NR293/NR 293 ACTUAL QUIZ 1:
PHARMACOLOGY FOR NURSING
PRACTICE, (LATEST 2026/2027 UPDATE),
WITH CORRECT/ACCURATE ANSWERS
AT CHAMBERLAIN COLLEGE OF
NURSING
ALIGNED WITH NR293/NR 293 QUIZ 1 – PHARMACOLOGY FOR NURSING
PRACTICE (CHAMBERLAIN, 2026/2027)
NR293/NR 293 Quiz 1 – Pharmacology for Nursing Practice
(2026/2027)
Questions 1–200 with Answers & Rationales
1. What is a drug nomenclature?
Answer: Drug nomenclature refers to the name of a drug.
Rationale: Drug nomenclature includes the chemical name, generic name, and brand name of a medication.
Nurses primarily use the generic name to reduce confusion and promote patient safety. Understanding drug
names helps prevent medication errors and ensures accurate communication among healthcare professionals.
Proper identification of medications is essential for safe administration and documentation.
2. What is drug classification?
Answer: Drug classification refers to the class name of a drug.
Rationale: Drugs are classified based on their therapeutic use, pharmacologic action, or chemical structure.
Classification helps nurses anticipate a drug’s effects, side effects, and potential interactions. It also aids in
understanding how drugs with similar actions may be used interchangeably. Knowledge of classification
improves clinical decision-making and patient education.
,3. What does pharmacotherapeutics refer to?
Answer: Pharmacotherapeutics refers to the clinical use of drugs to prevent and treat disease.
Rationale: Pharmacotherapeutics focuses on selecting appropriate medications to achieve desired health
outcomes. It considers patient-specific factors such as age, comorbidities, and response to therapy. Nurses
apply pharmacotherapeutic principles when evaluating medication effectiveness. This knowledge ensures
medications are used safely and effectively.
4. What does pharmacodynamics refer to?
Answer: Pharmacodynamics is the study of what the drug does to the body.
Rationale: Pharmacodynamics explains how drugs produce their effects at the cellular and systemic levels.
It includes mechanisms of action, receptor binding, and dose-response relationships. Understanding
pharmacodynamics helps nurses predict therapeutic and adverse effects. This knowledge is critical for
monitoring patient responses.
5. What does metabolism refer to?
Answer: Metabolism is the biochemical alteration of a drug into an inactive or active metabolite.
Rationale: Drug metabolism changes medications into forms that can be more easily excreted. Some
metabolites may remain active and contribute to therapeutic or adverse effects. Nurses must consider
metabolism when caring for patients with liver impairment. Altered metabolism can lead to drug
accumulation or reduced effectiveness.
6. When does metabolism occur in pharmacokinetics?
Answer: Metabolism occurs after drug distribution.
Rationale: After a drug is absorbed and distributed to tissues, it undergoes metabolism, primarily in the
liver. This process prepares the drug for elimination from the body. Disruptions in metabolism can affect
drug levels. Understanding this sequence helps nurses anticipate changes in drug action.
7. What does onset of action refer to?
Answer: Onset of action is the time required for a drug to elicit a therapeutic response after dosing.
Rationale: Onset of action indicates how quickly a medication begins to work. It is influenced by the route
of administration and drug formulation. Nurses use this information to determine when to assess for
effectiveness. Proper timing improves symptom management and patient satisfaction.
,8. What does peak level refer to?
Answer: Peak level is the maximum concentration of a drug in the body.
Rationale: Peak levels help determine whether a drug dose is effective without being toxic. Monitoring peak
levels is especially important for medications with narrow therapeutic ranges. Nurses use peak levels to
adjust dosing schedules. This ensures optimal therapeutic outcomes and patient safety.
9. What does duration of action refer to?
Answer: Duration of action is the length of time a drug concentration produces a therapeutic effect.
Rationale: Duration reflects how long a medication remains effective in the body. It helps determine dosing
intervals. If the duration is too short, symptoms may return; if too long, toxicity may occur. Nurses must
understand duration to administer medications appropriately.
10. What does pharmacokinetics refer to?
Answer: Pharmacokinetics is the study of what the body does to the drug.
Rationale: Pharmacokinetics includes absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion. These processes
determine drug concentration over time. Nurses rely on pharmacokinetics to anticipate drug effects and side
effects. It is essential for safe medication administration.
11. What does therapeutic effect refer to?
Answer: A therapeutic effect is the desired or intended effect of a medication.
Rationale: Therapeutic effects indicate that a drug is working as intended. Nurses monitor patients for these
outcomes to evaluate treatment success. Failure to achieve a therapeutic effect may require dose adjustment.
