Nursing Process and Pharmacology: Drug Administration and Considerations

Study Notes

Nursing process and drug therapy involve three questions on the nine rights and documentation.
Nine rights include questions on medication errors and identifying violated rights.
Medication errors should be documented accurately, including the dose given, patient's condition, and physician notification.
Drug administration timing for documentation should be at the time of giving the drugs.
Pharmacologic principles cover extended release, sustained release, and coded drugs.
It's crucial not to crush or chew extended release medications to avoid altering their effectiveness.
First-pass effect mainly impacts orally administered drugs due to metabolism in the liver.
Routes to avoid the first-pass effect include IV, rectal, sublingual, and buccal administration.
Grapefruit juice can interact with medications, affecting their metabolism.
Garlic and certain herbs like St. John's Wort and goldenseal may also interact with medications.
Onset of action varies by route, with IV being the fastest and oral being the most unreliable.
Regular monitoring after drug administration is essential, typically 30 minutes for oral drugs and 5-10 minutes for IV drugs.
Contraindications involve avoiding drugs that could harm specific patient populations.
Drug excretion primarily occurs in the kidneys, while metabolism occurs in the liver.
Pediatric and geriatric patients are at higher risk for drug accumulation due to immature or declining organ function.
Half-life refers to the time it takes for 50% of a drug to leave the body.
Half-life calculations may be required for certain drugs based on their half-life duration.- Drug administration and considerations include checking placement for G-tubes, flushing with water, and administering medications with the correct dosages.
For IV piggyback administration, the smaller bag containing medications is hung higher than the larger maintenance bag.
High alert drugs such as potassium, insulin, opioids, and anticoagulants require extra precautions due to the potential harm even with small errors.
Black box warnings are the strongest FDA warnings indicating significant risks associated with a drug, requiring close monitoring.
Abbreviations should not be used in medication administration to prevent errors, ensuring clarity and patient safety.
Patient education involves effective teaching methods like teach-back to ensure understanding and compliance.
Polypharmacy, especially common in elderly patients, requires careful monitoring due to increased risks of drug interactions and adverse effects.
Pharmacogenomics involves studying how genetics influence drug responses, affecting drug efficacy and safety.
Medication errors should be reported through incident reports to investigate root causes and prevent future occurrences.
Math calculations like metric conversions, pounds to kilograms, and rounding instructions are essential for accurate medication dosing.
Administration of medications via different routes like IM injections, subcutaneous, and inhaled medications requires specific techniques for safe and effective delivery.
Gene therapy and considerations for cultural, legal, and ethical issues play a crucial role in medication administration.
Recording and documenting medication administration, including ensuring patient safety, administering medications correctly, and following proper procedures.

Description

This quiz covers the essential aspects of pharmacology, including the nine rights of medication administration, medication errors, and documentation. It also explores pharmacologic principles, drug interactions, and considerations for specific patient populations. Test your knowledge of drug administration, dosing, and patient safety.