A nurse in the emergency department is caring for a 16-year-old client who reports abdominal pain and is accompanied by an adult neighbor. The provider diagnoses a ruptured appendix and states that the client requires an emergency appendectomy. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?

Choice A reason: This is not the correct way to transcribe a verbal prescription. The nurse should not use decimals or trailing zeros when writing doses, as they can be misread or mistaken for larger doses. For example, 10.0 mg could be read as 100 mg.

Choice B reason: This is not the correct way to transcribe a verbal prescription. The nurse should not use abbreviations that are not approved by the facility or the Joint Commission, as they can be confusing or ambiguous. For example, MSO4 could be confused with magnesium sulfate (MgSO4).

Choice C reason: This is the correct way to transcribe a verbal prescription. The nurse should write the full name of the drug, the dose, the route, the frequency, and the indication for use. The nurse should also use standard abbreviations that are clear and unambiguous. For example, IV means intravenous, q4h means every 4 hours, and prn means as needed.

Choice D reason: This is not the correct way to transcribe a verbal prescription. The nurse should not use abbreviations that are not approved by the facility or the Joint Commission, as they can be confusing or ambiguous. For example, MS could be confused with morphine sulfate or magnesium sulfate. The nurse should also use standard abbreviations for the route and frequency, not words like every or prn.

The correct answer is: d.

Choice A reason: An allergy to penicillin requiring an alternative antibiotic to be prescribed is a common and expected variation in care. Allergies are patient-specific factors that must be accommodated within the care pathway. The need for an alternative antibiotic does not typically constitute a variance that requires reporting, as adjustments for allergies are part of personalized care planning.

Choice B reason: Initiating antibiotic therapy 2 hours after implementation of the care pathway may not require a variance report if it falls within the acceptable time frame for antibiotic administration. The timing of antibiotic therapy can be critical, but slight deviations are often accounted for within the care pathway guidelines. However, if the care pathway specifies a narrower time frame for initiation, then this could be a reportable variance.

Choice C reason: Changing the route of antibiotic therapy from IV to PO (oral) is a clinical decision that may be based on the patient's condition, progress, and ability to tolerate oral medications. This switch is a part of antimicrobial stewardship and is often encouraged when clinically appropriate to reduce IV line use and potential complications. It is a standard practice and does not typically require a variance report unless the change contradicts a specific protocol in the care pathway.

Choice D reason: Obtaining a blood culture after the initiation of antibiotic therapy is a significant variance from the standard care pathway. Blood cultures should be obtained before starting antibiotics to accurately identify the causative organisms and their antibiotic sensitivities. Starting antibiotics before obtaining blood cultures can reduce the likelihood of growing the bacteria in the culture, potentially leading to misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment. This is a deviation from the standard of care that requires a variance report.