NR567 Advanced Pharmacology
1. A patient is taking aminophylline for their Monitor the patient very closely for sign
COPD. The patient is about to undergo emer- of early arousal and return of muscle
gency surgery and will receive a neuromus- function.
cular junction (NMJ) blocker as part of the
procedure. It is important for the nurse to
take what action?
2. The nurse is caring for a patient who is be- Bradycardia
ing maintained on a mechanical ventilator.
Atracurium is administered to limit the resis-
tance to mechanical ventilation. What is the
nurse's priority assessment?
3. The nurse is preparing a patient for surgery Calcium channel blockers
who will receive a neuromuscular junction
blocker during the procedure. It is important
for the nurse to review the patient's medica-
tion history for concurrent use of what?
4. An elderly patient has received a neuromus- Risk for impaired skin integrity
cular junction blocker during surgery, What
would be an appropriate nursing diagnosis
for this patient?
5. What are the primary uses of neuromuscular To facilitate endotracheal intubation
junction blockers (NMJ blockers)? To prevent injury during electroconvul-
sive therapy
To facilitate mechanical ventilation
6. The pharmacology instructor is discussing Acts like Ach then prevents repolarization
nondepolarizing neuromuscular junction
blockers (NMJ blockers) with the nursing
, NR567 Advanced Pharmacology
class. How would the instructor explain the
action on nondepolarizing NMJ blockers?
7. According to the sliding filament theory, Actin and myosin molecules react with
what is the initial action in a muscle contrac- each other sliding along the filament and
tion? making it shorter.
8. A patient is to have surgery and it is planned Acts as an antagonist to acetylcholine
that atracurium (Tracrium) is to be used as
an adjunct to general anesthesia. How will
the atracurium work?
9. The nurse is caring for a patient who is re- If given together, a precipitate may form.
ceiving pancuronium (Pavulon) to facilitate
mechanical ventilation. The patient is also
receiving a barbiturate. How will the nurse
administer these two medications?
10. The nurse is caring for a patient who is This drug is associated with pulmonary
scheduled for abdominal surgery in the hypertension
morning and is scheduled to receive rocuro-
nium (Zemuron). The patient asks the nurse
to describe the adverse effects of rocuroni-
um. What would the nurse describe for the
patient?
11. The PACU nurse is caring for a patient that Temperature
had succinylcholine (Anectine) as an adjunct
to anesthesia. What is the nurse's priority
assessment while caring for this patient?
12. The nurse is caring for a patient scheduled Fear related to paralysis
for abdominal surgery in the morning. The
, NR567 Advanced Pharmacology
patient confides that they watched a movie
last week about someone who had surgery
and the anesthetic did not work but no one
knew because that patient could not move,
What nursing diagnosis will the nurse in-
clude in this patient's plan of care?
13. The nurse is caring for a patient in the inten- -The patient's muscles need to get their
sive care unit who has been receiving neuro- strength back again.
muscular junction (NMJ) blockers, sedatives, -This is a common occurrence in situa-
and analgesics for the past 2 weeks. The tions like this.
NMJ blocker therapy has been discontinued -He is likely to breathe better each day.
and the other medications have been re- -He will not be takne off the mechanical
duced gradually. The patient is now alert and ventilator until he is ready.
awake, communicating with family by using
paper and pencil. The family asks why the
patient cannot sustain normal respirations.
What is the nurse's best response?
14. The nurse is caring for a very anxious 30 to 60 seconds
33-year-old female patient scheduled for ab-
dominal surgery today. The patient said the
anesthesiologist said she would receive suc-
cinylcholine (anactine) during surgery and
asks the nurse how long it will take before
the medication starts to work. What is the
nurse's best response?
15. The patient returns from surgery complain- Aspirin
ing about muscle pain after receiving suc-
cinylcholine during the procedure After re-
viewing the postoperative orders, which of
, NR567 Advanced Pharmacology
these ordered analgesics will the nurse ad-
minister to treat this pain?
16. A student asks the pharmacology instruc- Succinylcholine is not broken down in-
tor how succinylcholine differs from acetyl- stantly.
choline (Ach). What should the instructor re-
spond?
17. The CRNA documents the anesthesia plan as Succinylcholine (Anectine, Quelicin)
using a depolarizing NMJ blocker as adjunct
to other anesthetics on the patient when
they go to surgery. The nurse would under-
stand from this note that the patient will
receive what drug?
18. The nurse administers pancuronium to the Bronchospasm
mechanically ventilated patient in the pedi-
atric ventilated patient in the pediatric in-
tensive care unit. What assessment finding
would the nurse suspect is an adverse effect
resulting from the drug?
19. The nursing student asks the mental health To reduce the intensity of muscle con-
nurse why pancuronium was administered tractions.
to the patient before electroconvulsive ther-
apy was performed. What is the mental
health nurse's best response?
