Is it safe practice to administer drugs prepared by another nurse?

Administering drugs prepared by another nurse is generally considered unsafe practice unless there is a thorough verification process in place. The reasoning behind this is rooted in the principles of pharmacological safety and liability in nursing.

When medications are prepared by another nurse, there is a significant risk of errors arising from miscommunication, mislabeling, or even misunderstanding the specific medication preparation process. Each nurse has an obligation to ensure the six rights of medication administration: the right patient, right drug, right dosage, right time, right route, and right documentation. If a nurse administers medication that has not been personally prepared or verified, they cannot guarantee adherence to these rights, leading to a potential increase in the risk of medication errors, patient harm, or adverse events.

Furthermore, healthcare accountability mandates that a nurse must be fully aware of the medications they administer, including their effects, side effects, and contraindications. Unless a nurse is able to verify the medication’s preparation, including checking against a pharmacy label or another trusted source, the administration is considered unsafe.

In contrast, while options suggesting conditional or situational safety may seem appealing, they do not account for the absolute need for verification in drug administration to ensure patient safety. Thus, the safest practice is to avoid