REAL HESI Pharmacology Exam Questions
0.8 - ANS-The nurse retrieves hydromorphone 4 mg/ml from the Pyxis Medstation, an
automated dispensing system, for a client who is receiving hydromorphone 3 mg IM every 8
hours PRN severe pain. How many mL should the nurse administer to the client? (Round to the
nearest tenth)
1.5 - ANS-The healthcare provider increases a client's prescription for glipizide 5mg to glipizide
7.5 mg by mouth every 12 hours. The medication is available in 5 mg scored tablets. How many
tablets should the nurse administer with each dose?
400 - ANS-The nurse is preparing an intermittent infusion of famotidine 20 mg in 100 ml
Lactated Ringer's solution to infuse over 15 minutes for a client with a duodenal ulcer. The nurse
should program the infusion pump to deliver how many ml/hr? Round to the nearest whole
number.
A, D, and E - ANS-The nurse is preparing a discharge teaching plan for a client who is taking
ciprofloxacin hydrochloride (Cipro) tablets, which were prescribed because of suspected anthrax
exposure. Which instructions should be included in the
teaching plan? (Select all that apply)
A. Increase fluid intake while taking the medication
B. Crush and mix the tablets with pudding if you have trouble swallowing the tablets
C. Use NSAIDs to relieve mild joint aches and pains caused by the medication
D. Report any tendon pain or swelling to the HCP immediately
E. Limit exposure to sunlight and avoid tanning beds
A. Administer a stool softener/laxative at the same time as the analgesic - ANS-Which nursing
action has the highest priority when administering a dose of codeine with acetaminophen to a
client?
A. Administer a stool softener/laxative at the same time as the analgesic
B. Tell the client to notify the nurse if pain is not relieved
C. Instruct the client to request assistance when ambulating to the bathroom
D. Advise the client that the medication should start to work in about 30 minutes
A. An adjustment in the medication dosage to help resolve the problem - ANS-When assessing
a client who has been receiving prednisone for several months, the nurse observes that the
client has developed an extremely rounded face. Which prescription should the nurse anticipate
from the healthcare provider?
A. An adjustment in the medication dosage to help resolve the problem
B. A low-fat diet to help prevent further abnormal fat deposits
C. The medication will need to be stopped immediately to prevent an adrenal crisis
D. A diuretic may be necessary to reduce facial swelling
, A. Continue the infusion and administer a PRN antiemetic prescription - ANS-Twenty minutes
after the nurse starts a secondary IV infusion of cefepime 2 grams using an infusion pump to
deliver the dose in one hour, the client reports feeling nauseated. Which action should the nurse
implement?
A. Continue the infusion and administer a PRN antiemetic prescription
B. Stop the medication infusion and notify the healthcare provider of the adverse effect
C. Reassure the client that the nausea us not related to the IV infusion
D. Increase the rate of the infusion to complete the dose of the medication more rapidly
A. Crush the tablet and mix it with water separately from other medications - ANS-A client with a
nasogastric tube (NGT) has a prescription for sucralfate. The liquid form of the medication is not
currently available in the pharmacy and tablets have been delivered to the medication
dispensing system. Which action should the nurse include when administering the medication?
A. Crush the tablet and mix it with water separately from other medications
B. Crush the tablet and mix it with other crushed tablets diluted in water
C. Withhold the medication until a liquid form is available on the nursing unit
D. Crush the tablet and mix it with other liquid medications for administration
A. Discuss the fact that Aricept may slow the progression of the disease over the next year -
ANS-A client recently diagnosed with early stage Alzheimer's disease receives a prescription for
donepezil, an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor. Which content should the nurse include in the client
medication teaching?
A. Discuss the fact that Aricept may slow the progression of the disease over the next year.
B. Instruct the client to get monthly liver function studies to assess for liver failure
C. Encourage the client to avoid foods high in Vitamin K, such as green leafy vegetables
D. Explain that the psychiatrist has prescribed the maximum dose and will decrease it gradually
A. Give a dose of Vitamin K intramuscular (IM) now as prescribed - ANS-A client who fell at
home fractured the left hip. The client has a history of atrial fibrillation and is currently taking
warfarin 5 mg by mouth daily. The nurse receives a call from the laboratory regarding the client's
INR value of 20. After
writing down and reading back the value, which intervention should the nurse implement first?
A. Give a dose of Vitamin K intramuscular (IM) now as prescribed
B. Assess the client's oral mucosa for signs of bleeding
C. Hold the next dose of warfarin as instructed
D. Encourage the client to eat vitamin K rich foods.
A. Hold one nostril closed while spraying the other nostril - ANS-The nurse is instructing a client
with allergic rhinitis about the correct technique for using an intranasal inhaler. What instruction
is most important for the nurse to provide the client?
