Medication Administration in the Skilled Nursing Facility Part 2

1. Other Administration Routes

This chapter will review the general principles for rectal, eye drops/ointments, and inhalation administration. The demonstration of application of eye medication will stress the importance of infection control principles, care of the eye, and appropriate timing when more than one drop or more than one eye medications is required.

2. Guideline for Labeling and Storage

This chapter will review the components that are required for proper labeling of medication for administration in the nursing home. The items on the label will be reviewed as they relate to safe administration practices. Basic storage guidelines for common medications will be examined in addition to the nurse’s responsibility if the integrity of the medication has been compromised due to inappropriate storage or labeling.

3. Nurse Responsibility in Reporting and Preventing Medication Errors

When administering medication, it is part of the nurse’s responsibility to be astute to practices that may cause medication errors. This chapter will inform nurses about their role in improving the quality of safe medication practices, and reporting errors.