Flowchart for the Administration of Medications, Research Paper Example

Nurses are charged with the responsibility of following strict guidelines in a linear and straightforward process. Electronic programs have increasingly been used in nursing informatics and to facilitate healthcare processes such as drug administration. The following sequence of events must be followed in a linear fashion within the nursing decision-making process. The nurse first must identity the patient, and in hospitals, the majority of patients are identified by their wristband which contains the identification number and name. Prior to administering any drug to the patient, the nurse must check the ID of the patient in order to accurately pinpoint him or her. Next the nurse needs to inform the patient, especially if the medication is new and the patient lacks familitarity with it. The nurse thus is charged with the responsibility of explaining the intent of the drug along with any and all correlating side effects. The third steps involves the actual administration of the drug, which mandates that the nurse read medication orders very carefully. The name of the client and the name of the drug must match in the patient’s medical and pharmacy records. The computer log of patient medications is integral in this step within the process and often protects against human error with regards to recording the drug name and dosage. The fourth stem involves the provision of adjunctive interventions on an idiosyncratic basis depending on the medication administered. Geriatric patients often require physical assistance in order to receive certain drug, especially if the drug requires injection. Nurses thus are charged with the responsibility of teaching the patient about the necessary measures to enhance the efficacy of the medication, which often include lifestyle changes with regards to diet and exercise. Many patients often fear being administered new medications that carry with them acute side effects, so nurses need to allay such ear by disseminating more information to them as a form of emotional support in addition to active engagement and listening. The fifth step involves taking a record of the drug given to the patient in his or her computerized chart. The drug’s name, dosage, manner in which the drug was administered to the patient, and any other pertinent information such as vital signs need to be included in medical records as well. In addition, the time that the drug was administered and the nurse’s signature all required as well. Medical records are often designed as flowcharts, so prn medications are meticulously documented in the nursing notes section of the electronic chart. This step is crucial in order for the nurse to remain cognizant of all of the drugs administered to the patient and possible interactions that may occur as a result. Finally, the nurse needs to assess how a patient responds to a prn drug in order to ensure efficacy of medication administration.

References

Phillips, J., Beam, S., Brinker A, et al. (2001). Retrospective analysis of mortalities associated with medication errors. American Journal of Health System Pharmacy, 58, 1835–41.

Leape, L.L., Brennan, T.A., Laird, N., et al. (1991). The nature of adverse events in hospitalized patients. Results of the Harvard Medical Practice Study II. New England Journal of Medicine, 324, 377–384.

Sitzman K. L. and Eichelberger, L. W. (2011). Understanding the work of nurse theorists: A creative beginning. Sudbury: Jones and Bartlett.