NUR 301 EXAM 1 LATEST 2026 QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT ANSWERS WITH DETAILED
EXPLANATIONS GRADED A+ UM
The physician has ordered several medications for the patient. What does the nurse recognize as
responsibilities regarding administration of medications? Select all that apply.
1. Knowing whether or not the medication is on the hospital formulary
2. Knowing the reason the medication was prescribed for this patient
3. Knowing how the medication is to be administered.
4. Knowing how the medication is supplied by the pharmacy
5. Knowing the name of the medication
Correct Answer: 2,3,4,5
How the medication is supplied by the pharmacy, how the medication is to be administered, the
name of the medication, and the reason the medication was prescribed for the patient are the
responsibilities of the nurse regarding medication administration. Whether or not a drug is on a
hospital formulary list is not a primary responsibility of the nurse.
The nurse is preparing medications prior to administration. To promote patient safety, the nurse
uses rights of drug administration. What do these rights include? Select all that apply.
1. The right medication
2. The right time of delivery
3. The right dose
4. The right route of administration
5. The right patient
Correct Answer: 1,2,3,4,5
The five rights of drug administration are the right patient, the right medication, the right dose,
the right route of administration, and the right time of delivery.
,The patient is having chest pain. The physician orders sublingual nitroglycerine STAT. The
nurse obtains the medication from the pharmacy and administers it to the patient 30 minutes
later. Which statement best describes the nurses action?
1. The medication should have been administered immediately.
2. The physician should have specified the time frame for the medication.
3. The medication should have been administered within a 5-minute time frame.
4. The nursing action was correct because the medication was not on the unit.
Correct Answer: 3
For a STAT order, the time frame between writing the order and administering the drug should
be 5 minutes or less. Not having a drug on the unit is not an excuse, as commonly ordered STAT
medications should be kept in stock. Although the drug does not need to be administered
immediately, it should be done within 5 minutes. It is not the physicians responsibility to specify
the time frame.
The nurse uses the nursing process prior to administering any medications. Which step will
assure the best patient safety?
1. Assess the patients developmental level.
2. Assess the patients medical history.
3. Assess the patients disease process.
4. Assess the patients learning needs.
Correct Answer: 2
An assessment of the patients medical history, which includes allergies, is the most important
assessment prior to administering medications. Assessing the patients learning needs is important
for medication education, but not for safely administering medications. Assessing the patients
developmental level is important for medication education, but not for safely administering
medications. Assessing the patients disease process is important in evaluating the effects of the
medications, but not for safely administering medications.
The physician prescribes an oral medication for the patient. What is the primary nursing
assessment of the patient prior to receiving this medication?
,1. The patients understanding of the medication
2. The patients ability to swallow
3. The patients allergies
4. The patients eyesight
Correct Answer: 2
The ability of the patient to swallow is a safety issue to prevent aspiration of the medication. The
patients understanding is important, but not a priority. The patients eyesight is not significant.
The patients allergies are important, but if the patient cannot swallow the medication, then the
allergies are not significant.
The physician ordered an oral medication. The nurse incorrectly administered the medication
intravenously. What does the best analysis of the nurses action reveal?
1. An antidote cannot be given.
2. The nurse will be terminated from her job.
3. The medication cannot be retrieved.
4. A lawsuit by the patient will be impending.
Correct Answer: 3
When a medication is given intravenously, its effects cannot be reversed because it is already in
the bloodstream. A lawsuit may occur, but this is not the primary concern; patient safety is the
primary concern. The nurse may be terminated, but patient safety is the main concern, and the
effect of the medication cannot be reversed. Antidotes may be given, but this must be done very
quickly.
What is the best plan as the nurse prepares to administer a topical medication?
1. Check the medication for interactions with other medications.
2. Take the patients vital signs.
3. Educate the patient to not disturb the patch.
4. Assess the patients skin where the medication will be applied.
Correct Answer: 4
, Planning to assess the patients skin is imperative; if it is cracked, dry, or irritated, the medication
may not be properly absorbed. Patient education is important, but is not the priority. Vital signs
are not always indicated; it depends on the medication. Checking for drug interactions is
important, but it is not the priority.
The physician ordered an intravenous medication for a patient with nausea. The patient asks the
nurse how it will help his nausea. What is the best response by the nurse?
1. We have more intravenous drugs for nausea than we do oral drugs.
2. If you take an oral medication, you will just vomit it up.
3. This will work much faster for your nausea.
4. You cant have anything by mouth, so will receive the medication intravenously.
Correct Answer: 3
The intravenous route provides the quickest route of medication absorption. Telling the patient
that he will vomit the medication is non-therapeutic. Telling the patient that the nurse has more
intravenous drugs than oral drugs does not answer the patients question. There is no evidence
that the patient cannot have anything by mouth.
The physician orders enteric-coated aspirin, 300 mg every day, for the patient with a nasogastric
tube. What is the priority action by the nurse?
1. Crush the tablet, dissolve it in 30 mL of water, and administer through the tube.
2. Put the tablet in the tube, milk it down the tube, and then flush the tube with 60 mL of water.
3. Withhold the medication and contact the physician.
4. Substitute plain aspirin, dissolve it in 30 mL of water, and administer through the tube.
Correct Answer: 3
The only option is to withhold the medication and contact the physician. Crushing the tablet
destroys the enteric coating. Putting the tablet in the tube will result in clogging of the tube. The
nurse cannot substitute plain aspirin; this requires a physicians order.
