NURS 3365 LATEST 2026 TEST PAPER QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS RATED A+
✔✔. When monitoring a patient who is taking corticosteroids, the nurse observes for
which adverse effects?
(Select all that apply.)
a. Fragile skin
b. Hyperglycemia
c. Nervousness
d. Hypotension
e. Weight loss
f. Drowsiness - ✔✔fragile skin
hyperglycemia
nervousness
✔✔A patient has Cushing's syndrome. The nurse expects which drug to be used to
inhibit the function of
the adrenal cortex in the treatment of this syndrome?
a. dexamethasone (generic)
b. aminoglutethimide (Cytadren)
c. hydrocortisone (Solu-Cortef)
d. fludrocortisone (Florinef) - ✔✔aminoglutethimide
✔✔A patient who has been taking corticosteroids has
developed a "moon face" and facial redness, and
has many bruises on her arms. Which of these is the
most appropriate nursing diagnosis?
a. Risk for infection
b. Imbalanced nutrition: Less than body
requirements
c. Deficient fluid volume
d. Disturbed body image - ✔✔disturbed body image
✔✔Because corticosteroids may cause sodium retention,
the nurse will closely monitor patients with which
condition when administering corticosteroids?
a. Diabetes mellitus
b. Seizure disorders
c. Heart failure
d. Hyperthyroidism - ✔✔heart failure
,✔✔Ms. R., a 30-year-old hospital receptionist, is receiving glucocorticoid therapy after a
kidney transplant.
The nurse is reviewing her drug regimen with her
when she says that she frequently uses aspirin or ibuprofen to treat problems like
headaches or menstrual
cramps. She also mentions that she enjoys walking
for exercise and likes to visit sick children on the
hospital's pediatric ward when she has time. What
issues will the nurse discuss with Ms. R.? - ✔✔Ms. R.'s glucocorticoid can interact with
aspirin
and other nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs
(NSAIDs), producing additive effects and increasing
the chance of gastric ulcer development. Also, she
must avoid people with infections, because her own
immune system is suppressed. The children in the
hospital may have infections. In addition, she needs
to report any fever, increased weakness and lethargy,
or sore throat.
✔✔Peter has developed a severe skin rash after a camping trip. The health care
provider is planning to
prescribe prednisone (Deltasone). The nursing assessment reveals that Peter has type
1 diabetes.
a. Does that finding affect Peter's treatment?
Explain your answer.
b. To help minimize gastrointestinal effects, what
advice will the nurse have for someone taking
an oral form of a systemic glucocorticoid? - ✔✔a. The use of systemic glucocorticoids
with antidiabetic drugs may reduce the hypoglycemic effect
of those drugs. Determine a baseline blood glucose level, and monitor Peter for any
problems.
b. Oral dosage forms must be taken with milk or
food to minimize gastrointestinal upset. Another
option is for the provider to order a histamine-2
receptor antagonist or proton pump inhibitors
to prevent ulcer formation (glucocorticoids may
cause gastric ulcers). Patients must be instructed
not to take the drug with alcohol, aspirin, or other
NSAIDs to minimize gastric irritation and the
chance for gastric bleeding.
✔✔The nurse is watching a student nurse prepare to apply a topical glucocorticoid to a
patient's skin rash.
After donning gloves, she places some of the medication on her finger. Should the
nurse intervene, or is
, the student nurse doing fine so far? What other consideration is involved in determining
the technique
for applying a topical drug? - ✔✔The nurse should intervene. The student nurse needs
to wear clean (nonsterile) gloves when applying the
medication with a sterile tongue depressor or cottontipped applicator if the skin is intact.
If the skin is
not intact, a sterile technique should be used.
✔✔Nina has been prescribed a steroid drug delivered via
inhaler. What special instructions will the nurse give
her? - ✔✔In addition to routine teaching about metered-dose
inhaler administration technique, the nurse will
instruct Nina to rinse out her mouth with lukewarm
water after each use of the inhaler to prevent the
development of an oral fungal infection.
✔✔Julie is in the urgent care center because of an exacerbation of asthma. She is
usually able to control it with
inhaled bronchodilators, but the physician decides to give
her a short course of prednisone (Deltasone) in a dose
that started high and then tapered down over 2 weeks.
1. Why is the dose tapered instead of just discontinued
after a week?
2. Julie is taking prednisone for only two weeks. What
are potential effects of long-term therapy, such as
therapy for a month or more?
3. Julie tells the nurse that she takes an oral contraceptive and that she often uses
ibuprofen (Advil) for her
aches and pains. What concerns are there about drug
interactions? Explain your answer.
4. What time of day will she take this drug? Explain. - ✔✔1. One very important point
about corticosteroids is
that they must not be stopped abruptly. These drugs
require a tapering of the daily dose, because the
administration of these drugs causes the endogenous (body's own) production of the
hormones to
stop. This is referred to as HPA or adrenal suppression. This suppression places the
patient at risk of
developing hypoadrenal crisis (shock, circulatory
collapse) in times of increased stress (i.e., surgery,
trauma). Tapering of daily doses allows the HPA
axis the time to recover and to start stimulating the
normal production of the endogenous hormones.
2. Short- or long-term therapy may cause steroid psychosis. In addition, long-term
effects cause cushingoid symptoms, including moon face, weight gain,
muscle wasting, and increased deposition of fat in
ANSWERS RATED A+
✔✔. When monitoring a patient who is taking corticosteroids, the nurse observes for
which adverse effects?
