Care
12th Edition
• Author(s)Jacqueline Rosenjack
Burchum; Laura D. Rosenthal
,TEST BANK
Question 1 (MCQ)
Clinical Scenario
A nurse administers a prescribed antihypertensive medication.
One hour later, the patient's blood pressure decreases from
168/96 mm Hg to 138/84 mm Hg.
Question Stem
Which pharmacology term best describes the observed
decrease in blood pressure?
Options
A. Drug potency
B. Therapeutic effect
C. Toxicity
D. Adverse effect
Correct Answer
B. Therapeutic effect
Detailed Rationale
,A therapeutic effect is the intended, beneficial response
produced by a medication. The antihypertensive medication
achieved its therapeutic objective by lowering the patient's
blood pressure.
Pharmacologically, the medication interacted with physiologic
receptors to reduce vascular resistance or cardiac workload,
resulting in the desired clinical outcome.
Nurses must evaluate whether prescribed medications achieve
therapeutic goals while monitoring for adverse effects.
Incorrect Option Analysis
A. Drug potency
• Incorrect because potency refers to the amount of drug
required to produce a given effect.
• Misconception: Confusing effectiveness with potency.
• Safety Risk: Incorrect evaluation of medication response.
• Nursing Consideration: Assess outcomes rather than dose
strength alone.
C. Toxicity
• Toxicity indicates harmful effects from excessive drug
levels.
• Misconception: Any physiologic change equals toxicity.
, • Safety Risk: Unnecessary withholding of medication.
• Nursing Consideration: Assess for actual toxic
manifestations.
D. Adverse effect
• Adverse effects are unintended harmful responses.
• Misconception: Any response to medication is adverse.
• Safety Risk: Failure to recognize therapeutic success.
• Nursing Consideration: Distinguish expected versus
unintended effects.
Nursing Process Linkage
Evaluation
NCJMM Competencies
• Evaluate Outcomes
Difficulty
Easy
Bloom's Level
Understand
NCLEX Category
Pharmacological and Parenteral Therapies
Key Learning Objective