Deck 3: Medication Safety

Question 1

The nurse notes that the client is scheduled to receive a dose of potassium. What is the most appropriate time for the client to receive this medication?

A) Directly after dinner in the evening
B) One hour before lunch in late morning
C) With water only in the late afternoon
D) First thing after rising in the morning

Answer 1

Directly after dinner in the evening

Question 2

The client has been on an oral dose of a medication. The nurse recognizes that the client is experiencing difficulty swallowing. What is the most important action on the nurse's part?

A) Crush the medication and mix it with water.
B) Split the medication in half and mix it in jelly.
C) Call the physician for a liquid version of the medication.
D) Tell the pharmacy to hold the medication until further notice.

Answer 2

Call the physician for a liquid version of the medication.

Question 3

The nurse verifies that he is using only standardized abbreviations in documenting medication information. He recognizes that this fulfills which of the National Patient Safety Goals?

A) Improve the accuracy of patient identification.
B) Improve the effectiveness of communication among caregivers.
C) Improve the safety of using medications.
D) Accurately and completely reconcile medications across the continuum of care.

Answer 3

Improve the effectiveness of communication among caregivers.

Question 4

"Give Tylenol 650 mg q3-4h as needed for headache" is an example of which category of drug order?

A) Standing drug order
B) One-time drug order
C) PRN
D) STAT

Question 5

The nurse is calculating a dosage of medication for an infant. The nurse recognizes that the dosage is based on the infant's:

A) biological age.
B) weight in pounds.
C) gestational age.
D) weight in kilograms.

Question 6

The nurse checks the expiration date on the medication to be administered and finds that the drug expired 2 days ago. What is the most appropriate action on the part of the nurse?

A) Hold one dose of the medication.
B) Return the medication to the pharmacy.
C) Contact the physician for orders.
D) Administer the drug but monitor the client.

Question 7

The nurse is caring for an older adult client who is scheduled to receive a dose of barbiturates. Based on the nurse's knowledge of how the older adult client responds to these medications, the nurse should expect the dosage to be:

A) lower than normal.
B) higher than normal.
C) divided in half.
D) unchanged.

Question 8

The nurse is calculating the dosage of a drug to administer. Once the dosage has been calculated, what is the most important action on the part of the nurse?

A) Contact the pharmacist for dosage confirmation.
B) Check the identity of the patient three times.
C) Recalculate the drug dose and check with another nurse.
D) Check the American Hospital Formulary for drug doses.

Question 9

The client is scheduled to receive Protonix as part of his medication regimen. The most important teaching intervention to be implemented by the nurse is to instruct the client:

A) on the proper way to split the tablet.
B) to crush the tablet before swallowing.
C) to avoid crushing the tablet.
D) to swallow the tablet with a minimum of water.

Question 10

The nurse ensures that she provides the next nurse taking over the care of her client with a complete list of his medications since the next nurse is newly admitted to that unit. She recognizes that this fulfills which of the National Patient Safety Goals?

A) Improve the accuracy of patient identification
B) Improve the effectiveness of communication among caregivers
C) Improve the safety of using medications
D) Accurately and completely reconcile medications across the continuum of care

Question 11

The nurse is caring for a thin-framed adult who is scheduled to receive multiple doses of antineoplastic medication. The nurse should expect the dosage for this person to be:

A) lower than normal.
B) higher than normal.
C) divided in half.
D) unchanged.

Question 12

The nurse is preparing to administer tetracycline to the client. What is the most appropriate time for the client to receive this medication?

A) One hour before dinner in the evening
B) With breakfast in the morning
C) With a late-afternoon snack
D) Directly after lunch in the mid-afternoon

Question 13

A nurse is administering a medication to a client. The nurse tells the client the rationale for the medication. This nurse is observing which client right?

A) The right to informed consent
B) The right to permission
C) The right to ethics
D) The right to autonomy

Question 14

A nurse is ordered to administer a medication via the sublingual route. The nurse correctly places the medication:

A) in the buccal mucosa.
B) under the tongue.
C) between the teeth and gums.
D) in a cup of water to dissolve.

Question 15

What is the importance of the nurse practicing the "5-plus-5 rights" of drug administration?

A) They ensure correct mixing of the drug.
B) They ensure safe drug administration.
C) They ensure time-saving administration.
D) They ensure adequate knowledge about the drug.