A nurse is assisting in the care of a group of children on a pediatric medical surgical unit. Which of the following children should the nurse collect data from first?

A. Withhold the medication until the provider signs the prescription: Telephone prescriptions are considered valid once received and properly documented. Delaying administration until a signature is obtained could compromise timely care. The provider must later sign the prescription, but administration should not be delayed if properly authorized.

B. Ask the provider to spell out the name of the medication: Asking for the spelling of the medication name helps prevent errors, especially with drugs that sound alike or have complex names. Clarification ensures correct medication administration and enhances client safety.

C. Request that the provider confirm the read-back of the prescription: Reading back the prescription and obtaining confirmation is a critical safety step. It verifies that the prescription was accurately understood and recorded, significantly reducing the risk of medication errors.

D. Instruct another user to record the prescription in the medical record: The nurse receiving the prescription must personally document it. Assigning this task to someone else increases the chance of miscommunication or transcription errors and violates professional documentation standards.

E. Record the date and time of the telephone prescription: Proper documentation of the date and time ensures an accurate, complete medical record. It establishes when the prescription was received, which is important for both clinical tracking and legal accountability.

A. Dry excess sanitizer from hands with a paper towel: Hand sanitizer should be allowed to dry naturally, and there is no need to wipe it off with a paper towel. Wiping off the sanitizer could reduce its effectiveness in killing germs.

B. Rubs hands together for 10 seconds after applying sanitizer: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends rubbing hands together for at least 20 seconds to ensure that the hand sanitizer covers all surfaces of the hands and effectively kills germs.

C. Apply enough sanitizer to completely cover both hands: It is important to apply a sufficient amount of hand sanitizer (usually about a dime-sized amount) to cover both hands entirely. The sanitizer should be rubbed into all areas of the hands, including between fingers and under nails, until the hands are dry.

D. Clean sanitizer from under fingernails using an orangewood stick: This is unnecessary if the sanitizer is applied properly and rubbed in completely. Hand sanitizer should be used to cover all areas of the hands, including under fingernails, and should be allowed to dry naturally without needing to clean it with a stick.