Bachelor of Nursing: Critique of IV Intermittent Infusion Practice

This report provides a critical appraisal of observed nursing practice, specifically focusing on IV intermittent infusion via a fluid bag. The student identifies several errors in the video, including the failure to use gloves, improper handling of syringes, lack of allergy checks, absence of follow-up communication, and inadequate post-medication reassessment. The report emphasizes the importance of adhering to patient safety regulations to prevent harm to both the patient and the healthcare worker. It is based on a 300-word critique of the video and supported by three relevant references. The report highlights the specific errors made by the nurse, linking them to potential risks and outlining the correct procedures for safe medication administration. The student correctly identifies the errors related to hand hygiene, direct contact with potentially contaminated items, allergy checks, communication with the patient, and post-medication assessment. The report strictly adheres to the brief, using short answers and subheadings, and writing in the third person.

Running head: BACHELOR OF NURSING 1
Bachelor of Nursing
Name of Student
Name of Institution
Date

BACHELOR OF NURSING 2
Bachelor of Nursing
Patient safety is paramount in administering care. In intermittent infusion via a fluid bag,
patient safety has a high priority. Failure to adhere to the patient safety regulations can
compromise bot the health of the patient and the health care worker. In the video, there are a few
errors that were made which compromised patient safety. The first error made is that the nurse
did not use gloves during the administration of the IV bolus. Nurses are required to practice
proper hand hygiene when administering medicines. The aim of proper hand hygiene is to
prevent cross contamination between the nurse and the health care worker. Another error made
by the nurse is that she used her hand to remove the syringes when she was giving the injection.
This act is an error because nurses are not allowed to touch directly any items that will be in
direct contact with the patient (Graban, 2016).
Another error is that the nurse did not check for allergies. The nurse is required to ask the
patient if they have any allergies and proceed accordingly. This is to prevent further
complications arising from the medication. The nurse also did not tell the patient that they will
return for a follow-up. Having a follow-up is very important because the nurse can ensure that
the medication is not reacting with the patient, and the patient is progressing well with the
treatment (Hall, Johnson, Watt, Tsipa, & O’Connor, 2016).
Finally, the nurse failed to return to the patient for post medication reassessment of the
site and infusion. Reassessment is meant to determine if there is any bleeding, swelling, or
redness on the site of administration. Also, the revaluation is to ensure that all the fluid from the
IV bolus entered the patient’s body, and there are no leaks (Lawton et al., 2017).

BACHELOR OF NURSING 3
References
Graban, M. (2016). Lean hospitals: improving quality, patient safety, and employee engagement.
CRC press.
Hall, L. H., Johnson, J., Watt, I., Tsipa, A., & O’Connor, D. B. (2016). Healthcare staff
wellbeing, burnout, and patient safety: a systematic review. PloS one, 11(7).
Lawton, R., O'Hara, J. K., Sheard, L., Armitage, G., Cocks, K., Buckley, H., ... & Watt, I.
(2017). Can patient involvement improve patient safety? A cluster randomised control
trial of the Patient Reporting and Action for a Safe Environment (PRASE)
intervention. BMJ quality & safety, 26(8), 622-631.