Medication Administration Note:
Before giving a medication to a patient, remember to check three key things:
- Classification: Know the class or category of the medication (e.g., is it an antibiotic, a diuretic, etc.).
- Indication: Verify why the patient is supposed to receive this medication—basically, what condition or symptom it’s treating.
- Nursing Considerations: These are the nursing-specific things you need to know—like monitoring parameters, side effects to watch for, or any special administration instructions.
- Pt name and date of birth should be in all pages.
- Dx ⇒ Diagnosis
- Each drug needs: Name, Dosage, Route, Frecuency.
- Don’t write in the Provider’s order paper.
- Do not recap needle.
- Levanox → LMWH → Do not expel the air.
- Do the reconciliation before going to the MAR. Reconciliation is taking the paper of the provider and the MAR paper and check all is correct. If the MAR includes an order that is not in the provider’s sheet we eliminate that one from the MAR.
- 3 times in in witch we do medication reconciliation:
- When pt. arrives.
- When pt. changes floor or unit.
- When pt. leaves facility.
Syringe and Needle Note for Intramuscular (IM) Injections:
- For intramuscular injections, you will typically use two needles: first a blunt needle to draw up the medication from the vial, and then switch to a normal needle for the actual injection.
- The syringe size and needle gauge are important. Usually, for an IM injection, a 22-gauge needle is commonly used.
Subcutaneous Injections and Ampules Note:
- For subcutaneous injections, you’ll generally use a needle that is about 25 gauge and around 5/8 of an inch in length. This is the standard size to ensure the medication is delivered into the fatty tissue just under the skin.
- When drawing up medication from an ampule, you should use a filter needle. This is important because it helps filter out any tiny glass particles that might get inside when you break open the ampule.
- 45 degree angle for Skinny pt./ 90 degree angle for more obese pt.
Insulin and Heparin Syringe Note:
- Both insulin and heparin are administered using special unit-based syringes, but it's important to use the correct type for each medication.
- Insulin Syringes are specifically designed for insulin and are typically marked in units that correspond exactly to insulin dosages.
- Heparin Syringes are also unit-based but are calibrated differently, so you should never use an insulin syringe for heparin or vice versa. Each has its own dedicated type of syringe to ensure accurate dosing.