NCLEX-RN Introduction to Pharmacology Exam
Questions with Answers |
20 ATI & Next Gen NCLEX-Style Practice
Questions |
Pharmacology Made Easy Nursing Test Bank
Question 1
Clinical Scenario
A 72-year-old woman is admitted to a medical unit with
community-acquired pneumonia. Her medical history includes
hypertension, chronic kidney disease (stage 3), and
osteoarthritis. She reports taking five prescription medications,
two over-the-counter (OTC) products, and a daily herbal
supplement. During admission, the nurse notices that the
herbal supplement and one OTC medication are not
documented on the medication list.
Question Stem
Which nursing action is the highest priority to promote safe
medication administration?
A. Ask the client to stop taking all OTC medications while
hospitalized.
,B. Complete a comprehensive medication reconciliation,
including prescription, OTC, herbal, and dietary supplements.
C. Instruct the client to bring all medications from home before
administering hospital medications.
D. Document only the prescribed medications because OTC
products are not routinely included in the medication record.
Correct Answer
Correct Answer: B. Complete a comprehensive medication
reconciliation, including prescription, OTC, herbal, and dietary
supplements.
Detailed Rationale
Medication reconciliation is a systematic process used to reduce
medication errors during transitions of care. The nurse should
obtain a complete list of all substances the patient uses,
including prescription medications, OTC drugs, vitamins, herbal
products, and dietary supplements. Many herbal and OTC
products can alter drug metabolism, increase bleeding risk, or
worsen renal function. For example, ginkgo biloba may increase
bleeding risk, while NSAIDs can worsen kidney injury or
interfere with antihypertensive therapy. Identifying all
medications allows the healthcare team to detect duplications,
omissions, interactions, contraindications, and inappropriate
dosing before treatment begins.
,Option A is incorrect because discontinuing all OTC medications
without provider evaluation may unnecessarily interrupt
beneficial therapy and does not address medication safety
comprehensively. Option C is incorrect because bringing
medications from home may assist verification but does not
replace formal medication reconciliation. Home medications
generally should not be administered until verified by the
provider and pharmacy. Option D is incorrect because OTC
medications and supplements are essential components of
medication reconciliation; excluding them significantly increases
the risk of adverse drug events.
Medication reconciliation is particularly important in older
adults with polypharmacy and chronic illnesses because they
are at increased risk for medication-related complications.
Learning Objectives
After completing this question, the learner should be able to:
• Explain the purpose of medication reconciliation.
• Identify all medication sources that should be included
during admission.
• Recognize how OTC and herbal products contribute to
medication interactions.
• Apply medication reconciliation principles to reduce
medication errors.
, Medication Safety Focus
Medication Reconciliation
Question 2
Clinical Scenario
A newly licensed nurse asks the charge nurse to explain why
some medications are administered every 12 hours while others
are given every 24 hours despite belonging to the same
therapeutic class.
Question Stem
Which pharmacokinetic principle best explains these
differences in dosing frequency?
A. Therapeutic index
B. First-pass metabolism
C. Drug half-life
D. Potency
Correct Answer
Correct Answer: C. Drug half-life
Detailed Rationale
Questions with Answers |
20 ATI & Next Gen NCLEX-Style Practice
Questions |
Pharmacology Made Easy Nursing Test Bank
Question 1
Clinical Scenario
A 72-year-old woman is admitted to a medical unit with
community-acquired pneumonia. Her medical history includes
hypertension, chronic kidney disease (stage 3), and
osteoarthritis. She reports taking five prescription medications,
two over-the-counter (OTC) products, and a daily herbal
supplement. During admission, the nurse notices that the
herbal supplement and one OTC medication are not
documented on the medication list.
Question Stem
Which nursing action is the highest priority to promote safe
medication administration?
A. Ask the client to stop taking all OTC medications while
hospitalized.
,B. Complete a comprehensive medication reconciliation,
including prescription, OTC, herbal, and dietary supplements.
C. Instruct the client to bring all medications from home before
administering hospital medications.
D. Document only the prescribed medications because OTC
products are not routinely included in the medication record.
Correct Answer
Correct Answer: B. Complete a comprehensive medication
reconciliation, including prescription, OTC, herbal, and dietary
supplements.
Detailed Rationale
Medication reconciliation is a systematic process used to reduce
medication errors during transitions of care. The nurse should
obtain a complete list of all substances the patient uses,
including prescription medications, OTC drugs, vitamins, herbal
products, and dietary supplements. Many herbal and OTC
products can alter drug metabolism, increase bleeding risk, or
worsen renal function. For example, ginkgo biloba may increase
bleeding risk, while NSAIDs can worsen kidney injury or
interfere with antihypertensive therapy. Identifying all
medications allows the healthcare team to detect duplications,
omissions, interactions, contraindications, and inappropriate
dosing before treatment begins.
,Option A is incorrect because discontinuing all OTC medications
without provider evaluation may unnecessarily interrupt
beneficial therapy and does not address medication safety
comprehensively. Option C is incorrect because bringing
medications from home may assist verification but does not
replace formal medication reconciliation. Home medications
generally should not be administered until verified by the
provider and pharmacy. Option D is incorrect because OTC
medications and supplements are essential components of
medication reconciliation; excluding them significantly increases
the risk of adverse drug events.
Medication reconciliation is particularly important in older
adults with polypharmacy and chronic illnesses because they
are at increased risk for medication-related complications.
Learning Objectives
After completing this question, the learner should be able to:
• Explain the purpose of medication reconciliation.
• Identify all medication sources that should be included
during admission.
• Recognize how OTC and herbal products contribute to
medication interactions.
• Apply medication reconciliation principles to reduce
medication errors.
, Medication Safety Focus
Medication Reconciliation
Question 2
Clinical Scenario
A newly licensed nurse asks the charge nurse to explain why
some medications are administered every 12 hours while others
are given every 24 hours despite belonging to the same
therapeutic class.
Question Stem
Which pharmacokinetic principle best explains these
differences in dosing frequency?
A. Therapeutic index
B. First-pass metabolism
C. Drug half-life
D. Potency
Correct Answer
Correct Answer: C. Drug half-life
Detailed Rationale
