In a long-term care facility, a practical nurse administers the wrong medication in a rush. What is the practical nurse's first responsibility?

In a long-term care facility, a practical nurse administers the wrong medication in a rush. What is the practical nurse's first responsibility?

• A. Disclose the incident to Mr. Smith and his family.
• B. Inform the unit manager and prescriber of the medication error.
• C. Complete an incident report for the agency about the details of the incident.
• D. Assess Mr. Smith to ensure that he is not in immediate danger.

Answer: (A)

The initial priority is the patient’s safety. When a medication error occurs, the nurse first assesses the patient to determine if there is an immediate threat or adverse reaction, checks vital signs, and takes steps to stabilize the patient as needed. This immediate assessment and stabilization prevents further harm and guides any urgent interventions, such as holding the next dose, contacting the prescriber for orders, or providing any antidotes or supportive care. Once the patient is stabilized, addressing the systemic aspects of the error follows: informing the unit manager and the prescriber to start the formal response, documenting what happened, and completing the incident report as required. Transparency with the patient and family is important and should be done as promptly as possible after the patient’s immediate condition is under control, in a truthful and compassionate manner.

The initial priority is the patient’s safety. When a medication error occurs, the nurse first assesses the patient to determine if there is an immediate threat or adverse reaction, checks vital signs, and takes steps to stabilize the patient as needed. This immediate assessment and stabilization prevents further harm and guides any urgent interventions, such as holding the next dose, contacting the prescriber for orders, or providing any antidotes or supportive care.

Once the patient is stabilized, addressing the systemic aspects of the error follows: informing the unit manager and the prescriber to start the formal response, documenting what happened, and completing the incident report as required. Transparency with the patient and family is important and should be done as promptly as possible after the patient’s immediate condition is under control, in a truthful and compassionate manner.