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?

Accepted Answer

Potassium is a drug that can irritate the stomach. Therefore it should be given after meals.

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?

Accepted Answer

A major part of assessing the client is assessing his ability to swallow when he is scheduled to receive oral medications.

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?

Accepted Answer

The use of standardized abbreviations fulfills the goal of improving 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?

Accepted Answer

PRN means to administer the drug on an as-needed basis.

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:

Accepted Answer

Infant doses are calculated on the basis of 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?

Accepted Answer

When a medication is found to have expired, discard it or return it to the pharmacy.

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:

Accepted Answer

Infants as well as older adults are more sensitive to drugs, with the elderly being hypersensitive to barbiturates.

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?

Accepted Answer

After calculating the drug dose, when in doubt, recalculate the drug dose and check with another nurse.

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:

Accepted Answer

Protonix is a medication that should never be crushed.

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?

Accepted Answer

Communicating a complete list of the client's medications to the next provider ensures that the goal of accurately and completely reconciling the 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:

Accepted Answer

Drug doses of antineoplastic medications are usually ordered according to body weight.

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?

Accepted Answer

Tetracycline is a drug that is affected by food; therefore, it should be given before meals.

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?

Accepted Answer

To observe a client's right to informed consent, the nurse must give the client the knowledge necessary to make an appropriate decision.

Question 14

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

Accepted Answer

Sublingual means under the tongue.

Question 15

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

Accepted Answer

The "5-plus-5" rights ensure that the nurse has considered all of the details of safe medication administration.

Quiz 3: Medication Safety