PRN Medication Orders
PRN (Latin pro re nata) indicates that a medication is ordered as needed rather than on a fixed schedule.
The PRN instruction requires prespecified conditions for use, such as pain, nausea, or a specific symptom severity.
A PRN order should include documentation requirements for the indication, dose given, response, and reassessment time frame per local policy.
Common examples of PRN orders include short-acting analgesics for breakthrough pain and antiemetics for nausea.