PHARM 7, 8, 9

A nurse is teaching a young patient's mother about administering liquid medication to her child. The mother expresses concern about the ability to use the small cup because the printed amounts are hard to read. What might the nurse recommend as alternatives?

She could educate the mother on usage of a dosage spoon

A health care provider writes an order for Tylenol PO q3-4h for mild pain. The nurse evaluates the order and is concerned that it is incomplete. Identify the probable concern and describe what the nurse would do prior to administering this medicine.

This order does not include the dose. The q3-4h could mean around the clock or prn. The nurse should obtain clarification before administering the medication.

Clients characterized as slow acetylators may experience what effects related to drug therapy?

1) They are more prone to drug toxicity

The nurse administers a medication to the wrong client. What are the appropriate nursing actions required? (Select all that apply)

1)Monitor the client for adverse reactions 3)report the error to the health care provider 5)document the error in a critical incident/occurance report.

An older adult patient has arthritis in her hands and takes several prescription drugs. Which statement by this patient requires additional assessment by the nurse?

3)"I care for my 2-year-old grandson twice a week"

The nurse is administering medication and the client states, "I've never seen that blue pill before." What would be the nurse's most appropriate action?

1)Verify the order and double check the drug label.

The patient informs the nurse that she will decide whether she will accept treatment after she prays with her family and minister. what is the role of spirituality in the therapy of the client?

2) Important to the client's acceptance of and response to medical treatment.

A client undergoing treatment for cancer complains about nausea and fatigue. In approaching this client's problem holistically, what actions would the nurse take?

2) Observe for specific instances of nausea and fatigue and report them to the oncologist 4) Talk to the client about the symptoms, the impact they have on daily activities and the techniques that have helped lessen the problem

The nurse understands that gender issues also influence pharmacotherapy. What are some important considerations for the nurse to remember about these differences?

2) Woman may not seek treatment for cardiac conditions as quickly as men.

The client informs the nurse that he uses herbal compounds given by a family member to treat his hypertension. What is the most appropriate action by the nurse?

2)Obtain more information and determine whether the herbs are compatible with the prescribed medicine

The health care agency is implementing the use of "Root-Cause Analysis of medication errors. What areas does RCA analyze to prevent errors from reoccurring?

2)What happened, why it happened and what can be done to prevent it from happening again.

A 16 year old adolescent is 6 weeks pregnant. The pregnancy has exacerbated her acne. She asks the nurse if she can resume taking her isotritonin (Acutane) prescription, a Category X drug. What is the most appropriate response by the nurse?

3) "Acutain" is known to cause birth defects and should never be taken during pregnancy.

The nurse provides teaching about a drug to an older adult couple. To ensure that the instructions are understood, which of the following actions would be most appropriate for the nurse to take?

3) Assess the client's reading levels and have them "teach back" the instructions to determine understanding.

To reduce the chance of a duplicate medication order for the older adult returning home after surgery, what actions should the nurse take? (Select all that apply)

3) Take a medication history including OTC and prescription medications as well as a pharmacy history with each patient visit. 5) Perform a medication reconciliation before sending the patient home.

The nurse is teaching a postoperative client about the medications ordered for use at home. Because this patient also ha a primary care provider in addition to the surgeon, what strategy should the nurse include in this teaching session?

3)Have all prescriptions filled at one pharmacy

To reduce the effect of a prescribed medication on the infant of a breast feeding mother, how should the nurse teach the mother to take her medication?

4)Immediately after breastfeeding.

As the nurse enters a room to administer a medication, the client says, "I'm in the bathroom. Just leave my pills on the table and I'll take them when I get out." What is the nurse's best response?

4)Inform the client that the nurse will return in a few minutes when the client is available to take the medication.

A nurse is administering a liquid medication to a 15-month-old child. What is the most appropriate approach to medication administration by the nurse?

4)Sit the child up, hold the cup to her lips and kindly instruct her to drink. 5)Offer the child a choice of cup in which to take the medicine.

A healthcare provider has written an order for digoxin for the patient, but the nurse cannot read whether the order is for 0.25 mg or 125 mg because there is no "zero" and the decimal could be a "one". What action would be the best to prevent a medication error

4)contact the health care provider to clarify the illegible order

The nurse is preparing the give an oral medication to a 6-month-old infant. How should the drug be administered?

By placing the medication dropper in the inner cheek allowing time for the infant to swallow.

A new nurse does not check an antibiotic dosage ordered by a health care provider for a pediatric patient and the order is for a dosage that is too high for the patient's size. The nurse subsequently overdoses a two-year-old patient and an experienced nurse notices the error during the evening shift change. Identify each person who is responsible for the error and how each is responsible.

Nurse-she should have checked a drug handbook or performed a dosage calc. Physician-responsible for writing the wrong dosage. Pharmacist-Should have verified the dosage was correct for the age/weight of the patient.