LAB&LEC MEDICATIONS

• Medication administration is the most common task performed by a nurse
• Medication


  Substance administered for the diagnosis, cure, treatment, or relief of a symptom or for prevention of disease
• Therapeutic actions of drugs

  • Curative
  • Supportive
  • Substitutive
  • Palliative
  • Chemotherapeutic
  • Restorative
• Routes of drug administration

  • Oral
  • Sublingual
  • Buccal
  • Topical
  • Parenteral
• Oral - solid


  Tablet, capsule, caplet, lozenge
• Oral - liquid


  Suspension, drops, elixir, emulsion, extract
• Scored tablets


  Tablets that have an intended line, implies that it can be split equally
• Non-scored tablets


  Tablets that don't have a line/score, not recommended to break
• Pill cutter


  Used for cutting tablets
• Topical forms


  • Cream, soap, powder, liniment, patch, ointment, lotion, shampoo, paste, tincture, suppository, pessary, gel, inhalation
• Parenteral routes


  • IV - intravenous (veins)
  • ID - intradermal (skin)
  • IM - intramuscular (muscle)
  • SC - subcutaneous (fats)
• Other routes


  • Ophthalmic administration
  • Otic administration
  • Nasal administration
• Administering oral drugs (tablets/capsules)

  1. Check the physician's order

  2. Wash your hands

  3. Prepare the meds

  4. Confirm patient's identity (2 identifiers)

  5. Assess patient's ability to swallow (to prevent aspiration)

  6. Help the patient to a sitting position

  7. Offer the tablets/capsules one at a time

  8. Teach the patient about the drug administered (name/indication/side-effects)

  9. Documentation
• Administering oral drugs for an infant (liquid)

  1. Check the physician's order

  2. Confirm patient's identity (2 identifiers)

  3. Wash your hands

  4. Prepare the meds

  5. Assess patient's ability to swallow (to prevent aspiration)

  6. Help the patient to a sitting position

  7. Give proper assistance

  8. Documentation
• Administering a liquid drug to an infant

  1. Check the physician's order

  2. Confirm patient's identity (2 identifiers)

  3. Wash your hands

  4. Place a bib or towel under the infant's chin

  5. Withdraw the correct amount of liquid drug from the medication bottle by squeezing the bulb on dropper

  6. Hold the infant securely in the crook of your hand and raise his head to about 45' angle

  7. Place the dropper at the corner of the infant's mouth so the drug will run into the pocket between his cheek and gum

  8. Wash the dropper thoroughly before returning it to the bottle

  9. Documentation
• Administering oral drugs (liquid)

  1. Shake the bottle well

  2. Pour the drug into the cup until the bottom of the meniscus reaches the correct dose mark

  3. Reading the bottom meniscus should be at eye level
• Verbal and telephone orders

  1. Have another nurse listen on the call to confirm that she heard the same order

  2. Repeat the name of the ordered drug to the doctor to verify that you heard it correctly

  3. Have prescriber spell the drug name, if necessary

  4. Write out the order, noting that it was a verified telephone order, then sign and date it

  5. Administer the medication as ordered

  6. The prescriber must cosign your written order within the time allotted by your facility
• Standing order


  Must be carried out as specified by the doctor until it is cancelled or changed by the doctor
• Single order


  Must be carried ONLY ONCE. This is a one-time order only.
• Stat order


  Must be carried out AT ONCE or Immediately
• PRN order


  Must be carried when needed or when necessary. It allows the nurse to administer the drug if based on his knowledge and assessment, the client needs the drug.
• Nurses who administer medications are responsible for their own actions. Question any order that is illegible or that you consider incorrect. Call the person who prescribed the medication for clarification.
• Be knowledgeable about the medications you administer. You need to know why the client is receiving the medication. Look up the necessary information if you are not familiar with the medication.
• Use only medications that are in a clearly labeled container.
• Do not use liquid medications that are cloudy or have changed color.
• Calculate drug doses accurately. If you are uncertain, ask another nurse to double-check your calculations.
• Administer only medications personally prepared.
• Before administering a medication, identify the client correctly using the appropriate means of identification, such as checking the identification bracelet.
• Do not leave medications at the bedside.
• If a client vomits after taking an oral medication, report this to the nurse in charge, or the primary care provider, or both.
• When a medication error is made, report it immediately to the nurse in charge, the primary care provider, or both.
• Always check a medication's expiration date.
• Check three times for safe medication administration

  1. First check: Read the MAR/chart/medication card and remove the medication(s) from the client's drawer. Verify that the client's name and room number match the MAR. Check the expiration date of the medication.

  2. Second check: While preparing the medication (e.g., pouring, drawing up, or placing unopened package in a medication cup), look at the medication label and check against the MAR (Medical Administration Record).

  3. Third check: Before giving the medication to the client.
• 10 rights the nurse must observe in administering medications

  • Right client/patient
  • Right medication/drug
  • Right dose
  • Right time or frequency
  • Right route
  • Right client education
  • Right documentation
  • Right to refuse
  • Right to assessment
  • Right evaluation
• medication 


  substance administered for  the diagnosis, cure, treatment,  or relief of a symptom or for  prevention of disease
• therapeutic actions of drugs

  • curative
  • supportive
  • substitutive
  • palliative
  • chemotherapeutic
  • restorative
• routes of drug administration

  • oral
  • sublingual
  • buccal
  • topical
  • parenteral
• OPHTHALMIC ADMINISTRATION


  Involves drugs put directly onto the surface of the eye.
• OTIC ADMINISTRATION

  Involves drugs that are placed directly into the ear.
• NASAL ADMINISTRATION

  drugs that are placed directly into the patient's nostrils