Medication Safety
An MA is about to administer a medication, the MA should verify the patient. What identifiers are used to verify the patient and what do they compare those identifiers to?
Patient name and date of birth/the MAR (medication administration record)
A patient is scheduled to receive an immunization today. When should the MA give the patient the appropriate Vaccine Information Statement?
Before administering the vaccine.
Why should vaccines remain in their original packaging with the lids closed while being stored?
To help protect the vaccines and maintain proper storage conditions.
An MA prepares the wrong vaccine but notices the mistake before giving it to the patient. What type of safety event occurred?
A near miss.
A vaccine is ordered to be administered into muscle tissue. At what angle should the MA insert the needle?
90°
An MA sees that a medication order is for a much larger dose than they normally see. The medication name and patient are correct. What is the safest next step?
Stop and verify the medication order before administering it.
A patient says, "You gave me that vaccine information sheet the last time I was here." What should the MA do today?
Provide the appropriate current VIS before administering the vaccine.
An MA is organizing a vaccine refrigerator. How much space should generally be maintained between vaccine containers and the refrigerator walls?
2 - 3 inches
Why should an MA report an error that was caught before it reached the patient?
Near-miss reporting can identify system weaknesses before future patient harm occurs.
A medication is ordered by the subcutaneous route. According to the training, what needle angle should be used?
45°
During a procedure, an MA notices something that could potentially harm the patient. What safety practice allows the MA to immediately pause the process?
Stop the Line.
Shortly after receiving medication, a patient develops difficulty breathing and airway tightening. What type of response requires immediate intervention?
A severe allergic reaction/anaphylactic reaction.
What is the purpose of placing water bottles in appropriate areas of a vaccine refrigerator?
To help maintain a consistent refrigerator temperature.
An MA accidentally prints specimen labels containing another patient's information. What type of reportable safety concern is this?
A patient-identification event.
An MA is preparing an intradermal injection. What is the appropriate needle angle?
5–15°
An MA raises a safety concern to a provider, but the provider dismisses it. What communication strategy directs the MA to voice the concern again?
The Two-Challenge Rule.
A patient tells the MA they have no allergies, but their chart lists an allergy to latex. What should the MA do before proceeding?
Clarify the discrepancy with the patient and notify the provider.
The vaccine refrigerator temperature is discovered to be 50°F. What should happen to the vaccines inside?
Quarantine the vaccines and notify appropriate leadership.
An MA accidentally punctures their finger with a used needle. What should they do first?
Thoroughly cleanse the affected area with soap and water.
An infant is 6 months old and needs an IM injection. According to the training, which muscle is the designated IM site for infants ages 1–12 months?
Vastus lateralis
A staff member makes an error, and leadership evaluates the choices and behaviors that contributed to the error rather than automatically punishing the employee. What safety concept does this demonstrate?
Just Culture.
Unlike an expected medication side effect, this reaction occurs when the body's immune system responds abnormally to a medication. What is it?
A drug allergy.
Why is maintaining the correct storage temperature especially important for vaccines?
Improper storage can reduce vaccine potency and result in an inadequate immune response.
An incident or near miss occurs that could affect patient safety, quality, or clinic operations, even though no permanent harm occurs. What type of event is this?
An unanticipated event.
While obtaining a throat culture, the MA needs to prevent contamination of the specimen. Which structures should the swab avoid?
The lips, teeth, tongue, cheeks, and uvula.