A physician tells the nurse that a patient's skull is normocephalic.
This finding during the physician's inspection reveals:

Choice A rationale

The charge nurse, by virtue of their leadership role and oversight of unit operations, is typically authorized to ensure patient safety and continuity of care. This includes re-verifying and administering medications in urgent situations when the preparing nurse is unavailable, adhering to established protocols and double-checking the medication before administration to prevent errors.

Choice B rationale

Limiting medication administration solely to the preparing nurse could delay critical treatment, especially during emergencies. While optimal, this practice is superseded by the need for timely patient care and adherence to a "second nurse check" policy, which enhances safety by having an additional qualified professional verify the medication.

Choice C rationale

Any licensed Registered Nurse (RN) or Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) on the unit, if familiar with the patient and their condition, possesses the scope of practice and clinical competency to administer medications. This ensures patient safety through appropriate verification, patient identification, and adherence to the "rights" of medication administration, maintaining continuity of care.

Choice D rationale

Pharmacy technicians are not licensed healthcare professionals authorized to administer medications directly to patients. Their scope of practice is limited to preparing, packaging, and distributing medications under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist, lacking the clinical assessment and administration privileges of nursing staff.

Choice A rationale

Inspection is the systematic observation of the patient using the senses of sight, smell, and hearing. It is always the first technique used in a physical assessment because it provides a foundational understanding of the patient's general appearance, symmetry, posture, skin condition, and any visible abnormalities before physical contact is made.

Choice B rationale

Auscultation involves listening to sounds produced by the body, such as heart sounds, lung sounds, and bowel sounds, using a stethoscope. While crucial for assessing various body systems, it typically follows inspection and palpation to avoid altering natural body sounds.

Choice C rationale

Percussion involves tapping on body surfaces to elicit sounds that indicate the density of underlying tissues and organs. This technique helps in assessing organ size, shape, and consistency, but it is performed after inspection and palpation, as it involves direct contact and manipulation.

Choice D rationale

Palpation involves using the sense of touch to assess characteristics such as texture, temperature, moisture, organ size and location, and tenderness. While a vital component of the physical assessment, it follows inspection to avoid introducing discomfort or altering initial observations.