🛡️SAFETY 1ST
Before administering medication, a nurse should verify what patient identifiers?
What is full name and birthday?
Number one practice on infection-prevention.
What is hand hygiene?
Color, temperature, pulses, capillary refill, movement, and sensation are assessed as part of this orthopedic assessment.
What is a neurovascular assessment?
A patient receiving this anticoagulant traditionally has their INR monitored to guide dosing.
What is warfarin?
This piece of equipment seems to disappear the moment you actually need one.
(Hint: other units borrow it)
What is a bladder scanner? 😆
This alarm mysteriously seems to sound approximately five seconds after a nurse finally sits down.
What is the bed alarm?
This laboratory test includes hemoglobin, hematocrit, white blood cells, and platelets.
What is a CBC?
After knee or hip surgery, this activity helps reduce the risk of DVT, pneumonia, and deconditioning.
What is early ambulation?
This medication class may increase bleeding risk and is commonly used to prevent blood clots.
What are anticoagulants?
This nursing supply can somehow be found in every pocket except when you urgently need one.
What is a pen or marker?
A sudden facial droop, arm weakness, and speech difficulty should prompt rapid evaluation for this emergency.
What is a stroke?
Crackles in the lungs, edema, and shortness of breath may be signs of this condition.
What is fluid overload or heart failure (CHF)?
Following total hip replacement, patients may be instructed to avoid crossing their legs to prevent this complication.
What is hip dislocation?
This loop diuretic may cause potassium levels to decrease.
What is furosemide (lasix)?
This phrase should never be spoken aloud during a suspiciously calm nursing shift.
What is “It’s quiet today”?
A nurse discovers that the wrong medication was given. After assessing the patient and notifying the appropriate provider, this should be completed according to hospital policy.
What is a patient safety report (PSR)?
This condition is characterized by severe muscle pain, swelling, elevated creatine kinase, and possible kidney injury.
What is rhabdomyolysis?
Severe pain out of proportion to an injury, especially pain with passive stretch, may indicate this orthopedic emergency.
What is compartment syndrome?
A patient taking opioids becomes difficult to arouse with a respiratory rate of 6 breaths per minute. This medication may be required.
What is naloxone (narcan)?
According to nursing folklore, a full moon guarantees an increased supply of this.
What is chaos/crazy? 🌕😂
This communication technique repeats back a verbal order to confirm that it was heard correctly.
What is read-back?
Confusion, tachycardia, decreased urine output, and hypotension may be signs of this serious circulatory condition.
What is sepsis/shock?
After a long-bone fracture, respiratory distress, neurologic changes, and a petechial rash may indicate this complication.
What is fat embolism syndrome?
These five rights traditionally guide safe medication administration.
What is right patient, drug, dose, route, & time.
This unofficial nursing “vital fluid” is frequently consumed before, during, and sometimes after a shift.
What is coffee? ☕