Nurse pharmacology practice questions - Exam 1 with 100% Correct Answers 2023

Nurse pharmacology practice questions - Exam 1 with 100% Correct Answers 2023 A patient who was prescribed an oral medication to be taken four times per day returns to the clinic for a follow-up visit. The patient tells the nurse that he forgets to take two or three doses of the medication each day. What is the most appropriate action that the nurse can take? A. Arranging for the patient to have a home healthcare nurse B. Re-educating the patient about the medication and how it should be taken C. Determining whether the patient is experiencing any adverse effects D. Telling the patient to set an alarm as a reminder to take the drug - Correct Answer: B Rationale: To help minimize errors caused by poor adherence, patients should receive thorough instruction regarding their medications and how to take them. A nurse is caring for a patient who has an infection. The healthcare provider has ordered an antimicrobial drug for the patient. The nurse understands that which of the following is the most important characteristic of this drug? A. That the drug will kill the microorganism B. That the drug will be administered orally C. That the drug does not have any harmful effects D. That the drug does not interact with other drugs - Correct Answer: A Rationale: The three most important characteristics that any drug can have are effectiveness, safety, and selectivity. Effectiveness is the most important property that a drug can have. While preparing to administer medications to a patient, the nurse finds that he does not understand the rationale for the patient receiving one of the prescribed drugs. What should he do? A. Ask another nurse why the patient is getting this medication. B. Ask the patient why this medication has been ordered. C. Research the medication, focusing on its therapeutic uses. D. Verify with the prescribing healthcare provider the reason for the medication. - Correct Answer: D Rationale: A nurse should not administer a medication unless he or she understands the reason for its use. When the nurse reviews a medication order, it is not clear what route should be used for administration. Which action by the nurse is best? A. Use a current drug reference resource to determine the administration route. B. Administer the drug via the oral route. C. Contact the pharmacist for clarification. D. Call the prescriber to verify the route. - Correct Answer: D Rationale: If the medication order is unclear, the nurse should verify it with the prescriber. The nurse administered 2 mg of morphine intravenously to a postoperative patient. In addition to following the Rights of Drug Administration, what responsibility does the nurse have as a patient advocate? A. To administer the drug as often as possible B. To minimize adverse effects by reducing the next dose of morphine C. To know the possible reactions to morphine D. To inform visitors that the patient has received morphine - Correct Answer: C Rationale: It is important for the nurse to know any possible reactions to the medication in advance. A nurse is administering a drug that is categorized as Schedule IV. The nurse understands that this means the drug: A. Has acceptable medical applications with low potential for abuse. B. Is a controlled substance with no accepted medical use. C. Is dangerous to administer to pregnant or breast-feeding patients. D. Has the potential for serious and life-threatening adverse effects. - Correct Answer: A Rationale: Categories from Schedules I to V are used for drugs that are considered to have the potential for abuse. The drugs with the highest potential for abuse are Schedule I drugs, and those with the lowest potential for abuse are Schedule V drugs. The nurse is preparing a list of medications to give to a patient who is being discharged from the hospital. The nurse should use which drug name for each medication? A. Chemical name B. Generic name C. Trade name D. Classification name - Correct Answer: B Rationale: Each drug has only one generic name; the generic name is less complex than the chemical name, but it is more complex than the trade name. Using the generic name is the safest way to refer to a medication. The chemical name can be long and complex, and it may be inappropriate for everyday use. In addition, multiple trade names can be used for the same medication. A nurse is preparing to administer epinephrine to a patient who is having a severe allergic reaction. Which route of administration should the nurse use to provide the fastest and most complete absorption of epinephrine? A. Intravenous B. Intramuscular C. Subcutaneous D. Oral - Correct Answer: A Rationale: Intravenous administration results in the fastest and most complete absorption of a drug. When preparing to administer a sustained-release capsule to a patient, the nurse understands that which of the following is true for sustained-release capsules? A. They are usually most costly than pills. B. They are rapidly absorbed. C. They need to be crushed for appropriate absorption to take place. D. They need to be taken at regular intervals throughout the day. - Correct Answer: A Rationale: A capsule may cost more than a pill. Sustained-release formulations are capsules filled with tiny spheres that contain the actual drug; the individual spheres have coatings that dissolve at variable rates. Because some spheres dissolve more slowly than others, drug is released steadily throughout the day. These capsules should not be crushed. The primary advantage of sustained-release preparations is that they permit a reduction in the number of daily doses. These formulations have the additional advantage of producing relatively steady drug levels over an extended time (much like giving a drug by infusion). The major disadvantages of sustained-release formulations are their high cost and their potential for variable absorption. The nurse identifies which patient as being at highest risk for slow drug metabolism? A. A 2-year-old boy who is prescribed an oral antibiotic B. A 14-year-old girl who takes four prescription drugs C. A 56-year-old man who has chronic hepatic disease D. A 76-year-old woman who has an elevated temperature - Correct Answer: C Rationale: Drug metabolism, which is also known as biotransformation, is the enzymatic alteration of drug structure. Most drug metabolism takes place in the liver. Digoxin has a half-life of 36 to 48 hours. Because of the length of the half-life, the nurse expects dosing to occur how often? A. 4 times per day B. 3 times per day C. 2 times per day D. Once a day - Correct Answer: D Rationale: The concept of the half-life tells us that, no matter what the amount of drug in the body may be, half (50%) will leave during a specified period of time (i.e., the halflife). The actual amount of drug that is lost during one half-life depends on just how much drug is present: The more drug that is in the body, the larger the amount lost during oneNurse pharmacology practice questions - Exam 1 with 100% Correct Answers 2023 half-life. If a long dosing interval were used, drug levels would fall below the minimum effective concentration between doses, and therapeutic effects would be lost. Conversely, if a drug has a long half-lif