NUR 210 Unit 1 Practice Questions
1. The nurse is caring for a diverse group of clients. In which client should the nurse assess for an
alteration in drug metabolism?
A) A 35-year-old woman with cervical cancer
B) A 41-year-old man with kidney stones
C) A 50-year-old man with cirrhosis of the liver
D) A 32-year-old woman with urosepsis
2. The nurse is providing medication teaching for a client. The nurse has asked the client to provide a
complete list of medications taken to healthcare providers. Ensuring this list is complete will have
what potential benefit for the client?
A) Reducing the client’s spending on medications
B) Protecting the client from possible allergic reactions to medications
C) Reducing the client’s likelihood of drug–drug interactions
D) Maintaining a therapeutic serum concentration of the new drug
3. A nurse is caring for a client who has been receiving a drug by the intramuscular route at a dose of
0.25 mg. After discharge, the client will be prescribed the same medication orally at a dose of 2.5
mg. What phenomenon should the nurse describe when explaining the reason for the increased
dosage for the oral dose?
A) Passive diffusion
B) Active transport
C) Glomerular filtration
D) First-pass effect
4. The nurse is assessing factors that may affect the absorption of a drug that the nurse will soon
administer. What factor should the nurse prioritize?
A) The client’s blood urea nitrogen and creatinine levels
B) The route of administration that has been prescribed
C) The client’s liver enzyme levels
D) The date on which the client began taking the medication
5. A nurse has identified the half-life of a drug that will be administered to a client for the first time.
The nursing drug guide states that the drug’s half-life is 90 minutes. The nurse should identify what
implication of this fact?
A) Ninety minutes after drug levels peak, there will be 50% of the peak level.
B) In 3 hours, there will be no detectable levels of the drug present in the client’s
body.
C) Drug levels will rise steadily after administration, reaching 50% of maximum
concentration after 90 minutes.
D) Peak drug levels will be achieved 90 minutes after the drug is administered.
6. The client with cancer pain has been receiving morphine sulfate for several days. For the past few
days, the medication is no longer effective in controlling the client’s pain, and a larger dose is
needed to have the same effect. How should the nurse explain this phenomenon to the client?
A) “This is likely a result of your developing tolerance to the medication.”
B) “There is likely a build-up of morphine in your body that is unable to affect your
, pain receptors.”
C) “I’ll collaborate with your provider to see if there might be other medications that
are counteracting your morphine.”
D) “You might be developing a mild addiction to morphine, but this is certainly
treatable.”
7. A nurse is planning client teaching about a newly prescribed drug. What teaching point should the
nurse provide to best improve adherence and safety?
A) List of pharmacies where the drug can be obtained
B) Measures to alleviate any discomfort associated with adverse effects
C) The benefits of the prescribed drug over alternatives from the same class
D) Statistics related to phase III testing for the prescribed drug
8. The caregiver of an older adult client with ischemic heart disease tells the nurse that the client is only
taking around half of the prescribed dosage of several medications. What possible effect should the
nurse explain when providing health education?
A) Increased risk of primary actions
B) Antibiotic resistance
C) Superinfection
D) Reduced therapeutic effect
9. The nurse is assessing a client new to the clinic. The client says he or she is allergic to penicillin.
What action should the nurse do next?
A) Assess the exact nature of the client’s response to the drug.
B) Document that the client is allergic to penicillin.
C) Perform a comprehensive health assessment.
D) Continue to assess the client for other allergies.
10. A student nurse asks the study group how to define a drug allergy. What would be the peer group’s
best response?
A) A second effect of the body to a specific drug
B) The formation of antibodies to a drug protein causing an immune response when
the person is next exposed to that drug
C) A serum sickness caused by a reaction to a drug
D) Immediate systemic reaction to the drug when exposed to the drug the first time
11. Why does the nurse need to be alert for any indication of an allergic reaction in clients?
A) To obtain early warning of noncompliance in drug therapy
B) To increase the effectiveness of a specific medication
C) To maintain the client’s safety during drug therapy
D) To reduce the risk of adverse effects during drug therapy
12. The nurse administered a scheduled dose of hydrochlorothiazide, a diuretic, 45 minutes ago. The
nurse is now preparing to assess the client’s blood pressure. In what phase of the nursing process
should the nurse perform this action?
