Drug Administration: ENs, Legislations, Pharmacology, and Medication Errors

Running head: DRUG ADMINISTRATION.
Drug Administration
Name of Student
Institutional Affiliation

DRUG ADMINISTRATION.
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1 a. when ENs can and cannot administer drugs
ENs can administer drugs after finishing a course on medication and administration. Enrolled
nurses have an act that prohibits them from practising drug administration. The act is
overcome by attending and completing a training on drug administration. Before the
completion of the course, the nurse cannot administer drugs.
b. Under what circumstance can an EN nurse administer IV medication?
An EN nurse can administer IV medication only the nurse does not have a notation and has
completed a training on IV medication administration.
c. Other relevant legislations to the administration and handling medicine
drugs and poisons act
proper drug storage act
2. How do the following relate to my role as an EN.
a. Health (drugs and poisons) regulations
The regulations state on the proper handling and use of medicines. In relevance to my role of
patient care, I should be able to have knowledge on drug use and the side effects and how to
handle the adverse reactions.
b. State/ Territory drugs and poisons act
this act states the regulations on where consumers should purchase medicine and how they
should be packed and labelled, in relevance to my role as an EN nurse, the act enables the
nurses to understand the state recommendations and the drugs to be used hence advice
patients correctly on the drugs to purchase.
c. State/Territory nurse regulatory authority codes and guidelines
explains the codes of drug administration according to a particular state, an EN nurse should
be well conversant with the guidelines.
d. National Safety and Quality Health Standards(NSQHS) preventing and controlling Health
Care Associated Infections.
Specifies the health standards that an EN nurse should adhere to

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e. Visual Infusion Phlebitis Score
specifies the rules in bleeding patients and the sites of IV line insertion
f. scheduled medication and interpretation of scheduling of medications- schedule 2, schedule
3, 4 and 8
Medications prescription interpretation scheduling. The medication should be administered
according to the scheduled dosages and time.
3. Define;
a. pharmacodynamics
This is an aspect of pharmacology that explains the effect of a drug to the organism. It
explains the molecular, functional and chemical effect of the drug. This involve receptor
affinity, the chemical effect and the effects beyond receptors. Pharmacodynamics can be
affected by the interaction with other drugs, the age and some conditions (Chen, Zhou and
Palmisano, 2017).
b. pharmacokinetics
Pharmacokinetics is defined as the effect of the body metabolism to the drug. It defines how a
drug is taken op, processed and removed from the body. This involves processes of
absorption, breakdown and excretion. Its efficiency depends on the individual organ function
and the chemical composition of the drug. This aspect enables clinicians to regulate dosage to
avoid adverse drug reactions (Shargal, Andrew and Pong, 2015).
c. Pharmacotherapeutics
This is an aspect of pharmacology that explains the medical uses of a drug as well as its
adverse reactions. It explains the synergistic advantage of combining drugs and the drug
interactions in the human body.
d. toxicology
Toxicology is an aspect that explains the unfavourable effects of a drug towards an organism.
This effects may arise from decreased excretion of the drug due to impaired organ function or
due to overdose. They can also result from drug interaction inside the organism. This branch
explains the pathophysiology of the effects and how they can be managed.

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e. Anaphylactic reaction
Anaphylactic reaction is an acute allergic response that emerges rapidly and requires prompt
action. It is an urgent reaction and arises as a result of drugs, insect bites or food. It presents
as certain swelling, shortness of breath, rash, bronchospasm, vomiting or falling in blood
pressure (Dispenza, Regan and Bouchner, 2017).
f. adverse reaction
an adverse reaction is an unfavourable response as a result of chemical ingestion. It may be
due to drug overdose, drug interaction or failure of organs of excretion. It’s a toxicity and
differs in degree of urgency. The adverse reaction can be immediate or can come to way later.
Drugs have antidotes that are used to manage the effects (Tylor, Blau and Rother, 2015).
g. contraindication
This is a situation in which a therapeutic procedure or drug should not be conducted to an
individual because performing the procedure may cause more harm than curative benefits.
There are two types; relative contraindication means that the procedure or drug may be
administered since it might be curative than harmful. Absolute contraindication describes a
situation where under no circumstance the procedure should never be done.
h. precautions
precautions are standards and practices adopted to prevent occurrence of a dangerous,
harmful, damaging or injurious situations.
i.Side effects
side effect is an advantageous or adverse effect of a drug that is next in order to the planned
effect
4. the 6 Rights of Medication
Right patient- this is the obligation to ensure the medication is administered to the correct
patient of which the drug was prescribed for.
Right drug- after confirming the patient, there is need to confirm whether the drug is the
correct brand prescribed for that particular patients. Different patients can have same
prescription, and drugs may have almost similar names hence the need to confirm.