NU 578 Units 1–5 Exam
NU 578 Units 1–5 Exam (2026/2027) (PDF) |
Advanced Nursing | University of South
Alabama
The nurse is preparing to give a drug that is not classified according to a Pregnancy Risk
Category. What should the nurse do?
A. Administer the medication, because the nurse knows that it was in use before 1983.
B. Notify the healthcare provider before administering the drug, because it should be
considered a teratogen.
C. Hold the medication, because the drug has a proven risk of fetal harm.
D. Return the medication to the pharmacy to be assigned a Pregnancy Risk Category.
.–
Correct Answer :A. Administer the medication, because the nurse knows that it was in use
before 1983. Correct
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,NU 578 Units 1–5 Exam
Many drugs are not classified according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Pregnancy Risk Categories. These drugs were in use before the classification system came
into use in 1983. They are considered safe but may not have been studied in controlled trials.
The pharmacy cannot assign a pregnancy risk category to a drug
The nurse is caring for a patient with epilepsy who is on anticonvulsant therapy and is also
breast-feeding. Which patient teaching instruction should minimize the risk to the baby?
A. "Give the dose just before breast-feeding."
B. "Avoid drugs that have a long half-life."
C. "Discontinue the drug until you have stopped breast-feeding."
D. "Increase your fluid intake." –
Correct Answer :B. "Avoid drugs that have a long half-life." Correct
Dosing immediately after breast-feeding minimizes the drug concentration in milk. Drugs with
a shorter half-life are excreted by the mother more quickly. If possible, drugs should be
avoided during breast-feeding; however, patients with chronic illnesses, such as epilepsy, may
require medication for their own health. The maternal fluid intake is not related to medication
safety during breast-feeding
A nurse prepares to administer a newly prescribed medication to a 22-year-old woman. The
insert in the medication package states, "Category X." Select the nurse's best action.
A. Ask the patient, "Have you been sexually active during the past year?"
B. Ask the patient, "When was your last menstrual period?"
C. Inform the patient of the M primary actions of the medication.
D. Assess the patient for a history of sexually transmitted disease. –
Correct Answer :B. Ask the patient, "When was your last menstrual period?" Correct
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,NU 578 Units 1–5 Exam
Category X means that the drug will be harmful to the fetus if the patient is pregnant. The
patient may not know she is pregnant; therefore, asking her when her last menstrual period
occurred gives the nurse a better indication of whether the patient might be pregnant.
According to the FDA Pregnancy Risk categories, which category represents the greatest risk
for fetal harm?
A. A
B. B
C. C
D. D
E. X
.–
Correct Answer :E. X Correct
Drugs in Category X are the most dangerous; these drugs are known to cause human fetal
harm, and their risk to the fetus outweighs any possible therapeutic benefit. Drugs in
Categories B, C, and D are progressively more dangerous than drugs in Category A, and less
dangerous than drugs in Category X.
Which statement regarding adverse reactions during pregnancy is false?
A. Not only are pregnant women subject to the same adverse effects as everyone else, but
they may also suffer effects unique to pregnancy.
B. Drugs taken during pregnancy can adversely affect the patient as well as the fetus.
C. The drug effect of greatest concern is teratogenesis. This is the production of birth defects
in the fetus.
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, NU 578 Units 1–5 Exam
D. One in five children is born with a malformation related to drug use during pregnancy.
.–
Correct Answer :D. One in five children is born with a malformation related to drug use
during pregnancy. Correct
Lessthan 1% of all birth defects are caused by drugs. All of the other statements are true.
A nurse is educating a breast-feeding patient about her medications. Which statements by
the nurse are true? (Select all that apply.)
A. "Drugs taken by lactating women can be excreted in breast milk." Correct
B. "If drug concentrations in milk are high enough, a pharmacologic effect can occur in the
infant."
C. "There is a lot of research regarding drugs taken by lactating women."
D. "Most drugs can be detected in milk, but concentrations are usually too low to cause
harm."
E. "Nearly all drugs can enter breast milk, and the extent of entry is the same for all drug s."
- Correct Answer :A. "Drugs taken by lactating women can be excreted in breast milk."
Correct
B. "If drug concentrations in milk are high enough, a pharmacologic effect can occur in the
infant."Correct
D. "Most drugs can be detected in milk, but concentrations are usually too low to cause
harm." Correct
P a g e 4 | 68
NU 578 Units 1–5 Exam (2026/2027) (PDF) |
Advanced Nursing | University of South
Alabama
The nurse is preparing to give a drug that is not classified according to a Pregnancy Risk
Category. What should the nurse do?
