How to give a sublingual medication
Other platforms explain it with text and video. In VMS you practice it on the patient.
Sublingual drugs are absorbed straight into the blood vessels under the tongue, so they act within minutes. That speed only helps if the tablet stays in place and the patient is checked before and after.
What you need
- Medication and order
- Gloves
- Blood pressure cuff for drugs such as nitroglycerin
Step by step
Identify the patient
Use two identifiers, such as name and date of birth, and compare them with the order and the wristband. [1]
Check the drug and allergies
Confirm drug, dose, route and time against the order. Ask about allergies and recent erectile dysfunction drugs before nitroglycerin. [2]
Assess before the dose
Take the blood pressure and pulse when the drug can lower them. Hold the dose and call the prescriber if the reading is below the ordered limit. [2]
Explain how to take it
Tell the patient the tablet goes under the tongue and must not be chewed or swallowed. A mild tingle or headache can be normal with nitroglycerin. [2]
Place the tablet
Clean your hands and put on gloves. Ask the patient to lift the tongue and place the tablet underneath, or let them place it themselves. [3]
Let it dissolve fully
The patient should not eat, drink or smoke until the tablet is gone. A dry mouth slows absorption, so a small sip of water before the dose can help. [2]
Recheck and document
Check symptoms and vital signs about 5 minutes later. Record the dose, time, route and the response. [3]
Common errors
- Letting the patient swallow or chew the tablet.
- Giving water or food while the tablet is still dissolving.
- Skipping the blood pressure check before nitroglycerin.
Practice it in VMS
In VMS you do this on the patient, not on paper: every step goes on the checklist with a score, and in Teach mode Blocky tells you what comes next.
VMS cases that train this skill
Sources
- The Joint Commission, National Patient Safety Goals
- Open RN, Nursing Pharmacology 2e (CC BY 4.0)
- Open RN, Nursing Skills 2e (Chippewa Valley Technical College) (CC BY 4.0)
Steps adapted from Open RN, Nursing Pharmacology 2e and Open RN, Nursing Skills 2e (Chippewa Valley Technical College), licensed under CC BY 4.0. VMS is not affiliated with these organizations. Updated: 2026-10-11.