Please answer this discussion post with a minimum of two paragraphs, APA style and cited with a minimum of two references not older then five years.
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Despite the fact that majority of the patients are highly motivated to take their medications as prescribed by the advanced practice nurse, some are not able to comply to the prescriptions in most cases as a result of lack of understanding, simple forgetfulness as well as confusion. In other cases, patients especially the elderly are unable to cut the tablets in half or to lower the dosage as advised due to the aging conditions like poor vision. Therefore, the advance nurse plays a big role in educating the patients to prevent the adverse drug reactions that are associated with such problems or errors (Lavin et al, 2015). The strategies that can be used by the nurses in helping the patients avoid adverse drug reactions include information, instruction, and organization.
The nurses can discuss with the patients the importance of keeping an accurate record of the medications they are currently taking, the importance of recording the names of the medicines, the prescribed dosages, dosing frequency and the reason the medication was prescribed ( Orbæk et al,2015). They should teach the patients to take all the medications during their medical appointments so that they can be sure if they are taking the correct medication.
The nurses should maintain good communication with the patients while they are instructing them. They should instruct the patients to take their medications as instructed and in case they have a problem or changes when taking a new medication they should report the changes to their care providers (Orbæk et al, 2015). Moreover, the nurses should warn the patients against stopping to take medications without consulting healthcare providers and they should ask the patients about their adherence to the prescribed medications.
According to Orbæk et al, 2015, the nurses should caution the patients to take only those medications that are prescribed to them and not to share the medications with others or save them for future use. Furthermore, they should advise the patients to store the medications in a secure, dry location away from exposure to direct sunlight.
References
Lavin, M., Harper, E., & Barr, N. (2015). Health information technology, patient safety, and professional nursing care documentation in acute care settings.OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing,20(2).
Orbæk, J., Gaard, M., Fabricius, P., Lefevre, R. S., & Møller, T. (2015). Patient safety and technology-driven medication-A qualitative study on how graduate nursing students navigate through complex medication administration.Nurse education in practice,15(3), 203-211.