CORRECT ANSWERS WITH DETAILED
EXPLANATIONS GRADED A+ UM
The physician has ordered several medications for the patient. What does the nurse recognize as
responsibilities regarding administration of medications? Select all that apply.
1. Knowing whether or not the medication is on the hospital formulary
2. Knowing the reason the medication was prescribed for this patient
3. Knowing how the medication is to be administered.
4. Knowing how the medication is supplied by the pharmacy
5. Knowing the name of the medication
Correct Answer: 2,3,4,5
How the medication is supplied by the pharmacy, how the medication is to be administered, the
name of the medication, and the reason the medication was prescribed for the patient are the
responsibilities of the nurse regarding medication administration. Whether or not a drug is on a
hospital formulary list is not a primary responsibility of the nurse.
The nurse is preparing medications prior to administration. To promote patient safety, the nurse
uses rights of drug administration. What do these rights include? Select all that apply.
1. The right medication
2. The right time of delivery
3. The right dose
4. The right route of administration
5. The right patient
Correct Answer: 1,2,3,4,5
The five rights of drug administration are the right patient, the right medication, the right dose,
the right route of administration, and the right time of delivery.
,The patient is having chest pain. The physician orders sublingual nitroglycerine STAT. The
nurse obtains the medication from the pharmacy and administers it to the patient 30 minutes
later. Which statement best describes the nurses action?
1. The medication should have been administered immediately.
2. The physician should have specified the time frame for the medication.
3. The medication should have been administered within a 5-minute time frame.
4. The nursing action was correct because the medication was not on the unit.
Correct Answer: 3
For a STAT order, the time frame between writing the order and administering the drug should
be 5 minutes or less. Not having a drug on the unit is not an excuse, as commonly ordered STAT
medications should be kept in stock. Although the drug does not need to be administered
immediately, it should be done within 5 minutes. It is not the physicians responsibility to specify
the time frame.
The nurse uses the nursing process prior to administering any medications. Which step will
assure the best patient safety?
1. Assess the patients developmental level.
2. Assess the patients medical history.
3. Assess the patients disease process.
4. Assess the patients learning needs.
Correct Answer: 2
An assessment of the patients medical history, which includes allergies, is the most important
assessment prior to administering medications. Assessing the patients learning needs is important
for medication education, but not for safely administering medications. Assessing the patients
developmental level is important for medication education, but not for safely administering
medications. Assessing the patients disease process is important in evaluating the effects of the
medications, but not for safely administering medications.
The physician prescribes an oral medication for the patient. What is the primary nursing
assessment of the patient prior to receiving this medication?
,1. The patients understanding of the medication
2. The patients ability to swallow
3. The patients allergies
4. The patients eyesight
Correct Answer: 2
The ability of the patient to swallow is a safety issue to prevent aspiration of the medication. The
patients understanding is important, but not a priority. The patients eyesight is not significant.
The patients allergies are important, but if the patient cannot swallow the medication, then the
allergies are not significant.
The physician ordered an oral medication. The nurse incorrectly administered the medication
intravenously. What does the best analysis of the nurses action reveal?
1. An antidote cannot be given.
2. The nurse will be terminated from her job.
3. The medication cannot be retrieved.
4. A lawsuit by the patient will be impending.
Correct Answer: 3
When a medication is given intravenously, its effects cannot be reversed because it is already in
the bloodstream. A lawsuit may occur, but this is not the primary concern; patient safety is the
primary concern. The nurse may be terminated, but patient safety is the main concern, and the
effect of the medication cannot be reversed. Antidotes may be given, but this must be done very
quickly.
What is the best plan as the nurse prepares to administer a topical medication?
1. Check the medication for interactions with other medications.
2. Take the patients vital signs.
3. Educate the patient to not disturb the patch.
4. Assess the patients skin where the medication will be applied.
Correct Answer: 4
, Planning to assess the patients skin is imperative; if it is cracked, dry, or irritated, the medication
may not be properly absorbed. Patient education is important, but is not the priority. Vital signs
are not always indicated; it depends on the medication. Checking for drug interactions is
important, but it is not the priority.
The physician ordered an intravenous medication for a patient with nausea. The patient asks the
nurse how it will help his nausea. What is the best response by the nurse?
1. We have more intravenous drugs for nausea than we do oral drugs.
2. If you take an oral medication, you will just vomit it up.
3. This will work much faster for your nausea.
4. You cant have anything by mouth, so will receive the medication intravenously.
Correct Answer: 3
The intravenous route provides the quickest route of medication absorption. Telling the patient
that he will vomit the medication is non-therapeutic. Telling the patient that the nurse has more
intravenous drugs than oral drugs does not answer the patients question. There is no evidence
that the patient cannot have anything by mouth.
The physician orders enteric-coated aspirin, 300 mg every day, for the patient with a nasogastric
tube. What is the priority action by the nurse?
1. Crush the tablet, dissolve it in 30 mL of water, and administer through the tube.
2. Put the tablet in the tube, milk it down the tube, and then flush the tube with 60 mL of water.
3. Withhold the medication and contact the physician.
4. Substitute plain aspirin, dissolve it in 30 mL of water, and administer through the tube.
Correct Answer: 3
The only option is to withhold the medication and contact the physician. Crushing the tablet
destroys the enteric coating. Putting the tablet in the tube will result in clogging of the tube. The
nurse cannot substitute plain aspirin; this requires a physicians order.
