A nurse in a clinic is caring for a client who has a urinary tract infection (UTI). Which of the following prescriptions should the nurse verify with a provider?

A. Giving a glycerin suppository to a client for constipation: Medication administration, including rectal suppositories, requires assessment of bowel function, knowledge of contraindications, and evaluation of effectiveness, which fall under the responsibilities of a licensed nurse.

B. Evaluating the effectiveness of ibuprofen administered to a client who reported a headache: Assessing a client’s response to medication requires critical thinking, monitoring for adverse effects, and determining if additional interventions are needed, which are nursing responsibilities that cannot be assigned to assistive personnel.

C. Discussing dietary changes with a client who has a prescription for a gluten-free diet: Providing dietary education involves assessing the client’s current knowledge, identifying nutritional risks, and ensuring understanding of food choices, which requires professional nursing judgment or a consultation with a dietitian.

D. Measuring hourly urinary output for a client who is postoperative: Recording urinary output involves a simple measurement process that does not require clinical decision-making. Assistive personnel can accurately collect and document this data, allowing nurses to focus on interpretation and intervention if necessary.

A. Anesthesiologists: Anesthesiologists have full prescriptive authority as licensed physicians, allowing them to provide telephone medication orders. Their prescribing rights apply in various healthcare settings, following institutional policies and legal guidelines.

B. Physician assistants: Physician assistants have prescriptive authority under physician supervision and can give telephone medication orders where permitted. Their prescribing ability depends on state regulations and facility policies but generally includes routine and emergency prescriptions.

C. Facility pharmacists: Facility pharmacists dispense medications and provide guidance on drug therapy but do not have the legal authority to prescribe. While they collaborate with providers, they cannot issue telephone medication prescriptions.

D. Mental health technicians: Mental health technicians assist with patient care in psychiatric settings but lack the training and licensure required to prescribe medications. Their responsibilities focus on supportive tasks, and they cannot give telephone medication prescriptions.

E. Nurse practitioners: Nurse practitioners have independent or collaborative prescriptive authority depending on state regulations. They can provide telephone medication orders within their scope of practice, ensuring timely medication management for patients.