Medication Preparation and Administration of an Intramuscular Injection: Lesson 1

1. The parts of a needle used for medication injection include:

a) Bevel

b) Lumen

c) Shaft

d) All of the above

2. When removing medication from a vial, the nurse should do all of the following EXCEPT:

a) Swab the rubber top with alcohol and allow to dry

b) Draw up the medication with the vial on a flat surface

c) Pierce the rubber stopper in center with the needle tip

d) Touch the plunger at the knob only

3. Which of the following is the FIRST step when preparing to administer an intramuscular injection?

a) Identify self and patient

b) Hand hygiene

c) Draw up medication in a syringe

d) Check physician’s order

4. The nurse is preparing to administer an intramuscular injection. After she draws up the medication, the uncapped needle tip touches the clean counter. What should the nurse do next?

a) Replace the needle with a new one

b) Continue with the preparation and administration

c) Wipe the needle off with alcohol

d) Discard both the needle and syringe

5. When reconstituting medication in a vial, all of the following are correct EXCEPT:

a) Draw up the appropriate amount of diluent into the syringe

b) Insert the needle or blunt cannula through the center of the self-sealing stopper on

the powdered medication vial

c) Shake the vial to mix the powdered medication and diluent

d) Inject the diluent into the powdered medication vial

6. After the nurse cleanses the rubber top of the vial with an alcohol wipe, the top should be dry before withdrawing its contents. Drying is accomplished by:

a) Wiping the top of the vial with a dry gauze

b) Blowing off the top of the vial

c) Waving a hand above the vial to create moving air

d) Allowing the rubber top to air dry

7. When mixing medications from two vials in one syringe, which of the following is correct?

a) After injecting air into the second vial, invert the vial and draw up the prescribed

amount of medication

b) After injecting air into the first vial, invert the vial and draw up the prescribed amount

of medication

c) Inject air into the first vial only

d) Inject air into the second vial only

8. The medication order requires the nurse to withdraw 2 ml of medication from a vial. After injecting air into the vial, what is the nurse’s next step before withdrawing the medication?

a) Invert the vial and keep the needle or blunt cannula below the fluid level

b) Invert the vial and keep the needle or blunt cannula above the fluid level

c) Hold the vial on a flat surface and keep the needle or blunt cannula below the fluid

level

d) Hold the vial on a flat surface and keep the needle or blunt cannula above the fluid

level

9. The label on the medication vial must be checked during medication preparation or administration. The nurse must read the label:

a) When the nurse reaches for the medication vial

b) After retrieving the medication vial from the drawer and compared with the

Medication Administration Record (MAR)

c) When the nurse returns the vial to the drawer or before administering to the patient

d) All of the above

10. The “Rights of Medication Administration” used to help ensure accuracy when administering medications include all of the following EXCEPT:

a) Right medication

b) Right patient

c) Right dosage

d) Right room

e) Right route

f) Right time