Safely Preparing and Giving Drugs

What is the best way for the nurse to make sure that the right patient is receiving a prescribed drug when the patient is alert and oriented?

When is it acceptable for the nurse to take a verbal order from the prescriber before giving a drug to a patient?

The nurse is giving morning medications to a patient who refuses to take an oral dose of docusate (Colace). What is the nurses best response?

What is the most important role of the nurse in preventing drug errors?

The prescriber orders atenolol (Tenormin) 25 mg to be given orally once a day to control a patients high blood pressure. The nurse takes the patients vital signs and finds that the blood pressure is 128/80 mm Hg and the heart rate is 60 beats per minute. What does the nurse do first before giving this drug?

A patient is prescribed omeprazole (Prilosec) 60 mg once a day orally. The patient is having difficulty with swallowing and has a feeding tube in place. What is the nurses best action?

For which route of parenteral drug administration does the nurse use a 3/8-inch 25-gauge needle?

A patient with severe postoperative pain is ordered to receive morphine 2 mg intravenously. The patient asks the nurse if the drug could be taken by mouth instead. What is the nurses best response?

A patient is to receive nitroglycerin ointment, 1 inch STAT, for elevated blood pressure. What must the nurse do before giving this drug?

A sublingual drug is administered by placing the drug in what part of the body?

What administration technique does the nurse use to give a 2-year-old child ear drops?

What must the nurse be sure to tell the patient after a vaginal drug is administered?

When giving a drug to a patient who is awake but confused, what is the best way for the nurse to identify the patient?

The prescriber orders a new drug over the telephone for a nursing home patient who has symptoms of a urinary tract infection. The order is for Gantanol, 2 g now and then 1 g every 12 hours for the next 10 days. What further information is most important for the nurse to obtain from the prescriber?

The physician orders all of the following drugs for a patient who had surgery 2 days ago. Which drug order does the nurse administer first?

The nurse asks the patient to state his name and birth date, and the patient responds correctly. The nurse then gives the patient the prescribed drug tablet. The patient says I havent ever taken a green pill before. What is the nurses best response?

Which question is most important for the nurse to ask a patient before administering a new drug?

When the nurse brings in the next dose of a drug that a patient first received 6 hours ago, the patient reports a pounding heart rate ever since taking the last dose. What is the nurses best first action?

A 1-year-old child is prescribed a transdermal drug patch for pain control. To which site does the nurse apply the patch?

Which action is most important when the nurse prepares to administer an oral drug to a patient of any age?

Which condition requires that the nurse withhold a drug dose for a patient with a feeding tube?

Which technique is used with intramuscular drug injections but not with intradermal drug injections?

The nurse prepares to administer an intravenous (IV) push drug, but the skin around the patients IV site is swollen and red. The patient states that the area hurts, and no blood return is obtained when the nurse aspirates the IV setup. What is the nurses best action?

[Multiple Response] Safe drug administration requires that the person giving a drug be knowledgeable about which drug features? (Select all that apply.)
a. Purpose
b. Actions
c. Brand name
d. Side effects
e. Abnormal reactions
f. Follow-up care

[Multiple Response] What are the six rights of drug administration? (Select all that apply.)
a. Right patient
b. Right diagnosis
c. Right drug
d. Right dose
e. Right route
f. Right time g. Right documentation h. Right to refuse

[Multiple Response] A patient is to receive an acetaminophen (Tylenol) suppository for an elevated temperature of 102.8 F. What actions must the nurse take? (Select all that apply.)
a. Ask if the patient is having any diarrhea.
b. Lubricate the blunt end of the suppository.
c. Put on a pair of sterile gloves.
d. Place the patient in the Sims position.
e. Ask the patient to take a deep breath and bear down.
f. Push the suppository into the rectum about 1 inch.

[Multiple Response] When compared with the subcutaneous route, what are the advantages of giving drugs intramuscularly (IM)? (Select all that apply.)
a. IM injections require a smaller, shorter needle.
b. IM drugs are absorbed faster than subcutaneous drugs.
c. IM injections can be much larger that subcutaneous injections.
d. IM injections do not require the rotation of injection sites.
e. IM injections are less painful than subcutaneous injections.

[Multiple Response] When compared with the subcutaneous route, what are the advantages of giving drugs intramuscularly (IM)? (Select all that apply.)
a. IM injections require a smaller, shorter needle.
b. IM drugs are absorbed faster than subcutaneous drugs.
c. IM injections can be much larger that subcutaneous injections.
d. IM injections do not require the rotation of injection sites.
e. IM injections are less painful than subcutaneous injections.

[Sequencing] Place in correct order the steps to be taken when giving an oral drug.
A. Check the written order.
B. Document that the drug was given.
C. Observe the patient take the drug.
D. Offer the patient a cup of water.
E. Scan the drug wrapper.
F. Scan the patients wrist band.
G. Wash your hands.