Pharmacology has been, and is, one of the disciplines that are most directly related to the practice of Nursing. A drug is a substance whose administration can modify some function of living beings. When these substances are used for therapeutic purposes they are called medicines.
Nurses have many functions in our daily lives. One of the main ones is drug administration. Given the responsibility and frequency with which it is carried out, it is an activity that faces a permanent legal risk related to errors in practice. It is essential to administer medications in an effective and safe way.
Due to the administration of medications and direct contact with patients, nurses are able to detect adverse effects in early stages and sometimes make decisions or inform medical staff.
There are many factors that are involved when administering medication: ignorance of the drug, side effects and adverse reactions, lack of attention and experience, stress, errors in recording.
The general objective in drug administration will be:
- Prevent errors in pharmacotherapy.
- Reduce the incidence of chemical phlebitis related to drug administration.
- Establish guidelines for the safe administration of medications.
- Legally protect nursing staff in carrying out activities inherent to professional practice.
The administration of drugs by nursing requires:
- Knowledge of the patient’s clinical stage.
- Generic and commercial name of the drug.
- Presentation and concentration of application.
- Maximum and minimum therapeutic dose.
- Half-life of the drug in blood, metabolism and method of drug elimination.
- Synergism and antagonism of the drug with other drugs that are being administered to the patient.
- Requirements for the conservation of the physical and chemical qualities of the drug.
- Drug registry.
- Management of narcotics and control drugs.
The administration of medications requires knowledge of techniques, some of which are quite complex, as well as all aspects related to the drug and of course the patient. Knowledge of the theoretical foundations of the different administration techniques is essential so that, maintaining their basic criteria, they can be adapted to the patient.
First of all, an assessment of the patient’s health situation must be carried out, in order to adapt the technique to the characteristics of the patient at that moment. The patient’s age may modify the administration characteristics.
Interesting resource:
The Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products allows you to search for information on medicines online.