The nurse is caring for a client who has difficulty swallowing a large tablet of a prescribed drug. What action should the nurse take first?
Consult with the client's health care provider.
Administer the liquid form of the drug.
Administer the parenteral form of the drug.
Crush the tablet before administration.
The Correct Answer is A
Choice A reason: Consulting ensures safety; not all drugs can be altered, and the provider adjusts the order, preventing errors in bioavailability or efficacy.
Choice B reason: Liquid may work, but without approval, it’s unauthorized; some drugs lack liquid forms, and this bypasses necessary prescriber oversight.
Choice C reason: Parenteral needs an order change; administering without it violates scope, and it’s invasive, escalating care unnecessarily as a first step.
Choice D reason: Crushing alters pharmacokinetics; many tablets (e.g., extended-release) can’t be crushed, and doing so without checking risks toxicity or inefficacy.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is A
Explanation
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.
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
Choice A reason: Separate syringes increase injection sites and patient discomfort; mixing is standard as Regular and NPH are compatible, optimizing insulin delivery efficiency and absorption.
Choice B reason: Drawing Regular (clear) before NPH (cloudy) in one syringe prevents contamination of the short-acting vial with the intermediate-acting insulin, ensuring accurate dosing and stability.
Choice C reason: Shaking insulin damages its structure; NPH requires gentle rolling to mix, while Regular needs no mixing, making vigorous shaking inappropriate for preparation.
Choice D reason: Drawing NPH first risks contaminating the Regular vial with NPH particles, altering its rapid action; the clear-to-cloudy sequence maintains insulin integrity and efficacy.
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