1. A nurse is caring for four clients. After administering morning medications, she realizes that the nifedipine prescribed for one client was inadvertently administered to another client. Which of the following actions should the nurse take first?

A. Notify the client's provider.

Rationale: The nurse should notify the client's provider to inform her of the event, however, there is another action the nurse should take first.

B. Check the client's vital signs

Rationale: The first action the nurse should take using the nursing process is to assess the client. The nurse should know that the action of nifedipine is to lower blood pressure. Immediately upon realizing the error, the nurse should check the client's vital signs (especially the client's blood pressure) to ensure that the client is not hypotensive as a result. Only after ensuring that the client is safe and has stable vital signs should the nurse take other actions

C. Fill out an occurrence form.

Rationale: The nurse should fill out an occurrence form to report the event to hospital personnel, however, there is another action the nurse should take first.

D. Administer the medication to the correct client

Rationale: The nurse should administer the medication to the correct client to fulfill the provider's prescription, however, there is another action the nurse should take first.

1. A nurse is reviewing a client's admission record. The nurse notes that there are prescriptions for several medications. Which of the following factors should the nurse recognize is of primary consideration when determining the schedule of administration?

A. Institutional policies regarding routine medication administration times

Rationale: The nurse should consider institutional policies regarding routine medication administration times; however, evidence-based practice indicates that the nurse should base medication administration times on another consideration.

B. Specific characteristics of the medications

Rationale: Evidence-based practice indicates that the specific characteristics of the medications be the primary consideration of scheduling administration times. The characteristics of each medication, including the indication, onset, durations of action, and potential adverse effects and interactions, primarily determine the schedule of administration. Although an institutional policy may require that all once daily medications be administered at 0800, the nurse should be aware that some classifications of medications should only be given at bedtime, or should only be given with food. Likewise, the client's preferences, as well as the availability of each medication from the pharmacy, play important but smaller roles in determining the schedule of administration.