Saunders NCLEX RN Practice Questions Related

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A nurse is performing an end-of-shift count of narcotics kept in the locked cabinet. The narcotic log states there should be 26 oxycodone pills left, but there are only 24 in the drawer. What is the first action of the nurse?

  • A. Perform the count again
  • B. Contact the pharmacy to determine if the narcotic log is incorrect
  • C. Check with the last nurse to sign out narcotics from the system
  • D. Notify the house supervisor that narcotic medications are missing
Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A: Perform the count again. The nurse should double-check the count to ensure accuracy before taking further action. Performing the count again helps to rule out any possible errors in the initial count. This step ensures that the discrepancy is not due to a simple mistake or oversight. Contacting the pharmacy (B), checking with the last nurse who signed out narcotics (C), or notifying the house supervisor (D) should be done after confirming the discrepancy through a recount. The first action should always be to verify the count internally before involving external parties or escalating the issue.