Question 1

A confused patient refuses his medication.What is the nurse's first response?

Accepted Answer

A)  Agrees with the patient's decision and documents it in his chart 
B)  Educates the patient about the importance of the medication 
C)  Discreetly hides the medication in the patient's favorite Jell-O 
D)  Informs the patient that he must take the medication whether he wants to or not

Question 2

A patient is at risk for aspiration.What nursing action is most appropriate?

Accepted Answer

A)  Hold the patient's cup for him so he can concentrate on taking pills. 
B)  Thin out liquids so they are easier to swallow. 
C)  Give the patient a straw to control the flow of liquids. 
D)  Have the patient self-administer the medication.

Question 3

A nurse has withdrawn a narcotic from the medication dispenser.Upon checking the drug against the medication administration record,the nurse notices that the narcotic order has expired.What should be the nurse's first action?

Accepted Answer

A)  Return the medication to the medication dispenser according to protocol. 
B)  Exit the medication room to call the physician to request a reorder of the narcotic. 
C)  Assess the patient to see if the narcotic is still needed; if so, administer the medication. 
D)  Call the pharmacy and request that the narcotic be removed from the patient profile.

Question 4

The nurse realizes which patient is at greatest risk for an unintended synergistic effect?

Accepted Answer

A)  72-year-old who is seeing four different specialists 
B)  4-year-old who has mistakenly taken the entire packet of his mother's birth control pills 
C)  50-year-old who was prescribed a second blood pressure medication 
D)  35-year-old drug addict who has ingested meth mixed with several household chemicals

Question 5

A patient is taking 1 tablet of hydrocodone bitartrate 5 mg and acetaminophen 500 mg (Vicodin)every 4 hours.He is also taking 2 tablets of acetaminophen (Tylenol)325 mg every 12 hours.How many grams of acetaminophen is he taking daily?

Accepted Answer

The answer of A patient is taking 1 tablet of...

Question 6

The nurse is preparing to administer medications to two patients with the same last name.After the administration,the nurse realizes that she did not check the identification of the patient before administering medication.Which of the following actions should the nurse complete first?

Accepted Answer

A)  Return to the room to check and assess the patient. 
B)  Administer the antidote to the patient immediately. 
C)  Alert the charge nurse that a medication error has occurred. 
D)  Complete proper documentation of the medication error in the patient's chart.

Question 7

What is the nurse's priority action to protect a patient from medication error?

Accepted Answer

A)  Requesting that the prescriber write out an order, rather than giving a verbal order 
B)  Asking anxious family members to leave the room before giving a medication 
C)  Checking the patient's room number against the medication administration record 
D)  Administering as many of the medications as possible at one time

Question 8

The nurse knows that a subcutaneous injection takes longer to absorb because

Accepted Answer

A)  Fewer blood vessels are found under the subcutaneous level. 
B)  Adipose tissue takes longer to metabolize medication. 
C)  Connective tissue holds medication in place longer. 
D)  Some medication leaks out after instillation.

Question 9

What methods are used to properly discard narcotics?

Accepted Answer

A)  Placing the syringe of narcotics in the sharps container 
B)  Washing liquids down the sink 
C)  Flushing tablets down the toilet 
D)  Returning the open tablet to the medication dispenser 
E)  Locking the narcotic in a secure cabinet
F) Throwing tablets into the trash

Question 10

A 2-year-old child is ordered to have ear irrigation performed daily.The nurse correctly performs the procedure by

Accepted Answer

A)  Pulling the auricle down and back to straighten the ear canal. 
B)  Pulling the auricle upward and outward to straighten the ear canal. 
C)  Instilling the irrigation solution by holding the syringe just inside the ear canal. 
D)  Holding the fluid in the canal for 2 to 3 minutes with a cotton swab.

Question 11

A patient needs assistance excreting a gaseous medication.What is the correct nursing action?

Accepted Answer

A)  Encourage the patient to cough and deep-breathe. 
B)  Suction the patient's respiratory secretions. 
C)  Administer the antidote via inhalation. 
D)  Administer 100% FiO2 via simple face mask.

Question 12

The nurse is planning to administer a tuberculin test with a 27-gauge,3/8-inch needle.The nurse should insert the needle at an angle of _____ degrees.

Accepted Answer

A)  15 
B)  45 
C)  90 
D)  180

Question 13

A nurse is caring for a patient who is in hypertensive crisis.When the nurse is flushing the patient's peripheral IV,the patient complains of pain.Upon assessment,the nurse notices a red streak that is warm to the touch.What is the nurse's initial action?

Accepted Answer

A)  Notify the physician. 
B)  Administer pain medication. 
C)  Discontinue the IV. 
D)  Apply a cool compress to the site.

Question 14

A patient is to receive medication through a nasogastric tube.What is the most important nursing action to ensure effective absorption?

Accepted Answer

A)  Thoroughly shake the medication before administering. 
B)  After all medications are administered, flush tube with 15 to 30 mL of water. 
C)  Position patient in the supine position for 30 minutes. 
D)  Clamp suction for 30 to 60 minutes after medication administration.

Question 15

Which of the following demonstrates proper oral medication administration?

Accepted Answer

A)  Removing the medication from the wrapper and placing it in a cup labeled with the patient's information 
B)  Using the edge of the medicine cup to fill with 0.5 mL of liquid medication 
C)  Placing all of the patient's medications in the same cup, except medications with assessments 
D)  Combining liquid medications from 2 single dose cups into 1 medicine cup

Question 16

The patient is in severe pain and is requesting a prn medication before the prn time interval has elapsed.The nurse's priority is to

Accepted Answer

A)  Give the medication early for any pain score greater than 8. 
B)  Call the prescriber and request a stat order. 
C)  Explain to the patient why he will have to wait for the medication. 
D)  Document the patient's request and pain score.

Question 17

A drug requires a low pH to be metabolized.Knowing this,the nurse anticipates that the medication will be administered by which route?

Accepted Answer

A)  Oral 
B)  Parenteral 
C)  Buccal 
D)  Inhalation

Question 18

A patient who has been receiving intermittent chemotherapy through a peripheral IV site is ordered to receive a high dose of vancomycin through the same vein.Why does this concern the nurse?

Accepted Answer

A)  Chemotherapy is irritating to the vascular system and may cause the vein to infiltrate. 
B)  Two medications should never be placed into the same IV site. 
C)  Once chemotherapy is in a patient's system, any additional medicine given will cause a synergistic effect. 
D)  Chemotherapy treatments require a special pump designed solely for chemotherapy.

Question 19

A provider has ordered a STAT medication to be administered.The nurse knows that the best route of administration is

Accepted Answer

A)  IV. 
B)  IM. 
C)  SQ. 
D)  PO.

Question 20

The nurse knows that the purpose of aspiration on IM injections is to

Accepted Answer

A)  Ensure proper placement of the needle. 
B)  Increase the force of the injection. 
C)  Reduce the discomfort of the injection. 
D)  Prolong the absorption time of the medication.

Exam 31: Medication Administration