A home health care nurse is invited as a guest speaker to talk to a group of students about challenges of working in the home. As part of the discussion, the nurse describes medication safety. Which would the nurse include as a measure to address this issue?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

It is important for the home health care nurse to reconcile the medications in the client's home with those on the discharge sheet. If there are any discrepancies, then the nurse should contact the client's primary health care physician to clarify any differences and confirm the orders. Asking the client what he or she takes the drug for provides limited information. The nurse needs to know if he or she is taking it currently, and if so, the frequency and dosage. Throwing out any medications that are over 1 month old is inappropriate. A medication may have been ordered previously but was inadvertently missed on the discharge sheet. The nurse must always double check the order and with the physician about any medication. Setting up medication boxes are helpful to organize the medications, but the nurse still needs to verify that the client should be taking the medication.

A Home Health Care Nurse Is Invited as a Guest