Medication
Administration
Refresher Course

• Aspiration
• Constipation
• Dehydration
• Seizures
Fatal Four
• Why do we care?

Nursing Outcomes at CCS
• Aspiration
• Constipation
• Dehydration
• Seizures
• Skin Care
• Preventable ER visits

Six Rights
 Right Medication
 Right Dose
 Right manner/route
 Right time
 Right person
 Right documentation

Medication/Treatment
Administration
• Check MAR and Medication/Treatment 3 times
• Sign for medication/treatment when taking it from the medication station
• Follow up on PRNs within 2 hours

Documentation
If it isn’t written down, it did not happen.

Charting Codes
Charting Code When do you use it
YR
(your initial)
YR
W
When you sign for a medication
When the medication is not given
When the client is at work

Timing of Medications
• Know when to give medicines to gain most benefit
• No laxatives within 1 hr of any other medication
• Iron should not be taken with milk
• GERD meds – ½ hr before meal
• Use your drug guide
• Ask the doctor

Charting
You are telling a story with your charting
Each house will want you to chart in their way

Abbreviations

Errors in Medication Administration
• Medication Administration Error
– Forget to administer a medication
• Documentation Error
– Forget to sign for a medication
– Forget to do a follow-up
• What happens - IR
• Intent

A prescription
• Written by a doctor
• Parts of a prescription
– Client name – first and last
– Name of drug
– Dosage of drug
– How frequent to take it and how long
– What route

Handwashing
• List times to wash hands
• Use plenty of soap
• Lots of friction
• Dry hands with paper towel
• Turn off faucet with paper towel

Vital Signs
• Blood pressure
• Temperature
• Pulse
• Respiration
• Pain

Pain
• Defined by the resident
• Will be manifested differently by different residents
• Can lead to other symptoms/behaviors which are not desirable
• What to do first if you suspect someone is in pain
• When should you be concerned

Residents, Living and Meds
• Our residents have lives
• Some work or have lives outside our homes
• They need their medication
• We need to figure out a way so they can get their meds but have lives
• Communication is the key

Rights regarding medications
• Right to:
– know what they are getting
– have an explanation
– refuse or consent
– confidentiality and privacy
– appropriate services

Nurses at CCS
• Nurse patient relationships
• When to call
• Protocol for paging

Evaluation

Thank you