Deck 7: Medication Errors and Risk Reduction

Question 1

The FDA has used the information reported to it on the specific types and incidences of medication errors to determine what factors can contribute to medication errors.What factors would be included on this list that relate directly to the client or her home caregiver?
1)Taking drugs prescribed by only one practitioner
2)Filling prescriptions at several pharmacies
3)Taking medications correctly as the practitioner has ordered
4)Never trading drugs with anyone

Answer 1

2

Question 2

The nurse is preparing medications for a group of clients.Another nurse begins telling the nurse about her recent engagement.What is the best plan of action by the first nurse?
1)Ask the second nurse to help with administering medications so they can have more time to talk.
2)Stop preparing medications until the first nurse has finished talking about her engagement.
3)Continue to prepare the medications for administration and pretend to listen to the first nurse.
4)Tell the second nurse that the conversation is distracting and must cease while medications are being prepared.

Answer 2

4

Question 3

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 is the surest and most significant effect of this error on the health care facility?
1)The health care facility will pay a very large settlement.
2)The morale of the staff involved will be depleted.
3)The professional license of the nurse will be lost.
4)The reputation of the health care facility will suffer.

Answer 3

2

Question 4

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 behavior?
1)This was acceptable as long as the nurse looked up the action and side effects of the drug later.
2)An error did occur, because the nurse could have administered the medication via the incorrect route.
3)An error could have occurred because the nurse was unfamiliar with the medication.
4)The nurse manager was partially at fault because the nursing unit was understaffed and the nurse was too busy.

Question 5

Drug administration is a multiple, complex process that involves more than person.The potential for a medication error can occur during any step in that process.Which of the following would not be involved in the process?
1)Client
2)Pharmacist
3)Physician
4)Nurse Manager

Question 6

The nurse recognizes that agency system checks are in place to decrease medication errors. Who commonly collaborates with the nurse on checking the accuracy of the medication prior to administration?
1)The physician
2)The nursing unit manager
3)The nursing supervisor
4)The pharmacist

Question 7

The nurse teaches a class to clients about how to prevent medication errors after they are discharged from the hospital.What is a priority intervention for the nurse to tell the clients?
1)Don't question the medications received from the pharmacist.She is the professional, and should not be questioned.
2)Remember that OTC and herbal supplements are not considered medications.They cannot cause any harm.
3)Ask questions about drug safety.Health care providers should be enlisted as partners in maintaining safe medication principles.
4)It is okay to use household measuring devices to measure medications.These devices yield the same measurements that are used by the professionals.

Question 8

The nurse assesses an adverse effect of a medication that has been administered.No medication error was committed.What is the best plan of action for the nurse at this time?
1)Report the adverse effect to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA)Safe Medicine Web site.
2)Report the adverse effect to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA)Med MARX Web site.
3)Report the adverse effect to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA)Adverse Event Web site.
4)Report the adverse effect to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA)MedWatch Web site.

Question 9

The nurse in the Emergency Department miscalculates, and administers the wrong dosage of an antibiotic to a 9-month-old baby.As a result, the baby suffers permanent brain damage.What describes the factor that most likely contributed to the error?
1)Lack of adequate oral or written communication
2)Mislabeled products
3)Human factors
4)Name confusion involving similar-sounding drugs

Question 10

It is common for clients to receive multiple prescriptions, sometimes for the same condition, that might have conflicting pharmacological actions.This problem is not unique to the elderly, but it is most often seen in that age group.What process is known as "keeping track" of a client's medications as he proceeds through the health care system?
1)Evaluation
2)Assessment
3)Implementation
4)Medication reconciliation

Question 11

The nursing instructor teaches the student how medication errors can occur.What information will the nursing instructor include in the presentation? Select all that apply.
1)The nurse misinterprets a physician's order.
2)The nurse does not validate an order with the physician.
3)The nurse does not check the client's identification band.
4)The nurse miscalculates the medication dose.
5)The nurse administers the incorrect drug.

