The nurse mistakenly administered a long-acting benzodiazepine to the patient with end-stage liver disease, a drug that was not ordered. As a result, the patient had to remain in the hospital an extra night. The nurse wants to apologize to the patient for the mistake. Which of the following is most accurate?

Apologizing should occur after the nurse speaks with the nurse manager. When a nurse makes a mistake while providing care, the nurse should be transparent with the patient; however, the nurse manager (and likely the Risk Management department) should be informed first. The act of apologizing does not change the legal consequences of the act, since the action is documented. Studies have shown that most patients appreciate this candor and are even less likely to sue for malpractice when they receive a prompt and heartfelt apology. Transparency both to the nurse manager and to the patient is the ethically responsible act.

The nurse mistakenly administered a long-acting benzodiazepi...

Category: Management of Care
Difficulty: 4

Topics: Communication & Documentation Health Care Ethics, Law, and Policy Health Care Quality

Want help? View the answer with rationale.

Additional Management of Care Questions

The patient in the rehabilitation hospital following a spinal cord injury sustained in a motor vehicle accident is preparing for discharge home. The patient tells the nurse, “I had a huge support network back home. Since I moved to this new state for my husband’s job, I feel so out of touch. I don’t know how I’ll get to my therapy and doctor appointments when my husband is at work.” To which interdisciplinary team member does the nurse report the patient’s comments?

Question Type: Multiple Choice - Select One
Difficulty: 4

The nurse is assigned to care for a 45-year-old G2P1 female at 35 weeks estimated gestational age who is admitted with preeclampsia. On morning rounds, the patient says she is having considerable abdominal pain, so the provider writes multiple medication orders for her. Which medication order can the nurse carry out without clarification?

Question Type: Multiple Choice - Select One
Difficulty: 5

The nurse delegates a pre-prandial blood sugar check to the unlicensed assistive personnel who fails to perform it before the patient’s food tray arrives and the patient eats breakfast. Who is most at fault?

Question Type: Multiple Choice - Select One
Difficulty: 6

Show Calculator

Want help? View the answer with rationale.

Rationale

Additional Management of Care Questions

Nursing Careers

Nursing Degrees

NCLEX