In the Implementation station, many nurses fail on a drug they should not have given. Once you have checked that the drug chart is valid, stop and ask yourself these three questions before you dispense anything.
1. Is my patient allergic to this drug?
Force yourself to ask it every time. Penicillin-based drugs are the most common allergy in exam scenarios, but keep other allergies in mind too. Check before you dispense, not after.
2. Has my patient already had this drug?
Your patient may already have had it as a once-only dose. Go back to the once-only section of the drug chart and check, so you do not overdose them.
The same applies to regular drugs with a minimum interval. Paracetamol, for example, is often prescribed four to six hourly, so check whether your patient has had paracetamol in the last four hours.
3. Do I need the patient’s vital signs first?
Some drugs depend on a recent reading:
- Antihypertensives and cardiac drugs: ask the examiner for the blood pressure, and for cardiac drugs the heart rate as well.
- Diabetic drugs such as metformin: check the most recent blood glucose reading with your examiner.
Why it matters
These are the mistakes that most often lead to an unsuccessful Implementation station. Asking the three questions every time turns them into habits before exam day.
Want to practise drug administration with real equipment and feedback? See our hybrid course.