Medication

Administration

Y'S TISS UES

3 WAY S HOW MED ICAT ION IS TRA NSF ERR ED INTO THE BOD

By ingestion and
absorption in the
digestive tract By passive transfer
through porous
tissues, such as the
skin, the alveoli of
the lungs, and the
mucous membranes
By insertion
directly into the
interior tissues via
subcutaneous,
intramuscular, or
intrathecal
injection.

Eight Medication Rights

Confirm the patient’s identity

by cross-checking the
Right medication order and the
Does it make sense to give
this medication to this
Patient
patient’s ID. If the patient is
patient? What is the patient’s
awake/conscious ask them to
medical history?
state their name and their
date of birth.

Right
Reason
Right
Check the Medication
medication label
against the
medication order

Confirm the correct route of

administration through drug
references and by reviewing the
Right Dose
medication order

Right Right Route

Check the medication
Time order for correct dosage.
Verify against available drug
references. Verbally confirm
with another nurse.

Check the medication order

for correct timing of

Right
medication administration. Verify against manufacturer
Review patient chart for guidelines and available drug
time of previous medication
administration.
Response references. Ensure the drug leads
to the desired effect. Monitor the
patient and document the
monitoring process as well as any
nursing interventions performed.

Review the medication order for the correct

Right
frequency of medication administration, as well as
correct site for administration. Document

Documentation administration of medication after it has been given.

Note patient vital signs and pertinent lab values.

MARY YVONNE C. SERASPE

 PROPER PROCEDURES
FOR ADMINESTERING ALL

edication
M

Administering Oral Medications

s
Oral medications in this context are those
given by mouth and swallowed. Solid
medications such as tablets and capsules
should be given in clean, dry, disposable
containers, whereas oral liquid medications,
and those requiring oral syringes, should be
measured in syringes designed specifically
for the medication-dispensing purpose

Injecting Medications Safely

Injected medications are delivered into the
body using a syringe by one of six routes.
These are intradermal, subcutaneous,
intramuscular, intravenous, intraosseous,
and intrathecal.

Six Routes
INTRADERMAL
ROUTE: Within the dermal layer of the skin
EXAMPLE OF MEDICATION: PPD (purified protein
derivative; Mantoux tuberculosis [TB] test)

SUBCUTANEOUS

ROUTE: Between the dermis and muscle layer

EXAMPLE OF MEDICATION: Insulin

INTRAMUSCULAR

ROUTE: Within the muscle

EXAMPLE OF MEDICATION: Glucagon

INTRAVENOUS

ROUTE: Into the vein

EXAMPLE OF MEDICATION: Furosemide

INTRAOSSEUS
ROUTE: Into the marrow cavity of the bone when
quick IV access is not practical
EXAMPLE OF MEDICATION: Furosemide

INTRATHECAL

ROUTE: Lumbar puncture

EXAMPLE OF MEDICATION: Baclofen

MARY YVONNE C. SERASPE

 6 Quick and Easy Steps
to Give an Injection
Injecting Medications Safely

1. Use an alcohol swab to

clean the skin where you
will give the shot.

2. Gently pinch the skin and

insert the needle into
the skin at a 45° angle

3. After you insert the

needle completely, release
your grasp on the skin.

4. Gently pull back on the plunger of

the syringe to check for blood. (If
blood appears when you pull back on
the plunger, withdraw the needle
and syringe and gently press the
alcohol swab on the injection site.
Start over with a fresh needle.)

5. If no blood appears,
inject all of the solution
by gently and steadily
pushing down the plunger.

6. Withdraw the needle and

syringe and press an
alcohol swab on the spot
where the shot was
given.

MARY YVONNE C. SERASPE

 medication
errors
Medication Error
A medication error is defined as
any preventable event that may
cause or lead to inappropriate
medication use or patient harm
while the medication is in the
control of the health care
professional, patient or
consumer.

Medication Administration Error

Medication administration error is

a deviation from the physician’s
medication order as written on
the patient’s chart according to
the definition given by the
physician. On the other hand,
nurses define this as mistakes
associated with drugs and
intravenous solutions that are
made during the prescription,
transcription, dispensing and
administration phases of drug
preparation and distribution.

Medication Administration
in Nursing Practice
Nurses are continually challenged to
ensure that their patients are given
the correct medication at the correct
time. Obstacles such as inadequate
nursing education about patient
safety, excessive workloads,
untrained staff, fatigue, illegible
provider handwriting, flawed
dispensing systems, and problems
with the labeling of drugs are
encountered by nurses on a daily
basis. Thus, nurses’ understanding
of pharmacology includes knowledge
of not only how medications are
Reference:
administered, but also which factors Chapter 3 of Nursing
can contribute to faulty Pharmacology by Smith

administration of medications.

MARY YVONNE C. SERASPE