A nurse is receiving a telephone prescription from a provider for a client who requires additional medication for pain control. Which of the following entries should the nurse make in the medical record?

Rationale: A. "Morphine 3 mg SQ every 4 hr PRN for pain.": The abbreviation "SQ" is considered unsafe and can be misinterpreted. The Joint Commission recommends avoiding this abbreviation and writing out "subcutaneous" to ensure clarity and patient safety. B. "Morphine 3.0 mg sub q every 4 hr PRN for pain.": Using a trailing zero (e.g., "3.0 mg") increases the risk of a dosing error if the decimal point is missed. Standard documentation practices recommend omitting trailing zeros for whole numbers. C. "Morphine 3 mg subcutaneous every 4 hr PRN for pain.": This entry uses the full name "subcutaneous," avoids unsafe abbreviations, and omits the trailing zero, adhering to safe and standardized medication documentation guidelines. D. "Morphine 3 mg SC q4hr PRN for pain.": Both "SC" and "q4hr" are discouraged abbreviations. "SC" can be confused with "SL" (sublingual), and "q" abbreviations can be misread. Writing terms in full reduces the risk of misinterpretation.