Abstract

The purpose of this survey was twofold (1) to find out what knowledge the pediatric nurse has regarding selected medications which she is administering, and (2) to make recommendations relative to drug knowledge for in-service education programs in hospitals.

The data regarding abdication knowledge as collected by using a checklist form developed for this study and administered to seventeen graduate nurses in three selected hospitals each supervising a pediatric unit.

A checklist included categories, the route, the action time of a drug, and the side effects that could he commonly expected.

From the fifteen categories listed, the hematological and anticonvulsant drugs were the most frequently known and correctly answered. Other well known categories were antiemetics, antibiotics, antipyretics, steroids, analgesics, and sedatives. The average percentage score for categories was eighty-three per cent.

Asthma control drugs, antihistamines. cardiac and diuretic drugs were the least frequently known.

All of the respondents recognized the route of a drug but some failed to recognize other possible routes. The average percentage score for route was eighty-seven per cent.

Action time was divided into (1) onset and (2) duration. One score for onset averaged forty-four per cent. Apparently the respondents were not aware of the amount of time necessary for a medication to become effective. The score for duration averaged fifty-one per cent. There seemed to be little relation between the knowledge of the onset of a drug and the duration of a drug.

The respondents' knowledge of side effects averaged forty-six per cent. This would indicate that the respondents did not have an adequate knowledge of side effects. There seemed to be little relation between the scores of side effects and the scores on the previously answered sections of the check list. Those receiving above average scores in categories and routes were below average on side effects.

It was concluded that respondents did not have adequate knowledge of the medications that were being given on the selected pediatric units.

It was recommended that an in-service program be planned relative to drug knowledge in the educational program of the hospital.

LLU Discipline

Nursing

Department

Nursing

School

Graduate School

First Advisor

Ruth M. Munroe

Second Advisor

Betty Jean Trubey

Third Advisor

Matilda Anabelle Mills

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Degree Level

M.S.

Year Degree Awarded

1963

Date (Title Page)

6-1963

Language

English

Library of Congress/MESH Subject Headings

Pediatric Nursing

Type

Thesis

Page Count

vii; 69

Digital Format

PDF

Digital Publisher

Loma Linda University Libraries

Usage Rights

This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights.

Collection

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Collection Website

http://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/

Repository

Loma Linda University. Del E. Webb Memorial Library. University Archives

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