A housekeeping employee tells the staff nurse of having a headache and asks for acetaminophen. How should the nurse respond?

Question

A housekeeping employee tells the staff nurse of having a headache and asks for acetaminophen.  How should the nurse respond?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Although acetaminophen is an over-the-counter drug, the nurse should not give it without a prescription. By doing so, the nurse would be functioning outside the job description. There has not been a proper assessment (eg, allergies, liver disease), and a legal caregiving relationship will be established by administering the medication. If the employee does not want to go to the employee health provider, the nurse can suggest that the employee purchase acetaminophen in the gift shop. (Option A) It is advisable for the nurse to ask about liver issues prior to administering acetaminophen, but this nurse has no prescription to administer it. Taking the medication from a personal supply, rather than hospital stock, does not change the fact that the nurse is functioning outside the job description while on duty. (Option B) The nurse could technically perform the assessment, but it is not within the nurse's current role and job description. The employee health provider (or the emergency department) should be used for this assessment. (Option C) The nurse should check for allergies before administering a drug, but this nurse has no prescription to administer acetaminophen. Acetaminophen being an over-the-counter medication does not change this fact. Educational objective: The nurse should not give medication to an employee without a prescription even if it is an over-the-counter drug.

A Housekeeping Employee Tells the Staff Nurse of Having a Headache