CMA Medication Administration & Safety 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Where should a sublingual nitroglycerin tablet be placed?
- Between the cheek and gum
- Under the tongue (Correct answer)
- On top of the tongue and swallowed with water
- Crushed and mixed with applesauce
Correct answer: Under the tongue
Sublingual means under the tongue, where the tablet dissolves and is absorbed rapidly into the bloodstream.
Question 2: When instilling eye drops, where should the drops be placed?
- Directly onto the cornea
- Into the inner corner near the tear duct
- Into the lower conjunctival sac (Correct answer)
- On the upper eyelid margin
Correct answer: Into the lower conjunctival sac
Drops go into the pocket formed by gently pulling down the lower lid, avoiding direct contact with the cornea.
Question 3: How should an adult resident's ear be positioned when administering ear drops?
- Pull the pinna down and back
- Pull the pinna up and back (Correct answer)
- Pull the earlobe straight down
- Push the tragus forward
Correct answer: Pull the pinna up and back
Pulling the adult pinna up and back straightens the ear canal so drops reach the canal.
Question 4: Which position is preferred for inserting a rectal suppository?
- Supine
- Prone
- Left Sims' (left side-lying) (Correct answer)
- High Fowler's
Correct answer: Left Sims' (left side-lying)
The left Sims' position follows the natural curve of the rectum and sigmoid colon, easing insertion.
Question 5: Before applying a new transdermal medication patch, the medication aide should FIRST:
- Apply the new patch over the old one
- Remove the old patch and use a different site (Correct answer)
- Shave the area with a razor
- Apply lotion to improve adhesion
Correct answer: Remove the old patch and use a different site
Removing the old patch prevents overdose and rotating sites reduces skin irritation.
Question 6: A resident has difficulty swallowing an enteric-coated tablet. What should the medication aide do?
- Crush it and mix it in pudding
- Cut it in half with a pill splitter
- Do not crush it and notify the nurse for an alternative form (Correct answer)
- Dissolve it in hot water
Correct answer: Do not crush it and notify the nurse for an alternative form
Enteric coating protects the drug or the stomach, so crushing destroys its purpose and requires a nurse/prescriber to change the form.
Question 7: When an order calls for two puffs of the same metered-dose inhaler, how long should the resident generally wait between puffs?
- No wait is needed
- About 1 minute (Correct answer)
- At least 15 minutes
- One hour
Correct answer: About 1 minute
Waiting about one minute between puffs improves medication delivery to the lungs.
