RN Nursing · Medication Errors and Safe Practices · Practice question
A nurse has reviewed the following orders. Which order is written correctly?
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Abdu Acheampong DOB 6/8/57 antihypertensive 20 mg PO daily at 1400
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Achak Bernard DOB 9/3/59 Lipitor 20 mg PO
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Tim Miller DOB 4/11/58 Lipitor 20 mg daily at 1330
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✓
Chen Nguyen DOB 3/4/56 Lipitor 20 mg PO daily at 1130
Answer & explanation
Correct: Chen Nguyen DOB 3/4/56 Lipitor 20 mg PO daily at 1130
A correctly written medication order must include the patient's full name, date of birth, drug name (using the generic or brand name — not just a category descriptor), dose, route of administration, frequency or scheduled time, and enough information for safe verification. Evaluating each option: the first order lists 'antihypertensive 20 mg' rather than a specific drug name, which is unsafe because it does not identify which antihypertensive to administer. The second order for Achak Bernard specifies Lipitor 20 mg PO but omits the frequency and time, making it incomplete and unsafe. The third order for Tim Miller includes Lipitor 20 mg and a time but omits the route of administration (PO), which is a required element. The fourth order for Chen Nguyen includes the full name, date of birth, specific drug name (Lipitor), dose (20 mg), route (PO), frequency (daily), and time (1130) — all required components are present. This is the only complete and correctly written order. Nurses must be able to identify incomplete or ambiguous orders and clarify them with the prescriber before administering any medication, as missing elements create risk for error and patient harm.
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