A nurse is caring for a client with a new prescription. The dose seems unusually high. What should the nurse do?

If a medication dose appears UNUSUALLY HIGH or unsafe, the nurse must QUESTION/CLARIFY the order with the PRESCRIBER before administering. NCLEX safe care/medication safety. THE NURSE'S RESPONSIBILITY: nurses are legally and ethically responsible for SAFE medication administration — 'the provider ordered it' is NOT a defense for giving a harmful dose. The nurse who administers a medication is accountable for it. NEVER administer a dose that appears unsafe, guess at a 'corrected' dose (like giving half), or pass the responsibility to another nurse. The nurse should: verify the order, check references/dosing, and contact the prescriber to clarify. If the provider insists and the nurse still believes it's unsafe, escalate (supervisor). Knowing the nurse must question unsafe orders is a critical, heavily tested NCLEX safety/legal concept.