The daughter of an older frail patient recovering from receiving the wrong medication asks what the hospital can do to prevent this from happening again. How should the nurse respond to the daughter?
1. "There isn't much that can be done."
2. "Medication errors can't be avoided because we are short-staffed."
3. "It really depends on the physician's handwriting to understand what is ordered."
4. "We are planning to install a bar-code system to identify patients and medications."
4
Rationale: There is much that can be done to prevent medication errors. The use of computerized entry systems, monitoring of prescriptions by a clinical pharmacist, and identification of the correct patient and drug using bar-code technology are methods that have been shown to decrease the frequency of medication errors.
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A 24-year-old man is planning a trip to Southeast Asia and has obtained a prescription for chloroquine for malaria prophylaxis. While taking this drug, the nurse should likely encourage the patient to avoid
A) soy products. B) unpeeled vegetables. C) high-fat food. D) alcohol.
A nurse suspects that a client is depressed. Which of the following symptoms is most likely being exhibited by the client? (Select all that apply.)
a. Paranoia b. Fatigue c. Irritability d. Difficulty concentrating e. Hallucinations f. Impulsivity
The nurse concludes that a significant goal of the care plan for an alcoholic patient has been met when the patient states:
a. "I drink because I'm lonely." b. "All my difficulties are related to my drinking." c. "I wouldn't need to drink if I had my family back." d. "My drinking helps me cope with the stress of my job."
A 25-year-old patient believed that he still had immunity to childhood illnesses until he developed chickenpox. What is the best explanation of this situation made by the nurse to the patient?
a. He never had an injection for immunity. b. Artificially acquired active immunity doesn't always confer lifelong immunity. c. He never got a booster as a child. d. There was no immunity injection for this disease.