Unfractionated heparin: a nursing dilemma

Nurses face challenges in all aspects of their practice, especially with administering and monitoring drugs in a safe, effective manner. Key factors known to affect drug administration include general drug knowledge, formal nurse education, continuing education needs, clinical experience, and the nationwide nursing shortage. Other factors are advances in technologic aids and quality improvement initiatives. Emphasis on patient safety is growing, especially as it relates to drug therapy and high-alert drugs such as unfractionated heparin (UFH). Specific interventions related to UFH administration can enhance patient care management. Because nurses are at the site of direct patient care, they are often in an opportune position for identifying medication errors. At the same time, and most important, nurses need to collaborate with other health care professionals to actively develop solutions to minimize these errors. Adopting a systems approach and working collaboratively with an interdisciplinary team can result in improved patient outcomes.