If, during shift change, the nurse you are replacing told you to expect the narcotics count to be off because it was off when she began her shift, how would you handle the situation?

"If I were taking over a shift and the nurse who worked before me told me about a discrepancy between the narcotics count book and the actual medications on hand, I would first ask her if we can do another count to verify the discrepancy. If the count does reflect that medications are missing, I would immediately report this to my supervisor. This is not about getting someone into trouble, but about being accountable for the safety and well being of my patients, myself, and the other staff. Medication errors are sometimes made, but it is my responsibility to make sure I notify the appropriate people (my supervisor) to determine where the error occurred and to make sure it doesn't happen again."

"Any time the count of medications does not match the record book, I would report the incident to my supervisor. While errors do occur, unfortunately, there could be other reasons for inaccurate counts. It is my responsibility to notify a supervisor. This puts the situation in the hands of someone with authority and protects me from any liability related to missing medications."

"As a medical professional, I'm trusted with confidential information each day. I handle and respect the information and provide details to providers on a need to know the basis for further treatment."

Community answers are written by other candidates practicing this set. Reading how others frame the same question is one of the fastest ways to sharpen your own.

Show more answers Create a free account to add your own answer →