NURS 3330: Pharmacotherapeutics for
Nursing Care - Exam 1 questions n
answers
What is pharmacology? - ANS ✔The study of the effects of drugs and their interaction with
living systems. It is also the study of what drugs do and how they do it.
What is clinical pharmacology? - ANS ✔The study of drugs in humans.
What is therapeutics mean in terms of nursing care? - ANS ✔The use of drugs to diagnose, cure,
treat, or prevent disease.
What is a drug? - ANS ✔Any chemical that can affect living processes.
What are reasons for studying pharmacology? - ANS ✔1. Safely be able to administer
medications.
2. Educate clients and caregivers.
3. Manage a therapeutic drug regimen.
What is effectiveness in terms of the properties of an ideal drug? - ANS ✔It elicits the responses
for which is given. It is the most important property a drug can have. US law requires all new
drugs must prove to be this.
What is safety in terms of the properties of an ideal drug? - ANS ✔It cannot produce harmful
effects. There is no such thing as a drug which is this.
What is intrinsic activity? - ANS ✔This refers to the ability of a drug to activate receptors.
,What is selectivity in terms of the properties of an ideal drug? - ANS ✔It only elicits the
response for which it is given. There is no such thing as a drug which is this because all
medications cause side effects.
If a drug binds to only one type of receptor, and the receptor with the drug produces the
desired effects, than a drug is known to be selective.
If a drug responds to multiple receptors, then it is known to be nonselective.
What are the Six Rights of Medication Administration? - ANS ✔Right medication
Right client
Right dosage
Right route
Right time
Right documentation
What is patient adherence? - ANS ✔Also known as compliance implementing non-drug
measures. It is simply the education of patients of the drugs which they are given.
What is a side effect? - ANS ✔Not a desired effect and usually not life threatening. They can be
alleviated with specific measures. These may develop soon after a drug is initiated or not until
drug has been taken for weeks or months.
What is an adverse effect? - ANS ✔These are more severe than a side effect. It is always an
undesirable effect and must always be reported to the health care provider.
Nurses must know the major kinds of these which a drug can elicit, the time when these
reactions are likely to occur (45 min-1 hour), early signs when one is developing, and
interventions which can minimize discomfort and harm of these.
, What does it mean to make PRN decisions? - ANS ✔Pro re nata, meaning "as needed." This
means knowing the reason for drug use and being able to assess the patient's medication
needs.
What are orphan drugs? - ANS ✔These are drugs that have limited use. They treat rare or
unusual diseases that usually effect less than 200,000 people.
What is compassionate use? - ANS ✔These are certain drugs that are available to patients
without complete FDA approval. These are usually used for life-threatening diseases.
What are the stages of new drug development? - ANS ✔1. Preclinical testing
2. Clinical testing (takes 2-10 years)
3. Human studies:
-Phase I: initial pharmacologic evaluation, lab research
-Phase II: Limited controlled evaluation, clinical trials
-Phase III: Extended clinical evaluation, drug approval process (NDA)
-Phase IV: Post marketing surveillance, survey for harmful drug effects in larger populations
Phases I-III are used on humans in controlled, small populations. Phase IV includes drugs already
on the market and affecting large populations.
Nursing Care - Exam 1 questions n
answers
What is pharmacology? - ANS ✔The study of the effects of drugs and their interaction with
living systems. It is also the study of what drugs do and how they do it.
What is clinical pharmacology? - ANS ✔The study of drugs in humans.
What is therapeutics mean in terms of nursing care? - ANS ✔The use of drugs to diagnose, cure,
treat, or prevent disease.
What is a drug? - ANS ✔Any chemical that can affect living processes.
What are reasons for studying pharmacology? - ANS ✔1. Safely be able to administer
medications.
2. Educate clients and caregivers.
3. Manage a therapeutic drug regimen.
What is effectiveness in terms of the properties of an ideal drug? - ANS ✔It elicits the responses
for which is given. It is the most important property a drug can have. US law requires all new
drugs must prove to be this.
What is safety in terms of the properties of an ideal drug? - ANS ✔It cannot produce harmful
effects. There is no such thing as a drug which is this.
What is intrinsic activity? - ANS ✔This refers to the ability of a drug to activate receptors.
,What is selectivity in terms of the properties of an ideal drug? - ANS ✔It only elicits the
response for which it is given. There is no such thing as a drug which is this because all
medications cause side effects.
If a drug binds to only one type of receptor, and the receptor with the drug produces the
desired effects, than a drug is known to be selective.
If a drug responds to multiple receptors, then it is known to be nonselective.
What are the Six Rights of Medication Administration? - ANS ✔Right medication
Right client
Right dosage
Right route
Right time
Right documentation
What is patient adherence? - ANS ✔Also known as compliance implementing non-drug
measures. It is simply the education of patients of the drugs which they are given.
What is a side effect? - ANS ✔Not a desired effect and usually not life threatening. They can be
alleviated with specific measures. These may develop soon after a drug is initiated or not until
drug has been taken for weeks or months.
What is an adverse effect? - ANS ✔These are more severe than a side effect. It is always an
undesirable effect and must always be reported to the health care provider.
Nurses must know the major kinds of these which a drug can elicit, the time when these
reactions are likely to occur (45 min-1 hour), early signs when one is developing, and
interventions which can minimize discomfort and harm of these.
, What does it mean to make PRN decisions? - ANS ✔Pro re nata, meaning "as needed." This
means knowing the reason for drug use and being able to assess the patient's medication
needs.
What are orphan drugs? - ANS ✔These are drugs that have limited use. They treat rare or
unusual diseases that usually effect less than 200,000 people.
What is compassionate use? - ANS ✔These are certain drugs that are available to patients
without complete FDA approval. These are usually used for life-threatening diseases.
What are the stages of new drug development? - ANS ✔1. Preclinical testing
2. Clinical testing (takes 2-10 years)
3. Human studies:
-Phase I: initial pharmacologic evaluation, lab research
-Phase II: Limited controlled evaluation, clinical trials
-Phase III: Extended clinical evaluation, drug approval process (NDA)
-Phase IV: Post marketing surveillance, survey for harmful drug effects in larger populations
Phases I-III are used on humans in controlled, small populations. Phase IV includes drugs already
on the market and affecting large populations.
