Pharmacology question

[Chantilly]

As part of my pharm class we have to make our own drug book and I am stuck on one part...we have to include nursing implications which includes listing dosage determination. That's where I am stuck...does it mean how to determine when to give another dose?? If anyone could help explain this to me I would be most grateful.

[NurseguyFL]

We have room to play with dosing only if we have specifically ordered parameters (i.e. 1 percocet 5mg for moderate pain, and 2 percocet 5mg for severe pain). In this case, the nursing implications would include assessing the pain, and whether the patient's vital signs are stable enough to give narcs.

Nursing implications for medications involve safe implementation of the nursing process, based on the physian's orders and patient-specific assessment findings. For example, you have a patient who is on coumadin. The nursing implications would include checking labs for the INR before you give the medication. If the lab values are outside safe parameters, an implication would be holding the dose and calling for orders. Another implication would be avoidance of IM medications, and teaching the patient to avoid shaving with razors, vigorous brushing of the teeth, etc. (anything that could cause the patient to bleed.)

Simplistic explanation, but I think it conveys the general idea.

[Chantilly]

Thank you very much it makes sense now.