Megan Middleton Roles and responsibilities Unit 41. M2
M2- Compare the responsibilities and level of accountability assigned to individuals involved in the
administration of medication.
Nurses
A nurse has many roles within a hospital, this involves;
Assembling drips
Carrying out routine assessments
Administering medications
Changing dressings
Monitoring temperature
Monitoring blood pressure
Monitoring heart rates
Responsible for student nurses
If a nurse is head of the ward they would co-ordinate assessments
A nurse must take responsibility of student nurses as they are not yet fully qualified, but they should
be able to carry out a specific task that has been set for them. the student nurse will be accountable
for their own actions as they need to display that they are independent and responsible. They may
display being responsible by informing a nurse if they feel they cannot successfully complete a task,
they must do this to keep the patient safe.
A nurse must also be able to identify what medications could cause harm to the patient, an example
of this maybe knowing what the side effects are, or taking the patients allergens into consideration
before administering the medication. The nurse must also be aware of relative contraindications
(this when two or more medications cannot be taken together, unless the benefits outweigh the
risks). They must also be aware of absolute contraindication (this is when a medication or procedure
can cause a life threatening reaction).
General Practitioner GP)
A general practitioner (GP) is a local family doctor whom are contacted at the point of general health
issues. A GP has the role of identifying the health issue with the patient, then they must treat it,
either by providing correct medication or referring the patient to another health facility where they
can be treated. If the GP does prescribe a medication, they must know what the side effects are, and
what allergens are contained within the medication (such as penicillin). It is important to know this
information as the patient may have an allergic reaction to the medication which may be fatal.
Pharmacist
A pharmacist can work in a number of health environments, this will include places such as; hospitals
and chemists. Their role is to distribute medication to patients and provide information regarding
medications to the general public. The general public prefer to go to a pharmacy for help and advice
as they find it less intimidating. Also, a pharmacist working in a hospital setting will be available to
advise doctors of the side effects that each treatment has. As well as making them aware of any
relative contra-indications (this is when two medications should not be combined, unless the
benefits outweigh the risks). A pharmacist’s main responsibilities are to abide by regulations when it
comes to dealing with medication, this to make sure that patients and staff members are kept safe.
They must also ensure that the correct patient receives the correct medication as the results may be
fatal if this is not done correctly. An example of this may be an individual who is allergic penicillin,
M2- Compare the responsibilities and level of accountability assigned to individuals involved in the
administration of medication.
Nurses
A nurse has many roles within a hospital, this involves;
Assembling drips
Carrying out routine assessments
Administering medications
Changing dressings
Monitoring temperature
Monitoring blood pressure
Monitoring heart rates
Responsible for student nurses
If a nurse is head of the ward they would co-ordinate assessments
A nurse must take responsibility of student nurses as they are not yet fully qualified, but they should
be able to carry out a specific task that has been set for them. the student nurse will be accountable
for their own actions as they need to display that they are independent and responsible. They may
display being responsible by informing a nurse if they feel they cannot successfully complete a task,
they must do this to keep the patient safe.
A nurse must also be able to identify what medications could cause harm to the patient, an example
of this maybe knowing what the side effects are, or taking the patients allergens into consideration
before administering the medication. The nurse must also be aware of relative contraindications
(this when two or more medications cannot be taken together, unless the benefits outweigh the
risks). They must also be aware of absolute contraindication (this is when a medication or procedure
can cause a life threatening reaction).
General Practitioner GP)
A general practitioner (GP) is a local family doctor whom are contacted at the point of general health
issues. A GP has the role of identifying the health issue with the patient, then they must treat it,
either by providing correct medication or referring the patient to another health facility where they
can be treated. If the GP does prescribe a medication, they must know what the side effects are, and
what allergens are contained within the medication (such as penicillin). It is important to know this
information as the patient may have an allergic reaction to the medication which may be fatal.
Pharmacist
A pharmacist can work in a number of health environments, this will include places such as; hospitals
and chemists. Their role is to distribute medication to patients and provide information regarding
medications to the general public. The general public prefer to go to a pharmacy for help and advice
as they find it less intimidating. Also, a pharmacist working in a hospital setting will be available to
advise doctors of the side effects that each treatment has. As well as making them aware of any
relative contra-indications (this is when two medications should not be combined, unless the
benefits outweigh the risks). A pharmacist’s main responsibilities are to abide by regulations when it
comes to dealing with medication, this to make sure that patients and staff members are kept safe.
They must also ensure that the correct patient receives the correct medication as the results may be
fatal if this is not done correctly. An example of this may be an individual who is allergic penicillin,
