Nursing Implications Related to Medications?

[summersent]

I have to fill out drug cards and I can't figure out what nursing implications mean when filling out the drug cards for a medication. Can anyone help me?

Also when filling out a drug card we get a tiny space for all of these adverse reactions, how do I know which ones are most important to put in? Should I just list the life threatening reactions? This also goes for client teaching etc. Its so much info for such a little space, I don't know what to put in and what not to put in.

All info would be appreciated

[ZooMommyRN, ADN, RN]

Davis' Drug Guide for Nurses is going to be your best friend, best to invest in one now, it will give you all the information you are needing

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

If you go to a dictionary and look up the definition of the word "implication" you will find this "to imply; to indicate without saying openly what will enfold [occur]". So, the nursing implications related to medications are the things, as a nurse, you need to be aware might occur (usually the side effects) and that you need to watch and monitor the patient for or do to prevent them from getting worse. Most nursing drug reference books include the implications. They are often referred to as "nursing considerations".

In these drug reference books, the side effects are usually coded so you know which are the more serious ones. In my copy of Mosby's Nursing Drug Reference 2007, 20th edition, the most common side effects are highlighted in italics and the life-threatening ones are highlighted in bold-faced italics. You should be using a drug reference book as you do your drug cards. If you don't already have one, you should really consider purchasing one.

[summersent]

Thanks so much daytonite. That helps so much. Yes I do need to invest in a drug reference book. I have no idea it was going to be so much information. If I had known I would have bought one much earlier.

zookeeper, I will check that book out.

[turbohound]

Summersent, some books use "Nursing Implications" in place of "Nursing Interventions". The terms are the same, and refer to what the nurse needs to be aware of before/during/after the med.

For example, before giving a med for hypertension, the nurse would need to check b/p, to make sure that it wasn't to low. Because if it was, the med could cause patient b/p to drop to low (aka hypotension). So the nursing intervention/implication would be check bp. It's that simple ?