The nurse is caring for an older patient with hypothyroidism and receives an order to administer 0.25 mg of levothyroxine sodium (Synthroid) PO every morning before breakfast. The nurse has on hand 100 mcg/tablet. How many tablet(s) should the nurse administer?

A. This option is relevant to primary disease prevention because it aims to prevent smoking-related diseases before they occur. By providing information about smoking cessation support groups, the nurse helps the patient reduce or eliminate a major risk factor for many serious diseases, including cancer and cardiovascular disease. This aligns with the goals of primary prevention.

B.A This option is a form of primary disease prevention. The influenza vaccination helps prevent the flu before it starts, thus reducing the risk of illness and its complications. Vaccinations are a classic example of primary prevention, as they protect against diseases before they occur.
C. This option also aligns with primary disease prevention. Teaching the patient about dietary changes to manage hypertension can help prevent the development of hypertension-related complications such as heart disease or stroke. By addressing dietary habits before hypertension develops, this intervention supports primary prevention.
D. This option is not primarily a primary prevention measure. Occult stool screening kits are used for early detection of colorectal cancer, which is more about secondary prevention. Secondary prevention focuses on early detection and intervention to reduce the impact of a disease once it has already developed but before symptoms appear.
E. This option represents primary disease prevention. The pneumococcal vaccine helps prevent pneumonia and other serious infections caused by pneumococcal bacteria. Vaccination, especially in older adults, is an effective method to prevent illness before it occurs, fitting the primary prevention category.

A. Knowing a patient’s history of drug allergies is essential for preventing allergic reactions to medications. Allergic reactions can be severe and include symptoms such as rash, difficulty breathing, or anaphylaxis. While important, assessing for drug allergies alone does not address all aspects of medication safety, such as correct drug administration, dosage, or monitoring for side effects.
B. Educating patients about their medications helps them understand why they are taking them and what side effects to watch for. This can improve adherence to the medication regimen and enable patients to report side effects promptly. Education is important but does not directly prevent medication errors or ensure that medications are administered correctly.
C. Confirming the patient's identity before administering medication is a fundamental safety measure. It helps prevent medication errors, such as administering the wrong medication to the wrong patient. This action alone does not address other aspects of medication administration, such as verifying correct dosage, the timing of administration, or monitoring for adverse effects.
D. The 5 rights of medication administration—right patient, right drug, right dose, right route, and right time—are fundamental principles of safe medication administration. Adhering to these rights helps prevent medication errors and ensures that medications are administered correctly. By consistently applying these principles, the nurse minimizes the risk of errors and enhances patient safety. This approach covers multiple aspects of medication administration, including verifying the correct patient, drug, dose, route, and timing.