What practice is crucial for ensuring patient safety during medication administration?

Following the five rights of medication administration is essential for ensuring patient safety during medication administration. The five rights include the right patient, right drug, right dose, right route, and right time. This framework provides a systematic approach to prevent medication errors and helps protect patients from adverse effects or potential harm. By verifying each of these aspects before administering medication, nurses and healthcare providers can significantly reduce the risk of mistakes that could lead to negative patient outcomes.

In contrast, administering medications only once does not account for situations where ongoing treatment is necessary or for potential re-administration if a dose is missed. Giving medications without patient verification risks errors related to patient identity or medication adherence, which can lead to serious complications. Likewise, relying solely on colleagues' instructions bypasses the critical checks and balances that individual healthcare providers must maintain for patient safety, as this practice may not confirm whether the information is accurate or appropriate in the specific clinical context.