HCA HCA - Health Care Assistant Medication Assistance and Treatment Support 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following is within an HCA's scope of practice regarding medications?
- Administering injectable medications independently
- Reminding patients to take their medications as directed by a nurse (Correct answer)
- Adjusting medication doses based on patient symptoms
- Prescribing over-the-counter medications to patients
Correct answer: Reminding patients to take their medications as directed by a nurse
HCAs may remind and assist patients with self-administered medications but may not administer or adjust medications independently.
Question 2: What should an HCA do if a patient refuses to take their prescribed medication?
- Force the medication to ensure compliance
- Crush it and hide it in their food
- Document the refusal and immediately notify the nurse (Correct answer)
- Wait until the patient falls asleep and administer it then
Correct answer: Document the refusal and immediately notify the nurse
Patient refusal must be respected, documented, and reported to the nurse so appropriate follow-up can occur.
Question 3: What does the 'five rights' of medication administration include?
- Right patient, right drug, right dose, right route, right time (Correct answer)
- Right patient, right nurse, right chart, right dose, right time
- Right drug, right color, right shape, right dose, right nurse
- Right patient, right drug, right dose, right doctor, right form
Correct answer: Right patient, right drug, right dose, right route, right time
The five rights of medication administration are: right patient, drug, dose, route, and time.
Question 4: An HCA notices a patient is experiencing a new rash after taking a medication. What is the priority action?
- Apply lotion to the rash and continue care
- Document only at end of shift
- Notify the nurse immediately as this may indicate an allergic reaction (Correct answer)
- Ask the patient if they want to continue taking the medication
Correct answer: Notify the nurse immediately as this may indicate an allergic reaction
A new rash following medication may signal an allergic reaction requiring immediate nurse assessment.
Question 5: Which of the following is a common side effect of opioid pain medications that an HCA should monitor for?
- Increased urination
- Constipation (Correct answer)
- Diarrhea
- Hyperactivity
Correct answer: Constipation
Constipation is a well-known side effect of opioid medications and must be monitored closely.
Question 6: An HCA should report which of the following to the nurse when assisting with treatment care?
- Patient is sleeping during scheduled treatment
- Patient's skin appears red and irritated around a wound dressing (Correct answer)
- Patient asks for an extra pillow
- Patient's TV is not working
Correct answer: Patient's skin appears red and irritated around a wound dressing
Skin redness or irritation around a wound site may indicate infection or pressure injury and requires nurse assessment.
HCA HCA - Health Care Assistant Medication Assistance and Treatment Support 1
Which of the following is within an HCA's scope of practice regarding medications?