10 Tips for Nurses to Prevent Medication Errors
Nurses provide the utmost care and concern to patient on an everyday basis. The duties and responsibilities are indescribable. The life of the patient is on their hands. Whatever the task is, nurses have to do it very carefully.
Preventing medication errors is only one way of ensuring the patient's safety. One mistake, no matter how small it is, can take the life of the patient.
Nurses can avoid such medication errors if they focus and have a presence of mind. Attentiveness is the key to reduce the possibility of making this mistake.
These tips below can help nurses prevent medication errors:
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Determine the right patient. This is the most basic step to do to avoid error. Never hesitate to ask for the patient’s name to be sure that you are to give them the right medication.
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Double check that you have the right drug. Ensure that you are dealing with the right drug because some have similar brand names. It is also better to use both the generic and brand name when carrying out the doctor’s order.
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Keep the communication clear. If you are to receive doctor’s order by phone, make sure that you repeat the drug to administer to the patient clearly before hanging up. It’s still best to be safe than sorry.
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Refer to your handbook. Cross-check with the drug handbook whenever you feel unsure or uneasy with the medication you are to give. Look up the drugs information - like adverse reactions, precautions, incompatibilities etc. - before giving it to the patient.
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Verify and ask the patient for any drug allergies. Always ask the patient about any known allergies before giving a new medication.
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Clarify things when you have doubt. If you think the new medication order doesn’t seem right, ask the doctor or co-nurses for clarification. Clear up things if you think the drug can do more harm than cure the patient.
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Inquire for the patient’s case. Whenever you encounter a poorly written prescription, it is only practical to relate to the patient’s illness before handing the medication. Or better yet, ask the doctor for clarification.
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Ask a co-nurse to check on a high alert medication you have to give. Have someone to double check on the high alert medication before administering them. A slight difference in the dosage can either make or break your patient.
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Label the medications properly. Make sure that the label created is readable. Input the generic and brand name of the drug, the dosage and it’s expiry date.
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Be hungry for new knowledge. Learn more about unfamiliar drugs that you encounter. This will help broaden your information about what you administer to the patients.
Bear in mind that the patient’s safety is to be prioritize. If you are a new nurse, it will do no harm to ask your seniors for guidance.
Published at: 11/12/2015
