Read the scenario…
“Hello, I am Millie Tudor, and I was married to my high school sweetheart, Earl, for 53 wonderful years. He died 2 years ago and I miss him to this day. Earl and I had three children, two of whom passed before Earl. Our oldest daughter, Leigh, is still helping me around the house and is a blessing to me in my old age. Let me tell you something. Getting old ain’t for sissies! I’m 84 years old as of last month. Leigh had the family meet at a buffet restaurant in town for a surprise party! It was nice to see the grandkids because they don’t stop by often enough with their busy lives. Lynn, the oldest, has a great husband and two kids with more energy than what seems humanly possible. Leigh complains that they are too loud, but I think everyone else talks too softly these days! In fact, when Leigh comes over to take me to the doctor, she’s always telling me my television is too loud.
“I have a lot of doctors who I see. There’s one for my heart and blood pressure who says my cholesterol is too high and wants me to start a new medicine. Another one is for the diabetes, which makes me use those stupid syringes to take insulin. And the last one is for trying to help me with my stiff knees and sore joints. Like I said, getting old ain’t for a sissy! Did I mention the adult briefs I wear to help with my bladder leakage? It’s those dang water pills that I take to keep my feet from swelling so badly. All in all, it’s not a bad life.”
In addition to what Millie has told you, below is a list of her current medications.
- Captopril 25 mg, three times a day
- Alprazolam (Xanax) 0.5 mg, by mouth as needed for anxiety
- Insulin lispro (Humalog) 7 units subcutaneous TID, 15 minutes before meals
- Tramadol for arthritis pain
- Furosemide 40 mg, twice per day
- Ciprofloxacin 250 mg, every 12 hours
- Pilocarpine eye drops, two drops each eye, four times a day
- Lasix 60 mg, once per day in the morning
Select one medication and answer all of the following questions.
- If this was a medication order, do you have enough information to safely administer the medication? Please explain your answer and provide the missing information, if any.
- What is the medication’s classification? Does it have any special considerations about which the nurse should be aware?
- Why is Millie taking this medication? If you are unsure based on the information you’ve been given thus far, list common reasons for this medication to be given.
- Does this medication present any possible adverse interactions with the other medications Millie is taking?
- Apply the concepts of pharmacotherapeutics, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacogenomics to the use of specific medication classifications in specific health conditions, and in consideration of medication side/adverse effects, nursing implications, and medication teaching.
- Apply principles of health promotion, as well as illness and injury prevention, to promote safety and effectiveness of commonly used pharmacologic therapy across the lifespan, taking into consideration socio-cultural, genetic/genomic, developmental, and gender implications.
- Utilize the nursing process in understanding the effects of drug therapy on health outcomes across the lifespan within the framework of a diverse population of individuals, families, and communities.
- Examine the professional nursing roles of the care manager, educator, researcher, and advocate in relation to pharmacologic therapy and within the framework of a diverse population of individuals, families, and communities.
