ATI Pharmacology Proctored exam questions and answers
2025UPDATE
1. A provider prescribes phenobarbital for a client who has a seizure
disorder. The medication has a long half-life of 4 days. How many times per
day should the nurse expect to administer this medication?
A. One
B.Two
C.Three
D. Four: A. One
(Medications with long half-lives remain at their therapeutic levels between doses
for long periods of time. The nurse should expect to administer this medication once
a day.)
2. A staff educator is reviewing medication dosages and factors that
influence medication metabolism with a group of nurses at an in-service
presentation. Which of the following factors should the educator include as
a reason to administer lower medication dosages? (Select all that apply.)
A. Increased renal secretion
B. Increased medication-metabolizing enzymes
C. Liver failure
D. Peripheral vascular disease
E. Concurrent use of medication the same pathway metabolizes: C. Liver failure
E. Concurrent use of medication the same pathway metabolizes
C. Liver failure decreases metabolism and thus increases the concentration of a
medication. This requires decreasing the dosage.
E. When the same pathway metabolizes two medications, they compete for metabo-
lism, thereby increasing the concentration of one or both medications. This requires
decreasing the dosage of one or both
3. A nurse is preparing to administer eye drops to a client. Which of
the following actions should the nurse take? (Select all that apply.)
A. Have the client lie on her side.
,B. Ask the client to look up at the ceiling.
C.Tell the client to blink when the drops enter her eye.
D. Drop the medication into the center of the client's conjunctival sac.
E. Instruct the client to close her eye gently after instillation: B. Ask the client
to look up at the ceiling.
D. Drop the medication into the center of the client's conjunctival sac.
E. Instruct the client to close her eye gently after instillation
(B. The client should look upward to keep the drops from falling onto her cornea.
D. The nurse should drop the medication into the
center of the conjunctival sac to promote distribution.
E. The client should close her eye gently to promote distribution of the medication)
4. A nurse is completing discharge teaching for a client who has a new
pre- scription for transdermal patches. Which of the following statements
should the nurse identify as an indication that the client understands the
instruc- tions?
A. "I will clean the site with an alcohol swab before I apply the patch."
B. "I will rotate the application sites weekly."
C. "I will apply the patch to an area of skin with no hair."
D. "I will place the new patch on the site of the old patch.: C. "I will apply the
patch to an area of skin with no hair."
(The client should apply the patch to a hairless area of skin to promote absorption
of the medication.)
5. A nurse reviewing a client's medical record notes a new prescription
for verifying the trough level of the client's medication. Which of the
following actions should the nurse take?
A. Obtain a blood specimen immediately prior to administering the next dose
of medication.
B.Verify that the client has been taking the medication for 24 hr before
obtaining a blood specimen.
C. Ask the client to provide a urine specimen after the next dose of medication.
D. Administer the medication,and obtain a blood specimen 30 min late: A.
Obtain a blood specimen immediately prior to administering the next dose of med-
ication.
,(To verify trough levels of a medication, the nurse should obtain a blood specimen
immediately before administering the next dose of medication.)
6. A nurse is preparing a client's medications. Which of the following
actions should the nurse take in following legal practice guidelines? (Select
all that apply.)
A. Maintain skill competency.
B. Determine the dosage.
C. Monitor for adverse effects.
D. Safeguard medications.
E. Identify the client's diagnosis: A. Maintain skill competency.
C. Monitor for adverse effects.
D. Safeguard medications.
(A.maintaining skill competency and using appropriate administration techniques
are legal responsibilities of the nurse
C. A nurse is legally responsible for monitoring for side and adverse effects of
medication
D. Safeguarding of medications, such as controlled substances, is a legal responsi-
bility of the nurse)
7. A nurse reviewing a client's health record notes a new prescription for
Lisinopril 10 mg PO once every day. The nurse should identify this as which
of the following types of prescription?
A. Single
B. Stat
C. Routine
D. Standing: C. Routine
(A routine or standard prescription identifies medications to give on a regular
schedule with or without a termination date or a specific number of doses. The nurse
will administer
this medication every day until the provider discontinues it.)
8. A nurse is reviewing a new prescription for Ondansetron 4 mg PO PRN
for nausea and vomiting for a client who has Hyperemesis Gravidarum. The
nurse should clarify which of the following parts of the prescription with the
provider?
