A nurse prepares to administer insulin aspart (Novolog) to a diabetic patient in the morning, but the patient says that the night shift nurse gave it already because she had an early morning snack. It was not documented as given and the night shift nurse has gone home. Of the following, which is the appropriate action on the part of the nurse?

Explanation

•The correct answer is: Call the night shift nurse to confirm this and then check the patient's CBG and inform the MD.

•The nurse should collect as much information as possible to confirm the dose that was given by the night shift nurse and the time as well as the patient's current CBG. The physician needs to be informed and will need to give orders to either wait or give another dose now or at another time.

•The nurse will document if the dose is to be held or given at another time per the physician's order. The nurse will also file an incident report for the medication error separately.

Incorrect options:

•It is unacceptable to either confirm the dose given with the patient or nurse over the phone and then to document the dose as administered. Never document care or medication administration performed by another nurse.

•Do not just hold the dose and report this to the charge nurse. This needs to be reported to the physician and orders obtained, and an incident report will need to be made.

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