NUR211 Exam Oral and Topical Medication 2023 Graded
A
What should the nurse instruct her patient to do when she or he is administering a
buccal medication?
a. Hold the medication under the tongue.
b. Swallow the medication after 30 seconds.
c. Chew the medication before swallowing.
d. Hold the medication against the cheek membranes.
ANS: D
Buccal medication is placed between the upper or lower molar teeth and the cheek area
and is allowed to dissolve.
The sublingual route is used to administer medication under the tongue. Medication is
dissolved rather than swallowed using the buccal route.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: Text Reference: Page 529
OBJ: Correctly administer a medication by oral, nasogastric or other enteral tube, skin
(topical), ophthalmic, otic, nasal, inhaled, vaginal, and rectal routes. TOP: Buccal
Medication
KEY: Nursing Process Step: Implementation
MSC: NCLEX: Physiological Integrity
Which of the following is the most critical to assess before medication administration?
a. Diet history
b. Allergy history
c. Surgical history
d. Drug tolerance
ANS: B
Drug allergies should be listed on each page of the MAR, prominently displayed on the
patient's medical record, and the patient should be wearing the facility's allergy bracelet.
Assessment for drug allergies is necessary before medication is administered.
A client's diet, surgical, and drug histories are important areas to assess, but they are
not as critical as his or her allergy history, which can be life-threatening.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: Text Reference: Page 531
OBJ: Describe factors to assess before administering medications.
TOP: Allergy History KEY: Nursing Process Step: Implementation
MSC: NCLEX: Physiological Integrity
The patient has returned from a gastroscopy procedure. He has been NPO since
midnight last night and has not received his morning medications. What should the
nurse do before giving him his medications?
a. Check for a gag reflex
b. Allow the patient to self-administer
, c. Assess the ability to cough
d. Use straws and extra water for administration
ANS: A
Assess patient's swallow, cough, and gag reflexes. Determine the patient's ability to
swallow safely. Patients with altered ability to swallow are at higher risk for aspiration.
If possible, the patient should be allowed to self-administer oral medications. Checking
for a gag reflex takes priority over assessing the ability to cough in preventing
aspiration. Straws should be avoided because they decrease the control the patient has
over volume intake, which increases the risk for aspiration. Some patients cannot
tolerate thin liquids such as water and need them to be thickened.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: Text Reference: Page 531
OBJ: Describe factors to assess before administering medications.
TOP: Gag Reflex KEY: Nursing Process Step: Implementation
MSC: NCLEX: Physiological Integrity
Which of the following is an appropriate technique for preparing medication for
administration?
a. Using a cutting device to cut scored tablets
b. Unwrapping all of the medication to be given and placing it together in a cup
c. Crushing capsules and enteric-coated medication for easier swallowing
d. Pouring tablets from a floor stock bottle directly into the medication cup without
touching them
ANS: A
If you have to break a medication to administer half the dosage, use a clean, gloved
hand to break the tablet or cut with a cutting device. Tablets that are to be broken in half
must be prescored by a manufactured line that transverses the center of the tablet. This
reduces contamination of the tablet. Tablets that are not prescored cannot be broken
into equal halves, and the result will be an inaccurate dose. Using a cutting device
results in a more even split of the tablet.
Wrapper maintains cleanliness of medications and identifies drug name and dose. Not
all drugs can be crushed (e.g., capsules, enteric-coated, long-acting/slow-release
drugs). The coating of these drugs protects the stomach from irritation or protects the
drug from destruction by stomach acids. Medications poured from a stock bottle should
be poured into the cap first to get the correct dose while avoiding waste.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: Text Reference: Page 532
OBJ: Administer oral medication. TOP: Cutting Pills
KEY: Nursing Process Step: Implementation
MSC: NCLEX: Physiological Integrity
The nurse is in the medication room preparing medications for her patients. She has
four patients who require medications at 0900. Which of the following methods follows
the six rights of medication?
a. Prepare medications for all of her patients at once and keep the cups separate
b. Break unscored tablets with her fingers after washing her hands
A
What should the nurse instruct her patient to do when she or he is administering a
buccal medication?
a. Hold the medication under the tongue.
b. Swallow the medication after 30 seconds.
c. Chew the medication before swallowing.
d. Hold the medication against the cheek membranes.
