What is the first action when giving a patient their morning medication?

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The first action when giving a patient their morning medication is to scan the patient's wristband. This step is crucial because it ensures patient identification and safety. By scanning the wristband, the healthcare professional verifies that the medication is being administered to the correct patient. This process helps prevent medication errors, such as administering the wrong medication to the wrong individual.

In a clinical setting, patient safety is the top priority, and accurate identification is a fundamental part of medication administration protocols. The scanning of the wristband acts as a safeguard, confirming not only the identity of the patient but also triggering alerts if there are discrepancies in the patient's records or allergies, thereby enhancing overall care quality.

While scanning the medication barcode, administering the medication, and using the MAR (Medication Administration Record) are important steps in the medication delivery process, they should follow the confirmation of patient identity through the wristband scan. This sequential approach ensures a well-structured medication administration workflow, emphasizing the importance of accurately identifying the patient before any other actions are taken.

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