When teaching a patient to administer eye medication the nurse should instruct the patient to?

When teaching a patient to administer eye medication, the nurse should instruct the patient to first wash their hands thoroughly to prevent contamination. They should then tilt their head back slightly, pull down the lower eyelid to create a small pocket, and instill the prescribed number of drops without touching the dropper tip to the eye. After administering the medication, the patient should close their eyes gently and avoid blinking or squeezing them shut for a few moments to allow proper absorption. Finally, the nurse should advise the patient to wait a few minutes before applying any other eye medications.