Medication administration (Injectable medications)

Medication administration (Injectable medications)

1. Gathering Supplies

   • Correct Needle
     • Appropriate length & gauge needle for administration
     • filter needle
     • Blunt Needle
     • correct syringe barrel (mL, units)
   • Alcohol Swabs/pads
   • cotton ball & tape or Band-Aid
   • The correct medication (ampule, vial)
     • Appropriate diluent if necessary

2. Rights of Medication Administion

   • Right Drug
   • Right Dose
     • Dosage Calculation
       • correct amount of diluent is extracted for the desired concentration
       • Drawing the correct volume of medication for the desired dose
   • Right documentation
   • Right pt
   • Right time & frequiency
   • Right route
   • Right Education
   • Right Evaluation
   • Right to refuse

3. Determining the Site

   • assess the pt's body build, weight, muscle size
     • IM
       • vastus lateralis muscle
       • Ventrogluteal muscle
       • deltoid muscle
     • SUBCUT
       • The lower abdomen
         • except for the 2 inches (5cm) area around the navel (belly button)
       • Upper Arm
     • IV
       • Forearm
       • Antecubital fossa
       • Back of the hand
     • Intradermal (ID)
       • ventral aspect of the forearm

4. Obtaining pt consent

   • Patient eduaction
     • what the medication treats
     • Adverse Effects and Side Effects
     • how the medication is administered

5. Nursing Considerations

   • Important Lab values
   • Vital Signs are WDL, safe range to administer the medication
   • meal times
   • What to monitor proceeding administration (e.g. Observe for increased risk for suicide/ideation

6. Preparing Injections

   • ampule
     • using a gauze pad to hold the neck and snap it open
     • tapping the top of the ampule to move the fluid out of the neck
   • Vial
     • firmly rub the rubber seal with an alcohol pad, then let dry
     • Draw air into the syringe barrel equivalent to volume of medication required.
       • Push that air into the vial

7. safety

   • Appropriate PPE
     • hand hygiene
     • Donning Gloves
     • standard precuations
       • Observe for Additional Precautions
   • Sharps disposal
     • Re-capping the needle with 1 hand after procedure
     • discarding sharps in the appropriate and closest sharps/biohazardous material container
   • Agency policies
     • Co-sign required?