Question

You are caring for a patient who has refused to take his/her medication. Instead of forcing the patient to take the medication, your colleague tells you to hide it in his/her food. What do you do? What ethical and legal considerations should be taken into account for your decision? What is the nurses’ role and responsibility in medication administration?

What do you do?

What ethical and legal considerations should be taken into account for your decision?

What is the nurses’ role and responsibility in medication administration?

Answer 1

The duty of nurse is not only to take care of the patient but also to provide useful knowledge to the patient regarding the drugs and benefits of taking medication on time. If the patient refuse to take medicine, a nurse should encourage him/ her with the means of discussing all the benefits of taking medications. To convince him/her that if proper medication will be taken, he/ she may get well soon. If then also he is not ready to take medication then a nurse can give medication to the patient in any other form. But before doing this, nurse should check properly about the medicines that may not need to have on an empty stomach, medicine should have no any side effects with consuming with food. A nurse should check all the parameters befire jumping into any conclusion to provide medicine to the patient. A nurse should be aware of all the aspects of the medicine given along with the food. Sometimes many of the medicines are not given along with milk as they form complex with medicine and there is no effect of it. So, if medicine is being given dissolved in milk, it should be crossed checked that it may not form any complex.

* Role and responsibilities of nurse in medication administration:

1) Nurse should cross check the medicines.

2) Checking about any side effects of medicine on the patient as sometimes many of the medicines doesn't suits patients.

3) Providing medication at proper dose and timing, as some of the medicines requires minimum gap between the two drugs.Observing and recording patients’ behaviour.

4)Coordinating with physicians and other healthcare professionals for creating and evaluating customized care plans.

5)In order to provide emotional and psychological support to the patients.

6)Maintaining reports of patients’ medical histories, and monitoring changes in their conditions.

A proper care with medications can easily cause recovery of the patient along with peaceful and caring attitude towards the patient.