A nurse is caring for a client who has a prescription for acetaminophen 300 mg with codeine 30 mg. 1 tablet every 3 to 4 hr PRN for pain. The nurse inadvertently administers 2 tablets to the client. In which of the following locations should the nurse document this client care incident?

A. Nursing care plan: The care plan outlines planned interventions and goals for the client’s care. It is not the appropriate place to document medication errors, as it is intended for ongoing care rather than reporting incidents or deviations from standard practice. B. Provider's progress notes: While the provider should be notified of the error, documenting it in progress notes alone does not fulfill institutional or legal requirements for reporting medication errors. Progress notes are primarily for client assessment and treatment updates. C. Incident report: An incident report is the correct location to document a medication error. It provides a formal record for quality improvement, risk management, and legal purposes. Documentation should be factual, timely, and include details of the error and immediate actions taken. D. Controlled substance inventory record: This record tracks the administration and count of controlled substances. While the codeine component must be accounted for in the inventory, the inventory itself does not replace the need for an incident report to document the error comprehensively.