What action should be taken when a medication order is not dated and signed within 24 hours?

When a medication order is not dated and signed within 24 hours, the appropriate action is to contact the prescribing physician. This is essential to ensure patient safety and to verify the validity of the medication order. Medication orders are critical for guiding the treatment plans for patients, and without a signature and date, it raises concerns about the order’s legitimacy and current relevance.

Contacting the physician allows for clarification on whether the original prescription is still valid or if it needs to be updated. This step helps prevent any potential medication errors that could arise from administering a treatment based on an outdated or unsigned order. It's important for healthcare professionals to maintain clear communication and uphold protocols that prioritize patient care, making this action crucial when faced with an ambiguous medication order.

Continuing treatment as usual or recording it as a valid order disregards the importance of proper authorization, which can jeopardize patient safety. Notifying the nursing supervisor might be a part of the protocol, but taking direct action by contacting the prescribing physician addresses the root issue more effectively.