Okay so I have been offered a LPN job but I have to pass a medication test first and some of it isn't explained thoroughly so I need some help please!
General safe medication practice: Management of pain?
Medication and patient safety: Synthroid appropriate administration time (same time each day?)? and bronchodilaters: close oberservation and documentation of patient symptoms after dosing?
Management of pain--What is the order? What is your scope as an LPN (most states, not all, most, LPN's don't push meds, which often a pain patient will have IV meds. So what would you do in this instance? Assess, defer to the RN?) PO meds--assess, get a rating, medicate if appropriate, and FOLLOW up with a new pain rating after administration and document.
Synthroid--same time, early am before breakfast (0600 in a number of facilities)
Inhalers and nebs--peak flows before and after, and document same.
And as everyone has noted do NOT forget your 5 rights.
Where I work, bronchodilators are administered first in order to open up the passages, allowing for better absorption and facilitate the uptake of steroids (which reduce inflammation and swelling).
To me that approach makes sense, considering the action of both types of meds. But I am aware that some facilities advise the opposite.
Okay so I have been offered a LPN job but I have to pass a medication test first and some of it isn't explained thoroughly so I need some help please!
General safe medication practice: Management of pain?
Medication and patient safety: Synthroid appropriate administration time (same time each day?)? and bronchodilaters: close oberservation and documentation of patient symptoms after dosing?
Thank you so much for the help!
Hey Tempest, good luck on your test - I know you'll pass, they can seem intimidating
but remember you've done this all before in school.
First, ''General safe medication practice: management of pain?''
When giving a pain medication, you are going to want to assess the patient
using an appropriate pain scale. Some facilities have flowsheets (computerized or
paper) to document the pain level, med given, and effect of the med.
Make sure you follow the 7 rights of med administration, (patient, med, dose, time,
route, reason, documentation) - also make sure you find out when the last time they
had the med and if you can give them the dose they are asking for if it's a PRN.
Make sure if the medication has Tylenol in the formula that they have not reached the
MDD or are taking another med with Tylenol in it.
Follow up with the patient after giving the med to make sure it was effective
and document if they are experiencing further pain or if they are not. Monitor for
any adverse effects and document as necessary.
Synthroid appropriate administration time is usually 6AM, delivered on 11-7 shift
as indicated by a previous poster. This is because the body naturally excretes
thyroid hormone at that time and for a patient who's thyroid is dis-functioning
the med will be most absorbed at that time.
For bronchodilators; You would want to document the response to the drug, and
any sign of tachycardia or any other adverse reaction to the med. Document any respiratory symptoms and details about them (lung sounds, productive cough, non productive cough, wheezing).
I think what u r askin is wen should bronchodilators be administered? If so.. Bronchodilators should be given AFTER a corticosteroid is administered to open up the airways IF the pt is on both..
. Its the other way around. Bronchodilator first, then steroid. The bronchodilator "dilates" the large airways allowing for the following steroid to work at its best.
jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B
9 Articles; 4,800 Posts
Management of pain--What is the order? What is your scope as an LPN (most states, not all, most, LPN's don't push meds, which often a pain patient will have IV meds. So what would you do in this instance? Assess, defer to the RN?) PO meds--assess, get a rating, medicate if appropriate, and FOLLOW up with a new pain rating after administration and document.
Synthroid--same time, early am before breakfast (0600 in a number of facilities)
Inhalers and nebs--peak flows before and after, and document same.
And as everyone has noted do NOT forget your 5 rights.