NURS 8024 PHARMACOLOGY TEST
1 STUDY GUIDE | 2026 UPDATE |
WITH COMPLETE SOLUTION.
SECTION 1: PHARMACOKINETICS
Question 1
The nurse is teaching a patient about a newly prescribed medication. The patient
asks, "What does the term 'bioavailability' mean?" Which response by the nurse is
correct?
A) "It is the time required for half the drug to be eliminated from your body."
B) "It is the fraction of the drug that reaches your systemic circulation unchanged."
C) "It is the amount of drug that is bound to proteins in your blood."
D) "It is the rate at which the drug is absorbed from your stomach."
Rationale: Bioavailability is the fraction of chemically unchanged drug that reaches
systemic circulation. IV administration provides 100% bioavailability. Bioavailability is
affected by first-pass metabolism, solubility, and drug formulation.
Question 2
A drug administered intravenously (IV) would have what percentage of
bioavailability?
,A) 50%
B) 75%
C) 90%
D) 100%
Rationale: IV administration results in 100% bioavailability because it bypasses first-
pass metabolism in the liver. All other routes (oral, IM, sublingual, etc.) result in less than
100% bioavailability.
Question 3
The nurse is caring for a patient receiving a drug with a narrow therapeutic index.
Which action is most important?
A) Monitoring serum drug levels
B) Monitoring blood pressure
C) Monitoring intake and output
D) Monitoring for allergic reactions
Rationale: Drugs with a narrow therapeutic index (e.g., digoxin, lithium, warfarin,
phenytoin, aminoglycosides) require serum drug level monitoring because the margin
between therapeutic and toxic levels is small.
Question 4
A patient asks the nurse, "What is meant by the term half-life?" Which statement
by the nurse is correct?
A) "It is the time it takes for a drug to reach its peak level in your blood."
B) "It is the time it takes for the drug concentration in your blood to decrease by
50%."
C) "It is the time it takes for a drug to be completely absorbed."
D) "It is the time it takes for a drug to begin working."
, Rationale: Half-life is the time required for the plasma concentration of a drug to
decrease by 50%. It determines dosing intervals and the time required to reach steady
state.
Question 5
First-pass metabolism occurs primarily in which organ?
A) Kidneys
B) Liver
C) Lungs
D) Heart
Rationale: First-pass metabolism occurs in the liver when drugs are absorbed from the
GI tract and pass through the portal circulation. This process reduces the amount of
unchanged drug that reaches systemic circulation.
Question 6
The nurse is preparing to administer a medication orally to a patient. Which factor
would MOST likely decrease the bioavailability of this medication?
A) First-pass metabolism
B) Renal excretion
C) Protein binding
D) Volume of distribution
Rationale: First-pass metabolism in the liver reduces the amount of unchanged drug
that reaches systemic circulation, decreasing oral bioavailability. Renal excretion, protein
binding, and volume of distribution affect drug elimination and distribution, not
bioavailability.
1 STUDY GUIDE | 2026 UPDATE |
WITH COMPLETE SOLUTION.
SECTION 1: PHARMACOKINETICS
Question 1
The nurse is teaching a patient about a newly prescribed medication. The patient
asks, "What does the term 'bioavailability' mean?" Which response by the nurse is
correct?
A) "It is the time required for half the drug to be eliminated from your body."
B) "It is the fraction of the drug that reaches your systemic circulation unchanged."
C) "It is the amount of drug that is bound to proteins in your blood."
D) "It is the rate at which the drug is absorbed from your stomach."
Rationale: Bioavailability is the fraction of chemically unchanged drug that reaches
systemic circulation. IV administration provides 100% bioavailability. Bioavailability is
affected by first-pass metabolism, solubility, and drug formulation.
Question 2
A drug administered intravenously (IV) would have what percentage of
bioavailability?
,A) 50%
B) 75%
C) 90%
D) 100%
Rationale: IV administration results in 100% bioavailability because it bypasses first-
pass metabolism in the liver. All other routes (oral, IM, sublingual, etc.) result in less than
100% bioavailability.
Question 3
The nurse is caring for a patient receiving a drug with a narrow therapeutic index.
Which action is most important?
A) Monitoring serum drug levels
B) Monitoring blood pressure
C) Monitoring intake and output
D) Monitoring for allergic reactions
Rationale: Drugs with a narrow therapeutic index (e.g., digoxin, lithium, warfarin,
phenytoin, aminoglycosides) require serum drug level monitoring because the margin
between therapeutic and toxic levels is small.
Question 4
A patient asks the nurse, "What is meant by the term half-life?" Which statement
by the nurse is correct?
A) "It is the time it takes for a drug to reach its peak level in your blood."
B) "It is the time it takes for the drug concentration in your blood to decrease by
50%."
C) "It is the time it takes for a drug to be completely absorbed."
D) "It is the time it takes for a drug to begin working."
, Rationale: Half-life is the time required for the plasma concentration of a drug to
decrease by 50%. It determines dosing intervals and the time required to reach steady
state.
Question 5
First-pass metabolism occurs primarily in which organ?
A) Kidneys
B) Liver
C) Lungs
D) Heart
Rationale: First-pass metabolism occurs in the liver when drugs are absorbed from the
GI tract and pass through the portal circulation. This process reduces the amount of
unchanged drug that reaches systemic circulation.
Question 6
The nurse is preparing to administer a medication orally to a patient. Which factor
would MOST likely decrease the bioavailability of this medication?
A) First-pass metabolism
B) Renal excretion
C) Protein binding
D) Volume of distribution
Rationale: First-pass metabolism in the liver reduces the amount of unchanged drug
that reaches systemic circulation, decreasing oral bioavailability. Renal excretion, protein
binding, and volume of distribution affect drug elimination and distribution, not
bioavailability.
