Medication Administration Best Practices in Skilled Nursing Facilities

Your guide to safe, effective medication management—plus a powerful CEU package to enhance staff training.

Medication administration in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) is more than a routine—it’s a critical component of patient safety and regulatory compliance. With residents often managing multiple medications for complex conditions, nursing teams must be vigilant about best practices from prescribing through to monitoring.

In this post, we’ll break down essential medication administration strategies and introduce a continuing education package tailored for nurses in long-term care.

✅ Prescribing and Polypharmacy: Getting it Right from the Start

In the SNF environment, polypharmacy is common—but risky. Residents are often prescribed five or more medications, increasing the potential for adverse events.

Best practices include:

• Accurate medication reconciliation at admission and transitions.
• Regular interdisciplinary reviews of each resident’s medication regimen.
• Evidence-based prescribing, especially with older adults in mind.

🧹 Deprescribing: Reducing Harm, Enhancing Care

Deprescribing is a proactive strategy to reduce unnecessary or potentially harmful medications. This practice can minimize adverse drug events, cognitive decline, and hospitalizations.

Nurses play a vital role in:

• Identifying medications for potential discontinuation.
• Monitoring for withdrawal or side effects.
• Collaborating with providers and pharmacists for safe tapering plans.

🚩 Avoiding Common Survey Citations

Medication-related deficiencies are among the most frequent citations in SNF surveys.

Common citation triggers include:

• Inaccurate or incomplete MAR documentation.
• Failure to verify resident identity or allergies.
• Lack of post-administration monitoring.

Prevent issues by conducting medication pass audits and providing regular staff training.

🤝 Care Team Roles and Communication

Safe medication administration relies on a cohesive care team and clear communication.

Each member has a role:

• Providers: Order and review medications.
• Pharmacists: Ensure appropriateness and identify interactions.
• Nurses: Administer, monitor, and document medications.
• CNAs/Caregivers: Observe and report changes in resident condition.

Effective communication ensures nothing is missed—from dosage changes to emerging side effects.

📋 Monitoring for Resident Safety

Monitoring doesn’t end with administration. Nurses must be alert to:

• Therapeutic response and side effects.
• Lab results that impact medication safety.
• Resident-reported concerns or behavior changes.

Proactive monitoring leads to early detection of issues and better outcomes for residents.

🎓 Take It Further with Continuing Education

To stay compliant and confident, nurses need ongoing training. That’s why Pedagogy Continuing Nurse Education offers the Medication Administration Best Practices Package—a 10-course CEU/CNE course bundle designed for nurses in skilled nursing and long-term care.

🧠 What’s Included?

1. Importance of Understanding Medication Administration in Nursing Homes and Skilled Nursing Facilities
2. Medication Administration and Best Practices for Removing Medications
3. Medication Administration and Best Practices to Deprescribing
4. Medication Administration and Common Classes of Medications
5. Medication Administration and Common Survey Citations
6. Medication Administration and Facility Care Team Roles
7. Medication Administration and the Importance of Team Communication
8. Medication Administration: Best Practices for Adding New Medications
9. Medication Administration: Monitoring for Best Resident Outcomes
10. Pharmacodynamics in Older Adults: Understanding Medication Classes in Long-Term Care

💡 Bonus: Get 10% off the total price when you purchase the full package. Courses are designed to enhance practical skills and help meet facility training and licensing requirements.

👉 Click here to explore the Medication Administration Best Practices Package

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re a bedside nurse, a DON, or an administrator, safe medication administration should be at the heart of your care strategy. Investing in education helps reduce risk, improve outcomes, and boost staff confidence.

Let’s raise the bar on medication safety—one course at a time.