How Much Medication Education Do You Do?

[Guest 360983]

I'm a nursing student in my final semester and I'm just starting to feel out my own method of doing things. One of the issues I run across is how much information to give my patients about their medication when I'm giving it. I mostly tell patients "This is Metroprolol, the medication for blood pressure that you take every day at home" or "I'm giving you heparin to prevent blood clots." Am I giving too much info? Not enough? It's kinda hard for me to balance the crazy amount of detail we've learned about some meds vs. what patients understand and comprehend.

For discharge teaching, I do more detailed teaching for their prescriptions (side effects, how to take it, etc) but that wouldn't really work for daily administration.

[roser13, ASN, RN]

I think your amount of information is perfect for inpatients taking meds that they are already (or should be:uhoh3:) familiar with. You're saying just enough to open up the pathway for questions, should they have any; yet not so much that they would be tempted to say "well, duh, I already know that because I take it every day at home."

In the case of a new med while inpatient or at discharge, of course, more information will likely be necessary.

[Aurora77]

It really depends on the patient. I work med/surg and a lot of my pts have been taking meds for years. They can tell me more about the med than I can tell them! :) If it's a new med to them, I'll go into more detail. I try to phrase it in more common language too, like "blood thinner," rather than be all technical.

All our patients get detailed printed info on the meds they are prescribed at discharge.

[vashtee, RN]

I tell them what it's for, but if it's a new medication, I tell them the most common side effects, too. If it's coumadin, I teach everything (follow up labs, dietary considerations, when to worry). I don't really care so much if it's repetitive. It's a lot of information for a person to absorb all at once.

[Dazglue, ADN, BSN, MSN, RN]

If it's a home med, I tell them what it is and why they are taking it. (metformin for your blood glucose/sugar) keeping it simple. If it's new I'll tell them what it's for and possible side effects. I'm kind of anal about pt. education when it comes to medications because back when I was in high school I was taking plenty of meds and really didn't know why I was taking them or the side effects of long term use.

[Guest 360983]

Thanks! I haven't been giving any information on side effects, which I think I will start doing with new drugs. I appreciate the help.

[xtxrn, ASN, RN]

Something about IV decadron..... people don't get warned about the perineal "rush" that can happen with that med. When I worked neuro, and we got a lot of laminectomies, decadron was always given....and it had patients looking like they had worms in their shorts. Good to warn about them, or they get really spooked about what's going on

[mama_d, BSN, RN]

For run of the mill stuff, sounds like you're right on target.

If it's a new med, I like to give out a printout with info...less paperwork for the d/c nurse to worry about, and lets the pts peruse at their leisure.