A medication order is for 45 mg IV. The solution available is 30 mg/2 mL. How many mL should you administer?

A. Empathy: Empathy involves understanding and responding to a patient’s feelings and concerns. Considering medication side effects is more analytical than emotional, this is not the primary behavior demonstrated.

B. Critical thinking: Evaluating potential side effects before administering medication requires analysis, judgment, and clinical reasoning. This anticipatory assessment exemplifies critical thinking, ensuring patient safety and informed decision-making.

C. Delegation: Delegation involves assigning tasks to qualified personnel. Assessing medication side effects is a professional responsibility of the nurse, not a task to delegate.

D. Time management: Time management focuses on efficiently organizing tasks and priorities. While important, it does not directly relate to evaluating potential medication side effects.

A. Each small line indicates 5 units of insulin: This is inaccurate because a U-100 insulin syringe has smaller graduations for precise dosing, and 5-unit increments would not allow accurate measurement of single-unit doses.

B. Each small line indicates 2 units of insulin: While closer, most U-100 syringes are marked in single-unit increments, making 2-unit interpretation insufficiently precise for safe insulin administration.

C. Each small line indicates 1 unit of insulin: Each small line represents 1 unit, allowing precise measurement of insulin doses. This accuracy is crucial for patient safety, especially when administering doses that are not multiples of five.

D. Each small line indicates 0.5 units of insulin: U-100 syringes are not typically marked in half-unit increments. Using this interpretation could lead to under- or overdosing, particularly in standard adult dosing.