Understanding expected effects improves patient assessment.
12. What does trough level refer to?
Answer: Trough level is the lowest concentration of a medication in the body before the next dose.
Rationale: Trough levels ensure drug concentrations remain above the minimum effective level. They are
commonly measured just before administering the next dose. Monitoring trough levels helps prevent
subtherapeutic dosing. This is especially important for antibiotics and anticonvulsants.
13. Which organ is primarily responsible for drug metabolism?
, Answer: The liver is primarily responsible for drug metabolism.
Rationale: The liver contains enzymes that chemically alter drugs. The cytochrome P-450 system plays a
major role in this process. Liver impairment can significantly affect drug metabolism. Nurses must assess
liver function when administering medications.
14. Which organ is primarily responsible for drug excretion?
Answer: The kidneys are primarily responsible for drug excretion.
Rationale: The kidneys filter drugs and metabolites from the bloodstream into urine. Impaired renal function
can cause drug accumulation and toxicity. Nurses monitor kidney function to ensure safe dosing. Adequate
hydration also supports drug elimination.
15. What does hepatic metabolism refer to?
Answer: Hepatic metabolism involves drug breakdown by the cytochrome P-450 enzyme system.
Rationale: Hepatic metabolism converts drugs into forms suitable for excretion. Enzyme induction or
inhibition can alter drug levels. Nurses must be aware of drug interactions affecting this system. This
knowledge helps prevent adverse drug reactions.
16. What does drug absorption refer to?
Answer: Drug absorption refers to the movement of a drug from its site of administration into the
bloodstream.
Rationale: Absorption determines how quickly and how much of a drug enters systemic circulation. Factors
such as route of administration, blood flow, and drug formulation affect absorption. Poor absorption can
reduce therapeutic effectiveness. Nurses must consider absorption when selecting routes and timing of
medications.
17. Which route of administration provides the fastest onset of action?
Answer: Intravenous (IV) administration provides the fastest onset of action.
Rationale: IV medications are delivered directly into the bloodstream, bypassing absorption barriers. This
results in immediate availability of the drug. Nurses must closely monitor patients receiving IV medications
due to rapid effects. Errors in dosing can quickly lead to toxicity.
18. What is bioavailability?
PHARMACOLOGY FOR NURSING
PRACTICE, (LATEST 2026/2027 UPDATE),
WITH CORRECT/ACCURATE ANSWERS
AT CHAMBERLAIN COLLEGE OF
NURSING
ALIGNED WITH NR293/NR 293 QUIZ 1 – PHARMACOLOGY FOR NURSING
PRACTICE (CHAMBERLAIN, 2026/2027)
NR293/NR 293 Quiz 1 – Pharmacology for Nursing Practice
(2026/2027)
Questions 1–200 with Answers & Rationales
1. What is a drug nomenclature?
Answer: Drug nomenclature refers to the name of a drug.
Rationale: Drug nomenclature includes the chemical name, generic name, and brand name of a medication.
Nurses primarily use the generic name to reduce confusion and promote patient safety. Understanding drug
names helps prevent medication errors and ensures accurate communication among healthcare professionals.
Proper identification of medications is essential for safe administration and documentation.
2. What is drug classification?
Answer: Drug classification refers to the class name of a drug.
Rationale: Drugs are classified based on their therapeutic use, pharmacologic action, or chemical structure.
Classification helps nurses anticipate a drug’s effects, side effects, and potential interactions. It also aids in
understanding how drugs with similar actions may be used interchangeably. Knowledge of classification
improves clinical decision-making and patient education.
,3. What does pharmacotherapeutics refer to?
Answer: Pharmacotherapeutics refers to the clinical use of drugs to prevent and treat disease.
Rationale: Pharmacotherapeutics focuses on selecting appropriate medications to achieve desired health
outcomes. It considers patient-specific factors such as age, comorbidities, and response to therapy. Nurses
apply pharmacotherapeutic principles when evaluating medication effectiveness. This knowledge ensures
medications are used safely and effectively.
4. What does pharmacodynamics refer to?
Answer: Pharmacodynamics is the study of what the drug does to the body.
Rationale: Pharmacodynamics explains how drugs produce their effects at the cellular and systemic levels.
It includes mechanisms of action, receptor binding, and dose-response relationships. Understanding
pharmacodynamics helps nurses predict therapeutic and adverse effects. This knowledge is critical for
monitoring patient responses.
