What should a medication administration observation include?

The observation of medication administration should encompass a diverse range of scenarios to ensure comprehensive training and evaluation. By including 25 opportunities with various residents, staff members on different shifts, and a multitude of routes such as oral (PO), subcutaneous (SC), and ophthalmic, the observation provides a holistic view of how medications are administered in real-world settings. This approach allows for a better assessment of the skills and competencies of the staff, ensuring they can effectively handle a variety of situations and medication administration routes.

Having a variety of residents ensures that the staff is trained to administer medications to individuals with differing needs and conditions. Observing staff across different shifts also demonstrates their ability to maintain consistent standards in medication administration no matter the time of day or workload. This comprehensive observation practices standards, enhances safety, and improves the overall quality of care provided to residents.

The other options present limitations that would not facilitate thorough assessment or training. Having only 10 opportunities focused solely on new residents and staff lacks diverse practice, while conducting 50 observations in a single shift may not adequately reflect the variability encountered in everyday medication administration. Focusing solely on 15 opportunities for oral medications does not account for the different administration routes necessary for effective treatment, thereby limiting the scope of evaluation.