post procedure: give missed meds or not?

Nurses New Nurse

Published

Specializes in Adult Hematology/Oncology.

If you have a patient that is gone to a procedure and misses meds, do you give the meds upon return or just wait until the next scheduled dose? I'm confused about this. I asked one nurse, and she said you could always just reschedule the times. Another nurse said if it's over 1/2way to the next dose, hold. Yet another said it depended on what kind of medication it is.

:uhoh3: Help!

Both answers the nurses gave you make sense. Look the meds up in your med book, most meds will have this info given for missed doses.

If they are once daily meds, I give them. If they are Blood pressure meds, I check the BP first and make sure it isnt too low and I will give them but let the next nurse know especially they are twice daily bp meds. If they are blood thinners, we usually hold because of risk of bleeding in procedure. If a pt came from dialysis you may want to hold BP meds too. If I am not sure I will ask another nurse for advice........but if its once daily like synthroid,prednisone, vitamins, etc I give. And I dont give blood sugar pills since they have been NPO. But if I am ever unsure I ask!

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