Final answer:
The correct response upon receiving a medication order is to repeat the order back to the prescriber to verify understanding. This practice aligns with healthcare protocols to prevent errors and ensures patient safety. After confirming the order, the medication should be administered as instructed.
Step-by-step explanation:
When receiving a medication order from medical direction, the correct protocol usually involves a process known as "read back-verify" or "repeat back" to ensure that the order has been understood correctly. This is critical to patient safety and reducing the risk of errors in medication administration. Therefore, the correct answer to the question is C. repeat the order back to ensure you have understood it correctly. Before administering the medication, the healthcare professional should verbally repeat the order to the prescriber. This serves as a double-check against any potential miscommunication or misunderstanding of the medication order. In practices like anesthesia induction, this method is akin to the safety checks made, where the nurse and anesthesia professional confirm necessary details before proceeding.
After confirmation, if the order is understood to be correct, the healthcare professional should proceed with the administration of the medication as directed. This practice enhances patient safety and aligns with standardized communication protocols in healthcare settings, playing a crucial role in the recovery and care of the patient.