2. Week 8 Questions:
1. Define the concept of nursing management
of drug therapy.
2. Describe the three main sources of data
used in assessment of core patient variables.
3. Provide examples from each of the "Levels
of Control on Medication Administration"
4. Discussion question
2
3. Outcomes
Students will:
๏ Identify key concepts relevant to nursing
management in pharmacotherapy
๏ Describe the main sources of data used in
assessment of core patient variables
๏ List Levels of Control on Medication
Administration for nurses
3
4. Q #: Define the concept of
nursing management of drug
therapy.
A. Discuss the nursing role and
responsibilities in drug therapy.
B. What are nursing priorities
related to medication
management?
4
5. โฆ..โthe process of planning and
implementing actions that will
maximize the therapeutic effects
and minimize the adverse effects
of a drugโ (Aschenbrenner &
Venable, 2012, p. 3).
5
Nursing Management of drug therapy is:
7. 7
Core Drug Knowledge
โข Pharmacotherapeutics
โข Pharmacokinetics
โข Pharmacodynamics
โข Contraindications and precautions
โข Adverse effects
โข Drug interactions
8. 8
Core Patient Variables
โข Health status
โข Life span and gender
โข Lifestyle, diet & habits
โข Environment
โข Culture and inherited traits
9. B. Priorities for medication
management include:
๏ Maximizing the therapeutic effect of a drug
๏ Minimizing adverse effects
๏ Patient and family education
9
10. Q #2 Describe the three main sources of data used
in assessment of core patient variables. What
types of information are determined from each
source?
1. Patient interview and history
2. Physical examination or assessment
3. Medical record (chart)
10
11. 1. Patient interview and history
๏ Patientโs health status
๏ Allergies
๏ Medications
๏ Ask open-ended questions about:
๏Lifestyle
๏OTC meds and herbal remedies
11
12. ๏ General observations and baseline data
๏ Focused assessment
๏ Age
๏ Developmental ability
๏ Pregnancy status
2. Physical examination or
assessment
12
13. 3. Medical Record (Chart)
๏ Diagnostic test results and lab values
๏ Health status
๏ Primary complaints
๏ Allergies
๏ Previous drug reactions
๏ Past medical history
13
14. Q#4 Give one or two examples from each of the
"Levels of Control on Medication Administration" as it
applies to your clinical practice as a nursing student.
1. Nurseโs (Registered) and Nurse Practitionerโs
Regulation
2. CRNBC Standards, Limits, Conditions
3. Employer Policies
4. Individual Nurseโs (Studentโs) Competence
14
15. Q#3: Discussion question:
15
Observe a nurse passing medications in a hospital. If the
opportunity arises you may wish to explore these questions
with a Registered Nurse.
โข Describe how the nurse evaluates drug therapy for each
patient.
โข Describe nursing management techniques used during
and after the medications are given.
โข Were there any additional nursing management
techniques that would have been helpful?
16. References
1. Aschenbrenner, D.S. (2012). Drug Therapy in Nursing (3rd ed.).
Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
2. British Columbia Institute of Technology. (2014). BCIT nursing program (3
year) student guidelines, policies and procedures. Retrieved
from http://www.bcit.ca/files/health/nursing/pdf/bsn_policies.pdf
3. College of Registered Nurses of British Columbia. (2013). Practice
support: Medications [CRNBC Publication No. 3]. Retrieved
from https://crnbc.ca/Standards/Lists/StandardResources/3Medicatio
ns.pdf
4. Fraser Health (nd). Medication administration record daily protocol.
Fraser Health Clinical Policy. Retrieved from
http://fhpulse/clinical_resources/clinical_policy_office/Documents/Me
dicationAdministrationRecord(MAR)Daily_Protocol/ARCHIVE/Medicati
on%20Administration%20Record%20(MAR)%20-
%20Daily%20PROTOCOL%2022102013.pdf
5. Perry, A.G., Potter P.A., Ostendorf, W.R. (2014). Clinical Nursing Skills and
Techniques (8th ed). St. Louis., MO: Mosby, Inc.
16
Editor's Notes
According to Aschenbrenner & Venable, 2012, Nursing Management of drug therapy is a process of planning and implement actions to maximize the therapeutic effect of drugs while minimizing adverse effects during drug therapy. To complete this important task the nurse must have excellent โCore Drug Knowledgeโ, utilize a systematic approach to care, consider the core patients variable and practicing according to the CRNBC Professional Standards.
