Medical, Clinical & VeterinaryNursing & Frontline Patient Care
About the job
Requirements
Accurately and safely prepare, administer, and document oral and topical medications commonly used in the facility and ordered for resident use by the attending physician or Medical Director.
Examine and identify medications brought into the facility by newly admitted residents through the attending physician, facility pharmacy, or pharmacist.
Follow the facility’s medication labeling policies and practices and ensure that all administered medications are properly labeled.
Assist with medication charting as directed by the Nurse Supervisor or Charge Nurse and follow facility procedures for medication charting.
Follow facility policies and procedures for destroying medications, including documentation requirements, under the direction of the facility pharmacist or Director of Nursing Services.
Document and remove medications discontinued by the attending physician.
Follow facility procedures for drug receipt errors, including notifying the delivery source and Director of Nursing Services.
Return and reorder medications, except emergency drugs.
Document drug receipt errors in a written error report signed by an observer or witness and the aide.
Follow facility procedures for holding medications when residents are transferred or when medications are discontinued by the attending physician.
Accurately measure, record, and report residents’ vital signs.
Observe and verify that medication is ingested or applied as directed and document instances when prescribed medication is not administered, including reasons for refusal.
Promptly notify the Charge Nurse, Nurse Supervisor, or Director of Nursing Services of medication errors or resident reactions.
Follow the facility’s medication card practices.
Administer medications only with a written, signed, and dated order from an attending licensed physician.
Record medication orders in the resident’s clinical record, including type, route, dosage, frequency, and strength.
Verify resident identity before administering medication treatment.
Follow facility procedures for resident self-administration of medications and assist the Nurse Supervisor or Charge Nurse in monitoring and documenting self-administration.
Promptly notify the Nurse Supervisor or Charge Nurse of failures in residents’ proper self-administration of medications.
Follow established guidelines for storage of drugs and biologicals.
Be familiar with common medical abbreviations, symbols, and terms related to medication administration used by the facility, pharmacists, and physicians.
Responsibilities
Assist in administering medications to residents as ordered by the attending physician and under the direction of the attending physician, nurse supervisor, charge nurse, or Director of Nursing Services.
Participate in developing and implementing the resident’s comprehensive assessment as necessary.
Description
The primary purpose of this position is to assist in the administering of medications to residents as ordered by the attending physician, under the direction of the attending physician, the nurse supervisor or charge nurse, and the Director of Nursing Services. The administration of medications shall be in accordance with established nursing standards, the policies, procedures, and practices of this facility, and the requirements of this state.
Requirements
Accurately and safely prepare, administer, and document the oral and/or topical medications that are commonly used in this facility and that may be ordered for resident use by the attending physician or the Medical Director.
Verify that any medications brought into the facility by a newly admitted resident are examined and identified by the attending physician or the facility pharmacy or pharmacist.
Follow the labeling policies and practices of the facility.
Ensure that all medications administered are properly labeled.
Assist with medication charting as directed by the Nurse Supervisor/Charge Nurse.
Follow facility procedures in regard to charting of medications.
Follow facility policies and procedures regarding the destroying of medications; assist in carrying out these rules under the direction of the facility pharmacist or Director of Nursing Services, including the documentation requirements.
Assist in documenting and removing medications that are discontinued by the attending physician.
Follow facility procedures governing drug receipt errors, including notifying the delivery source and the Director of Nursing Services.
Ensure that medication is returned and reordered except emergency drugs.
Ensure that documentation of the drug receipt error includes a written error report, signed by an observer/witness and you.
Follow facility procedures in holding medications for residents who are transferred from the facility or when the attending physician discontinues medications.
Accurately measure, record, and report the vital signs of residents.
Observe and verify that medication is ingested or applied as directed. Document any instance where prescribed medication is not administered, including reason(s) for refusal.
Promptly notify the Charge Nurse, Nurse Supervisor, or Director of Nursing Services of any errors or reactions to medications by residents.
Follow the medication card practices of the facility.
Ensure that no medication is administered without a written, signed, dated order from an attending licensed physician.
Follow the facility procedure for recording the order in the resident’s clinical record, including the type, route, dosage, frequency and strength of each medication.
Verify the identity of the resident before administering the medication treatment.
Follow the facility’s procedures allowing residents to self-administer his or her medications.
Assist the Nurse Supervisor/Charge Nurse in monitoring and documenting all aspects of such self-administering.
Promptly notify the Nurse Supervisor/Charge Nurse of any failure of a resident to properly take any “self-administered” medications.
Follow established guidelines concerning the storage of drugs and biologicals.
Be familiar with the meaning and usage of common medical abbreviations, symbols, and terms relative to the administration of medications as used by the facility, pharmacists, and physicians.
Participate in the development and implementation of the resident’s comprehensive assessment as necessary.