A nurse has withdrawn a narcotic from the medication dispenser. ...

[fahad]

A nurse has withdrawn a narcotic from the medication dispenser. Upon checking the drug against the medication administration record, the nurse notices that the narcotic order has expired. What should be the nurse's first action?
 
  a. Return the medication to the medication dispenser according to protocol.
  b. Exit the medication room to call the physician to request a reorder of the narcotic.
  c. Assess the patient to see if the narcotic is still needed; if so, administer the medication.
  d. Call the pharmacy and request that the narcotic be removed from the patient profile.

Question 2

A drug requires a low pH to be metabolized. Knowing this, the nurse anticipates that the medication will be administered by which route?
 
  a. Oral
  b. Parenteral
  c. Buccal
  d. Inhalation

[emily12345]

Answer to Question 1

ANS: A
The nurse should follow Nurse Practice Acts and safe narcotic administration guidelines by safely returning the medication to the secure medication dispenser. This allows for an accurate narcotic count. The nurse should not leave the medication room with a nonprescribed medication; the physician can be contacted once the medication is replaced safely. The nurse cannot administer a medication when there is no current order; this is a violation of the Six Rights of Medication Administration. The nurse should notify the pharmacist after safely returning the narcotic to the medication dispenser; removing the medication from the patient profile will reduce further medication errors.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: A
An oral medication would pass through to the stomachan area of low pH. The nurse would question an order for a medication that required an acidic environment to be metabolized. Buccal, inhalation, and parenteral routes provide neutral or alkaline environments.

[fahad]

Excellent

[gcook]

Thanks for the timely response, appreciate it