PRN Medicines Optimization and Nurse Education

Abstract

Medicines management is a high-risk and error prone process in healthcare settings, where nurses play an important role to preserve patient safety. In order to create a safe healthcare environment, nurses should recognize challenges that they face in this process, understand factors leading to medication errors, identify errors and systematically address them to prevent their future occurrence. ‘’Pro re nata’’ (PRN, as needed) medicine administration is a relatively neglected area of medicines management in nursing practice, yet has a high potential for medication errors. Currently, the international literature indicates a lack of knowledge of both the competencies required for PRN medicines management and the optimum educational strategies to prepare students for PRN medicines management. To address this deficiency in the literature, the authors have presented a discussion on nurses’ roles in medication safety and the significance and purpose of PRN medications, and suggest a model for preparing nursing students in safe PRN medicines management. The discussion takes into account patient participation and nurse competencies required to safeguard PRN medication practice, providing a background for further research on how to improve the safety of PRN medicines management in clinical practice.

PRN Medicines Management for Older People with Long-Term Mental Health Disorders in Home Care

“…Pro re nata (PRN) medications management is the administration of prescribed medications based on patients' needs instead of administration in predetermined times. 26,27 It is commonly used for various types of medications to relieve patients' physical and psychological suffering. Besides acetaminophen and opioids for pain relief, 28 psychotropic and psycholeptic medications are more commonly prescribed and administered as PRN to older patients with long-term mental health conditions, [29][30][31][32] but the clinical effectiveness of this style of medication use in comparison with other prescription and administration styles of medication has remained unexplored and needs further research.…”

Administration of pro re nata medications by the nurse to incapacitated patients: An ethical perspective

“…Nurses are trained and authorized to prepare medications, calculate doses, administer, and monitor medications' side effects and adverse drug reactions [10][11][12] . Safe administration of medications requires nurses to use their theoretical knowledge and clinical skills during the medication process 13,14 . The 'rights of medication administration' as patient, drug, route, dose, time, documentation, and reason have been recognized as traditionally important tools in the hands of nurses to ensure the safety of medication administration 15 .…”

Use of Psychotropic “Pro Re Nata” Medications by Patients Attending the Outpatient Clinic in a Hospital: A Qualitative Exploration

“…It involves legal use of PRN medications, the attitude of patients, personal bias, and stigma toward such medication use. PRN literally means "according to the circumstances it may require" (5). Psychotropic PRN medication management needs assessment and judgment of the mental health condition of patients and appropriate medications (6); and psychiatrists, who have knowledge on mental health conditions and the physiological responses of psychotropic medications, are involved in the decision making (5,6).…”

“…PRN literally means "according to the circumstances it may require" (5). Psychotropic PRN medication management needs assessment and judgment of the mental health condition of patients and appropriate medications (6); and psychiatrists, who have knowledge on mental health conditions and the physiological responses of psychotropic medications, are involved in the decision making (5,6). Due to its complexity in psychotropic PRN medications, healthcare professionals provide close supervision to the inpatients.…”