GALEN COLLEGE OF NURSING
NUR 242 — Medical-
Surgical Nursing Concepts
Complete Question Bank
NCLEX-Style Practice Questions with Detailed Rationales
Topic: Pathophysiology & Pharmacology — 100 Questions
Edition 1 · September 2026
Table of Contents
1. Instructions for Use 2
2. Practice Questions with Answers & Rationales — Pathophysiology & Pharmacology (100 2
Questions)
NUR 242 · Galen College of Nursing Page 1
,NUR 242 FINAL EXAM PRACTICE GUIDE INSTRUCTIONS & PRACTICE QUESTIONS
How to Use This Guide
Read each stem, choose your answer, then check the rationale directly below it. The correct
option is marked, and each wrong option is explained so you understand why it's wrong — not
just that it is. All questions are based on the Galen College of Nursing NUR 242 Medical-
Surgical Nursing Concepts curriculum.
Category: Pathophysiology & Pharmacology — Comprehensive Review (100
Questions)
1. A nurse is caring for a client receiving an opioid analgesic for severe pain.
Which mechanism of action describes how opioid drugs provide pain relief?
A. They bind to opiate receptors to relieve pain
B. They block prostaglandin synthesis
C. They inhibit COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes
D. They activate NMDA receptors
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Opioid drugs are synthetic or semi-synthetic compounds that bind to
opiate receptors (mu, kappa, and delta) in the brain and spinal cord to produce
analgesia. This binding inhibits the transmission of pain signals.
Tested Concept: Opioid mechanism of action
Source Concept: "They are synthetic drugs that bind to opiate receptors to relieve pain."
Easy
, 2. A client is prescribed morphine for post-operative pain. The nurse knows that
morphine is classified as which type of opioid agonist?
A. Strong opioid agonist
B. Weak opioid agonist
C. Mixed agonist-antagonist
D. Partial opioid agonist
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Morphine is classified as a strong opioid agonist, along with
hydromorphone, oxycodone, meperidine, fentanyl, and methadone. These drugs are
used for moderate to severe pain management.
Tested Concept: Strong opioid agonists
Source Concept: "Morphine, hydromorphone, oxycodone, meperidine, fentanyl, or
methadone."
Easy
NUR 242 — Medical-
Surgical Nursing Concepts
Complete Question Bank
NCLEX-Style Practice Questions with Detailed Rationales
Topic: Pathophysiology & Pharmacology — 100 Questions
Edition 1 · September 2026
Table of Contents
1. Instructions for Use 2
2. Practice Questions with Answers & Rationales — Pathophysiology & Pharmacology (100 2
Questions)
NUR 242 · Galen College of Nursing Page 1
,NUR 242 FINAL EXAM PRACTICE GUIDE INSTRUCTIONS & PRACTICE QUESTIONS
How to Use This Guide
Read each stem, choose your answer, then check the rationale directly below it. The correct
option is marked, and each wrong option is explained so you understand why it's wrong — not
just that it is. All questions are based on the Galen College of Nursing NUR 242 Medical-
Surgical Nursing Concepts curriculum.
Category: Pathophysiology & Pharmacology — Comprehensive Review (100
Questions)
1. A nurse is caring for a client receiving an opioid analgesic for severe pain.
Which mechanism of action describes how opioid drugs provide pain relief?
A. They bind to opiate receptors to relieve pain
B. They block prostaglandin synthesis
C. They inhibit COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes
D. They activate NMDA receptors
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Opioid drugs are synthetic or semi-synthetic compounds that bind to
opiate receptors (mu, kappa, and delta) in the brain and spinal cord to produce
analgesia. This binding inhibits the transmission of pain signals.
Tested Concept: Opioid mechanism of action
Source Concept: "They are synthetic drugs that bind to opiate receptors to relieve pain."
Easy
, 2. A client is prescribed morphine for post-operative pain. The nurse knows that
morphine is classified as which type of opioid agonist?
A. Strong opioid agonist
B. Weak opioid agonist
C. Mixed agonist-antagonist
D. Partial opioid agonist
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Morphine is classified as a strong opioid agonist, along with
hydromorphone, oxycodone, meperidine, fentanyl, and methadone. These drugs are
used for moderate to severe pain management.
Tested Concept: Strong opioid agonists
Source Concept: "Morphine, hydromorphone, oxycodone, meperidine, fentanyl, or
methadone."
Easy