(Select all that apply.)
a. Fragile skin
b. Hyperglycemia
c. Nervousness
d. Hypotension
e. Weight loss
f. Drowsiness - ✔✔fragile skin
hyperglycemia
nervousness
✔✔A patient has Cushing's syndrome. The nurse expects which drug to be used to
inhibit the function of
the adrenal cortex in the treatment of this syndrome?
a. dexamethasone (generic)
b. aminoglutethimide (Cytadren)
c. hydrocortisone (Solu-Cortef)
d. fludrocortisone (Florinef) - ✔✔aminoglutethimide
✔✔A patient who has been taking corticosteroids has
developed a "moon face" and facial redness, and
has many bruises on her arms. Which of these is the
most appropriate nursing diagnosis?
a. Risk for infection
b. Imbalanced nutrition: Less than body
requirements
c. Deficient fluid volume
d. Disturbed body image - ✔✔disturbed body image
✔✔Because corticosteroids may cause sodium retention,
the nurse will closely monitor patients with which
condition when administering corticosteroids?
a. Diabetes mellitus
b. Seizure disorders
c. Heart failure
d. Hyperthyroidism - ✔✔heart failure
,✔✔Ms. R., a 30-year-old hospital receptionist, is receiving glucocorticoid therapy after a
kidney transplant.
The nurse is reviewing her drug regimen with her
when she says that she frequently uses aspirin or ibuprofen to treat problems like
headaches or menstrual
cramps. She also mentions that she enjoys walking
for exercise and likes to visit sick children on the
hospital's pediatric ward when she has time. What
issues will the nurse discuss with Ms. R.? - ✔✔Ms. R.'s glucocorticoid can interact with
aspirin
and other nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs
(NSAIDs), producing additive effects and increasing
the chance of gastric ulcer development. Also, she
must avoid people with infections, because her own
immune system is suppressed. The children in the
hospital may have infections. In addition, she needs
to report any fever, increased weakness and lethargy,
or sore throat.
✔✔Peter has developed a severe skin rash after a camping trip. The health care
provider is planning to
prescribe prednisone (Deltasone). The nursing assessment reveals that Peter has type
1 diabetes.
a. Does that finding affect Peter's treatment?
Explain your answer.
b. To help minimize gastrointestinal effects, what
advice will the nurse have for someone taking
an oral form of a systemic glucocorticoid? - ✔✔a. The use of systemic glucocorticoids
with antidiabetic drugs may reduce the hypoglycemic effect
of those drugs. Determine a baseline blood glucose level, and monitor Peter for any
problems.
b. Oral dosage forms must be taken with milk or
food to minimize gastrointestinal upset. Another
option is for the provider to order a histamine-2
receptor antagonist or proton pump inhibitors
to prevent ulcer formation (glucocorticoids may
cause gastric ulcers). Patients must be instructed
not to take the drug with alcohol, aspirin, or other
NSAIDs to minimize gastric irritation and the
chance for gastric bleeding.
✔✔The nurse is watching a student nurse prepare to apply a topical glucocorticoid to a
patient's skin rash.
After donning gloves, she places some of the medication on her finger. Should the
nurse intervene, or is
, the student nurse doing fine so far? What other consideration is involved in determining
the technique
for applying a topical drug? - ✔✔The nurse should intervene. The student nurse needs
to wear clean (nonsterile) gloves when applying the
medication with a sterile tongue depressor or cottontipped applicator if the skin is intact.
If the skin is
not intact, a sterile technique should be used.
✔✔Nina has been prescribed a steroid drug delivered via
inhaler. What special instructions will the nurse give
her? - ✔✔In addition to routine teaching about metered-dose
inhaler administration technique, the nurse will
instruct Nina to rinse out her mouth with lukewarm
water after each use of the inhaler to prevent the
development of an oral fungal infection.
✔✔Julie is in the urgent care center because of an exacerbation of asthma. She is
usually able to control it with
inhaled bronchodilators, but the physician decides to give
her a short course of prednisone (Deltasone) in a dose
that started high and then tapered down over 2 weeks.
1. Why is the dose tapered instead of just discontinued
after a week?
2. Julie is taking prednisone for only two weeks. What
are potential effects of long-term therapy, such as
therapy for a month or more?
3. Julie tells the nurse that she takes an oral contraceptive and that she often uses
ibuprofen (Advil) for her
aches and pains. What concerns are there about drug
interactions? Explain your answer.
4. What time of day will she take this drug? Explain. - ✔✔1. One very important point
about corticosteroids is
that they must not be stopped abruptly. These drugs
require a tapering of the daily dose, because the
administration of these drugs causes the endogenous (body's own) production of the
hormones to
stop. This is referred to as HPA or adrenal suppression. This suppression places the
patient at risk of
developing hypoadrenal crisis (shock, circulatory
collapse) in times of increased stress (i.e., surgery,
trauma). Tapering of daily doses allows the HPA
axis the time to recover and to start stimulating the
normal production of the endogenous hormones.
2. Short- or long-term therapy may cause steroid psychosis. In addition, long-term
effects cause cushingoid symptoms, including moon face, weight gain,
muscle wasting, and increased deposition of fat in