A. Administer the medication, because the nurse knows that it was in use before 1983.
B. Notify the healthcare provider before administering the drug, because it should be
considered a teratogen.
C. Hold the medication, because the drug has a proven risk of fetal harm.
D. Return the medication to the pharmacy to be assigned a Pregnancy Risk Category.
.–
Correct Answer :A. Administer the medication, because the nurse knows that it was in use
before 1983. Correct
P a g e 1 | 68
,NU 578 Units 1–5 Exam
Many drugs are not classified according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Pregnancy Risk Categories. These drugs were in use before the classification system came
into use in 1983. They are considered safe but may not have been studied in controlled trials.
The pharmacy cannot assign a pregnancy risk category to a drug
The nurse is caring for a patient with epilepsy who is on anticonvulsant therapy and is also
breast-feeding. Which patient teaching instruction should minimize the risk to the baby?
A. "Give the dose just before breast-feeding."
B. "Avoid drugs that have a long half-life."
C. "Discontinue the drug until you have stopped breast-feeding."
D. "Increase your fluid intake." –
Correct Answer :B. "Avoid drugs that have a long half-life." Correct
Dosing immediately after breast-feeding minimizes the drug concentration in milk. Drugs with
a shorter half-life are excreted by the mother more quickly. If possible, drugs should be
avoided during breast-feeding; however, patients with chronic illnesses, such as epilepsy, may
require medication for their own health. The maternal fluid intake is not related to medication
safety during breast-feeding
A nurse prepares to administer a newly prescribed medication to a 22-year-old woman. The
insert in the medication package states, "Category X." Select the nurse's best action.
A. Ask the patient, "Have you been sexually active during the past year?"
B. Ask the patient, "When was your last menstrual period?"
C. Inform the patient of the M primary actions of the medication.
D. Assess the patient for a history of sexually transmitted disease. –
Correct Answer :B. Ask the patient, "When was your last menstrual period?" Correct
P a g e 2 | 68
,NU 578 Units 1–5 Exam
Category X means that the drug will be harmful to the fetus if the patient is pregnant. The
patient may not know she is pregnant; therefore, asking her when her last menstrual period
occurred gives the nurse a better indication of whether the patient might be pregnant.
According to the FDA Pregnancy Risk categories, which category represents the greatest risk
for fetal harm?
A. A
B. B
C. C
D. D
E. X
.–
Correct Answer :E. X Correct
Drugs in Category X are the most dangerous; these drugs are known to cause human fetal
harm, and their risk to the fetus outweighs any possible therapeutic benefit. Drugs in
Categories B, C, and D are progressively more dangerous than drugs in Category A, and less
dangerous than drugs in Category X.
Which statement regarding adverse reactions during pregnancy is false?
A. Not only are pregnant women subject to the same adverse effects as everyone else, but
they may also suffer effects unique to pregnancy.
B. Drugs taken during pregnancy can adversely affect the patient as well as the fetus.
C. The drug effect of greatest concern is teratogenesis. This is the production of birth defects
in the fetus.
P a g e 3 | 68
, NU 578 Units 1–5 Exam
D. One in five children is born with a malformation related to drug use during pregnancy.
.–
Correct Answer :D. One in five children is born with a malformation related to drug use
during pregnancy. Correct
Lessthan 1% of all birth defects are caused by drugs. All of the other statements are true.
A nurse is educating a breast-feeding patient about her medications. Which statements by
the nurse are true? (Select all that apply.)
A. "Drugs taken by lactating women can be excreted in breast milk." Correct
B. "If drug concentrations in milk are high enough, a pharmacologic effect can occur in the
infant."
C. "There is a lot of research regarding drugs taken by lactating women."
D. "Most drugs can be detected in milk, but concentrations are usually too low to cause
harm."
E. "Nearly all drugs can enter breast milk, and the extent of entry is the same for all drug s."
- Correct Answer :A. "Drugs taken by lactating women can be excreted in breast milk."
Correct
B. "If drug concentrations in milk are high enough, a pharmacologic effect can occur in the
infant."Correct
D. "Most drugs can be detected in milk, but concentrations are usually too low to cause
harm." Correct
P a g e 4 | 68
