Safety and Infection ControlQuestion 451 of 2368
A nurse receives a prescription that contains an error-prone abbreviation. What should the nurse do?
- Clarify it with the provider and have the order rewritten without the abbreviation
- Interpret the abbreviation based on its usual meaning and give the medication
- Give the medication and avoid using the abbreviation in the client's chart
- Ask the pharmacist to guess the intended meaning and then dispense the drug
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Correct answer: Clarify it with the provider and have the order rewritten without the abbreviation
Orders with error-prone abbreviations must be clarified and rewritten without the abbreviation.
Source: Nursing Pharmacology, 2nd edition (Open RN, Chippewa Valley Technical College, 2023), Legal/Ethical: Error-Prone Abbreviations. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Practice the topic "Safety and Infection Control"Questions last reviewed: 18 October 2026