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Question

Difficulty: EasyAccident, Error, and Injury Prevention

During morning rounds, a practical nurse brings an oral antibiotic to the room of an older adult who was admitted with pneumonia. The client has a history of mild dementia and currently seems confused about where they are. Which action must the nurse take to ensure safe medication delivery and prevent an error?

  1. Check the client's identification band against the medication administration record before giving the drug.Answer
  2. B
    Verify the client's identity by checking the room and bed number posted on the wall.
  3. C
    Give the medication promptly, as the confusion is a normal age-related change.
  4. D
    Ask an unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) to administer the dose while the nurse documents.

Answer

Check the client's identification band against the medication administration record before giving the drug.
Checking two acceptable patient identifiers, such as an identification band against the medication administration record, is the most reliable way to prevent a medication error. When a client is confused and cannot verbally state their name and date of birth, the physical identification band becomes the critical primary method of verification.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Assess the client's current cognitive status.
The client is confused and unable to reliably self-identify by stating their name and date of birth.
Understanding the client's ability to participate in the identification process dictates which identifiers the nurse must use.
2
Determine the safest method for client identification.
The nurse must rely on objective, physical identifiers that are uniquely assigned to the client.
This complies with national patient safety goals to prevent medication errors.
3
Implement the correct safety procedure.
Compare the client's physical identification wristband with the medication administration record (MAR).
This verifies the right client is receiving the right medication, mitigating the risk of injury or error.

Key Concept

Client Identification and Error Prevention
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Accident, Error, and Injury Prevention

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