my supervisor says it's different. she wants to make a clarification of order for lorazepam intensol 0.5ml to 0.50ml. is this right? i thought it's the same thing. isnt 0.5ml the same as 0.50ml???
Members are discussing whether to write a medication order as 0.5mL or 0.50mL, with some stating that the correct format is 0.5mL to avoid misinterpretation. Trailing zeros are emphasized as a potential source of error, and there is mention of guidelines from The Joint Commission regarding approved abbreviations. Some members speculate that the supervisor may be testing the nurse's critical thinking skills, while others criticize the supervisor's approach. Additionally, there is a discussion about the precision of measurements and the importance of following scientific principles in nursing practice.
It is the same thing, but your supervisor is incorrect. If you look up approved and unapproved abbreviations, you'll also find a guideline about leading zeros and trailing zeros.
In order to reduce errors, you should include a leading zero, but not a trailing zero.
For example, the correct way to write the order would be 0.5 mL
If you write .5 mL, the decimal point can be missed, and the order can be interpreted as 5ml. There should always be a zero before the decimal point
If you write 0.50 the order may be misinterpreted as 50 mL.
So even though 0.5 and 0.50 both equal the same amount, the correct way to write the order is 0.5 mL.
The only thing I can think of is that you are not supposed to add the 0 to the end b/c it increases the risk of error b/c it can be misread as another number. If I read this right though, it looks like she WANTS you to add a 0????
Are you sure your supervisor isn't pulling your leg?
Yeah, I was thinking something like that... I'm curious as to how this conversation went down. "Add that extra zero so we can make it is likely as possible to have a med error with a potent drug."
Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
Ashley PKU is absolutely right and Your supervisor needs to be aware that The Joint Commission's mandate about approved abbreviations. It should be 0.5mg. The doses 0.5 and 0.50 are the same dose just one is at a much greater chance of becomming a deadly mistake.....
There are strict guidelines about how things should be written and abbreviated.We have a big poster at work about it and adding an extra zero is a no-no.
Unless you feel like making an enemy of the doctor, have your supervisor make the clarification and let her hear the doctor yelling over that stupidity. Same thing, and in fact she is going against standard practice by using trailing 0's. I hope this is just a brain freeze on her part >.
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my supervisor says it's different. she wants to make a clarification of order for lorazepam intensol 0.5ml to 0.50ml. is this right? i thought it's the same thing. isnt 0.5ml the same as 0.50ml???