The RN is precepting a nursing student in the surgical ICU. The client is diabetic and asks the student nurse about insulin. Which response by the RN is best ?
ask the family to step out of the room to ensure client privacy
tell the client that he should ask the health care provider when she rounds
inform the client that the student nurse cannot answer questions regarding medication
allow the nursing student to answer the client’s question while the RN is present and can provide additional information if needed
Number 4 is correct.
Rationale: Nursing students learn by doing, and educating clients about their medications is one of the most important skills in nursing. The student nurse should answer only when the precepting nurse is in the room. If any information is incorrect, the RN can gently offer the correct information and use it as a teaching moment for the student nurse. There is no reason to ask the family to step out of the room unless the client specifically requests it. Passing off medication questions to the health care provider is inappropriate, unless the client is receiving a medication that is unfamiliar to the nurse or is an experimental drug. It is incorrect to tell the client that the student nurse cannot answer questions about medication. A student nurse precepting in the ICU has already passed several medication tests.
