After the nurse hands a client a medication, the client says, "What is this red tablet for? I have always taken a yellow pill." What is the most appropriate action for the nurse to take?

Withhold the drug and recheck the MAR with the health care provider’s order sheet.

Explain that the health care provider probably changed the drug today to something more effective and administer it.

Administer the medication, but make a mental note to check on it later.

Describe the action of the red tablet to the client and administer it.

Answer and Explanation

The Correct Answer is A

Choice A reason: Withholding and rechecking ensures safety; a color change signals a potential error, and verifying the MAR against orders prevents administering the wrong drug.

Choice B reason: Assuming a change is risky; without confirmation, administering an unverified drug could harm the patient if it’s not the intended prescription.

Choice C reason: Administering then checking later endangers the patient; a wrong drug could cause adverse effects, and delayed verification violates safety protocols.

Choice D reason: Describing and giving without verification is unsafe; the red tablet may not match the order, risking incorrect treatment or allergic reactions.

Nursing Test Bank

Quiz #1: RN Exams Pharmacology Exams Quiz #2: RN Exams Medical-Surgical Exams Quiz #3: RN Exams Fundamentals Exams Quiz #4: RN Exams Maternal-Newborn Exams Quiz #5: RN Exams Anatomy and Physiology Exams Quiz #6: RN Exams Obstetrics and Pediatrics Exams Quiz #7: RN Exams Fluid and Electrolytes Exams Quiz #8: RN Exams Community Health Exams Quiz #9: RN Exams Promoting Health across the lifespan Exams Quiz #10: RN Exams Multidimensional care Exams

Get 100+ Naxlex Exit Exams for $79 Try Naxlex NCLEX-RN (14 Day Free-Trial)

Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams

Quiz #1: Naxlex RN Comprehensive online practice 2019 B with NGN Quiz #2: Naxlex RN Comprehensive Predictor 2023 Quiz #3: Naxlex RN Comprehensive Predictor 2023 Exit Exam A Quiz #4: Naxlex HESI Exit LPN Exam Quiz #5: Naxlex PN Comprehensive Predictor PN 2020 Quiz #6: Naxlex VATI PN Comprehensive Predictor 2020 Quiz #8: Naxlex PN Comprehensive Predictor 2023 - Exam 1 Quiz #10: Naxlex HESI PN Exit exam Quiz #11: Naxlex HESI PN EXIT Exam 2

Free Nursing Study Resources

Correct Answer is C

Explanation

Choice A reason: Checking medications only once increases the likelihood of errors. Safe practice requires multiple verification steps.

Choice B reason: While better than a single check, verifying only twice may still miss potential discrepancies in drug or dosage accuracy.

Choice C reason: The three-check system (when retrieving, preparing, and administering medication) minimizes errors, ensuring patient safety through consistent validation at each step.

Choice D reason: Excessive verification may delay administration, reducing practicality without significantly improving safety beyond three checks.

A. Therapeutic effects B. Chemical composition C. Mechanism of actions D. Side effects

Correct Answer is A

Explanation

Choice A reason: Therapeutic effects define expected outcomes; knowing these (e.g., pain relief) lets the nurse assess if the drug meets its clinical goal effectively.

Choice B reason: Chemical composition informs structure, not outcome; it’s irrelevant to evaluating if the drug achieves its intended physiological effect directly.

Choice C reason: Mechanism explains how drugs work; it’s useful but secondary to knowing the actual therapeutic result needed for outcome assessment.

Choice D reason: Side effects monitor safety, not efficacy; they don’t directly measure if the drug achieves its primary therapeutic purpose as intended.

View Question and Answer

Whether you are a student looking to ace your exams or a practicing nurse seeking to enhance your expertise , our nursing education contents will empower you with the confidence and competence to make a difference in the lives of patients and become a respected leader in the healthcare field.

Visit Naxlex, invest in your future and unlock endless possibilities with our unparalleled nursing education contents today

After the nurse hands a client a medication, the client says, "What is this red tablet for? I have always taken a yellow pill." What is the most appropriate action for the nurse to take?

Nursing Test Bank

Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams

When preparing medications for delivery to an assigned patient, the nurse should check each medication for accuracy of drug and dose:

Correct Answer is C

Explanation

A nurse is assessing patient response to medications received. Which must the nurse know about these drugs to best evaluate whether the expected outcomes of the drug therapy have been achieved?

Correct Answer is A

Explanation

The patient's insurance company refuses to pay for the brand name formulation of a prescribed drug. Which formulation of the drug will the patient receive instead?

A hospitalized 3-year-old toddler is to receive an oral medication. For the most effective approach, the nurse should tell the child:

The nurse is reviewing medication errors. Which situation is an example of a medication error?

Why does the nurse administer lorazepam intramuscularly (IM) to the patient rather than into the subcutaneous tissue?

Which of the following drug orders will provide the fastest pain relief for the patient?

When administering medications, a nurse must know a client's medical history and pharmacokinetics of prescribed medications because most drugs are metabolized in the:

A patient is scheduled to have biofeedback therapy for migraine headaches. On arrival to the clinic, the patient appears anxious and fearful and tells the nurse that she does not want electric shocks. The most reassuring response by the nurse is:

Which statement is correct about patient tolerance to medications?