Haldol (haloperidol) 5.0 mg PO tid was ordered for a patient who is agitated.
Which action should a nurse take before administering the medication?
A.
Discuss the use of PO with the healthcare provider.
B.
Discuss the use of tid with the healthcare provider.
C.
Discuss the use of Haldol with the healthcare provider.
D.
Discuss the use of the trailing zero with the healthcare provider.
The correct answer and Explanation is :
The correct answer is: D. Discuss the use of the trailing zero with the healthcare provider.
Explanation:
In healthcare, accurate and clear medication orders are essential for patient safety. One critical guideline is to avoid the use of trailing zeros when writing medication doses. For example, the order “5.0 mg” should be written as “5 mg” to prevent confusion that could lead to a dosing error. The use of a trailing zero can be misread, especially in handwritten orders, where “5.0” could be mistaken as “50,” leading to a significant overdose.
To promote safe medication practices, organizations like The Joint Commission and the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) recommend against the use of trailing zeros. This is part of their “Do Not Use” list of dangerous abbreviations, symbols, and dose designations. As such, a nurse has a responsibility to ensure clarity and prevent errors by questioning any order that uses a trailing zero.
In this case, the order for “5.0 mg” Haldol raises a safety concern. Before administering the medication, the nurse should clarify the order with the prescribing healthcare provider and request that it be corrected to “5 mg.” This not only aligns with best practices but also ensures that the medication administration record is free of any potential ambiguity.
By advocating for patient safety and questioning potentially unclear orders, nurses play a critical role in preventing medication errors. Ensuring that the order is written correctly without the trailing zero supports safer healthcare delivery and minimizes the risk of harm due to misinterpretation. Therefore, discussing the use of the trailing zero with the healthcare provider is a vital step before administering the medication.