ANS: D
Buccal medication is placed between the upper or lower molar teeth and the cheek area
and is allowed to dissolve.
The sublingual route is used to administer medication under the tongue. Medication is
dissolved rather than swallowed using the buccal route.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: Text Reference: Page 529
OBJ: Correctly administer a medication by oral, nasogastric or other enteral tube, skin
(topical), ophthalmic, otic, nasal, inhaled, vaginal, and rectal routes. TOP: Buccal
Medication
KEY: Nursing Process Step: Implementation
MSC: NCLEX: Physiological Integrity
Which of the following is the most critical to assess before medication administration?
a. Diet history
b. Allergy history
c. Surgical history
d. Drug tolerance
ANS: B
Drug allergies should be listed on each page of the MAR, prominently displayed on the
patient's medical record, and the patient should be wearing the facility's allergy bracelet.
Assessment for drug allergies is necessary before medication is administered.
A client's diet, surgical, and drug histories are important areas to assess, but they are
not as critical as his or her allergy history, which can be life-threatening.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: Text Reference: Page 531
OBJ: Describe factors to assess before administering medications.
TOP: Allergy History KEY: Nursing Process Step: Implementation
MSC: NCLEX: Physiological Integrity
The patient has returned from a gastroscopy procedure. He has been NPO since
midnight last night and has not received his morning medications. What should the
nurse do before giving him his medications?
a. Check for a gag reflex
b. Allow the patient to self-administer
, c. Assess the ability to cough
d. Use straws and extra water for administration
ANS: A
Assess patient's swallow, cough, and gag reflexes. Determine the patient's ability to
swallow safely. Patients with altered ability to swallow are at higher risk for aspiration.
If possible, the patient should be allowed to self-administer oral medications. Checking
for a gag reflex takes priority over assessing the ability to cough in preventing
aspiration. Straws should be avoided because they decrease the control the patient has
over volume intake, which increases the risk for aspiration. Some patients cannot
tolerate thin liquids such as water and need them to be thickened.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: Text Reference: Page 531
OBJ: Describe factors to assess before administering medications.
TOP: Gag Reflex KEY: Nursing Process Step: Implementation
MSC: NCLEX: Physiological Integrity
Which of the following is an appropriate technique for preparing medication for
administration?
a. Using a cutting device to cut scored tablets
b. Unwrapping all of the medication to be given and placing it together in a cup
c. Crushing capsules and enteric-coated medication for easier swallowing
d. Pouring tablets from a floor stock bottle directly into the medication cup without
touching them
ANS: A
If you have to break a medication to administer half the dosage, use a clean, gloved
hand to break the tablet or cut with a cutting device. Tablets that are to be broken in half
must be prescored by a manufactured line that transverses the center of the tablet. This
reduces contamination of the tablet. Tablets that are not prescored cannot be broken
into equal halves, and the result will be an inaccurate dose. Using a cutting device
results in a more even split of the tablet.
Wrapper maintains cleanliness of medications and identifies drug name and dose. Not
all drugs can be crushed (e.g., capsules, enteric-coated, long-acting/slow-release
drugs). The coating of these drugs protects the stomach from irritation or protects the
drug from destruction by stomach acids. Medications poured from a stock bottle should
be poured into the cap first to get the correct dose while avoiding waste.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: Text Reference: Page 532
OBJ: Administer oral medication. TOP: Cutting Pills
KEY: Nursing Process Step: Implementation
MSC: NCLEX: Physiological Integrity
The nurse is in the medication room preparing medications for her patients. She has
four patients who require medications at 0900. Which of the following methods follows
the six rights of medication?
a. Prepare medications for all of her patients at once and keep the cups separate
b. Break unscored tablets with her fingers after washing her hands
