Question 1

A patient looks at the medication in the cup and tells the nurse that one of the tablets is unfamiliar.Which action would the nurse take next?
A) Tell the patient that the medications are correct.
B) Recheck the medication and the medication order.
C) Call the pharmacy to bring the correct medication.
D) Remove the medication and document the incident.

Accepted Answer

The nurse should recheck the medication and the medication order to ensure that the correct medication has been provided, addressing the patient's concern and ensuring safety.

Question 2

The dose ordered for the patient is 37.5 mg intramuscularly (IM).How many milliliters of the medication does the nurse administer from a 100-mg/2-mL syringe? Administer _____ mL.

Accepted Answer

0.75

Question 3

The nurse is describing the role of the pharmacist in medication administration.Which of the following are correct? (Select all that apply.)
A) Assess the medication plan.
B) Review the orders for accuracy and validity.
C) Prepare the correct medication.
D) Deliver them to the nursing unit.
E) Adjust incorrect medication orders.

Accepted Answer

The pharmacist is responsible for assessing the medication plan, reviewing the orders for accuracy and validity, preparing the correct medication, and delivering them to the nursing unit.

Question 4

The nurse admits a patient who has an acute kidney infection but refuses to take any medication.Which is the best initial nursing intervention to implement the therapeutic regimen?
A) Notify the health care provider of the situation.
B) Inform the patient about the risk of renal failure.
C) Talk with the patient about taking the antibiotics.
D) Disguise the medications so the patient takes them.

Accepted Answer

Talking with the patient about taking the antibiotics is the best initial intervention as it involves patient education and understanding, which can help address concerns and encourage compliance with the treatment plan.

Question 5

The nurse administers oral medications according to the unit-dose system.Which technique does the nurse include?
A) Prepare the medications for several patients at the same time.
B) Remove the medication from the package and take it to the patient's room.
C) Compare the packaged medication with the health care provider's prescription.
D) Take the prescribed dose into the patient's room in the original packaging.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The nurse administers oral medications according to...

Question 6

The nurse administers a patient's medication; within 30 minutes the patient has bilateral wheezing and large red blotches on the face and is anxious and dizzy.What action by the nurse is best?
A) Encourage the patient to drink plenty of fluids.
B) Direct a colleague to contact the provider right away.
C) Retrieve an antihistamine from the medication supply.
D) Document potential patient allergy to medication.

Accepted Answer

The patient is showing signs of a severe allergic reaction or anaphylaxis. The nurse should prioritize contacting the provider immediately to ensure the patient receives appropriate emergency treatment.

Question 7

A prescription reads, "Aspirin 325 mg 2 tablets orally for pain." What action does the nurse take when the patient has pain?
A) Add "by mouth" to the prescription for clarification.
B) Clarify the administration frequency and if it is a prn or standing order.
C) Clarify the dose per tablet with the pharmacist.
D) Administer the dose whenever the patient requests it.

Accepted Answer

The nurse should clarify the administration frequency and whether it is a prn (as needed) or standing order to ensure proper medication administration.

Question 8

The nurse is preparing to administer a controlled substance.Which action must the nurse take first if controlled medication is discarded?
A) Save the unused portion for the next dose.
B) Document the amount wasted.
C) Have a nurse witness the wasting of the drug.
D) Administer the unused portion on another patient.

Accepted Answer

The nurse must have a witness when wasting a controlled substance to ensure accountability and compliance with legal and institutional regulations.

Question 9

The nurse prepares to administer a parenteral medication.Which route of administration does the nurse use for the medication?
A) Oral
B) Topical
C) Sublingual
D) Intramuscular

Accepted Answer

Parenteral administration refers to delivering medications by injection through routes such as intramuscular, intravenous, or subcutaneous, bypassing the digestive system.

Question 10

A patient has been taking high doses of an opioid medication for severe pain.Which assessment data indicate the most toxic effect of this medication?
A) Nausea and vomiting
B) Respiratory depression
C) Erythema and skin rash
D) Bloating and constipation

Accepted Answer

Respiratory depression is the most serious and potentially life-threatening toxic effect of opioid medications.

Question 11

The nurse is explaining pharmacokinetic effects to a new nurse working on the unit.Which of the following statements alerts the nurse that a good level of understanding has been achieved? (Select all that apply.)
A) "The trough is the lowest level of drug in the blood."
B) "The peak is the highest level of drug in the blood."
C) "With IV administration, the serum level falls more slowly."
D) "Toxic concentration is when toxic effects occur."
E) "Peak levels always occur in 30 minutes."

Accepted Answer

The statements A, B, and D correctly describe pharmacokinetic concepts: A) Trough is indeed the lowest concentration of a drug in the bloodstream; B) Peak is the highest concentration; D) Toxic concentration refers to the level at which a drug causes harmful effects. C is incorrect because IV administration typically results in a rapid increase and decrease in serum levels, and E is incorrect because peak levels can vary depending on the drug and route of administration.

Question 12

The nurse discharges a patient from the ambulatory surgical center with a prescription for an opioid analgesic.The patient can take the medication every 4-6 hours as needed for pain.What does the nurse include in patient teaching about the prescription before discharging the patient?
A) Take the medication for severe pain.
B) Use the medication to facilitate healing.
C) Wait 4-6 hours before taking the next dose.
D) Take every 4-6 hours until the bottle is empty.

Accepted Answer

The nurse should instruct the patient to wait 4-6 hours before taking the next dose, as this aligns with the prescribed dosing interval for the opioid analgesic.