A) Assessment
B) Nursing diagnosis
C) Interventions
1. The nurse is caring for a diverse group of clients. In which client should the nurse assess for an
alteration in drug metabolism?
A) A 35-year-old woman with cervical cancer
B) A 41-year-old man with kidney stones
C) A 50-year-old man with cirrhosis of the liver
D) A 32-year-old woman with urosepsis
2. The nurse is providing medication teaching for a client. The nurse has asked the client to provide a
complete list of medications taken to healthcare providers. Ensuring this list is complete will have
what potential benefit for the client?
A) Reducing the client’s spending on medications
B) Protecting the client from possible allergic reactions to medications
C) Reducing the client’s likelihood of drug–drug interactions
D) Maintaining a therapeutic serum concentration of the new drug
3. A nurse is caring for a client who has been receiving a drug by the intramuscular route at a dose of
0.25 mg. After discharge, the client will be prescribed the same medication orally at a dose of 2.5
mg. What phenomenon should the nurse describe when explaining the reason for the increased
dosage for the oral dose?
A) Passive diffusion
B) Active transport
C) Glomerular filtration
D) First-pass effect
4. The nurse is assessing factors that may affect the absorption of a drug that the nurse will soon
administer. What factor should the nurse prioritize?
A) The client’s blood urea nitrogen and creatinine levels
B) The route of administration that has been prescribed
C) The client’s liver enzyme levels
D) The date on which the client began taking the medication
5. A nurse has identified the half-life of a drug that will be administered to a client for the first time.
The nursing drug guide states that the drug’s half-life is 90 minutes. The nurse should identify what
implication of this fact?
A) Ninety minutes after drug levels peak, there will be 50% of the peak level.
B) In 3 hours, there will be no detectable levels of the drug present in the client’s
body.
C) Drug levels will rise steadily after administration, reaching 50% of maximum
concentration after 90 minutes.
D) Peak drug levels will be achieved 90 minutes after the drug is administered.
6. The client with cancer pain has been receiving morphine sulfate for several days. For the past few
days, the medication is no longer effective in controlling the client’s pain, and a larger dose is
needed to have the same effect. How should the nurse explain this phenomenon to the client?
A) “This is likely a result of your developing tolerance to the medication.”
B) “There is likely a build-up of morphine in your body that is unable to affect your
, pain receptors.”
C) “I’ll collaborate with your provider to see if there might be other medications that
are counteracting your morphine.”
D) “You might be developing a mild addiction to morphine, but this is certainly
treatable.”
7. A nurse is planning client teaching about a newly prescribed drug. What teaching point should the
nurse provide to best improve adherence and safety?
A) List of pharmacies where the drug can be obtained
B) Measures to alleviate any discomfort associated with adverse effects
C) The benefits of the prescribed drug over alternatives from the same class
D) Statistics related to phase III testing for the prescribed drug
8. The caregiver of an older adult client with ischemic heart disease tells the nurse that the client is only
taking around half of the prescribed dosage of several medications. What possible effect should the
nurse explain when providing health education?
A) Increased risk of primary actions
B) Antibiotic resistance
C) Superinfection
D) Reduced therapeutic effect
9. The nurse is assessing a client new to the clinic. The client says he or she is allergic to penicillin.
What action should the nurse do next?
A) Assess the exact nature of the client’s response to the drug.
B) Document that the client is allergic to penicillin.
C) Perform a comprehensive health assessment.
D) Continue to assess the client for other allergies.
10. A student nurse asks the study group how to define a drug allergy. What would be the peer group’s
best response?
A) A second effect of the body to a specific drug
B) The formation of antibodies to a drug protein causing an immune response when
the person is next exposed to that drug
C) A serum sickness caused by a reaction to a drug
D) Immediate systemic reaction to the drug when exposed to the drug the first time
11. Why does the nurse need to be alert for any indication of an allergic reaction in clients?
A) To obtain early warning of noncompliance in drug therapy
B) To increase the effectiveness of a specific medication
C) To maintain the client’s safety during drug therapy
D) To reduce the risk of adverse effects during drug therapy
12. The nurse administered a scheduled dose of hydrochlorothiazide, a diuretic, 45 minutes ago. The
nurse is now preparing to assess the client’s blood pressure. In what phase of the nursing process
should the nurse perform this action?
A) Assessment
B) Nursing diagnosis
C) Interventions
