Which action demonstrates the standard of care when a prescription dose is questioned?

Which action demonstrates the standard of care when a prescription dose is questioned?

• A. The nurse questions the physician about a prescription with a dose higher than the recommended dose.
• B. The nurse medicates a client with aspirin for chest pain without a prescription and then calls the physician.
• C. The nurse brings a breakfast tray into the client’s room and places it on the counter away from a vomiting patient.
• D. A nurse witnesses a client fall and waits to fill out the incident report until the next shift.

Answer: (A)

When a dose on a prescription seems higher than the recommended amount, the nurse’s first responsibility is to verify and clarify with the prescriber before administering. This demonstrates safe medication practice: actively checking orders that don’t align with dosing guidelines to prevent overdose and harm, especially in older adults where dosing errors can have serious consequences due to polypharmacy and age-related physiology. In geriatrics, the risk of adverse drug events is higher because metabolism and excretion can be altered, and even small dosing changes can have big effects. Therefore, questioning an order that exceeds standard dosing is the prudent, standards-aligned action that protects the patient. The other scenarios don’t address medication safety in the same direct way: giving a drug without a prescription bypasses proper authorization; moving a breakfast tray away from a vomiting patient is good safety practice but not about dosage verification; and delaying an incident report neglects timely safety reporting.

When a dose on a prescription seems higher than the recommended amount, the nurse’s first responsibility is to verify and clarify with the prescriber before administering. This demonstrates safe medication practice: actively checking orders that don’t align with dosing guidelines to prevent overdose and harm, especially in older adults where dosing errors can have serious consequences due to polypharmacy and age-related physiology.

In geriatrics, the risk of adverse drug events is higher because metabolism and excretion can be altered, and even small dosing changes can have big effects. Therefore, questioning an order that exceeds standard dosing is the prudent, standards-aligned action that protects the patient.

The other scenarios don’t address medication safety in the same direct way: giving a drug without a prescription bypasses proper authorization; moving a breakfast tray away from a vomiting patient is good safety practice but not about dosage verification; and delaying an incident report neglects timely safety reporting.