RN Exam Practice
Pharmacological and Parenteral TherapiesQuestion 454 of 2368

A client is receiving an antibiotic that treats only gram-positive bacteria. The culture result reports a gram-negative organism. Which action should the nurse take?

  1. Continue the antibiotic as ordered because it was already started for the client
  2. Ask the client to take the drug with food to improve the effect against the organism
  3. Make sure the provider knows the result and request a different antibiotic if indicated
  4. Wait for the next scheduled culture before reporting the result to the provider
Show answer

Correct answer: Make sure the provider knows the result and request a different antibiotic if indicated

The nurse reviews culture results and ensures the provider knows them. A gram-positive drug will not help a gram-negative infection.

Source: Nursing Pharmacology, 2nd edition (Open RN, Chippewa Valley Technical College, 2023), Antimicrobials: Basic Concepts Related to Antimicrobial Therapy. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Practice the topic "Pharmacological and Parenteral Therapies"

Questions last reviewed: 18 October 2026