The patient is to receive 7.5 mg of a medication PO daily. The pharmacy sends a bottle of scored tablets with the dosage strength of 15 mg per tablet. The nurse sets up a proportion to solve a calculation for this ordered dose. Identify the setup for the unknown ratio.

A. 0.054 mg is more than 0.06 mg: Numerically, 0.054 is less than 0.06, so this statement is incorrect. Administering 0.054 mg would result in a slightly lower dose than 0.06 mg.

B. The new dose is calculated to the thousandths place so it is 10 times greater: Changing the decimal place does not increase the dose tenfold. In fact, 0.054 mg is slightly smaller than 0.06 mg.

C. The new dose is about the same as the previous dose of 0.06 mg: While 0.054 mg is close to 0.06 mg, it is technically a lower dose. Stating it is “about the same” could be misleading in clinical contexts where precise dosing matters.

D. 0.054 mg is less than 0.06 mg: Comparing the numeric values shows that 0.054 mg is slightly smaller than 0.06 mg. This statement accurately informs the patient of the dose reduction.

A. Ask the patient if they want to take the medication: While obtaining the patient’s cooperation is important, it does not ensure that the right patient receives the correct medication. Patient preference cannot substitute for proper identification and safety checks.

B. Identify the patient using two identifiers: Correct patient identification using two unique identifiers, such as name and date of birth, is the most critical safety step before administering any medication. It prevents medication errors and ensures that the drug reaches the intended recipient.

C. Tell the patient the medication is safe: Providing reassurance is important for patient comfort, but it does not guarantee safety. Safety is ensured through verification of the medication, dose, and patient identity before administration.

D. Verify the medication with another nurse: Double-checking is essential for high-risk medications, but for routine oral medications, the initial priority is accurate patient identification. Verification with another nurse is secondary to confirming the correct patient.