How should a nurse properly identify a patient?

Properly identifying a patient is crucial for ensuring their safety and administering the correct treatments. The best method involves confirming the patient’s first and last name in conjunction with the Medication Administration Record (MAR). This approach provides a clear and definitive method of identification, helping to avoid potential errors such as medication mix-ups.

By checking the patient's name against the MAR, the nurse can ensure that they are confirming the identity of the right individual, as the MAR contains specific details about their prescribed medications and treatment plans. This is especially important in a healthcare setting where multiple patients may have similar or identical names.

Other identification methods, such as simply asking for the patient's age, diagnosis, or looking at their medical history, do not provide comprehensive verification and may lead to confusion. Relying on just age could be misleading, as it does not confirm identity. Asking for a diagnosis may not always be reliable, especially if the patient is confused or unable to articulate their health status clearly. Similarly, checking medical history does not verify who the patient is at that moment, making it insufficient as a standalone identification method. Therefore, confirming the patient's name against the MAR is the most effective and safest practice for patient identification.