The nurse responsible for administering medications to the residents of a long-term care facility shows an understanding of the risk of injury this population experiences when

A.    Knowing a patient’s history of drug allergies is essential for preventing allergic reactions to medications. Allergic reactions can be severe and include symptoms such as rash, difficulty breathing, or anaphylaxis. While important, assessing for drug allergies alone does not address all aspects of medication safety, such as correct drug administration, dosage, or monitoring for side effects.
B.    Educating patients about their medications helps them understand why they are taking them and what side effects to watch for. This can improve adherence to the medication regimen and enable patients to report side effects promptly. Education is important but does not directly prevent medication errors or ensure that medications are administered correctly.
C.    Confirming the patient's identity before administering medication is a fundamental safety measure. It helps prevent medication errors, such as administering the wrong medication to the wrong patient. This action alone does not address other aspects of medication administration, such as verifying correct dosage, the timing of administration, or monitoring for adverse effects.
D.    The 5 rights of medication administration—right patient, right drug, right dose, right route, and right time—are fundamental principles of safe medication administration. Adhering to these rights helps prevent medication errors and ensures that medications are administered correctly. By consistently applying these principles, the nurse minimizes the risk of errors and enhances patient safety. This approach covers multiple aspects of medication administration, including verifying the correct patient, drug, dose, route, and timing.