Question

Nurse is providing teaching to patient who has angina and new script for sub lingual nitroglycerin. Which of the following instruction should the nurse include?

A. Swallow tablets WHOLE
B. Expect pain relief to begin 10 MIN after giving
C. Store med in original container
D. take med on empty stomach

Answer 1

The nurse should instruct the patient to store the sublingual nitroglycerin in the original container, expect pain relief within 1 to 3 minutes, and place the tablet under their tongue and let it dissolve without swallowing it whole.

Step-by-step explanation:

When providing teaching to a patient with angina who has been prescribed sublingual nitroglycerin, the nurse should include the instruction to store the medication in the original container. This is important because nitroglycerin is light-sensitive and exposure to light can cause it to lose its effectiveness. It is also important to mention that the patient should expect pain relief to begin within 1 to 3 minutes after taking the medication, not 10 minutes as mentioned in option B. Additionally, the nurse should instruct the patient to place the tablet under their tongue and let it dissolve completely without swallowing it whole (option A). Finally, taking the medication on an empty or full stomach is not specified in the given options.