Question 1

When taking a telephone order for a medication, which action by the nurse is most appropriate?

Accepted Answer

A)  Verify the order with the charge nurse. 
B)  Call back the prescriber to review the order. 
C)  Repeat the order to the prescriber before hanging up the telephone. 
D)  Ask the pharmacist to double-check the order. C

Question 2

The nurse can prevent medication errors by following which principles?

Accepted Answer

A)  Assess for allergies after giving medications. 
B)  Use two patient identifiers before giving medications. 
C)  Always following the rights of medication administration. 
D)  Minimize the use of verbal and telephone orders. 
E)  Use trade names instead of generic names to avoid confusion. B, C, D

Question 3

Levothyroxine is available in 75-mcg tablet form. Convert this dose to milligram strength. (do not round) _______

Accepted Answer

0.075 mg
One mg equals 1000 mcg. To convert 75 mcg to mg, divide 75 by 1000 to equal 0.075 mg, or move the decimal point to the left three spaces. Do not forget to include the leading zero in front of the decimal point.

Question 4

The nurse is reviewing a list of verbal medication orders. Which is the proper notation of the dose of the drug ordered?

Accepted Answer

A)  Levothyroxine.75 mg 
B)  Levothyroxine.750 mg 
C)  Levothyroxine 0.75 mg 
D)  Levothyroxine 0.750 mg

Question 5

During a period of time when the computerized medication order system was down, the prescriber wrote admission orders, and the nurse is transcribing them. The nurse is having difficulty transcribing one order because of the prescriber's handwriting. Which is the best action for the nurse to take at this time?

Accepted Answer

A)  Ask a colleague what the order says. 
B)  Contact the prescriber to clarify the order. 
C)  Wait until the prescriber makes rounds again to clarify the order. 
D)  Ask the patient what medications he takes at home.

Question 6

When given a scheduled morning medication, the patient states, "I haven't seen that pill before. Are you sure it's correct?" The nurse checks the medication administration record and verifies that it is listed. Which is the nurse's best response?

Accepted Answer

A)  "It's listed here on the medication sheet, so you should take it." 
B)  "Go ahead and take it, and then I'll check with your doctor about it." 
C)  "It wouldn't be listed here if it were not ordered for you!" 
D)  "Let me check on the order first before you take it."

Question 7

When reviewing pediatric medication administration, the nurse recognizes that which type of medication error is most common with children?

Accepted Answer

A)  Oral medication administration errors 
B)  Wrong route errors 
C)  Incorrect dosage form errors 
D)  Dosing errors

Question 8

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

Accepted Answer

A)  A patient refuses her morning medications. 
B)  A patient receives a double dose of a medication because the nurse did not cut the pill in half. 
C)  A patient develops hives after having started an IV antibiotic 24 hours earlier. 
D)  A patient complains of severe pain still present 60 minutes after a pain medication was given.

Question 9

During morning medication administration, the nurse discovered an error on the electronic MAR before the medication was given. Which action by the nurse is appropriate for this "near-miss?"

Accepted Answer

A)  Correct the MAR error but say nothing because nothing happened. 
B)  Notify the pharmacy about the error they almost caused. 
C)  Report the near-miss using the facility's recommended protocol, and correct the error on the MAR. 
D)  Report the near-miss to the next shift before the next dose is due.

Question 10

Digoxin is available in 0.125-mg tablet form. Convert this dose to microgram strength. (do not round) _______

Accepted Answer

The answer of Digoxin is available in 0.125-mg tablet form....

Exam 5: Medication Errors: Preventing and Responding