MACE Medication Safety 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A resident receives a medication that looks different than usual. What should the medication aide do FIRST?
- Administer it and document the change
- Contact the nurse before giving the medication (Correct answer)
- Ask the resident if they want to take it
- Check the expiration date only
Correct answer: Contact the nurse before giving the medication
Any change in a medication's appearance should be reported to the nurse before administration to prevent medication errors.
Question 2: Which of the following is a 'five rights' of medication administration?
- Right temperature
- Right route (Correct answer)
- Right color
- Right packaging
Correct answer: Right route
The five rights include right resident, right drug, right dose, right time, and right route.
Question 3: When should a medication aide wash their hands in relation to medication administration?
- Only after administration
- Only before administration
- Before and after each resident's medications (Correct answer)
- Once at the start of the medication pass
Correct answer: Before and after each resident's medications
Hand hygiene must be performed before and after administering medications to each resident to prevent cross-contamination.
Question 4: A resident refuses to take their prescribed medication. The medication aide should:
- Crush it and hide it in food
- Document the refusal and notify the nurse (Correct answer)
- Insist the resident take it
- Discard the medication and say nothing
Correct answer: Document the refusal and notify the nurse
Residents have the right to refuse medications; the aide must document the refusal and inform the nurse.
Question 5: Which action best prevents medication errors during a busy medication pass?
- Working as quickly as possible to finish early
- Avoiding distractions and focusing on each resident (Correct answer)
- Pre-pouring all medications at the start of the shift
- Relying on memory instead of checking the MAR
Correct answer: Avoiding distractions and focusing on each resident
Minimizing distractions and focusing on one resident at a time is the best strategy to prevent medication errors.
Question 6: What does the abbreviation 'PRN' mean on a medication order?
- Administer every night
- Administer as needed (Correct answer)
- Administer by mouth
- Administer before meals
Correct answer: Administer as needed
PRN stands for 'pro re nata,' a Latin term meaning 'as needed,' indicating the medication is given only when required.
Question 7: If a medication aide makes a medication error, what is the correct immediate action?
- Wait to see if the resident has any symptoms
- Notify the nurse immediately and document the error (Correct answer)
- Tell the next shift aide to monitor the resident
- Do nothing if the resident seems fine
Correct answer: Notify the nurse immediately and document the error
Medication errors must be reported to the nurse immediately so the resident can be assessed and an incident report filed.
MACE Medication Safety 2
A resident receives a medication that looks different than usual.
What should the medication aide do FIRST?