Potassium IV hack

[atlnurse7]

I found a great hack for administering Potassium through a PIV! 

I had a DKA patient yesterday who was off her insulin drip and alert and oriented x 4. I tried to give her PO potassium but she declined and said she rather have IV instead. I warned her it would hurt, and she said okay anyways. I primed my line and threw a filter on it, and it didn’t burn or hurt her at all. Line was still patent with a good blood return and a flush about 20 min after the potassium had finished infusing. 

[SethH]

It sounds like if the filter did help, wouldn’t this just mean there was a decrease in the amount of potassium getting to the patient? Without having much knowledge on how much those filters impact the solution getting to the patient it seems like that’d be the only way.

[londonflo]

On 5/5/2022 at 8:09 PM, atlnurse7 said:

I followed my med orders precisely. 

Precisely is following the usual method of administering an  IV medication. Which you did not do.  You added a filter. Does your hospital procedure manual or manual textbook on your nursing internet or a book at the station have this as a way of doing correctly giving the medication?  Believe me there is something there some where as JCAHO requires it.  I appreciate your enthusiasm as a new graduate but you do not have the knowledge or experience for your new nursing performance ideas:

A) Adding filters when NONE are stipulated.

B) Carrying unwasted narcotics in vials in your pocket. 

C) What the heck else have you been doing?