Skill Checklists for Taylor's Clinical Nursing Skills: A Nursing Process Approach

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Copyright © 2011 by Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Skill Checklists for Taylor's Clinical Nursing Skills:

SKILL 5-16

Instilling Eye Drops (Continued)

Comments

b. Ask the patient to state his or her name and birth date,

based on facility policy.

c. If the patient cannot identify him- or herself, verify the

patient’s identification with a staff member who knows

the patient for the second source.

15. Complete necessary assessments before administering med-
    ications. Check the patient’s allergy bracelet or ask the
    patient about allergies. Explain the purpose and action of
    each medication to the patient.


16. Scan the patient’s bar code on the identification band, if
    required.


17. Put on gloves.


18. Offer tissue to patient.


19. Cleanse the eyelids and eyelashes of any drainage with a
    washcloth, cotton balls, or gauze squares moistened with
    normal saline solution. Use each area of the cleaning
    surface once, moving from the inner toward the outer
    canthus.


20. Tilt the patient’s head back slightly if sitting, or place the
    patient’s head over a pillow if lying down. The head may
    be turned slightly to the affected side to prevent solution
    or tears from flowing toward the opposite eye.


21. Remove the cap from the medication bottle, being careful
    not to touch the inner side of the cap. (See the Skill Varia-
    tion in your skills book for administering ointment.)


22. Invert the monodrip plastic container that is commonly
    used to instill eye drops. Have patient look up and focus
    on something on the ceiling.


23. Place thumb or two fingers near margin of lower eyelid
    immediately below eyelashes, and exert pressure downward
    over bony prominence of cheek. Lower conjunctival sac is
    exposed as lower lid is pulled down.
    24.Hold dropper close to eye, but avoid touching eyelids or
    lashes.Squeeze container and allow prescribed number of
    drops to fall in lower conjunctival sac.


24. Release lower lid after eye drops are instilled. Ask patient
    to close eyes gently.


25. Apply gentle pressure over inner canthus to prevent eye
    drops from flowing into tear duct.


26. Instruct patient not to rub affected eye.

ExcellentSatisfactoryNeeds Practice