Basic Nursing Skills Medication Administration 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following is NOT one of the classic 'Rights' of medication administration?
- Right patient
- Right dose
- Right insurance (Correct answer)
- Right route
Correct answer: Right insurance
The classic Rights of medication administration include patient, drug, dose, route, time, documentation, and reason — insurance is not included.
Question 2: Before administering any medication, the nurse must verify patient identity using:
- Patient's room number alone
- At least two patient identifiers (Correct answer)
- The patient's verbal name only
- The medication administration record only
Correct answer: At least two patient identifiers
Joint Commission requires at least two patient identifiers (e.g., name and date of birth or medical record number) before medication administration.
Question 3: A subcutaneous injection is administered at which angle?
- 10–15 degrees
- 45–90 degrees (Correct answer)
- 90 degrees only
- 180 degrees
Correct answer: 45–90 degrees
Subcutaneous injections are given at a 45–90 degree angle depending on the amount of subcutaneous tissue.
Question 4: An intramuscular injection in an adult is typically given at which angle?
- 15 degrees
- 45 degrees
- 90 degrees (Correct answer)
- 60 degrees
Correct answer: 90 degrees
Intramuscular injections are administered at a 90-degree angle to ensure the medication reaches muscle tissue.
Question 5: Which site is preferred for IM injections in most adults?
- Dorsogluteal
- Ventrogluteal (Correct answer)
- Deltoid
- Vastus lateralis
Correct answer: Ventrogluteal
The ventrogluteal site is preferred for IM injections in adults because it is free of major blood vessels and nerves and has a thick muscle mass.
Question 6: The nurse is preparing to administer an oral medication. The patient states they have an allergy to the drug. What should the nurse do first?
- Administer the medication and monitor for a reaction
- Hold the medication and notify the prescriber (Correct answer)
- Check if the allergy is in the chart and proceed if mild
- Ask the patient to take the medication anyway
Correct answer: Hold the medication and notify the prescriber
The nurse must withhold the medication and immediately notify the prescriber of the reported allergy before any administration.
Basic Nursing Skills Medication Administration 1
Which of the following is NOT one of the classic 'Rights' of medication administration?