NURSES' RESPONSIBILITY in the Prevention of Medication Errors Assignment

NURSES' RESPONSIBILITY in the Prevention of Medication Errors - Assignment Example ‘‘The problem of medication errors can be avoided only when the nurses take a keen interest on their jobs by being highly skilled in their profession’’ (Joint Commission Resources, Inc. 2001, 13). Nurses Responsibility in the Prevention of Medication Errors Have you ever imagined a world where there are no nurses? Individuals would be succumbing to deaths from various causes like injuries to sickness. Nurses’ role can never be underestimated as they play a significant part in saving lives in both public and hospital hospitals since in most cases medication errors leads to ‘‘complex sorrows’’ (Cohen, 2007, 50). This essay discusses nurses’ responsibility in the prevention of medications errors. One of the duties of a nurse is the administration of drugs. Even when the other processes of treatment have been properly completed, wrong administration of drugs can lead to serious problems to the patient. ‘‘Some o f the worst medication errors involve some of the best and experienced practitioners’’ (Cohen, 2007, 49) It is therefore necessary for the nurse to ensure that the drugs reach the patient through the correct route. An example, oral liquid medications meant for administration through a gastric tube have been given intravenously ear drops have been instilled in the eye and eye drops in the ear (Joint Commission Resources, Inc. 2001). Another role of the nurse is patient education. It is the responsibility of the nurse to educate their patients on safe medication use. The patient should be fully aware of what each of the medications are for, the way they should be taken, how it appears, and how they functions to be to help reduce the likelihood of medication errors. Nurses should, therefore, counsel and educate their patients about their medications at all times. Since nurses administer medicines and injections to patients; they are also bound to ensure that there are no dose miscalculations to help reduce medication errors. Dose miscalculations are extremely common medications drugs administered intravenously and medications used for pediatric patients. Studies have shown that errors in dose calculations in pediatric, are not only common but also fatal: mistakes of 10 fold or more happen up to 1.5% of the time (Joint Commission Resources, Inc. 2001). Nurses should accurately apply the three methods before administering doses to their patients to prevent medication errors. They are the basic formula which is commonly used by nurses in most hospitals, ratio and proportion methods which is outdated as it was used before the advent of technology, and the fractional calculation method. Accurate administration of calculated doses assist in the medication administration process as it leads to better quality information with which a doctor or nurse should prescribe a treatment. Nurses are also tasked with admitting and discharging patients; therefore, they are expected to get the information regarding the patients’ history and other medical details. This information is helpful in cases where the patient has an allergy to the same medication he is to be put on. ‘Failure by the nurse to take correct history of allergy can lead to serious problems in the event of administration of drugs that causes allergic reactions to the patient’. The Lesar and colleagues study on factors associated with prescribing errors found out that the allergy to drug rate was 11.7%, a

Family Law issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Family Law issues - Essay Example It is important to get into matrimonial alliance with a life time strategy. Trial and error methods cannot work because there are certain issues that simply do not work on trial and error strategy. Selflessness and sacrifices do not go hand in hand with trial and error strategies. Rather they work exclusively in relationships where the partners are quite clear that marriage is a do-or-die affair, where one swim or sink together. In simple terms, you are either in the circle or out of it. One either learns to command and lead from the front or tail away at the rear in meek, abject surrender to the leader's beck and call. The first few steps and promises at the altar at the time of marriage are only symbolic. They only expound the binding factor that what God has put together, nobody puts asunder! Once this sanctity is broken or tampered with, it breaks a natural order at a very high cost to the couple and other innocent lives leaving them to bear the disastrous consequences for no fault of theirs. Teresa's matrimonial history is the regular mix of trial and error and these are best handled at the initial stage. It is commonly acknowledged that nobody is perfect, and by and large, few will readily admit their faults and shortcomings at the start of a relationship. The proverbial stitch in time saves nine applies to long term relationships like marriage. Teresa accepted George's lies about his aristocratic ancestry without discretion. She married him in the hope that there was a windfall headed her way through him. She was also fortunate enough to live through almost a decade of blissful married life when she gave birth to two sons, William and Liam. Nonetheless, now Teresa is going through testing times due to George's changed behavior and perceived lack of interest in their family affairs. The problem is compounded due to his alcoholism, abusive behavior which is degenerating to violence. The last straw in her tolerance level is breached when he discloses his intention to change his name and sex. In all probability, George has developed with homosexual symptoms and is in a gay relationship. (Gender recognition) 2. The Options Left with no reasonable option, Teresa is considering divorce and annulment of her marriage to George. She is also considering protection from George's abusive behavior and possibility of physical attacks in future. Prima facie, Teresa has good case for divorce. However, in the absence of solid proof she is not in a position to initiate legal action. She has to make sure that she has all the facts in place so that if and when she does file for divorce, the proceedings are in her favor. She also wants to know if George could be made to leave the house. Obviously, she is keen on holding on to their house for herself and her children. Legal procedures are complicated and require expert legal advisors to handle the case. The application of legal terms and procedures differ from case to case. For instance, once the case is filed