Medications and the 5 Rights
Over the years, giving medication has become more than just handing out medications. As a nurse, we all know we have to check the 5 rights, but now we even have to scan patient’s ID bracelets to make sure we are giving the medicine to the correct patient. To help reduce medication errors, we must work on improving communication with patients, continually monitoring for errors, providing clinicians with decision-support and information tools, and improving and standardizing medication labeling and drug-related information (Hughes & Blegen, 2008).
Many drugs, such as high alert medications, require two nurses to do a safety check with the patient. These high alert medications are most likely to cause significant …show more content…
Many times patients will say the pills we give them looks different from what they usually take, or the dose is different. I always double check when patients say these things. Another problem that sometimes occurs is being interrupted during med pass. At the hospital I work at, we actually have signs that say DO NOT DISTURB on our med carts, and are to display the sign during med pass. Another way to prevent errors is to ask the patient before giving meds, if they have any allergies, and what they are.
Computer technology now allows physicians can enter their own orders, and we as nurses can read and understand what is being ordered. It’s much easier than deciphering handwritings, and what is actually being ordered. At times though, verbal orders are still given, and Order Read Back should be done by the nurse. Orders given verbally, rather than in written form, are inherently problematic because of different dialects and accents, misinterpretations of names and strengths (Russell H. Jenkins, 2007).
We as nurses, must be alert and mindful during med pass, to help decrease the chance of error with our patients. Just one small unintentional mistake could harm someone for life. We must pay attention, and follow the 5 rights plus
Over the years, giving medication has become more than just handing out medications. As a nurse, we all know we have to check the 5 rights, but now we even have to scan patient’s ID bracelets to make sure we are giving the medicine to the correct patient. To help reduce medication errors, we must work on improving communication with patients, continually monitoring for errors, providing clinicians with decision-support and information tools, and improving and standardizing medication labeling and drug-related information (Hughes & Blegen, 2008).
Many drugs, such as high alert medications, require two nurses to do a safety check with the patient. These high alert medications are most likely to cause significant …show more content…
Many times patients will say the pills we give them looks different from what they usually take, or the dose is different. I always double check when patients say these things. Another problem that sometimes occurs is being interrupted during med pass. At the hospital I work at, we actually have signs that say DO NOT DISTURB on our med carts, and are to display the sign during med pass. Another way to prevent errors is to ask the patient before giving meds, if they have any allergies, and what they are.
Computer technology now allows physicians can enter their own orders, and we as nurses can read and understand what is being ordered. It’s much easier than deciphering handwritings, and what is actually being ordered. At times though, verbal orders are still given, and Order Read Back should be done by the nurse. Orders given verbally, rather than in written form, are inherently problematic because of different dialects and accents, misinterpretations of names and strengths (Russell H. Jenkins, 2007).
We as nurses, must be alert and mindful during med pass, to help decrease the chance of error with our patients. Just one small unintentional mistake could harm someone for life. We must pay attention, and follow the 5 rights plus