Quality Indicators for Safe Medication Preparation and Administration Essay

Being passionate about caring and helping others has influenced and inspired me to enter the medical field and has then encouraged me to become a registered nurse in the Philippines. I have worked in a public hospital located in Manila which caters health care services for people presenting infectious and tropical diseases. One day, I had an admission who was diagnosed with an Acute Gastroenteritis secondary to Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. The doctor ordered a new antibiotic that should be given intravenously. When the antibiotic was already at hand, I administered the medication with the 100ml solution of normal saline to the patient. Afterward, because of a lot of toxicity in the area caused by a large number of patients, I forgot to reassess the patient whom I gave the antibiotic initially. I was surprised when I got back, the patient was already experiencing an allergic reaction to the antibiotic that the skin was flushed and generalized rashes were observed. I referred the patient immediately to the resident on duty and anti-histamine medications were given right away. Because of the incident happened, I felt overwhelmed with fear due to the possible consequences I had in my mind that the patient might suffer. I had been administering antibiotics many times in the past, but this situation made me feel guilty and uneasy. I even questioned myself if I am really that competent enough to do medical interventions to the patients. A nurse’s role is to render a high quality of care at all times. The reactions of the antibiotic would have been prevented if the proper assessment has been executed. Being knowledgeable in interventions especially medication administration is essential in my role, that I felt I didn’t accomplish fully. I documented all that happened to the patient and I made an internal incident report so that the other team members would be well-informed about the situation and also proper endorsements were done. Further errors and complications will be prevented through active management and effective reporting system would ensure patient’s safety. Administration of medicines to individuals who are ill is part of nurse’s responsibility to deliver holistic and optimal care (Veitch & Christie 2007). In the Philippines, nurses are required to practice methodical approach that follows local polices. In regards to my own experience, nurses practice 10 rights of medication administration that are intended to protect patients from any misconduct in promoting health. Some of the key things I have learned include developing my time management, multi-tasking, and organizational habits. One of the ways I would change what I did then would be to assess before and after administering certain medication to the patient especially if it’s an initial dose. I am now more cautious and responsible for my actions when delivering holistic care. Although I should’ve reassessed the patient, the experience I have gained from this has made me more mindful of patient’s rights that safeguard patient’s well-being. In the future, I think I would try to deal with this by improving the level of my competence and not neglect the aspects of nursing as a caring profession. I will continue to provide genuine care to the patients through further developing my skills in performing the 10 rights of medication administration. I intend to become more careful and as well as confident when protecting the health of my patients from possible risks of any treatment and health practices. As a registered nurse, I aim to advance my knowledge and skills that will befit the needs of the clients. Therefore, even if this experience for me was a challenge, I took it as an advantage to help me understand the importance of values in nursing and will guide me in tackling different instances and situations in the future.