SHN2004 – Drugs used in Acute Care
Drugs used in Acute Care
Aims of Session
Revisit the principles of drug administration
Consider first line emergency drugs
Explore and discuss drugs in acute care
Principles of Drug Administration
The administration of medication is an essential aspect of nursing care. Safe practice
is essential, and the nurse most be aware of their professional and legal
responsibilities in relation to all aspects of medication management
o Often it is a catalogue of errors that have resulted in a mistake being made –
however ultimately it is the person who is administering the drug that is
responsible you are signing that you have checked and delivered that drug
in a safe manner
An essential professional standard for nursing is to ensure patient safety, which
includes dispensing and administering medicines (NMC, 2018).
What factors do we need to consider when it comes to CYP?
o Weight
o Age (route of administration; cognition – their ability to understand what you
are doing and why; also their ability to give consent
o Working in partnership with the family (help of the family in explaining to the
child; child may only trust what the parent says
Ensuring that parents are supporting you in the role (i.e. not
describing you as a nasty nurse with nasty medication)
Nurses are primarily responsible for preparing and administering medicines to
children and young people and therefore must have a sound knowledge of the
medicines they administer including therapeutic uses, normal dose, side effects,
cautions, contraindications and drug indications
Drug Errors
They do happen – drugs are given in such numbers to so many patients then as
humans mistakes are bound to be made. What is important is to understand how
this happened and how this mistake can be avoided again
See Video on canvas
o People not checking your work when you ask them – ‘I trust you’
o Being interrupted when preparing the drugs, when giving the drugs
o Claim she didn’t know that the patient was allergic to penicillin
Possibility that her chart hadn’t been completed properly
However the nurse also missed the opportunity to ask the patient
prior to administering the drug
1
Drugs used in Acute Care
Aims of Session
Revisit the principles of drug administration
Consider first line emergency drugs
Explore and discuss drugs in acute care
Principles of Drug Administration
The administration of medication is an essential aspect of nursing care. Safe practice
is essential, and the nurse most be aware of their professional and legal
responsibilities in relation to all aspects of medication management
o Often it is a catalogue of errors that have resulted in a mistake being made –
however ultimately it is the person who is administering the drug that is
responsible you are signing that you have checked and delivered that drug
in a safe manner
An essential professional standard for nursing is to ensure patient safety, which
includes dispensing and administering medicines (NMC, 2018).
What factors do we need to consider when it comes to CYP?
o Weight
o Age (route of administration; cognition – their ability to understand what you
are doing and why; also their ability to give consent
o Working in partnership with the family (help of the family in explaining to the
child; child may only trust what the parent says
Ensuring that parents are supporting you in the role (i.e. not
describing you as a nasty nurse with nasty medication)
Nurses are primarily responsible for preparing and administering medicines to
children and young people and therefore must have a sound knowledge of the
medicines they administer including therapeutic uses, normal dose, side effects,
cautions, contraindications and drug indications
Drug Errors
They do happen – drugs are given in such numbers to so many patients then as
humans mistakes are bound to be made. What is important is to understand how
this happened and how this mistake can be avoided again
See Video on canvas
o People not checking your work when you ask them – ‘I trust you’
o Being interrupted when preparing the drugs, when giving the drugs
o Claim she didn’t know that the patient was allergic to penicillin
Possibility that her chart hadn’t been completed properly
However the nurse also missed the opportunity to ask the patient
prior to administering the drug
1
