The nurse is administering afternoon medications, which include an antihypertensive med and aspirin for pain relief. Which of the following should the nurse do first before administering the medications?
match the client’s date of birth and name on his wristband with the same information on the medication order
ask the client his name and date of birth
ask the client to confirm the medication ordered and compare this with the medication order
match the client’s name and room number with the medication order
Number 1 is correct.
Rationale: The 2016 Hospital National Patient Safety Goals by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals states that at least two ways to identify patients are needed to promote patient safety. Asking the client to state his name and date of birth is only one form of identification. Asking the client to confirm the medication ordered and comparing this with the medication order are not two viable means of identifiers. The room number is not used as a client identifier.