, A. Name
B. Dosage
C. Route
D. Frequency: D. Frequency
(This prescription does not include the time or frequency of medication administra-
tion. The nurse must clarify this with the prescribing provide)
9. A dnurse dis dadmitting da dclient dand dcompleting da dpreassessment dbefore
dadmin- distering dmedications. dWhich dof dthe dfollowing ddata dshould dthe dnurse
dinclude din dthe dpreassessment? d(Select dall dthat dapply.)
A. Use dof dherbal dteas
B. Daily dfluid dintake
C. Current dhealth dstatus
D. Previous dsurgical dhistory
E. Food dallergies: dA. dUse dof dherbal dteas
C. dCurrent dhealth dstatus
E. dFood dallergies
(A. dThe dnurse dshould dinquire dabout dthe dclient's duse dof dherbal dproducts, dwhich
doften dcontain dcaffeine, dprior dto dmedication dadministration dbecause dcaffeine dcan
daffect dmedication dbiotransformation
C.dThe dnurse dshould dreview dthe dclient's dcurrent dhealth dstatus dbecause dnew
dprescrip- dtions dcan dcause dalterations din dcurrent dhealth dstatus
E.dThe dnurse dshould dinquire dabout dfood dallergies dduring dthe dpreassessment dto
didentify dany dpotential dreactions dor dinteractions)
10. A dnurse dorienting da dnewly dlicensed dnurse dis dreviewing dthe
dprocedure dfor dtaking da dtelephone dprescription.dWhich dof dthe dfollowing
dstatements dshould dthe dnurse didentify das dan dindication dthat dthe dnewly
dlicensed dnurse dunderstands dthe dprocess?
A. "A dsecond dnurse denters dthe dprescription dinto dthe dclient's dmedical
record."
d
B. "Another dnurse dshould dlisten dto dthe dphone dcall."
C. "The dprovider dcan dclarify dthe dprescription dwhen dhe dsigns dthe dhealth
drecord."
D. "I dshould domit dthe d'read dback' dif dthis dis da done time dprescriptio:nB.
2025UPDATE
1. A provider prescribes phenobarbital for a client who has a seizure
disorder. The medication has a long half-life of 4 days. How many times per
day should the nurse expect to administer this medication?
A. One
B.Two
C.Three
D. Four: A. One
(Medications with long half-lives remain at their therapeutic levels between doses
for long periods of time. The nurse should expect to administer this medication once
a day.)
2. A staff educator is reviewing medication dosages and factors that
influence medication metabolism with a group of nurses at an in-service
presentation. Which of the following factors should the educator include as
a reason to administer lower medication dosages? (Select all that apply.)
A. Increased renal secretion
B. Increased medication-metabolizing enzymes
C. Liver failure
D. Peripheral vascular disease
E. Concurrent use of medication the same pathway metabolizes: C. Liver failure
E. Concurrent use of medication the same pathway metabolizes
C. Liver failure decreases metabolism and thus increases the concentration of a
medication. This requires decreasing the dosage.
E. When the same pathway metabolizes two medications, they compete for metabo-
lism, thereby increasing the concentration of one or both medications. This requires
decreasing the dosage of one or both
3. A nurse is preparing to administer eye drops to a client. Which of
the following actions should the nurse take? (Select all that apply.)
A. Have the client lie on her side.
,B. Ask the client to look up at the ceiling.
C.Tell the client to blink when the drops enter her eye.
D. Drop the medication into the center of the client's conjunctival sac.
E. Instruct the client to close her eye gently after instillation: B. Ask the client
to look up at the ceiling.
D. Drop the medication into the center of the client's conjunctival sac.
E. Instruct the client to close her eye gently after instillation
(B. The client should look upward to keep the drops from falling onto her cornea.
D. The nurse should drop the medication into the
center of the conjunctival sac to promote distribution.
E. The client should close her eye gently to promote distribution of the medication)
4. A nurse is completing discharge teaching for a client who has a new
pre- scription for transdermal patches. Which of the following statements
should the nurse identify as an indication that the client understands the
instruc- tions?
