GUIDE WITH ALL CORRECT
ANSWERS VERIFIED AND GRADED
A+
The nurse administers an incorrect dose of a medication to a patient. What is
the primary purpose of documenting this event in an Incident Report?
1) Record the event for future litigation.
2) Provide a basis for designing new policies.
3) Prevent similar situations from happening again.
4) Ensure accountability for the cause of the accident.
Correct answer: 3 (Risk-management committees use stats about accidents
& incidents to identify patterns of risk and prevent future
accidents/incidents.)
1 - Wrong because although documentation of an incident may be used in a
court of law, it is not the primary reason for an incident report.
2- This is not the primary reason. New policies may or may not have to be
written and implemented.
4 - Although nurses are always accountable for their actions, accountability
for the cause of an incidence is the role of the courts.
A practitioner writes a prescription for a medication that is larger than the
standard dose. What should the nurse do?
,1) Inform the supervisor
2) Give the drug as prescribed.
3) Give the average dose of the medication.
4) Discuss the prescription with the practitioner.
Correct Answer: 4 (Nurses have a prof. resonsibility to know/investigate the
standard dose for medications being administered. In addition, nurses are
responsible for their own actions regardless of whether there is a written
prescription)
1 - It is unnecessary to call the supervisor.
2 - This is unsafe for the patient and may result in malpractice.
3 - Changing a medication prescription is not within the scope of nursing
practice.
A practitioner asks the nurse to witness an informed consent. Which patient
does the nurse identify is unable to give an informed consent for surgery?
1) 16 year old boy who is married
2) 35 year old woman who is depressed
3) 50 year old woman who does not speak English
4) 65 year old man who has received a narcotic for pain.
Correct Answer: 4 (Narcotics depress the CNS, including decision-making
abilities.
1 - Because legally anyone under 18 who is married can make the decision.
2 - wrong because a depressed person can make these decisions until proven
mentally incompetent.
,3 - Wrong because this person can provide informed consent after
translations.
When the nurse is administering a medication to a confused patient, the
patient says, "this pill looks different from the one I had before." What should
the nurse do?
1) Ask what the other pill looked like.
2) Explain the purpose of the medication.
3) Check the original medication prescription.
4) Encourage the patient to take the medication.
Correct answer: 3 (This is the safest intervention because it goes to the
original source of the prescription.)
1 - Wrong because This action by itself is unsafe because the patient is
confused and the information obtained may be innacurate.
2 - This intervention ignores the patient's concern.
4 - This action ignores the patient's statement and is unsafe without
obtaining additional information.
When the nurse attempts to administer a medication to a patient, the patient
refuses to take the medication because it causes diarrhea. The nurse
provides teaching about the medication, but the patient continues to
adamantly refuse the medication. What should the nurse do first?
1) Document the patient's refusal to take the medication.
2) Notify the practitioner of the patient's refusal to take the medication.
3) Discuss with a family member the need for the patient to take the
medication.
, 4) Explain again to the patient the consequences of refusing to take the
medication.
Correct Answer: 1 (The patient has the right to refuse)
2. Notifying the practitioner eventually should be done, but it is not the
priority at this time.
3. Discussing the situation with a family member without the patient's
consent is a violation of confidentiality.
4. The patient has been taught about the medication and adamantly refuses
the medication. Further teaching at this time may be viewed by the patient
as badgering.
When caring for a terminally ill patient, a family member says, "I need your
help to hasten my mother's death so that she is no longer suffering." What
should the nurse do based on the position of the American Nurse association
in relation to assisted suicide?
1) Not participate in active euthanasia.
2) Participate based on personal values and beliefs.
3) Participate when the patient is experiencing severe pain.
4) Not participate unless two practitioners are consulted and the patient has
had counseling.
Correct Answer: 1 (Withholding the medication and docu- menting the
patient's refusal are the appropriate interventions. Patient's have a right to
refuse care.)
2. Notifying the practitioner eventually should be done, but it is not the
priority at this time.
3. Discussing the situation with a family member without the patient's
consent is a violation of confidentiality.