What should the nurse do first when preparing to draw up medication from a vial?

What should the nurse do first when preparing to draw up medication from a vial?

• A. Ensure the needle is firmly attached to the syringe.
• B. Rub vigorously back and forth over the rubber cap of the medication vial with an alcohol swab.
• C. Inject air into the vial with the needle bevel below the surface of the medication.
• D. Draw up slightly more air that the volume of the medication to be withdrawn from the vial

Answer: (A)

Attaching the needle securely to the syringe is the first step because you cannot safely begin drawing from a vial if the needle could come loose. A firm connection prevents the syringe from detaching, avoids spills and contamination, and ensures a stable, sterile setup for all subsequent steps. After that initial check, you would proceed with aseptic preparation of the vial stopper, inject the appropriate amount of air, invert the vial to withdraw the medication, and so on. Rubbing the stopper back and forth with alcohol is not the recommended technique, and inserting air into the vial or drawing extra air beyond what’s needed aren’t the first steps and may be done incorrectly if not following proper sequence.

Attaching the needle securely to the syringe is the first step because you cannot safely begin drawing from a vial if the needle could come loose. A firm connection prevents the syringe from detaching, avoids spills and contamination, and ensures a stable, sterile setup for all subsequent steps.

After that initial check, you would proceed with aseptic preparation of the vial stopper, inject the appropriate amount of air, invert the vial to withdraw the medication, and so on. Rubbing the stopper back and forth with alcohol is not the recommended technique, and inserting air into the vial or drawing extra air beyond what’s needed aren’t the first steps and may be done incorrectly if not following proper sequence.