NMBI Medication Administration 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What are the 'Five Rights' of medication administration?
- Right patient, right drug, right dose, right route, right time (Correct answer)
- Right patient, right drug, right dose, right chart, right nurse
- Right drug, right dose, right time, right ward, right diagnosis
- Right patient, right drug, right route, right chart, right time
Correct answer: Right patient, right drug, right dose, right route, right time
The Five Rights (sometimes expanded to Nine) are the core safety checks: right patient, right drug, right dose, right route, and right time. These prevent medication errors.
Question 2: A prescription reads: 'Amoxicillin 500mg TDS'. What does 'TDS' mean?
- Three times daily (Correct answer)
- Twice daily
- Four times daily
- Once daily at night
Correct answer: Three times daily
TDS is the Latin abbreviation for 'ter die sumendum' meaning 'to be taken three times a day'. BD = twice daily; QDS = four times daily; OD = once daily.
Question 3: What is the maximum dose of paracetamol for an adult in a 24-hour period?
- 4g (4,000mg) (Correct answer)
- 6g (6,000mg)
- 2g (2,000mg)
- 8g (8,000mg)
Correct answer: 4g (4,000mg)
The maximum adult paracetamol dose is 4g (4,000mg) in 24 hours, typically 1g every 4–6 hours. Exceeding this risks serious hepatotoxicity (liver damage).
Question 4: Which route of medication administration has the fastest onset of action?
- Intravenous (IV) (Correct answer)
- Oral (PO)
- Subcutaneous (SC)
- Intramuscular (IM)
Correct answer: Intravenous (IV)
Intravenous (IV) administration delivers medication directly into the bloodstream, bypassing absorption barriers. This gives the fastest onset but also leaves the least room for error.
Question 5: A nurse discovers a medication error after administering the drug. What is the first action?
- Assess the patient immediately, inform the medical team, and complete an incident report (Correct answer)
- Complete the incident report before doing anything else
- Inform the patient but do not tell the medical team yet
- Say nothing and monitor the patient closely
Correct answer: Assess the patient immediately, inform the medical team, and complete an incident report
Patient safety is the immediate priority after a medication error. Assess the patient first, then inform the medical team so they can act if needed. Documentation and incident reporting follow.
Question 6: What does 'PRN' mean on a medication chart?
- As required / when necessary (Correct answer)
- Immediately
- At night only
- Do not give
Correct answer: As required / when necessary
PRN is from the Latin 'pro re nata' meaning 'as the thing is needed' — i.e., given when the patient needs it rather than at fixed times.
NMBI Medication Administration 1
What are the 'Five Rights' of medication administration?