I’m very lucky to work in a hospital with computerised charting and Physician Order Entry. I have to say that it has taken time to adjust to medication administration. Firstly, many of the medications have different names. Some have the same generic names, but different brand names. Others have completely different names and after quite a bit of searching, I have been able to find the American name for the medication. I’ve caught myself smacking my own forehead when I finally put 2 and 2 together and realised that this is a medication, I’ve been administering for years.

Examples:

Levophed = Noradrenaline

Nitroglycerin = GTN or glyceryl trinitrate

Metoprolol = Metoprolol (Thanks Goodness this one is the same)

Insulin = Actrapid

Tylenol = Panadol

Advil = Nurofen

Phenergan is the same, but pronounced fe –NER- gan

Secondly, medications are often delivered by the pharmacist to the patient’s room. Each patient, in my hospital, has a locked drawer in their room. Their everyday medications are kept in this drawer. Although some stock is kept in the medication room, it’s not all inclusive of the meds you would administer on a given day.

I haven’t seen nor heard of a Pyxis since I’ve been here. Man, do I miss the Pyxis. Heck, I’d even take an Omnicell at this point. Narcotics, known as S8 and S4 medications are in a safe behind locked doors. To sign out these medications, two nurses are needed because two signatures are required. We count the S8 drugs at 0700 and 1900 in the Intensive Care Unit.

Thirdly, the frequencies are different, but just different enough to make it difficult to remember.

BID = BD

Every Morning = Mane

They write medications as 4^th hourly instead of q4.

It truly is the little things that can add stress, but it is stress that is easily overcome.