A nurse is preparing to administer morphine 4 mg IV bolus to a client who reports pain. Available is morphine 10 mg/mL. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?

A. Discard the extra medication in a sharps container. – Narcotics like morphine must be wasted properly, and not simply discarded without documentation and a witness. B. Send the waste amount to the pharmacy. – This is not the standard protocol for controlled substances. They must be disposed of at the unit level, per facility policy, with proper witnessing. C. Save the extra medication for a later dosing. – Saving unused portions of a controlled substance is unsafe, violates medication safety policies, and may be illegal. D. Have another nurse witness the disposal of the extra medication. – When administering only a portion of a controlled substance (e.g., 4 mg from a 10 mg/mL vial), the remaining amount must be wasted in the presence of another licensed nurse, who then documents the waste to ensure proper accountability and safety.