What should the nurse do during medication reconciliation for a new admissions patient?

During medication reconciliation for a newly admitted patient, the nurse's primary focus should be to compare the patient's home medications with the provider's prescriptions. This step is crucial because it ensures that there is continuity in the patient's medication management and helps avoid potential medication errors, such as omissions, duplications, or interactions with new medications being prescribed.

This process involves obtaining an accurate list of the medications the patient was taking at home, including dosages and frequencies, and then verifying this information against the orders made by the new healthcare provider. By doing this, the nurse can identify any discrepancies and address them proactively, ensuring the patient's safety and optimal care.

Other activities like documenting the patient’s past surgeries or asking about the family medical history may be important for overall health assessment but do not specifically address the critical need for accuracy in the patient's medication list during the transition of care. Additionally, initiating the reconciliation process without patient input can lead to incomplete or erroneous information, compromising patient safety.