Question 12

The FDA has used the information reported to them on the specific types and incidences of medication errors to determine what factors can contribute to medication errors.What factor would be included on this list?
1)Following the rights of drug administration
2)Performing an agency system check
3)Failure to account for client variables
4)Never taking a verbal or phone order without receiving a written order before administering the drug

Question 13

The nurse makes a medication error, but the client is not harmed.The client's family asks the nurse manager what is considered a medication error.Which of the following are potential responses by the nurse manager? Select all that apply.
1)Failure to follow physician orders
2)Failure to give a medication at the order time
3)Failure to give the right medication
4)Failure to give the right dose of the medication
5)Failure to call the pharmacy and report that the medication had been given

Question 14

The nurse commits a medication error.The nurse documents the error in the client's record and completes the incident report.What does the nurse recognize as the primary reason for this action?
1)To protect the health care facility from litigation
2)To verify that the client's safety was protected
3)To protect the client from further harm
4)To protect the nurse from liability

Question 15

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?
1)Change the medication administration time to the morning.
2)Tell the evening nurse to hold the evening dose just for tonight.
3)Notify the physician about the error, and complete an incident report.
4)Notify the physician, and ask if any further action needs to be taken.

Question 16

The nurse is working very hard to prevent medication errors.What intervention would assist the nurse in preventing most errors using the assessment step of the nursing process?
1)Ask the client about food or medication allergies, including OTC medications and herbal supplements.
2)Be aware of stressful situations and distractions during medication administration.
3)Avoid using abbreviations that could be misunderstood.
4)Assess the client for expected outcomes and determine if any adverse side effects have occurred.

Question 17

The nurse teaches a class to clients about how to prevent medication errors when in the hospital.What is a priority question for the nurse to ask the clients?
1)"Do you know what your illness is, and if you will need surgery?"
2)"Do you know the names of all the medications you take?"
3)"Do you trust your physician to order the correct medication?"
4)"Do you have a friend to verify that you are receiving the correct medication?"

Question 18

The nurse manager plans to teach the graduate nurse the reason why the nursing unit has policies and procedures related to the reporting of medication errors.What best describes the reason for policies and procedures?
1)The policies and procedures establish standards of care for the institution.
2)The policies and procedures indicate how nursing personnel are to perform skills.
3)The policies and procedures indicate the steps that must be taken when a medication error occurs.
4)The policies and procedures establish how the health care facility is to be run.

Question 19

The nurse is working very hard to prevent medication errors.What plan(s)will assist the nurse in preventing most errors? Select all that apply.
1)Plan to always check the client's identification band prior to administration of medications.
2)Plan to tell physicians that verbal orders will not be accepted.
3)Plan to open all the medications immediately prior to administration.
4)Plan to record the medication on the medication administration record (MAR)immediately prior to administration.
5)Plan to validate all orders with another nurse prior to administration of medications.

Question 20

The nurse is discharging a client from the hospital.What is a priority intervention for the nurse at this time?
1)Consult the client's pharmacy, and inform the pharmacist that the client is being discharged.
2)On discharge from the facility, provide the client with a complete list of medications to be taken, as well as instructions on how to take any newly prescribed medications.
3)Call the client's primary health care provider and inform him that the client is being discharged.
4)Call a friend to come before giving discharge instructions to the client.

Question 21

The nurse is working in the risk management department to examine risks and minimize the number of medication errors.What might be an intervention the nurse would put in place to prevent a medication error?
1)Store all medication in the light.
2)Move all small amounts of medications into smaller container to save space.
3)Make sure there is an overstock of all medications, to ensure availability.
4)Remove outdated reference books.

Question 22

The nurse is on a committee to reduce medication errors in a large health care facility.What is a recommendation the nurse can propose that most likely will help to reduce medication errors?
1)Designate nurses whose only function is to administer medication.
2)Train medication technicians to administer medications.
3)Use robots to prepare all medications for administration by the nurse.
4)Use automated, computerized cabinets on all nursing units.