Question

a nurse is providing teaching regarding medication administration to a group of newly licensed nurses. which of the following is a legal responsibility of a nurse?
prescribing the correct dosage.
modifying the medication regimen.
reporting medication errors.
delegating administration to assistive personnel.

Explanation:

• Prescribing the correct dosage: This is typically the role of a prescriber (e.g., physician, advanced - practice nurse with prescriptive authority), not a general - duty nurse.
• Modifying the medication regimen: Similar to prescribing, modifying a medication regimen (changing the drug, dose, or schedule) is usually beyond the scope of a basic - level nurse's legal responsibility.
• Reporting medication errors: Nurses have a legal and ethical responsibility to report any medication errors that occur. This helps in patient safety and quality improvement.
• Delegating administration to assistive personnel: While some aspects of patient care can be delegated, the administration of medications (especially in most cases) cannot be delegated to assistive personnel in the traditional sense. The nurse is responsible for ensuring proper medication administration.

Answer:

C. Reporting medication errors.