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Nursing vocabulary · Medication Administration

Route

Meaning in nursing, with examples

/ruːt/nounCommon term

In nursing, route means: The way a medicine enters the body, for example by mouth (oral), into a vein (IV), into a muscle (IM) or under the skin (subcutaneous).

In Turkish: uygulama yolu, veriliş yolu

How it is used

One of the five rights: the right route. Prescriptions always state the route, often with abbreviations: PO (by mouth), IV, IM, SC, PR (rectal), SL (under the tongue), topical, inhaled. Changing the route needs a new prescription.

Example sentences

  1. The route on the chart says IV, but he has no cannula, so I've asked the doctor about switching to oral.

  2. Paracetamol can be given by several routes: oral, rectal or IV.

Common collocations

  • route of administration
  • oral route
  • change the route
  • right route
  • five rightsA checklist nurses use before giving any medicine: the right patient, the right drug, the right dose, the right route and the right time.
  • IVShort for intravenous: into a vein. As a noun it also means the line or drip that puts fluid or medicine straight into a vein.
  • subcutaneousUnder the skin, in the layer of fat above the muscle; used for injections, such as insulin and some blood-thinning medicines, given into this layer.
  • intramuscularInto a muscle; used for injections given deep into a large muscle, such as in the upper arm, thigh or buttock area.
  • administerTo give a medicine or treatment to a patient, by any route, according to a prescription or protocol.

More terms: Medication Administration

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.