When a nurse discovers she has given a double dose of medication, which action should be taken first?

When a nurse discovers she has given a double dose of medication, which action should be taken first?

• A. Assess adverse effects of the overdose
• B. Complete an incident report
• C. Notify the ordering physician
• D. Report the error to the nurse administrator

Answer: (A)

When a medication error is discovered, the immediate priority is to assess the patient for adverse effects and potential harm. Start with a focused patient assessment to determine urgency: check airway, breathing, and circulation; take vital signs; evaluate level of consciousness and mental status; and look for signs of overdose such as extreme sedation, respiratory depression, hypotension, or confusion. This quick assessment guides the next steps and helps you decide whether urgent interventions are needed to stabilize the patient. Only after you have a clear sense of the patient’s condition should you act on reporting and documentation. If the patient is unstable or showing signs of serious toxicity, you implement any immediate interventions per protocol to stabilize them. Once the patient’s condition is addressed or stabilized, notify the ordering physician to obtain further treatment orders, and complete the incident report and inform the nurse administrator as part of the formal documentation and quality-improvement process.

When a medication error is discovered, the immediate priority is to assess the patient for adverse effects and potential harm. Start with a focused patient assessment to determine urgency: check airway, breathing, and circulation; take vital signs; evaluate level of consciousness and mental status; and look for signs of overdose such as extreme sedation, respiratory depression, hypotension, or confusion. This quick assessment guides the next steps and helps you decide whether urgent interventions are needed to stabilize the patient.

Only after you have a clear sense of the patient’s condition should you act on reporting and documentation. If the patient is unstable or showing signs of serious toxicity, you implement any immediate interventions per protocol to stabilize them. Once the patient’s condition is addressed or stabilized, notify the ordering physician to obtain further treatment orders, and complete the incident report and inform the nurse administrator as part of the formal documentation and quality-improvement process.