MEDICATION ADMINISTRATION FINAL
STUDY GUIDE 2026 CORRECT SOLUTIONS
GRADED A+
⫸ A nurse accidently gives a patient a medication at the wrong time.
The nurse's first priority is to:
a. Complete an occurrence report.
b. Notify the health care provider.
c. Inform the charge nurse of the error.
d. Assess the patient for adverse effects.. Answer: d
Patient safety and assessing the patient are priorities when a
medication error occurs.
⫸ A patient is taking albuterol through a pressurized metered dose
inhaler (pMDI) that contains a total of 200 puffs. The patient takes 2
puffs every 4 hours. How many days will the
pMDI last?
__________ days. Answer: 16;
Two puffs × 6 times a day = 12 puffs per day; 200 puffs/12 puffs per
day = 16.67 days, or about 16 days. This cannot be rounded up since
the inhaler will not last a total of 17 days.
,⫸ A patient is to receive medication through a nasogastric tube that
is connected to suction. What is the most important nursing action to
ensure effective absorption?
a. Thoroughly shake the medication before administering.
b. Flush tube after all medications are administered.
c. Position patient in the supine position for 30 minutes.
d. Clamp suction for 30 to 60 minutes after medication
administration.. Answer: d
it ensures that the medication is absorbed before restarting the suction
⫸ A patient is in need of immediate pain relief for a severe headache.
The nurse knows that which medication will be absorbed the
quickest?
a. Tylenol 650 mg PO
b. Morphine 4 mg SQ
c. Ketorolac (Toradol) 8 mg IM
d. Hydromorphone (Dilaudid) 4 mg IV. Answer: d
Intravenous (IV) injections produce the most rapid absorption because
medications are immediately available when they enter the systemic
circulation
, ⫸ A drug requires a low pH to be metabolized. Knowing this, the
nurse anticipates that the medication will be administered by which
route?
a. Oral
b. Parenteral
c. Topical
d. Inhalation. Answer: a
Orally administered medications pass through the gastrointestinal
tract, the overall rate of absorption is usually slow.
⫸ An order is written for (phenytoin) Dilantin 500 mg every 3-4
hours prn for pain. The nurse recognizes that treatment of pain is not a
standard therapeutic indication for this drug. The nurse believes that
the prescriber meant to order hydromorphone (Dilaudid). What should
the nurse do?
a. Give the Dilaudid, as it was meant to be written.
b. Call the physician to clarify and justify the order.
c. Administer the medication and monitor the patient frequently.
d. Refuse to give the medication and notify the nurse supervisor..
Answer: b
The prescriber may have misspelled the word or the nurse copied the
word down incorrectly. Calling the physician will clarify the
STUDY GUIDE 2026 CORRECT SOLUTIONS
GRADED A+
⫸ A nurse accidently gives a patient a medication at the wrong time.
The nurse's first priority is to:
a. Complete an occurrence report.
b. Notify the health care provider.
c. Inform the charge nurse of the error.
d. Assess the patient for adverse effects.. Answer: d
Patient safety and assessing the patient are priorities when a
medication error occurs.
⫸ A patient is taking albuterol through a pressurized metered dose
inhaler (pMDI) that contains a total of 200 puffs. The patient takes 2
puffs every 4 hours. How many days will the
pMDI last?
__________ days. Answer: 16;
Two puffs × 6 times a day = 12 puffs per day; 200 puffs/12 puffs per
day = 16.67 days, or about 16 days. This cannot be rounded up since
the inhaler will not last a total of 17 days.
,⫸ A patient is to receive medication through a nasogastric tube that
is connected to suction. What is the most important nursing action to
ensure effective absorption?
a. Thoroughly shake the medication before administering.
b. Flush tube after all medications are administered.
c. Position patient in the supine position for 30 minutes.
d. Clamp suction for 30 to 60 minutes after medication
administration.. Answer: d
it ensures that the medication is absorbed before restarting the suction
⫸ A patient is in need of immediate pain relief for a severe headache.
The nurse knows that which medication will be absorbed the
quickest?
a. Tylenol 650 mg PO
b. Morphine 4 mg SQ
c. Ketorolac (Toradol) 8 mg IM
d. Hydromorphone (Dilaudid) 4 mg IV. Answer: d
Intravenous (IV) injections produce the most rapid absorption because
medications are immediately available when they enter the systemic
circulation
, ⫸ A drug requires a low pH to be metabolized. Knowing this, the
nurse anticipates that the medication will be administered by which
route?
a. Oral
b. Parenteral
c. Topical
d. Inhalation. Answer: a
Orally administered medications pass through the gastrointestinal
tract, the overall rate of absorption is usually slow.
⫸ An order is written for (phenytoin) Dilantin 500 mg every 3-4
hours prn for pain. The nurse recognizes that treatment of pain is not a
standard therapeutic indication for this drug. The nurse believes that
the prescriber meant to order hydromorphone (Dilaudid). What should
the nurse do?
a. Give the Dilaudid, as it was meant to be written.
b. Call the physician to clarify and justify the order.
c. Administer the medication and monitor the patient frequently.
d. Refuse to give the medication and notify the nurse supervisor..
Answer: b
The prescriber may have misspelled the word or the nurse copied the
word down incorrectly. Calling the physician will clarify the
