During a routine morning shift on a general care unit, a practical nurse is tasked with safely administering medications and monitoring clients. Which of the following actions by the nurse indicate proper pharmacological safety and adherence to professional scope? Select all that apply.
- Reinforcing teaching for a client starting sublingual nitroglycerin to sit or lie down before placing the tablet under the tongue.Answer
- BAdministering a scheduled live-attenuated measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine to a pregnant client during a prenatal clinic visit.
- CProviding a prescribed oral sedative to a client preparing for an invasive procedure before the provider has obtained the signed consent.
- Delaying the administration of prescribed warfarin and alerting the registered nurse after noting an International Normalized Ratio (INR) result of 5.8.Answer
- EProceeding to give oral furosemide to a postoperative client exhibiting new-onset mild tachycardia and a blood pressure of 86/52 mmHg.
- Validating the calculation for a pediatric weight-based oral suspension with a second licensed nurse before administering the drug.Answer
Answer
The correct actions that demonstrate safe practice are: reinforcing the need to sit or lie down when taking sublingual nitroglycerin, delaying the warfarin dose for a critically elevated INR of 5.8 while notifying the RN, and independently validating a pediatric weight-based calculation with a second nurse.
The correct choices demonstrate adherence to crucial pharmacological safety principles: reinforcing safety measures for vasodilators to prevent falls, recognizing and responding to critical laboratory values that increase bleeding risk, and utilizing independent double-checks for high-risk pediatric dosages.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Applying safe pharmacological practices and adhering to the legal scope of a practical nurse.