Oral Route – Nursing is a profession within the healthcare sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other healthcare providers by their approach to patient care, training, and scope of practice. Nurses practice in many specialisms with differing levels of prescriber authority.
Many nurses provide care within the ordering scope of physicians, and this traditional role has shaped the public image of nurses as care providers. However, nurses are permitted by most jurisdictions to practice independently in a variety of settings depending on training level. In the postwar period, nurse education has undergone a process of diversification towards advanced and specialized credentials, and many of the traditional regulations and provider roles are changing.
Nurses develop a plan of care, working collaboratively with physicians, therapists, the patient, the patient’s family, and other team members, that focus on treating illness to improve quality of life. Nurses may help coordinate the patient care performed by other members of an interdisciplinary healthcare team such as therapists, medical practitioners, and dietitians. Nurses provide care both interdependently, for example, with physicians, and independently as nursing professionals.
Oral Route
Definition of Oral Route of Drug Administration:
Oral administration is a route of administration where a substance is taken through the mouth. Per os (P.O.) is sometimes used as an abbreviation for medication to be taken orally.
Advantages of Oral Route:
1. Oral route is cheap, safe and painless route.
2. Convenient route because drug can be given in the form of tablet or capsule which contain exact dose.
3. Self-medication is possible
4. Prolong action can be obtained by delaying absorption
5. Drugs need not sterile and highly purified.
6. Free from fear and anxiety for pricking needle &associated with pain.
7. This route has psychological effect on the patient that he has taken medicine.
8. It is easy and patient can take the drug without interrupting his activity.
9. Hypersensitivity reaction in many cases is less.
Disadvantages of Oral Route:
1. Onset of drug action is slow due to delayed absorption. So not suitable for emergency cases.
2. Irritant, unpleasant and hypertonic drugs cannot be administered.
3. This route may not be useful in presence of vomiting or diarrhea.
4. This route cannot be employed in an unconscious or non-co-operative patient.
5. Drugs that are destroyed by digestive juice are not administered orally, e.g. insulin, heparin.
6. Drugs having high first pass metabolism are not given orally, e.g. Testosterone.
7. The absorption of certain drugs are irregular and negligible, e.g. Streptomycin, Neomycin.
Purposes of Oral Medications:
1. To provide a medication that has systematic or local effect on gastrointestinal tract.
2. To prevent the disease.
3. To cure the disease.
4. To promote the health.
5. To give palliative treatment.
6. To give as a systematic treatment.
Special Point to Remember During Oral Drug Administration:
1. The patients may not swallow drugs.
2. The patient may vomit it out just after taking in mouth, in this case the drug may be repeated
3. Never give oral medication to unconscious patients.
4. Avoid giving drugs to patient who is constantly vomiting.
5. If an oral is to be given three times a day without any further specification, it is understood to give the drug after food
6. Slow acting purgatives are given at bed time. Mild acting is given early in the morning.
7. In medicine cupboard, medicines for external use and internal use should be kept in separate shelves.
8. Poisonous drugs should be kept in a separate cupboard with label of ‘poison’..!
9. Oils should be kept over a piece of cloth or paper to prevent soiling of cupboard.
10. Never administer any drug which shows change in colour, consistency and colour.
Procedure of Giving Oral Drug:
A. Equipment:
- Small tray.
- Medicine chart.
- Ounce measure.
- Container with drinking water.
- Spoon.
B. Procedure:
1. Wash our hand before handling oral drugs. Avoid handling pills, tablets and capsules by tip of our fingers. Use a spoon or even the cap of a container to transfer the drug.
2. Check the drugs in our chart with that of doctors’ order. Sometimes by mistake our may give drugs wrongly to one patient, if we do not check the bed number, the chart and order book.
3. Check the label of drug on the containers.
4. Shake liquids and make sure that the drug is evenly distributed throughout. This is necessary since some drugs settles down at the bottom of container. Without shaking the drug, may have adverse effect or no effect.
5. Take the medicine glass or ounce measure with left hand and pour the medicine.
6. Holding the ounce glass at eye level, check the dose.
7. The drug should be supplied to the patient in a clean container. Clean paper or cloth should be used for wrapping tablets, capsules and powders.
8. The use of a medicine glass, ounce measure or spoon is necessary to make sure that correct dose is dispensed. Pour out liquid drug from side of the container away from the label to avoid staining or disfiguring the label waxing.
9. Disagreeable taste can be masked by mixing the drug with sugar, honey or jaggery. Avoid mixing drugs with food especially for children because they may reject the food later on.
10. For children give drugs slowly to avoid chocking. Never pinch the nose while administering drugs because the drug may be breathed into air passage causing dangerous problems. If the child does not open his mouth press the chin down or press the cheeks.
11. Record on chart the time, amount and initials of nurse giving drugs. Any reaction after medication should be noted.
12. Tablets and capsules when administered wait till the patient swallows.
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