A practical nurse (PN) and a registered nurse (RN) are co-assigned to care for a client with acute heart failure. The primary healthcare provider prescribes furosemide intravenous (IV) push stat. The RN prepares the medication in a syringe, hands it to the PN, and says, "The client's potassium is . Can you push this while I admit a new client?" What is the most appropriate action by the PN?
- ADecline the delegated task, as a serum potassium level of is critically low and requires withholding the furosemide.
- BAccept the delegated task, provided the PN can independently verify the medication vial and client identifiers prior to administration.
- Decline the delegated task, as administering medications via the IV push route is outside the standard scope of practice for a PN.Cevap
- DAccept the syringe and administer the medication immediately, as the RN has already verified the client's identity and laboratory data.
Cevap
The correct action is to decline the delegated task because administering medications via the IV push route is outside the standard scope of practice for a practical nurse.
The standard scope of practice for a practical nurse (PN) does not include the administration of intravenous (IV) push medications. This specific task requires the advanced assessment skills, pharmacological knowledge, and clinical judgment of a registered nurse (RN) to evaluate for immediate therapeutic or adverse reactions during the rapid administration into the bloodstream. Additionally, fundamental medication safety principles dictate that a nurse must never administer a medication drawn up by another individual, as doing so bypasses essential independent verification steps.
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Anahtar Kavram
LPN/LVN Scope of Practice and Medication Administration Safety