A nurse is caring for a patient who has gastrointestinal bleeding. Which of the following actions should the nurse take first?

Choice A rationale

The hospital pharmacist is the most appropriate resource for a nurse to consult for information on medication compatibility. Pharmacists have specialized knowledge and access to resources that provide information on drug interactions, including those between ampicillin and gentamicin sulfate. They can provide accurate and up-to-date information on whether these two medications can be safely administered together.

Choice B rationale

While the health care provider prescribes the medication, they may not have the most current or detailed information on drug compatibility. It is the pharmacist’s role to have this specialized knowledge.

Choice C rationale

Medication sales representatives are primarily focused on promoting their company’s products. They may not have comprehensive knowledge of drug interactions, especially between drugs from different companies.

Choice D rationale

The nurse manager oversees the nursing staff and coordinates care, but they may not have specific knowledge about all drug interactions. The hospital pharmacist is the most appropriate resource for this information.

The correct answer is Choice D

Choice A rationale: Moral reasoning, including distinguishing right from wrong, requires abstract cognitive processing and internalization of social norms, typically emerging during the concrete operational stage around age 7. Toddlers are in Piaget’s sensorimotor to early preoperational phase, where egocentrism dominates and behavior is guided by immediate consequences rather than ethical principles. They lack the neurological maturity and social-cognitive integration required for moral discourse, making this milestone developmentally inappropriate for the toddler age group.

Choice B rationale: Performing simple chores involves task comprehension, motor coordination, and social cooperation, which are more consistently observed in preschool-aged children (4–5 years). Toddlers may imitate adult actions but lack sustained attention, impulse control, and fine motor precision needed for chore completion. Their psychosocial development is centered on autonomy and exploration, not structured responsibility. Expecting chore cooperation at this stage exceeds normative developmental expectations and may lead to frustration or behavioral resistance.

Choice C rationale: Printing letters and numbers requires advanced fine motor control, visual-motor integration, and symbolic cognition, typically achieved between ages 5 and 6. Toddlers are still developing basic hand-eye coordination and may engage in scribbling, but they lack the neuromuscular refinement and cognitive mapping needed for structured writing. Neurodevelopmental milestones do not support this skill in the toddler phase, making it scientifically inaccurate to expect printing behavior before preschool age.

Choice D rationale: By age 3, toddlers begin to tolerate brief separations from primary caregivers due to improved object permanence, emotional regulation, and social awareness. This aligns with Erikson’s autonomy vs. shame and doubt stage, where toddlers explore independence while maintaining secure attachment. Separation anxiety peaks around 9–18 months and typically declines by age 3. The ability to separate easily for short periods reflects healthy psychosocial development and is a scientifically appropriate expectation for toddlers.