration
Patient Medication Dose Route Time/frequency Documentation
MAR
Medication administration record
MAR information
Name Birthdate Medication Dose Route Frequency Time given Location if injected Initials Signature
Nursing interventions
Position patient appropriately Assist patient with taking meds One med at a time Stay with patient until all are taken Do not leave at bedside Do not hurry
PRN order must include
Reason for administration
Minimal intervals of administration
Post-skill activities
Hand hygiene
Clean/dispose of equipment
Assess safety (side rails if sedative, bleeding if injection)
What to do if there is a medication error
Report immediately
Notify provider
Complete incident report
Medication error definition
A preventable event that may cause inappropriate medication use or jeopardize patient safety
Medication errors include
Inaccurate prescribing
Administration of wrong Rx, dose, route, or time
Extra doses or failure to administer
Patient education
Medication, dosage, action Schedule Side effects Importance of finishing meds Preparation and administration Storage Don't share OTC medications Labeling How to discard Cost considerations
Assessment for patient education considerations
Cognitive or learning disability
Vision or perception difficulty
Coordination
SGOT indicates
Liver or heart damage
Unacceptable abbreviations
HS, BID, TID, QID, QD, QOD
Standing order
Carried out until ordered is d/c or patient is transferred/discharged
STAT order
Administer immediately and only once
PRN charting
Why patient received medication
If it was effective (follow up assessment)
Returning meds to contained depends on
Agency policy
Typical policy for window of administration
60 minutes
Assessment of patient refusal includes
Knowledge deficit
Understanding of therapy
Attitude about drug use
JCAHO
Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations
Medication errors include
Inaccurate prescribing
Administration of wrong Rx, dose, route, time
Administering too much or too little/non
Strategies to prevent medication errors
Prepare meds for one patient at a time Follow 6 rights Read label 3 times Use 2 pt identifiers No interruption Verify calcs Clarify illegible handwriting Question unusual doses Document ASAP
3 times to read medication label
Removing from storage
Before going to patient room
Before giving
