medication administration and the nursing process of drug therapy Flashcards
what are the legal responsibilities of the nurse when administering medication?
- safe, accurate medication administration
- recognizing and questioning erroneous orders
- refusing to administer unsafe medications
- delegating in compliance with the law
what can med errors result in?
- serious illness
- conditions that prolong hospitalization or require additional treatment
- death
name 3 common med errors
- given incorrect dose
- not giving an ordered medication
- giving an unordered medication
name some medications often associated with errors
- insulin
- heparin
- warfarin
describe harm
impairment of the physical, emotional, or psychological function or structure of the body and/or pain resulting therefrom
describe monitoring
to observe or record relevant physiologic or psychological signs
describe intervention
may include change in therapy or active medical/surgical treatment
describe intervention necessary to sustain life
includes cardiovascular and respiratory support (e.g. CPR, defibrillation, intubation, etc)
name some systemic medication forms
- oral, liquids
- tablets, capsules
- suppositories (rectum), transdermal (patch)
- injections
what does PO stand for
by mouth
what does SL stand for
sublingual
what does SQ stand for
subcutaneous
what does IM stand for and what are some considerations to take
- intramuscular
- site can be determined by amount of muscle in area and volume of med
- Z track (used for meds that can be irritating to the skin)
what does IV stand for
intravenous
when calculating medication dosages, ______ is of utmost importance
accuracy
calculating medication dosages involves…
- mathematic abilities
- knowledge of common units of measurement
- knowing how to use data in performing calculations
describe some general nondrug interventions
- promoting health
- preventing/decreasing need for drug therapy
- using nondrug measures to enhance therapeutic effects or decrease adverse effects
- patient teaching
- individualizing care
- observing patient responses
describe drug therapy evaluation criteria
- progress toward stated outcomes (relief of symptoms)
- accurate administration
- avoidance of preventable adverse effects
- patient compliance
- specific parameters measured to evaluate response to particular medications
describe the nursing process to medication administration
- assessment (history and physical exam)
- nursing diagnosis
- planning
- implementation (proper drug administration, comfort measures, patient/family education)
- evaluation
what are the six “rights” of med administration
right…
- med
- documentation
- route
- time
- client
- dosage
describe evidence based nursing practice
- requires a conscientious and continuing effort to provide high quality care to patients
- obtaining and analyzing best scientific evidence from research
- scientific evidence is integrated with the nurse’s clinical expertise and the patient’s preferences and values to yield best practice
names some herbal/dietary supplement concerns
- questionable safety due to unknown effect on humans
- use of supplements may keep the patient from seeking medical care
- supplements may interact with prescription meds to decrease therapeutic effect or increase adverse effect
- use of supplements not communicated to healthcare provider
describe the purpose of phase 1 of clinical trials
- to evaluate safety, identify side effects, determine a safe dose range, and learn how the agent is absorbed and handled by the body
- determine answer to three questions:
- is the treatment safe?*
- are there any side effects?*
- does the treatment work better than current treatment?*
describe the number of participants/characteristics of phase 1 of clinical trials
- small number (20-80) of participants, usually healthy volunteers, in some cases patients with advanced diseases (e.g. cancer)
- divided into small groups called cohorts
what is the goal of phase 1 of clinical trials
find the most effective dose for future testing
what is a special feature of phase one of clinical trials
often first time tested in humans
describe the purpose of phase 2 of clinical trials
- to further evaluate safety and to determine if the agent has the intended effect in humans
- -to answer the following questions:
- how well does the new treatment work?*
- how does the treatment effect larger groups?*
- how much should be given to be most effective?*
- what types of diseases the treatment can treat?*
describe the number of participants/characteristics of phase 2 of clinical trials
- larger number (50-300) of patients with the condition under study
- split up into phases 2a and 2b
- 2a is usually used to study the best and most effective dose
- 2b is usually used to study how well the treatment works at the prescribed doses
describe the goal of phase 2 of clinical trials
determine how if it is as or more effective than current treattments
name a special feature of phase 2 of clinical trials
sometimes randomized controlled trials
describe the purpose of phase 3 of clinical trials
- to confirm or further evaluate an agents effectiveness, monitor side effects, compare it to commonly used treatments, and collect other information that will be used to determine whether the agent should be approved and marketed
- compare new treatments with best current available treatment
describe the number of participants/characteristics of phase 3 of clinical trials
larger still (300-thousands) of people with the condition under study
describe the goal of phase 3 of clinical trials
determine how new treatment measures up against the effectiveness of current treatments
name a special feature of phase 3 of clinical trials
usually randomized, controlled trials
describe the purpose of phase 4 (postmarketing study) of clinical trials
- to collect additional information after an agent is approved and marketed regarding its risks, benefits, and use in various populations over a long period of time
- to collect additional info after a drug is approved and marketed
describe the number of participants/characteristics of phase 4 (postmaketing study) of clinical trials
various
describe the goal of phase 4 (postmarketing study) of clinical trials
determine risk/benefits and use in various populations over a long period of time
