nursing medicine tips
Giving medication is always challenge for the duty nurse. Correct dose, time and right patient are the basics of medication to the patient in the hospital or a
ny other medical places. Here is brief discussion tips about giving the right medication for the nurses
The 8 Rights of administration of medicine
Patient’s safety is always a priority for giving the medication.The right methods dignifies the overall safety of the patient as well are nursing themselves. Here are the eight “rights” that you need to remember when giving medications to your patients:
- Right Patient
- Check the patient’s name in the doctor’s order.
- Use two identifiers in verifying the patient’s name – ask the patient to state his/her name and
- Check the patient’s ID.
- Right Medication
- Check the medication in the doctor’s order
- Read the medication’s label correctly
- Right Dose
- Check the prescribed drug dose from the doctor’s order.
- Using a drug guide, check the ordered dose if within recommended standards.
- To calculate the desired dosage, have another nurse double-check your calculated dosage.
- Right Route
- Check the ordered route of administration from the doctor’s order
- Evaluate if it’s appropriate with the drug’s preparation.
- Validate if the patient is capable of taking or receiving the medication by the physician’s ordered route.
- Right Time
- Confirm the frequency of the ordered medication from the doctor’s order.
- Check when the last dose was given from the patient’s medication sheet.
- Before giving the medication, double-check your watch as a precautionary measure.
- Right Reason
- Validate the rationale for the ordered medication.
- Evaluate the benefits of the drug versus its side-effects.
- Right response
- Evaluate if the given medication elicited its desired effects to the patient.
- Did the anti-hypertensive medication given lower the patient’s blood pressure?
- Did the patient have improved breathing patterns with the bronchodilator you gave?
- If the desired effects of the drug given was not achieved, you need to report it to the patient’s doctor for proper management.
- Right Documentation
- Document the medication administration right after giving the ordered drug.
- Record the name of the drug given, route of administration and time it was given.
- If there is any other important information related to the drug given like vital signs or laboratory result that needed to be checked prior to administration, record them as well.
