NCLEX: A 64-year-old client on a medical-surgical unit is being evaluated for nursing care related to advance directives…

Ethics, legal nursing, delegation, prioritization Management of Care

Case Study

A 64-year-old client on a medical-surgical unit is being evaluated for nursing care related to advance directives. Assessment data include telephone order received for a high-risk IV medication. Before a medication-related action, what must the nurse verify?

Question

A. Administer on schedule even when the client is unarousable.
B. Right client, medication, dose, route, time, allergies, indication, and relevant monitoring per protocol.
C. Skip allergy checks if the drug was given previously without reaction.
D. Delegate medication judgment to UAP to save time.

Rationale

Correct answer: B. Right client, medication, dose, route, time, allergies, indication, and relevant monitoring per protocol.

Rationale: Medication safety requires full rights verification and monitoring; shortcuts increase error risk on the NCLEX and at the bedside.

Hint: Apply ABCs, client stability, and NCSBN clinical judgment steps before choosing an intervention.

Level: Clinical

Difficulty: Medium

Subtopic: Advance directives