ATI MEDICATION ADMINISTRATION EXAMS SCRIPT
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS SURE A+
✔✔The nurse knows that patient education about a sublingual medication has been
effective when the patient states: (Select all that apply)
a. "I should let the medication dissolve completely."
b. "I can only drink water, not juice, with this medication."
c. "For faster distribution, I should chew my medication first."
d. "I should place the medication under my tongue." - ✔✔a and d
If swallowed the medication will not have the desired effect. Gastric juices destroy
medication or the liver detoxifies it so rapidly that therapeutic blood levels are not
attained. Medication is absorbed through blood vessels of undersurface of the tongue.
✔✔What actions should the nurse take to prevent medication errors? (Choose all that
apply.)
a. Requesting that the prescriber write out an order, rather than giving a verbal order.
b. Follow the six rights of medication administration.
c. Checking the patient's room number against the medication administration record.
d. Administering as many of the medications as possible at one time. - ✔✔a and b
Many times when giving a verbal order, the person interpreting the order may
misunderstand or misspell the correct order, which will increase the risk of a medication
error. By writing out the order, it is easier to ensure that the order was correctly
understood. Many medication errors can be linked, in some way, to an inconsistency in
adhering to these six rights (right medication, right dose, right patient, right route, right
time, right documentation)
✔✔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:
, a. Give the medication early for any pain score greater than 8.
b. Call the physician.
c. Explain to the patient why he will have to wait for the medication.
d. Document the patient's request and pain score. - ✔✔b
You want to keep the patient's best interest and safety in mind. Since the time has not
elapsed and the medication is prn, you need the physician's approval before changing
any administrative plans or schedules.
✔✔A patient states that she would prefer not to take her daily allergy pill this morning
because it makes her too drowsy throughout the day. The nurse responds
therapeutically by saying,
a. "The physician ordered it; therefore you must take your medication every morning at
the same time whether you're drowsy or not."
b. "Let's see if we can change the time you take your pill to 9 p.m., so the drowsiness
occurs when you would normally be sleeping."
c. "You can skip this medication on days when you need to be awake and alert."
d. "Try to get as much done as you can before you take your pill, so you can sleep in
the afternoon." - ✔✔b
It is important to know why a medication is ordered for a certain time of day and whether
you are able to alter the time schedule.Check with the physician before changing
anything. A patient has the right to refuse medications regardless of the consequences.
✔✔A 2- year old child is ordered to have ear irrigation performed daily. The nurse
correctly performs the procedure by:
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 - ✔✔a
Children's ear canals are not fully developed until the age of 3 so proper positioning is
required in order to irrigate the ear.
✔✔The patient is to receive phenytoin (Dilantin) at 0900. The nurse knows that the ideal
time to draw a trough is:
a. 0800
b. 0830
c. 0900
d. 0930 - ✔✔b
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS SURE A+
✔✔The nurse knows that patient education about a sublingual medication has been
effective when the patient states: (Select all that apply)
a. "I should let the medication dissolve completely."
b. "I can only drink water, not juice, with this medication."
c. "For faster distribution, I should chew my medication first."
d. "I should place the medication under my tongue." - ✔✔a and d
If swallowed the medication will not have the desired effect. Gastric juices destroy
medication or the liver detoxifies it so rapidly that therapeutic blood levels are not
attained. Medication is absorbed through blood vessels of undersurface of the tongue.
✔✔What actions should the nurse take to prevent medication errors? (Choose all that
apply.)
a. Requesting that the prescriber write out an order, rather than giving a verbal order.
b. Follow the six rights of medication administration.
c. Checking the patient's room number against the medication administration record.
d. Administering as many of the medications as possible at one time. - ✔✔a and b
Many times when giving a verbal order, the person interpreting the order may
misunderstand or misspell the correct order, which will increase the risk of a medication
error. By writing out the order, it is easier to ensure that the order was correctly
understood. Many medication errors can be linked, in some way, to an inconsistency in
adhering to these six rights (right medication, right dose, right patient, right route, right
time, right documentation)
✔✔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:
, a. Give the medication early for any pain score greater than 8.
b. Call the physician.
c. Explain to the patient why he will have to wait for the medication.
d. Document the patient's request and pain score. - ✔✔b
You want to keep the patient's best interest and safety in mind. Since the time has not
elapsed and the medication is prn, you need the physician's approval before changing
any administrative plans or schedules.
✔✔A patient states that she would prefer not to take her daily allergy pill this morning
because it makes her too drowsy throughout the day. The nurse responds
therapeutically by saying,
a. "The physician ordered it; therefore you must take your medication every morning at
the same time whether you're drowsy or not."
b. "Let's see if we can change the time you take your pill to 9 p.m., so the drowsiness
occurs when you would normally be sleeping."
c. "You can skip this medication on days when you need to be awake and alert."
d. "Try to get as much done as you can before you take your pill, so you can sleep in
the afternoon." - ✔✔b
It is important to know why a medication is ordered for a certain time of day and whether
you are able to alter the time schedule.Check with the physician before changing
anything. A patient has the right to refuse medications regardless of the consequences.
✔✔A 2- year old child is ordered to have ear irrigation performed daily. The nurse
correctly performs the procedure by:
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 - ✔✔a
Children's ear canals are not fully developed until the age of 3 so proper positioning is
required in order to irrigate the ear.
✔✔The patient is to receive phenytoin (Dilantin) at 0900. The nurse knows that the ideal
time to draw a trough is:
a. 0800
b. 0830
c. 0900
d. 0930 - ✔✔b
