The nurse is preparing oral medications for administration.Which action by the nurse is appropriate?
A)Using a cutting device to cut scored tablets
B)Unwrapping all of the medications to be given and placing them together in a cup
C)Crushing capsules and enteric-coated medication for easier swallowing
D)Holding the medication cup at eye level to pour a liquid dosage

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

If you have to break a medication to administer half the dosage,use a clean,gloved hand to break the tablet or cut it with a cutting device.Tablets that are to be broken in half must be prescored by a manufactured line that transverses the center of the tablet.Tablets that are not prescored cannot be broken into equal halves,and the result will be an inaccurate dose.Using a cutting device results in a more even split of the tablet.Wrappers maintain the cleanliness of medications and identify drug name and dose.Not all drugs can be crushed (e.g. ,capsules,enteric-coated,and long-acting/slow-release drugs).The coating of these drugs protects the stomach from irritation or protects the drug from destruction by stomach acids.Liquid medications poured from a stock bottle should be poured into a medication cup that is placed at eye level on a flat surface.

The Nurse Is Preparing Oral Medications for Administration