A nurse is about to administer a medication and notices that the physician's or primary health care provider's order looks incorrect regarding the amount of the medication. What should the nurse do? (Select all that apply.)
a. Notify the physician or health care provider.
b. Do not carry out the order.
c. Document the suspicion that the dosage is incorrect.
d. Administer the medication.
e. Notify the supervisor or nurse manager.
A, B, E
Nurses are responsible for carrying out medical treatment unless the physician's or health care provider's order is in error, violates hospital policy, or is harmful to the patient. Therefore it is imperative to assess all orders and, if they appear to be erroneous or harmful to the patient, to obtain further clarification from the physician or health care provider. Do not carry out the order if there is a risk that harm will come to your patient; therefore do not administer the medication. Inform the nurse manager or the nursing supervisor. The nurse does not document suspicions or opinions, just objective, factual information.
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