What should nurses prioritize to ensure patient safety during the administration of medication?

Prioritizing patient safety during medication administration is crucial, and verifying patient identity is a key step in this process. Ensuring that the right patient receives the correct medication helps prevent medication errors that could lead to serious harm. By confirming the patient's identification through methods such as using two forms of identification, nurses can be confident they are administering medications to the intended recipient.

This practice aligns with the "five rights" of medication administration—right patient, right medication, right dose, right time, and right route. Active verification of patient identity safeguards against mix-ups, especially in settings where multiple patients may have similar names or when patients are not fully alert. In essence, prioritizing the verification of patient identity is a fundamental aspect of maintaining patient safety and delivering effective nursing care.