What is a crucial step a nurse must take before administering medication?

Before administering medication, it is essential for a nurse to verify the medication order and check for any allergies. This step ensures patient safety and adherence to the "three rights" of medication administration: the right patient, the right medication, and the right dosage. Verifying the order involves confirming that the correct medication has been prescribed for the patient, as well as ensuring that the dosage is appropriate for the patient's specific condition or needs. Checking for allergies is also critical because administering a medication that a patient is allergic to can lead to severe adverse reactions or even life-threatening situations.

While understanding the patient's family history, the hospital's history, or compiling a list of all medications can be relevant in certain contexts, they do not address the immediate and critical safety concerns associated with medication administration as effectively as verifying the medication order and checking for allergies. These activities are important in broader patient care and medication management but do not directly precede the act of medication administration itself. Thus, verifying the medication order and checking for allergies is the most crucial step for ensuring patient safety during the medication administration process.