5. What does metabolism refer to?
Answer: Metabolism is the biochemical alteration of a drug into an inactive or active metabolite.
Rationale: Drug metabolism changes medications into forms that can be more easily excreted. Some
metabolites may remain active and contribute to therapeutic or adverse effects. Nurses must consider
metabolism when caring for patients with liver impairment. Altered metabolism can lead to drug
accumulation or reduced effectiveness.
6. When does metabolism occur in pharmacokinetics?
Answer: Metabolism occurs after drug distribution.
Rationale: After a drug is absorbed and distributed to tissues, it undergoes metabolism, primarily in the
liver. This process prepares the drug for elimination from the body. Disruptions in metabolism can affect
drug levels. Understanding this sequence helps nurses anticipate changes in drug action.
7. What does onset of action refer to?
Answer: Onset of action is the time required for a drug to elicit a therapeutic response after dosing.
Rationale: Onset of action indicates how quickly a medication begins to work. It is influenced by the route
of administration and drug formulation. Nurses use this information to determine when to assess for
effectiveness. Proper timing improves symptom management and patient satisfaction.
,8. What does peak level refer to?
Answer: Peak level is the maximum concentration of a drug in the body.
Rationale: Peak levels help determine whether a drug dose is effective without being toxic. Monitoring peak
levels is especially important for medications with narrow therapeutic ranges. Nurses use peak levels to
adjust dosing schedules. This ensures optimal therapeutic outcomes and patient safety.
9. What does duration of action refer to?
Answer: Duration of action is the length of time a drug concentration produces a therapeutic effect.
Rationale: Duration reflects how long a medication remains effective in the body. It helps determine dosing
intervals. If the duration is too short, symptoms may return; if too long, toxicity may occur. Nurses must
understand duration to administer medications appropriately.
10. What does pharmacokinetics refer to?
Answer: Pharmacokinetics is the study of what the body does to the drug.
Rationale: Pharmacokinetics includes absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion. These processes
determine drug concentration over time. Nurses rely on pharmacokinetics to anticipate drug effects and side
effects. It is essential for safe medication administration.
11. What does therapeutic effect refer to?
Answer: A therapeutic effect is the desired or intended effect of a medication.
Rationale: Therapeutic effects indicate that a drug is working as intended. Nurses monitor patients for these
outcomes to evaluate treatment success. Failure to achieve a therapeutic effect may require dose adjustment.
Understanding expected effects improves patient assessment.
12. What does trough level refer to?
Answer: Trough level is the lowest concentration of a medication in the body before the next dose.
Rationale: Trough levels ensure drug concentrations remain above the minimum effective level. They are
commonly measured just before administering the next dose. Monitoring trough levels helps prevent
subtherapeutic dosing. This is especially important for antibiotics and anticonvulsants.
13. Which organ is primarily responsible for drug metabolism?
, Answer: The liver is primarily responsible for drug metabolism.
Rationale: The liver contains enzymes that chemically alter drugs. The cytochrome P-450 system plays a
major role in this process. Liver impairment can significantly affect drug metabolism. Nurses must assess
liver function when administering medications.
14. Which organ is primarily responsible for drug excretion?
Answer: The kidneys are primarily responsible for drug excretion.
Rationale: The kidneys filter drugs and metabolites from the bloodstream into urine. Impaired renal function
can cause drug accumulation and toxicity. Nurses monitor kidney function to ensure safe dosing. Adequate
hydration also supports drug elimination.
15. What does hepatic metabolism refer to?
Answer: Hepatic metabolism involves drug breakdown by the cytochrome P-450 enzyme system.
Rationale: Hepatic metabolism converts drugs into forms suitable for excretion. Enzyme induction or
inhibition can alter drug levels. Nurses must be aware of drug interactions affecting this system. This
knowledge helps prevent adverse drug reactions.
16. What does drug absorption refer to?
Answer: Drug absorption refers to the movement of a drug from its site of administration into the
bloodstream.
Rationale: Absorption determines how quickly and how much of a drug enters systemic circulation. Factors
such as route of administration, blood flow, and drug formulation affect absorption. Poor absorption can
reduce therapeutic effectiveness. Nurses must consider absorption when selecting routes and timing of
medications.
17. Which route of administration provides the fastest onset of action?
Answer: Intravenous (IV) administration provides the fastest onset of action.
Rationale: IV medications are delivered directly into the bloodstream, bypassing absorption barriers. This
results in immediate availability of the drug. Nurses must closely monitor patients receiving IV medications
due to rapid effects. Errors in dosing can quickly lead to toxicity.
18. What is bioavailability?
