Which actions should a nurse take to prevent medication errors?
Select all that apply.
Ask the charge nurse to administer the medication
Know the recommended dose range for the drug
Calculate all drug dosages by body surface area
Question a drug dose that appears incorrect
Recalculate the drug dosage if in doubt
Correct Answer : B,D,E
Preventing medication errors is a crucial aspect of nursing practice to ensure patient safety. Here are the explanations for the correct options:
b. Know the recommended dose range for the drug: It is essential for nurses to be knowledgeable about the recommended dose range for the medications they administer. Understanding the appropriate dosages helps in identifying any potential errors or discrepancies.
d. Question a drug dose that appears incorrect: If a nurse comes across a drug dose that seems incorrect or questionable, it is important to clarify and verify the dosage with the prescribing healthcare provider or pharmacist. This helps to prevent the administration of potentially harmful doses.
e. Recalculate the drug dosage if in doubt: If a nurse has doubts or uncertainties about the calculated drug dosage, it is crucial to double-check the calculations and recalculate to ensure accuracy. Being cautious and thorough in dosage calculations reduces the risk of medication errors.
a. Ask the charge nurse to administer the medication: While it is always advisable to seek guidance or clarification from senior nurses or charge nurses, the responsibility of administering medications lies with the nurse who has the knowledge and training to do so. Depending solely on the charge nurse to administer medications may not be practical or feasible in all situations.
c. Calculate all drug dosages by body surface area: Calculating drug dosages based on body surface area is necessary for certain medications, especially those with narrow therapeutic ranges or when administering chemotherapy drugs. However, it is not applicable to all medications. The method of dosage calculation varies depending on the medication and prescribed dosage regimen.
Therefore, the correct actions a nurse should take to prevent medication errors are knowing the recommended dose range for the drug, questioning a drug dose that appears incorrect, and recalculating the drug dosage if in doubt.
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Related Questions
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
To calculate the total amount of medication in milligrams that the nurse should administer to the patient, we need to determine the dosage per minute based on the patient's weight and the ordered dose, and then multiply it by the total infusion time.
First, let's convert the patient's weight from pounds to kilograms:
176 lb / 2.2046 = 79.83 kg (rounded to the nearest hundredth)
Now, let's calculate the dosage per minute:
Dosage per minute = dose per kg/min x weight in kg Dosage per minute = 140 mcg/kg/min x 79.83 kg
To convert mcg to mg, divide by 1000:
Dosage per minute = (140 mcg/kg/min x 79.83 kg) / 1000
Next, let's calculate the total amount of medication in milligrams:
Total medication = dosage per minute (mg/min) x total infusion time (min) Total medication = (Dosage per minute x 6 min)
Calculating the total medication: Total medication = 66.3 mg
Therefore, the nurse should administer approximately 66.3 mg of medication to the patient, which corresponds to option c. 67.2 mg.
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
The patient is ordered to take 30 mg of oxycodone hydrochloride for pain. The available liquid oxycodone hydrochloride has a concentration of 20 mg/mL. To calculate the volume of solution needed to administer 30 mg of oxycodone hydrochloride, we can divide the dose in mg by the concentration: 30 mg / (20 mg/mL)= 1.5 mL.
A. 2 mL is incorrect because it is more than the calculated volume.
B. 1 mL is incorrect because it is less than the calculated volume.
C. 1.5 mL is the correct answer.
D. 0.5 mL is incorrect because it is less than the calculated volume.
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