A. "I will clean the site with an alcohol swab before I apply the patch."
B. "I will rotate the application sites weekly."
C. "I will apply the patch to an area of skin with no hair."
D. "I will place the new patch on the site of the old patch.: C. "I will apply the
patch to an area of skin with no hair."
(The client should apply the patch to a hairless area of skin to promote absorption
of the medication.)
5. A nurse reviewing a client's medical record notes a new prescription
for verifying the trough level of the client's medication. Which of the
following actions should the nurse take?
A. Obtain a blood specimen immediately prior to administering the next dose
of medication.
B.Verify that the client has been taking the medication for 24 hr before
obtaining a blood specimen.
C. Ask the client to provide a urine specimen after the next dose of medication.
D. Administer the medication,and obtain a blood specimen 30 min late: A.
Obtain a blood specimen immediately prior to administering the next dose of med-
ication.
,(To verify trough levels of a medication, the nurse should obtain a blood specimen
immediately before administering the next dose of medication.)
6. A nurse is preparing a client's medications. Which of the following
actions should the nurse take in following legal practice guidelines? (Select
all that apply.)
A. Maintain skill competency.
B. Determine the dosage.
C. Monitor for adverse effects.
D. Safeguard medications.
E. Identify the client's diagnosis: A. Maintain skill competency.
C. Monitor for adverse effects.
D. Safeguard medications.
(A.maintaining skill competency and using appropriate administration techniques
are legal responsibilities of the nurse
C. A nurse is legally responsible for monitoring for side and adverse effects of
medication
D. Safeguarding of medications, such as controlled substances, is a legal responsi-
bility of the nurse)
7. A nurse reviewing a client's health record notes a new prescription for
Lisinopril 10 mg PO once every day. The nurse should identify this as which
of the following types of prescription?
A. Single
B. Stat
C. Routine
D. Standing: C. Routine
(A routine or standard prescription identifies medications to give on a regular
schedule with or without a termination date or a specific number of doses. The nurse
will administer
this medication every day until the provider discontinues it.)
8. A nurse is reviewing a new prescription for Ondansetron 4 mg PO PRN
for nausea and vomiting for a client who has Hyperemesis Gravidarum. The
nurse should clarify which of the following parts of the prescription with the
provider?
, A. Name
B. Dosage
C. Route
D. Frequency: D. Frequency
(This prescription does not include the time or frequency of medication administra-
tion. The nurse must clarify this with the prescribing provide)
9. A dnurse dis dadmitting da dclient dand dcompleting da dpreassessment dbefore
dadmin- distering dmedications. dWhich dof dthe dfollowing ddata dshould dthe dnurse
dinclude din dthe dpreassessment? d(Select dall dthat dapply.)
A. Use dof dherbal dteas
B. Daily dfluid dintake
C. Current dhealth dstatus
D. Previous dsurgical dhistory
E. Food dallergies: dA. dUse dof dherbal dteas
C. dCurrent dhealth dstatus
E. dFood dallergies
(A. dThe dnurse dshould dinquire dabout dthe dclient's duse dof dherbal dproducts, dwhich
doften dcontain dcaffeine, dprior dto dmedication dadministration dbecause dcaffeine dcan
daffect dmedication dbiotransformation
C.dThe dnurse dshould dreview dthe dclient's dcurrent dhealth dstatus dbecause dnew
dprescrip- dtions dcan dcause dalterations din dcurrent dhealth dstatus
E.dThe dnurse dshould dinquire dabout dfood dallergies dduring dthe dpreassessment dto
didentify dany dpotential dreactions dor dinteractions)
10. A dnurse dorienting da dnewly dlicensed dnurse dis dreviewing dthe
dprocedure dfor dtaking da dtelephone dprescription.dWhich dof dthe dfollowing
dstatements dshould dthe dnurse didentify das dan dindication dthat dthe dnewly
dlicensed dnurse dunderstands dthe dprocess?
A. "A dsecond dnurse denters dthe dprescription dinto dthe dclient's dmedical
record."
d
B. "Another dnurse dshould dlisten dto dthe dphone dcall."
C. "The dprovider dcan dclarify dthe dprescription dwhen dhe dsigns dthe dhealth
drecord."
D. "I dshould domit dthe d'read dback' dif dthis dis da done time dprescriptio:nB.
