Question

During an evening shift on a medical unit, the only nurse on the unit is busy with an unstable client. The unit clerk, who is also both a certified medication aide and an unlicensed assistive personnel (UP), reports to the nurse that a healthcare provider is on the telephone and wishes to prescribe a PRN dose of an oral over-the- counter laxative for a client who is constipated. What instruction should the nurse provide the unit clerk?

a. Be sure to write down what is prescribed and then repeat it back to the healthcare provider.
b. Remain with this client and monitor the vital signs while the nurse takes the call.
c. Ask the healthcare provider to remain on "hold" until the nurse can confirm the prescription.
d. Tell the healthcare provider the nurse will return the phone call as soon as possible.

Answer 1

The nurse should instruct the unit clerk to inform the healthcare provider that the nurse will return the phone call as soon as possible, as taking a prescription order over the phone must be done by a licensed professional for patient safety.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the scenario described, the nurse is preoccupied with an unstable client and thus cannot immediately respond to the healthcare provider on the telephone. The unit clerk, while certified as a medication aide and an unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP), would not have the authority to take a prescription order over the phone. The nurse should instruct the unit clerk to tell the healthcare provider that the nurse will return the phone call as soon as possible. This is in line with proper delegation and communication protocols which maintain patient safety and ensure that medication orders are taken by the appropriate licensed professionals. In health care settings, important tasks such as confirming prescriptions must be carried out by licensed nurses who have the authority and knowledge to understand and verify medical orders, thus ensuring accurate and safe patient care.