A home health nurse is verifying a client's prescribed medications and notes that one medication dose was decreased by half. The client asks the nurse if they can cut the tablets in half. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?
Instruct the client to discard the medication in the toilet.
Manually break the tablets in half.
Determine if the tablets are scored.
Ask the pharmacy to create a liquid version of the medication.
The Correct Answer is C
Rationale:
A. Instruct the client to discard the medication in the toilet: Disposing of medication in the toilet is not a recommended first action, as it does not address the client’s question about safely taking a half dose. Safe disposal is only necessary for expired or unwanted medications.
B. Manually break the tablets in half: Manually breaking tablets without knowing if they are designed to be split can lead to inaccurate dosing and affect drug efficacy. Some medications are not safe to split due to extended-release properties or uneven distribution of active ingredients.
C. Determine if the tablets are scored: Scored tablets are specifically designed to be split, ensuring accurate dosing. The nurse should verify whether the medication is scored before advising the client to cut it, ensuring safety and effectiveness of the prescribed dose.
D. Ask the pharmacy to create a liquid version of the medication: While a liquid formulation may be appropriate for accurate dosing if the tablet cannot be safely split, the first step is to confirm whether the current tablet can be divided. The pharmacy can then provide alternatives if splitting is unsafe.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is ["2.5"]
Explanation
Calculation:
- Identify the ordered dose and available concentration
Ordered Dose: 20 mg
Available Concentration: 40 mg/5 mL
- Calculate the volume to administer
Volume to administer = (Ordered Dose ÷ Concentration) × Volume of Concentration
Volume to administer = (20 ÷ 40) × 5
Volume to administer = 0.5 × 5
Volume to administer = 2.5 mL
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
Rationale:
A. A client who has alcoholic pancreatitis: Alcoholic pancreatitis does not pose a risk of teratogenicity or infectious transmission to a pregnant nurse. Standard precautions are sufficient, making this assignment safe for a pregnant nurse.
B. A client who has latent tuberculosis: Latent TB is not contagious, as the bacteria are inactive and the client cannot transmit the infection. A pregnant nurse can safely care for this client with standard precautions without increased risk.
C. A client who is recovering from shingles: Shingles (herpes zoster) is caused by reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus and can be transmitted via direct contact with lesions. Pregnant nurses who have not had chickenpox or the varicella vaccine are at risk for serious complications, so this client should be assigned to a non-pregnant nurse.
D. A client who has HIV: HIV is transmitted through blood and body fluids, and standard precautions effectively protect healthcare workers. There is no contraindication for a pregnant nurse to care for a client with HIV using proper infection control measures.
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