A patient is given a new medication and reports nausea within an hour after taking the drug. The nurse consults the drug information manual and learns that nausea is not an expected adverse effect of this drug. When the next dose is due, what will the nurse do?
A) Administer the drug and tell the patient to report further nausea.
B) Hold the drug and notify the provider of the patient's symptoms.
C) Report the symptoms of nausea to the MEDWATCH program.
D) Request an order for an antiemetic to counter this drug's effects.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Not all adverse drug reactions (ADRs) can be detected during clinical trials, and nurses should be alert to any effects that may result from drug administration. Because nausea is not a serious effect and because it is not yet known whether the drug is the cause of this patient's nausea, the nurse should administer the medication and observe the patient for recurrence of the symptom. It is not necessary to hold the drug, because nausea is not a serious side effect. The MEDWATCH program should be notified when there is a greater suspicion that the drug may have caused the nausea if the nausea occurs with subsequent doses. Until there is greater suspicion that the drug actually caused this patient's nausea, giving an antiemetic is not indicated.

A Patient Is Given a New Medication and Reports Nausea