Question

The nurse administers digoxin (Lanoxin) 0.25 mg instead of the prescribed prescription of 0.125 mg. The nurse discovers the error while charting the medication. The nurse completes an incident report and notifies the health care provider of the incident. Which additional action should the nurse take?

A. Gives the client a copy of the incident report
B. Documents the incident in the client's record
C. Places the incident report in the client's record
D. Makes a copy of the incident report and sends it to the health care provider's office

Answer 1

After administering a higher dose of digoxin than prescribed, the nurse should closely monitor the patient for signs of toxicity and ensure proper interventions are carried out. The medication error itself should not be documented in the patient's medical record, and the incident report should be kept internal.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a medication error occurs, such as administering the incorrect dose of digoxin, the nurse has taken the correct initial steps by completing an incident report and notifying the health care provider. The additional appropriate action for the nurse to take would be to closely monitor the patient’s vital signs and symptoms due to the increased risk of digoxin toxicity from the higher dose, especially monitoring for signs of digoxin toxicity which can include nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and cardiac arrhythmias.

It is important not to document the medication error directly in the client's medical record but rather the facts surrounding the client's condition and the interventions provided. A copy of the incident report should not be given to the client nor placed in the client’s medical record, and it is generally not sent to the healthcare provider's office but rather handled within the healthcare facility's quality assurance or risk management departments.