The nurse is preparing to administer a medication to a 6-year-old client. What is the nurse's priority action?

Question

1. Administer the exact dosage as ordered.
2. Give the dosage supplied by the pharmacy.
3. Verify that the dosage is within the safe range for this child.
4. Administer no more than one-half of the safe adult dosage.

Answer 1

Correct Answer: 3
Rationale 1: This dose should be compared to the standard dose listed in a reputable drug reference book.
Rationale 2: While prescribers and pharmacists are also responsible to figure the correct dose, the nurse who administers the dose is the last possible person to prevent a medication error. The nurse has the final responsibility to ensure that the dose ordered and dose supplied are correct for the client.
Rationale 3: The priority action is to verify that the dosage is within the safe range for this child. This verification can be done by figuring the dose per kilogram of body weight or by use of a nomogram.
Rationale 4: This dose may be more or less than one-half the adult dosage.