Running head: NURS 3020: LEARN REFLECTION TWO 1

NURS 3020: LEARN Reflection Two

Melissa Friskney

Trent University
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LEARN Reflection

Looking Back

I will be reflecting on administering medications. I am reflecting on this because

it was my first time giving oral medications and it was a skill I was very excited and

nervous to perform.

Elaborate

Administering medications is a fundamental skill that every nurse needs to know.

It is something we start learning about during first year and a skill that is consistently

drilled into our brains as we continue to move through the nursing program. A big part

about giving medications that we learn as nursing students is how easy it is to make a

mistake. The night before my first clinical shift where I got to administer medications I

felt very nervous. Even though I had spent time prepping and educating myself about the

drugs my patient had been prescribed and the reasons behind them I still felt scared. I felt

scared to make a mistake. However, once I got to clinical and worked with my clinical

instructor to prepare my medications my anxiety disappeared. I felt comfortable using the

automatic drug dispensing unit and was careful by completing my three checks to make

sure my pt was receiving the right medications.

Analyze

When analyzing the event, I felt it was a great first experience giving medications

because I felt like I was in a safe environment and I was able to ask questions and express

my concerns. In nursing school, we are warned so much about how easy it is to make a

medication error and harm a patient that I think it got me worked up thinking I was going

to do just that. But as it turns out there are so many safety procedures such as the
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automatic dispensing units in place that it is not as easy as one thinks. Having all these

safety precautions in place allowed my anxiety to decrease. Another reason that may have

contributed to my anxiety level lowering is how my instructor taught me to administer

medications. Research demonstrated the importance of the clinical instructor being able

to identify the needs of their students (Koharchik & Flavin, 2017). For example, this was

my first time giving medications so my preceptor needed to give me more instructions

then she would for say a fourth-year nursing student (Koharchik & Flavin, 2017). Like

the research suggests my clinical instructor worked with me to develop a routine of

checking the medication label three times and using patient identifiers (Koharchik &

Flavin, 2017). As well, she clearly explained each step of the medication process and was

very welcoming to questions (Koharchik & Flavin, 2017). By doing so she created a safe

environment for not only my patient but also me as a nursing student.

Revise

The most important thing I have learned from this experience was to try not to

worry about things (such as medication errors) that have not happened yet. Of course it is

important to beware of the possibility and practice safely by performing my three

medication checks. However, it is not something that I need to spend time worrying and

stressing about to a point that it causes me to be anxious.

New Perspective

Moving forward, I feel I have gained more confidence and feel more comfortable

administering oral medications. This will allow me to better care for my patients because

it will allow me to spend more time caring for them instead of worrying. As well, I feel
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comfortable enough to ask my preceptor for help regarding medications if am unsure in

order to provide my patients with safe and ethical care.

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References

Koharchik, L., & Flavin, P. M. (2017). Teaching Students to Administer Medications

Safely. AJN American Journal Of Nursing, 117(1), 62-66.