Question

A nurse noticed that the physician had typed a new drug order on the Physician's Order Form in the patient's electronic medical record. The order was for vitamin K 5 mg. The nurse then proceeded to go to the medication room in the nurses' station and select a vial of potassium chloride from which to administer the drug. What error in critical thinking did the nurse make? What type of safeguards should be in place to prevent these errors?

Answer 1

Medication error can be occur. It should be occur anywhere along the route. When a clinician who prescribe the medication to the healthcare professional who administers the medication. Look like similar drugs, abbreviations instead of full name, lack of pharmacological knowledge are main causes of errors.
Here the prescriber prescribe vitaminK but the nurse take potassium chloride. Here similarity of drug names that is KCl and vitaminK. May be the letters can be confused the nurse.
The nurses should follow the following safeguards
Right drug should be given to the right patient.
Right dose must be given.
At right time and right route should be follow.
The prescription should double check or triple checked.
It should read carefully and take carefully