20. When a nondepolarizing neuromuscular Xanthines
junction blocker is used as an adjunct to
surgery, what classification of medications
could reverse the neuromuscular blockage
1. A patient is taking aminophylline for their Monitor the patient very closely for sign
COPD. The patient is about to undergo emer- of early arousal and return of muscle
gency surgery and will receive a neuromus- function.
cular junction (NMJ) blocker as part of the
procedure. It is important for the nurse to
take what action?
2. The nurse is caring for a patient who is be- Bradycardia
ing maintained on a mechanical ventilator.
Atracurium is administered to limit the resis-
tance to mechanical ventilation. What is the
nurse's priority assessment?
3. The nurse is preparing a patient for surgery Calcium channel blockers
who will receive a neuromuscular junction
blocker during the procedure. It is important
for the nurse to review the patient's medica-
tion history for concurrent use of what?
4. An elderly patient has received a neuromus- Risk for impaired skin integrity
cular junction blocker during surgery, What
would be an appropriate nursing diagnosis
for this patient?
5. What are the primary uses of neuromuscular To facilitate endotracheal intubation
junction blockers (NMJ blockers)? To prevent injury during electroconvul-
sive therapy
To facilitate mechanical ventilation
6. The pharmacology instructor is discussing Acts like Ach then prevents repolarization
nondepolarizing neuromuscular junction
blockers (NMJ blockers) with the nursing
, NR567 Advanced Pharmacology
class. How would the instructor explain the
action on nondepolarizing NMJ blockers?
7. According to the sliding filament theory, Actin and myosin molecules react with
what is the initial action in a muscle contrac- each other sliding along the filament and
tion? making it shorter.
8. A patient is to have surgery and it is planned Acts as an antagonist to acetylcholine
that atracurium (Tracrium) is to be used as
an adjunct to general anesthesia. How will
the atracurium work?
9. The nurse is caring for a patient who is re- If given together, a precipitate may form.
ceiving pancuronium (Pavulon) to facilitate
mechanical ventilation. The patient is also
receiving a barbiturate. How will the nurse
administer these two medications?
10. The nurse is caring for a patient who is This drug is associated with pulmonary
scheduled for abdominal surgery in the hypertension
morning and is scheduled to receive rocuro-
nium (Zemuron). The patient asks the nurse
to describe the adverse effects of rocuroni-
um. What would the nurse describe for the
patient?
11. The PACU nurse is caring for a patient that Temperature
had succinylcholine (Anectine) as an adjunct
to anesthesia. What is the nurse's priority
assessment while caring for this patient?
12. The nurse is caring for a patient scheduled Fear related to paralysis
for abdominal surgery in the morning. The
, NR567 Advanced Pharmacology
patient confides that they watched a movie
last week about someone who had surgery
and the anesthetic did not work but no one
knew because that patient could not move,
What nursing diagnosis will the nurse in-
clude in this patient's plan of care?
13. The nurse is caring for a patient in the inten- -The patient's muscles need to get their
sive care unit who has been receiving neuro- strength back again.
muscular junction (NMJ) blockers, sedatives, -This is a common occurrence in situa-
and analgesics for the past 2 weeks. The tions like this.
NMJ blocker therapy has been discontinued -He is likely to breathe better each day.
and the other medications have been re- -He will not be takne off the mechanical
duced gradually. The patient is now alert and ventilator until he is ready.
awake, communicating with family by using
paper and pencil. The family asks why the
patient cannot sustain normal respirations.
What is the nurse's best response?
14. The nurse is caring for a very anxious 30 to 60 seconds
33-year-old female patient scheduled for ab-
dominal surgery today. The patient said the
anesthesiologist said she would receive suc-
cinylcholine (anactine) during surgery and
asks the nurse how long it will take before
the medication starts to work. What is the
nurse's best response?
15. The patient returns from surgery complain- Aspirin
ing about muscle pain after receiving suc-
cinylcholine during the procedure After re-
viewing the postoperative orders, which of
, NR567 Advanced Pharmacology
these ordered analgesics will the nurse ad-
minister to treat this pain?
16. A student asks the pharmacology instruc- Succinylcholine is not broken down in-
tor how succinylcholine differs from acetyl- stantly.
choline (Ach). What should the instructor re-
spond?
17. The CRNA documents the anesthesia plan as Succinylcholine (Anectine, Quelicin)
using a depolarizing NMJ blocker as adjunct
to other anesthetics on the patient when
they go to surgery. The nurse would under-
stand from this note that the patient will
receive what drug?
18. The nurse administers pancuronium to the Bronchospasm
mechanically ventilated patient in the pedi-
atric ventilated patient in the pediatric in-
tensive care unit. What assessment finding
would the nurse suspect is an adverse effect
resulting from the drug?
19. The nursing student asks the mental health To reduce the intensity of muscle con-
nurse why pancuronium was administered tractions.
to the patient before electroconvulsive ther-
apy was performed. What is the mental
health nurse's best response?
20. When a nondepolarizing neuromuscular Xanthines
junction blocker is used as an adjunct to
surgery, what classification of medications
could reverse the neuromuscular blockage