Essentially, this describes use of the nursing process
Assessment and identification: Core drug knowledge and core patient variables
2. Nursing diagnosis based on assessment: identify interactions between core drug knowledge and core patient variables
3. Plan of action: to maximize desired outcome and minimize adverse effects
4. Intervention: strategies to maximize desired effects and minimize adverse effects. Includes patient education.
5. Evaluation: of patientโs progress and determining effectiveness or ineffectiveness and following up with physician as necessary
The nursing role begins by assessing and identifying significant core drug knowledge and core patient variables that may impact direction and efficacy of drug therapy.
Pharmacotherapeutics: what therapeutic effect is desired? E.g. decrease pain, or prevent seizures?
Pharmacokinetics: what happens to the drug when it gets in to the body? E.g. where does it go? How does it get there? How does it get out? Etc.(absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion)
Pharmacodynamics: what effect does the drug have on the body? E.g. decrease pain but cause constipation?
Contraindications and precautions
Adverse effects
Drug interactions
ย
Health status: presence of disease, illness, allergies, chronic illness, mental capacity
Life span and gender: age, development, reproductive stage, gender
Lifestyle, diet & habits: activity, exercise, sleep, occupation, financial resources, eating patterns, substance use
Environment: location of drug administration
Culture and inherited traits: religious, social and ethnic backgrounds
ย
Maximizing the therapeutic effect of a drug for a patient => ensuring the drug is working optimally and within its intended outcome
Minimizing adverse effects => reducing any negative factors associated with drug and patient
Educating the patient and family members on findings to ensure proper administration and considerations are followed, especially after discharge from hospital
Health status can be assessed by identifying the patientโs cognitive capacity, allergies, presence of disease, and drug history (dosage, lack of adherence, current OTC drug intake).
Life span and gender information determined includes the patientโs age, developmental level, reproductive status, literacy, and ability to understand directions.
Lifestyle, diet, and habits evaluated are occupation, level of physical activity, nutrition and mealtimes, supplement or alternative medicine use, and sleep patterns. Street drug, alcohol, caffeine, or nicotine use should also be assessed.
Environmental factors relay information regarding home environment, living arrangements, and nature of employment. If a medication increases sensitivity to the sun for instance, precaution must be taken if the patient works outdoors.
The patientโs religious beliefs or ethnicity can offer guidance involving culture and inherited traits. Certain people may be averse to taking medications as it does not fit the belief system of their culture.
General observations and baseline data (vital signs, height, weight)
Focused assessment
Approximate age, developmental ability, gender and pregnancy status can also be investigated to form a more accurate picture of patient needs.
Children will metabolize medications differently than adults.
Some medications could affect the fetus or can be transmitted through breast milk.
Identifying and understanding diagnostic test results and lab values.
Health status
Primary complaints
Presence of disease
Allergies
Previous drug reactions
Past medical history
1. Nurseโs (Registered) and Nurse Practitionerโs Regulation: helps to protect the public by ensuring that professional care or service received by the public is competent, ethical and meets the standards that society views as acceptable
The Federal Controlled Drugs and Substances Act describes who can administer narcotics and for what reason (CRNBC, 2012). E.g. This act allows student nurses to administer narcotics under the directive of physicians.
2. CRNBC Standards, Limits, Conditions:
Nurses must check the 7 medication rights at 3 points when dispensing medication
Nurses must provide education to the patient based on the nurseโs assessment of the patientโs ability to understand the informationย
3. Employer Policies: E.g. Fraser Health Authority policy usually states that medications administered must be documented on the daily MAR
It also states that the MAR has to be verified by comparing it to the previous dayโs MAR as well as the past 24 hours of medication orders
4. Individual Nurseโs (Studentโs) Competence:
BCIT policy states that level 1 students must have medications checked off by RN or instructor until the instructor states the student may administer medication unsupervised
Anticoagulants, oral hypoglycemic and narcotics must always be co-signed by RN or instructor !!
the CRNBC states that a RN cannot document medications given to a patient by another health care worker (CRNBC, 2013). Student nurses are responsible for documenting the medications given.