Chapter 30: Medications

A nurse is administering a liquid medication to an infant. Where will the nurse place the medication to prevent aspiration?

between the gum and the cheek

What factor is used to most accurately calculate drug dosages for a child?

body surface area (BSA)

A nurse is administering a medication that is formulated as enteric-coated tablets. What is the rationale for not crushing or chewing enteric-coated tablets?

to prevent gastric irritation

A clinic nurse is preparing for a tuberculosis screening. Knowing the injections will be administered intradermally, what size needles and syringes will the nurse prepare?

tuberculin syringe, 1/2-inch 26-gauge needle

A nurse is conducting an interview for a health history. In addition to asking the patient about medications being taken, what else should be asked to assess the risk for drug interactions?

use of herbal supplements

A physician has ordered peak and trough levels of a medication. When would the nurse schedule the trough level specimen?

30 minutes before the next dose

A nurse is converting the dosage of a medication to a different unit in the metric system. The medication label specifies the drug as being 0.5 g per tablet. The order is for 500 mg. How many tablets will the nurse give?

1

A physician orders Cipro 500 mg, PO q12h for a patient with bronchial pneumonia. The nurse has Cipro 250 mg on hand. How many tablets would the nurse dispense?

2 tablets

What does the nurse do to verify an order for a medication listed on a medication administration record (MAR)?

Compare it with the original physicians order.

A student nurse is administering medications through a nasogastric tube connected to continuous suction. How will the student do this accurately?

Disconnect tubing from the suction before giving drugs, and clamp tubing for 20 to 30 minutes.

A nurse has administered an intramuscular injection. What will the nurse do with the syringe and needle?

Do not recap the needle and place it in a puncture-resistant container.

A nurse is conducting an interview with a patient to collect a medication history. Which of the following questions would be used to ensure safe medication administration?

Do you have any allergies to medications?

What federal agency enforces the official standards for drugs in the United States?

Food and Drug Administration

A nurse is administering an intramuscular injection of a viscous medication using the appropriate-gauge needle. What does the nurse need to know about needle gauges?

Gauges range from 18 to 30, with 18 being the largest.

A nurse is teaching an older adult at home about taking newly prescribed medications. Which of the following would be included?

I have written the names of your drugs with times to take them.

What must a nurse do each time medications are administered to ensure that medication errors do not occur?

Observe the three checks and five rights.

A hospitalized patient asks the nurse for some aspirin for my headache. There is no order for aspirin for this patient. What will the nurse do?

State that an order from the doctor is legally required and check with the doctor.

Which of the following accurately describes a step in this procedure?

The nurse would wear gloves while massaging in the medication.

What would a nurse instruct a patient to do after administration of a sublingual medication?

Try not to swallow while the pill dissolves.

An adult with diabetes receives 20 units of insulin each morning and evening. How will the nurse teach the patient to administer the insulin?

Use an insulin syringe and give 20 units.

A patient who is taking Tylenol for a fever asks a nurse if there is a generic form that is less expensive. What would the nurse tell him?

Yes, and it is acetaminophen.

A patient who is taking an oral narcotic for pain relief tells the nurse he is constipated. What is this common response to narcotics called?

adverse effect

A nurse is administering lithium to a Japanese patient. What cultural factor should the nurse consider regarding the effects of the medications?

elevated serum levels may occur causing symptoms of drug toxicity

A nurse is preparing an injection by withdrawing the solution from a multidose vial. What is necessary to facilitate withdrawing a medication from the vial?

first inject an equal amount of air into the vial

A nurse is preparing to administer a medication by intravenous piggyback. Where will the piggyback container be placed?

higher than the primary solution container

A physician has ordered that a medication be given stat for a patient who is having an anaphylactic drug reaction. At what time would the nurse administer the medication?

immediately after the order is noted

A nurse is administering a medication to a patient for acute pain. Of the various routes for drug administration, which would be chosen because it is absorbed more rapidly?

injected medications

What type of order would a physician most likely write to treat the symptoms of a disease?

p.r.n.

Which of the following healthcare providers have prescriptive authority? Select all that apply.

physician dentist advance practice nurses

Which of the following parts of the syringe and needle must be kept sterile when preparing and administering an injection? Select all that apply.

the needle inside the barrel part of plunder entering barrel

A patient taking insulin has his levels adjusted to ensure the concentration of drug in the blood serum produces the desired effect without causing toxicity. What is the term for this desired effect?

therapeutic range

A nurse flushes an intravenous lock before and after administering a medication. What is the rationale for this step?

to clear medication and prevent clot formation

Which anatomic site is recommended for intramuscular injections for adults?

ventrogluteal muscles