Question 13

Which schedule would the nurse select to achieve a therapeutic level if the medication is prescribed for administration 4 times a day?
A) 8 AM, 10 AM, 2 PM, and 8 PM
B) 10 AM, 2 PM, 6 PM, and 8 PM
C) 10 AM, noon, 4 PM, and 6 PM
D) 8 AM, 2 PM, 8 PM, and 2 AM

Accepted Answer

To achieve a therapeutic level, the medication should be administered at evenly spaced intervals. Option D provides a consistent 6-hour interval between doses.

Question 14

The nurse administers a combination medication for a desirable patient response derived from the combination of agents.Which type of medication effect does the nurse anticipate?
A) Tolerance
B) Synergistic
C) Dependence
D) Subtherapeutic

Accepted Answer

A synergistic effect occurs when the combined effect of two medications is greater than the sum of their individual effects, which is the desirable response anticipated from a combination medication.

Question 15

The nurse is having difficulty reading a medication order.Which is the best action for the nurse to take to prevent a medication error?
A) Clarify the order with the health care provider who wrote it.
B) Talk with the pharmacist who knows what is usually ordered.
C) Ask a nurse who knows the health care provider to read it.
D) Have a nurse interpret the written medication order.

Accepted Answer

Clarifying the order with the health care provider who wrote it is the best action to prevent a medication error because it ensures that the nurse has the correct interpretation of the order and reduces the risk of misinterpretation or error.

Question 16

A patient received a drug that caused an unpredictable and unusual effect.Which term does the nurse use to describe this effect?
A) Toxic
B) Allergic
C) Therapeutic
D) Idiosyncratic

Accepted Answer

An idiosyncratic effect is an unusual or unpredictable reaction to a drug that is not related to the dose or an allergy.

Question 17

The provider prescribes aluminum hydroxide gel 2 ounces.The nurse has aluminum hydroxide in 30-mL containers in the patient's medication drawer.How many containers does the nurse administer to the patient? _______ containers.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The provider prescribes aluminum hydroxide gel 2...

Question 18

The patient is to receive 750 mg of a medication.The pharmacy sent 500-mg scored tablets.How many tablets does the nurse administer? The nurse administers _____ tablets.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The patient is to receive 750 mg...

Question 19

The nurse is reviewing concepts of safe medication preparation and administration with a group of nursing students.Which statement does the nurse include during the review?
A) Use sterile technique for most nonparenteral medications.
B) Administer the medication prepared by the medication nurse.
C) Leave the medication on the meal tray if the patient requests it.
D) Verify medication dosage is within a safe dosage range.

Accepted Answer

Verifying that the medication dosage is within a safe range is a critical step in ensuring patient safety and preventing medication errors.

Question 20

An older adult who lives alone takes three different white, flat, unscored medications every day.He has trouble remembering if he has taken the correct pill at the correct time.What strategy would best help this patient maintain independence and safety in taking his medications?
A) Place a piece of different colored tape on each pill bottle.
B) Take the medications out of the bottles and place them in a pill holder.
C) Have a neighbor give the patient his pills once each day.
D) Ask the patient how he wants to identify the medications.

Accepted Answer

The answer of An older adult who lives alone takes...

Quiz 22: Preparation for Safe Medication Administration

A patient looks at the medication in the cup and tells the nurse that one of the tablets is unfamiliar.Which action would the nurse take next?

The dose ordered for the patient is 37.5 mg intramuscularly (IM).How many milliliters of the medication does the nurse administer from a 100-mg/2-mL syringe? Administer _____ mL.

The nurse is describing the role of the pharmacist in medication administration.Which of the following are correct? (Select all that apply.)

The nurse admits a patient who has an acute kidney infection but refuses to take any medication.Which is the best initial nursing intervention to implement the therapeutic regimen?

The nurse administers oral medications according to the unit-dose system.Which technique does the nurse include?

The nurse administers a patient's medication; within 30 minutes the patient has bilateral wheezing and large red blotches on the face and is anxious and dizzy.What action by the nurse is best?

A prescription reads, "Aspirin 325 mg 2 tablets orally for pain." What action does the nurse take when the patient has pain?

The nurse is preparing to administer a controlled substance.Which action must the nurse take first if controlled medication is discarded?

The nurse prepares to administer a parenteral medication.Which route of administration does the nurse use for the medication?

A patient has been taking high doses of an opioid medication for severe pain.Which assessment data indicate the most toxic effect of this medication?

The nurse is explaining pharmacokinetic effects to a new nurse working on the unit.Which of the following statements alerts the nurse that a good level of understanding has been achieved? (Select all that apply.)

The nurse discharges a patient from the ambulatory surgical center with a prescription for an opioid analgesic.The patient can take the medication every 4-6 hours as needed for pain.What does the nurse include in patient teaching about the prescription before discharging the patient?

Which schedule would the nurse select to achieve a therapeutic level if the medication is prescribed for administration 4 times a day?

The nurse administers a combination medication for a desirable patient response derived from the combination of agents.Which type of medication effect does the nurse anticipate?

The nurse is having difficulty reading a medication order.Which is the best action for the nurse to take to prevent a medication error?

A patient received a drug that caused an unpredictable and unusual effect.Which term does the nurse use to describe this effect?

The provider prescribes aluminum hydroxide gel 2 ounces.The nurse has aluminum hydroxide in 30-mL containers in the patient's medication drawer.How many containers does the nurse administer to the patient? _______ containers.

The patient is to receive 750 mg of a medication.The pharmacy sent 500-mg scored tablets.How many tablets does the nurse administer? The nurse administers _____ tablets.

The nurse is reviewing concepts of safe medication preparation and administration with a group of nursing students.Which statement does the nurse include during the review?

An older adult who lives alone takes three different white, flat, unscored medications every day.He has trouble remembering if he has taken the correct pill at the correct time.What strategy would best help this patient maintain independence and safety in taking his medications?