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NCLEX · Safety and Infection Control

A nurse receives a verbal order from a physician during an emergency. What is the correct procedure for safety?

Reviewed by Jordan Morley, Editorial Lead at 247SimpleTests. Written by the 247SimpleTests Editorial Team from the official source material cited on every question.

Correct answer

Write down the order, read it back to the physician for confirmation, and ensure it is signed within the required timeframe

  1. A Write down the order, read it back to the physician for confirmation, and ensure it is signed within the required timeframe
  2. B Ask another nurse to remember it
  3. C Ignore the order until it is written
  4. D Carry it out from memory without documentation

Why this is the answer

For VERBAL/TELEPHONE ORDERS, the safe procedure is: WRITE DOWN the order (or enter it), then READ IT BACK to the prescriber for verification (read-back/'repeat-back'), and confirm it is correct; the prescriber must SIGN/authenticate the order within the facility's required timeframe (often 24 hours). NCLEX safe care/communication safety. The READ-BACK step is critical — it catches misheard medications, doses, or routes, preventing errors. Verbal orders should be limited to situations where written/electronic orders aren't feasible (emergencies). This closed-loop communication (write down, read back, confirm) is a key safety practice and tested NCLEX concept.
Source: NCLEX Safe Care — Verbal Orders, Read-Back

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About this topic: Safety and Infection Control

Safety and infection control questions cover Standard and transmission-based precautions, isolation set-up, sterile technique, error prevention, restraints, and emergency and disaster response. This is one of 24 RN: Safe and Effective Care Environment questions on safety and infection control, each with a full explanation on a single study page.

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