Pharmacology

Name: Flores, Osien anne A. Date: 07/26/19 Year/Section: 2y1-6

Assignment Overview: This assignment is designed to strengthen the ethical principles and legal
implications that guides the nurse in working with the health team and performing medication
administration.

Guidelines: Your assignment submission should be typed double spaced, 100-250 words in length. Study
the situation State which ethical principle/s is/are violated and discuss in what manner is this principle
violated. State legal offenses the nurse may have committed. Summary should include what the nurse
should do to so that the situation will not happen again. It should contain reference/s used, proper
grammar, be free of spelling errors, and reflect critical thinking.
SITUATION: Dr. Z orders 40 mg of Lasix for an adult with congestive heart failure. The Lasix is
supplied in 20 mg tablets. The nurse plans to administer 2 tablets and use an Automatic Medication
Dispensing Machine. The nurse chooses the correct medication from the computer screen. The
medication drawer, which should contain the medication, opens. The nurse removes 2 tablets
without reading the label, goes to the patient's room, and administers the medication. The
medication the nurse removed was Lanoxin 0.25 mg tablets. The clinical pharmacist incorrectly
stocked the medication drawer.

The patient had already received his dose for the day, at this point, the patient has
received three times the correct amount. HE becomes nauseated, and when the nurse checks his
pulse, it is 40 beats per minute. The nurse notifies the doctor of the change in the patient's
condition.

What situation is the nurse in?

Answer:

The nurse was failed to follow the protocol or strict procedure from Negligence to follow the procedure was
fully present and the Malpractice.

First, the doctor advised to give 40mg of Lasix, where she should had checked and follow strictly,
especially the dosage that was give Second, she should have checked the label of the drawer where the
advised medicine was kept.

Third, is to check the label if it is the exact medicine that Dr. Z ordered for his patient.
Fourth, to check the medicine if it is properly sealed.

Fifth, is the importance to check and verify again the medicine, the dosage and whether it is properly
sealed, before giving it to the patient. Sixth, is failure on never going back to check where the cause of
failure upon knowing the post-status of the patient.

Seventh, is the responsibility to inform the Pharmacist of improper storage of medicine.

The nurse was failed to report the mistake on the Pharmacist. The nurse should have also informed the
doctor immediately upon knowing the post-status. The possible legal offenses after what the nurse stated
is, that the nurse may give suspension, termination prior to her negligence from work, revocation of license
and the worst scenario is, imprisonment. This is what the nurse should have done, in order to not repeating
the mistake. First, that she should checked the label of the drawer where she retrieved the medicine. If
improper storage of medicine is present, inform the Pharmacist immediately. Check also if the label is
properly cleared, check the expiration date and check the dosage. Second, before giving the medicine to
the patient, check the label and expiration date three times. if the nurse received

the correct and proper medicine that the doctor ordered. After taking the medications, always check the
condition and status of the patient, and inform the doctor prior to.

And Always remember the 6 rights

 Right client
 Right route
 Right drug
 Right dose
 Right time