Forgetting med actions on first job

[EstrellaAzul]

Hello everyone, I'm glad this forum is back.

I wanted to re-post my thread since I know some of the recent posts went with the changes to the forum, and I really like and appreciated the advice I received when I posted last.

This is what I wrote:

I'm about to graduate as an LPN. I'm afraid that in my first job, a patient will ask me about what their meds are for, and I won't know how to answer. I ask because it's been in my experience that when I've been in clinicals with my professor, and she's asked me about a medication, despite the fact that I studied it time ago, I've forgotten it.

[southernbelle08]

When you are working, I would keep a medication book with me. Before you go in to give your medications you can look it up. Also, you'll discover that you'll see a lot of the same medications over and over depending on what type floor you are working on. Eventually, you'll remember and it will come easy to you explaining to patients what medications they are taking and what they are for. I used to always educate my patient on what they were taking even if they didn't ask. It is the safe thing to do. Practice makes perfect and eventually this worry will be a thing of the past.

Best of luck!

[NoviceRN10]

I am lucky enough to have computerized MARs, so if there is a med I am not familiar with I can just right click it when I go to scan it and reference information will pop up. You would be amazed at how many people just take medications and don't ask why you are giving it to them or what it is. I usually only give antibiotics, narcotics, heparin, lovenox, and a few blood pressure meds. There are a few psych meds here and there or a cholesterol med, oh and lots of insulin Aspart. You don't need to kjnow everything, but you do need to know where to find the information you need.