Deck 9: Medication Incidents and Risk Reduction

Question 1

The nurse manager plans to teach the newly graduate nurse the reason why the nursing unit has policies and procedures. What best describes the reason for policies and procedures?

A) The policies and procedures establish standards of care for the institution.
B) The policies and procedures establish how the health care facility is to be run.
C) The policies and procedures indicate the steps that must be taken when a medication incident occurs.
D) The policies and procedures indicate how nursing personnel are to perform skills.

Answer 1

The policies and procedures establish standards of care for the institution.

Question 2

The nurse is on a committee to reduce medication incidents in a large healthcare facility. What is a recommendation the nurse proposes that will most likely help to reduce medication incidents?

A) Use robots to prepare all medications for administration by the nurse.
B) Use automated, computerized cabinets on all nursing units.
C) Designate nurses whose only function is to administer medication.
D) Train medication technicians to administer medications.

Answer 2

Use automated, computerized cabinets on all nursing units.

Question 3

The student nurse learns about categories of medication incidents. What is an example of a Category A medication error/incident that the student will learn?

A) The client developed anaphylaxis as a result of the medication received.
B) A physician was talking to the nurse while medications were being prepared for administration.
C) The client received the wrong medication.
D) The nurse recognized that the incorrect medication was administered to the client.

Answer 3

A physician was talking to the nurse while medications were being prepared for administration.

Question 4

The nurse commits a medication incident. The nurse documents the incident in the client's record and completes the incident report. What does the nurse recognize as the primary reason for doing this?

A) to protect the nurse from liability
B) to protect the client from further harm
C) to verify that the client's safety was protected
D) to protect the healthcare facility from litigation

Question 5

The nurse is working very hard to prevent medication incidents. What plan(s) will assist the nurse in preventing most incidents? Select all that apply.

A) Plan to always check the client's identification band prior to administration of medications.
B) Plan to validate all orders with another nurse prior to administration of medications.
C) Plan to open all of the medications immediately prior to administration.
D) Plan to tell physicians that verbal orders will not be accepted.
E) Plan to record the medication on the medication administration record (MAR) immediately prior to administration.

Question 6

The nurse recognizes that agency system checks are in place to decrease medication incidents. Who commonly collaborates with the nurse on checking the accuracy of the medication prior to administration?

A) the pharmacist
B) the physician
C) the nursing unit manager
D) the nursing supervisor

Question 7

The nurse assesses an adverse effect of a medication that has been administered. No medication incident was committed. What is the best plan of the nurse at this time?

A) Report the adverse effect to the Canadian Medication Incident Reporting and Prevention System (CMIRPS).
B) Report the adverse effect to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Adverse Event Website.
C) Report the adverse effect to the Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention (MERP).
D) Report the adverse effect to Health Canada Marketed Health Products Directorate (MHPD) MedEffects.

Question 8

The nursing instructor teaches the student nurses about how medication errors can occur. What information will the nursing instructor include in the presentation? Select all that apply.

A) The nurse administers the incorrect drug.
B) The nurse does not validate an order with the physician.
C) The nurse miscalculates the medication dose.
D) The nurse does not check the client's identification band.
E) The nurse misinterprets a physician's order.

Question 9

The student nurse is studying the categories of medication errors/incidents. Which factor does the student nurse recognize as increasing in severity through the categories?

A) the level of desire to harm the client
B) the level of harm to the client
C) the responsibility of the nurse
D) the lack of collaboration among the healthcare team

Question 10

The nurse is preparing medications for a group of clients. Another nurse begins telling the nurse about her recent engagement. What is the best action by the first nurse?

A) Stop preparing medications until the first nurse has finished talking about her engagement.
B) Ask the second nurse to help with administering medications so they can have more time to talk.
C) Tell the second nurse that the conversation is distracting and must cease while medications are being prepared.
D) Continue to prepare the medications for administration and pretend to listen to the first nurse.

Question 11

The nurse teaches a class to clients about how to help prevent medication incidents when in the hospital. What is a priority question for the nurse to ask the clients?

A) "Do you trust your physician to order the correct medication?"
B) "Do you have a friend to verify that you are receiving the correct medication?"
C) "Do you know the names of all the medications you take?"
D) "Do you know what your illness is, and if you will need surgery?"

Question 12

The nurse administers an evening medication to the client in the morning. The medication did go to the correct client. What is the nurse's best course of action at this time?

A) Notify the physician about the incident and complete an incident report.
B) Tell the evening nurse to hold the evening dose just for tonight.
C) Notify the physician and ask if any further action needs to be taken.
D) Change the medication administration time to the morning.

Question 13

The nurse is responsible for a medication incidents and a client dies. In court, the lawyer for the family of the deceased client asks the nurse if she followed standards of care in administering the medication. How would the lawyer phrase this question?

A) "Did you do what another nurse would have done under similar circumstances?"
B) "Did you follow the physician's orders and double -check them before administration?"
C) "Did you do the three checks and follow the six rights as taught in school?"
D) "Did you follow agency guidelines as in previous circumstances?"

Question 14

The nurse was very busy and unfamiliar with a new medication, but administered it anyway. Later the nurse looked up the medication. How does the nurse manager evaluate this behaviour?

A) An incident could have occurred because the nurse was unfamiliar with the medication.
B) This was acceptable as long as the nurse looked up the action and side effects of the drug later.
C) An incident did occur because the nurse could have administered the medication via the incorrect route.
D) The nurse manager was partially at fault because the nursing unit was understaffed and the nurse was too busy.

Question 15

The nurse in the emergency department administers an adult dose of an antibiotic to a 3 -month -old baby. As a result, the baby suffers permanent brain damage. What best describes the effect of this incident on the healthcare facility?

A) The reputation of the healthcare facility will suffer.
B) The morale of the staff involved will be depleted.
C) The health care facility will pay a very large settlement.
D) The professional license of the nurse will be lost.