A registered nurse interprets a scribbled medication order by the atte

A registered nurse interprets a scribbled medication order by the attending physician as 25 mg.

The nurse administers 25 mg of the medication to a client, and then discovers that the dose was incorrectly interpreted and should have been 15 mg. Who would ultimately be responsible for the error?
1. Attending physician
2. Assisting resident
3. Pharmacist
4. Nurse

ANSWER

ANS: 4
A nurse carrying out an inaccurate or inappropriate order may be legally responsible for any harm suffered by the client. The nurse should clarify the order with the physician if unable to read the order. The attending physician could be included in a lawsuit, but it would be the nurse who is ultimately responsible for the error. The assisting resident would not be ultimately responsible for the error. The assisting resident did not carry out an inaccurate order. The pharmacist could be included in a lawsuit, but it would be the nurse who is ultimately responsible for the error be-cause the nurse was the individual who carried out an inaccurate order.