The nurse is preparing to apply a topical ointment to a patient with a sore throat. Which instruction by the nurse would lead to first to help facilitate absorption of the medication?

Ensure that the skin is clean and dry.

Don gloves prior to administration.

Take the patient's vital signs.

Apply to non irritated areas of the skin.

Answer and Explanation

The Correct Answer is A

A. Ensure that the skin is clean and dry. Cleaning and drying the skin removes dirt, oils, and moisture that could impede the absorption of the medication. This is the first step to ensure maximum efficacy of the topical ointment.

B. Don gloves prior to administration. While wearing gloves is important for infection control and personal protection, it does not directly facilitate the absorption of the ointment into the patient's skin.

C. Take the patient's vital signs. Checking vital signs is a general nursing practice but is unrelated to the application of topical ointments and does not affect absorption.

D. Apply to non-irritated areas of the skin. Applying to non-irritated skin is important to avoid exacerbating skin issues, but it’s not the first step to facilitate absorption. Ensuring the skin is clean and dry takes precedence.

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Correct Answer is B

Explanation

A. Notify the charge nurse that patients may have received inappropriate medication dosages.
Jumping to conclusions about inappropriate dosages without first investigating the rationale for the dosing is premature and could cause unnecessary alarm.

B. Evaluate the laboratory values of each patient to determine liver and kidney function as a possible reason for decreased dosages. Lower dosages are often prescribed for older adults due to decreased liver and kidney function, which can affect drug metabolism and excretion. Evaluating lab values ensures that these dosages are appropriate and safe.

C. Do not worry about the discrepancy because this is not the nurse's unit.
Ignoring the discrepancy is not appropriate, as it’s important for all nurses to advocate for patient safety, regardless of the unit.

D. Call the nursing supervisor to investigate the nurse's concerns.
The nursing supervisor may need to be involved, but the first step is to review the relevant clinical data (lab values) to assess the situation.

A. The patient is experiencing withdrawal symptoms. B. The patient is habituated to the medication. C. The patient is addicted to the medication. D. The patient is experiencing tolerance.

Correct Answer is D

Explanation

A. The patient is experiencing withdrawal symptoms: Withdrawal symptoms occur when a patient stops taking a medication suddenly after long-term use. However, the scenario does not describe withdrawal symptoms, but rather a loss of effectiveness of the medication.

B. The patient is habituated to the medication: Habituation refers to psychological dependence on a medication, which does not directly explain why the medication is no longer effective.

C. The patient is addicted to the medication: Addiction involves compulsive use of a drug despite harmful consequences and does not explain the loss of effectiveness described.

D. The patient is experiencing tolerance: Tolerance occurs when the body becomes accustomed to a drug, and higher doses are needed to achieve the same effect. The scenario describes tolerance, where the patient feels the medication no longer works.

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The nurse is preparing to apply a topical ointment to a patient with a sore throat. Which instruction by the nurse would lead to first to help facilitate absorption of the medication?

Nursing Test Bank

Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams

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Correct Answer is B

Explanation

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Correct Answer is D

Explanation

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