The nurse is assigned to a 4-year-old patient admitted with a vaso-occlusive crisis secondary to sickle cell anemia. The boy is in agonizing pain. He has apparently taken off his hospital wristband. Before administering the pain medication, the nurse should perform which of the following actions?

Confirm the patient’s name with his parents. Before administering medications, the proper procedure is to confirm the patient with two separate identifiers. Often this is done by checking/scanning the patient’s wristband and also by verbally confirming the patient’s name. In the case of pediatric patients, this is commonly done by confirming the patient’s name with their parents. Asking a young patient to tell you their name is not ideal since they may have difficulty understanding or comprehending the information. Looking at the patient’s room number or in their chart is not a reliable form of confirmation. A new wristband should be created and placed soon after administering the pain medication.

The nurse is assigned to a 4-year-old patient admitted with a vas...

Category: Safety and Infection Control
Difficulty: 5

Topics: Communication & Documentation Health Care Ethics, Law, and Policy Health Care Quality Health Promotion Hematology/Oncology Medication and Blood Products Nursing Interventions Pediatrics

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