A practical nurse (PN) is assigned to care for several adult clients on a medical-surgical unit and is preparing to administer scheduled morning medications. Which of the following actions by the PN demonstrate safe pharmacological practice and adherence to the PN scope of practice? (Select all that apply.)
- Holding a client's daily carvedilol dose and alerting the charge nurse after assessing an apical pulse of 52 beats per minute.Answer
- BSkipping the electronic barcode scan for a prescribed antacid tablet because the unit's handheld scanner is currently malfunctioning.
- CAccepting a directive to administer undiluted hydromorphone directly into a client's intravenous port.
- Asking a client to state their full name and date of birth while comparing it to the medication administration record before providing an oral analgesic.Answer
- EProceeding with a scheduled morning dose of warfarin after observing a newly resulted International Normalized Ratio (INR) of 6.2 in the medical record.
- Reviewing the signs of hypoglycemia with a diabetic client as a reinforcement of the initial teaching provided by the registered nurse.Answer
Answer
The correct actions include holding the carvedilol for bradycardia, verifying two client identifiers before medication administration, and reinforcing medication education initially provided by the RN.
Safe pharmacological practice for a practical nurse requires adhering to the rights of medication administration (including using two identifiers), recognizing when clinical data (such as a low heart rate) necessitates withholding a dose, and staying within the legal scope of practice by reinforcing RN teaching rather than providing initial education or giving IV push medications.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Safe medication administration and the PN scope of practice