A. Hold one nostril closed while spraying the other nostril
B. Use the inhaler when first awakening in the morning
C. Angle the tip of the inhaler upward while spraying
0.8 - ANS-The nurse retrieves hydromorphone 4 mg/ml from the Pyxis Medstation, an
automated dispensing system, for a client who is receiving hydromorphone 3 mg IM every 8
hours PRN severe pain. How many mL should the nurse administer to the client? (Round to the
nearest tenth)
1.5 - ANS-The healthcare provider increases a client's prescription for glipizide 5mg to glipizide
7.5 mg by mouth every 12 hours. The medication is available in 5 mg scored tablets. How many
tablets should the nurse administer with each dose?
400 - ANS-The nurse is preparing an intermittent infusion of famotidine 20 mg in 100 ml
Lactated Ringer's solution to infuse over 15 minutes for a client with a duodenal ulcer. The nurse
should program the infusion pump to deliver how many ml/hr? Round to the nearest whole
number.
A, D, and E - ANS-The nurse is preparing a discharge teaching plan for a client who is taking
ciprofloxacin hydrochloride (Cipro) tablets, which were prescribed because of suspected anthrax
exposure. Which instructions should be included in the
teaching plan? (Select all that apply)
A. Increase fluid intake while taking the medication
B. Crush and mix the tablets with pudding if you have trouble swallowing the tablets
C. Use NSAIDs to relieve mild joint aches and pains caused by the medication
D. Report any tendon pain or swelling to the HCP immediately
E. Limit exposure to sunlight and avoid tanning beds
A. Administer a stool softener/laxative at the same time as the analgesic - ANS-Which nursing
action has the highest priority when administering a dose of codeine with acetaminophen to a
client?
A. Administer a stool softener/laxative at the same time as the analgesic
B. Tell the client to notify the nurse if pain is not relieved
C. Instruct the client to request assistance when ambulating to the bathroom
D. Advise the client that the medication should start to work in about 30 minutes
A. An adjustment in the medication dosage to help resolve the problem - ANS-When assessing
a client who has been receiving prednisone for several months, the nurse observes that the
client has developed an extremely rounded face. Which prescription should the nurse anticipate
from the healthcare provider?
A. An adjustment in the medication dosage to help resolve the problem
B. A low-fat diet to help prevent further abnormal fat deposits
C. The medication will need to be stopped immediately to prevent an adrenal crisis
D. A diuretic may be necessary to reduce facial swelling
, A. Continue the infusion and administer a PRN antiemetic prescription - ANS-Twenty minutes
after the nurse starts a secondary IV infusion of cefepime 2 grams using an infusion pump to
deliver the dose in one hour, the client reports feeling nauseated. Which action should the nurse
implement?
A. Continue the infusion and administer a PRN antiemetic prescription
B. Stop the medication infusion and notify the healthcare provider of the adverse effect
C. Reassure the client that the nausea us not related to the IV infusion
D. Increase the rate of the infusion to complete the dose of the medication more rapidly
A. Crush the tablet and mix it with water separately from other medications - ANS-A client with a
nasogastric tube (NGT) has a prescription for sucralfate. The liquid form of the medication is not
currently available in the pharmacy and tablets have been delivered to the medication
dispensing system. Which action should the nurse include when administering the medication?
A. Crush the tablet and mix it with water separately from other medications
B. Crush the tablet and mix it with other crushed tablets diluted in water
C. Withhold the medication until a liquid form is available on the nursing unit
D. Crush the tablet and mix it with other liquid medications for administration
A. Discuss the fact that Aricept may slow the progression of the disease over the next year -
ANS-A client recently diagnosed with early stage Alzheimer's disease receives a prescription for
donepezil, an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor. Which content should the nurse include in the client
medication teaching?
A. Discuss the fact that Aricept may slow the progression of the disease over the next year.
B. Instruct the client to get monthly liver function studies to assess for liver failure
C. Encourage the client to avoid foods high in Vitamin K, such as green leafy vegetables
D. Explain that the psychiatrist has prescribed the maximum dose and will decrease it gradually
A. Give a dose of Vitamin K intramuscular (IM) now as prescribed - ANS-A client who fell at
home fractured the left hip. The client has a history of atrial fibrillation and is currently taking
warfarin 5 mg by mouth daily. The nurse receives a call from the laboratory regarding the client's
INR value of 20. After
writing down and reading back the value, which intervention should the nurse implement first?
A. Give a dose of Vitamin K intramuscular (IM) now as prescribed
B. Assess the client's oral mucosa for signs of bleeding
C. Hold the next dose of warfarin as instructed
D. Encourage the client to eat vitamin K rich foods.
A. Hold one nostril closed while spraying the other nostril - ANS-The nurse is instructing a client
with allergic rhinitis about the correct technique for using an intranasal inhaler. What instruction
is most important for the nurse to provide the client?
A. Hold one nostril closed while spraying the other nostril
B. Use the inhaler when first awakening in the morning
C. Angle the tip of the inhaler upward while spraying
