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NRG 200 Pharmacology for Human Caring
Nursing – Final Exam 400 Practice Questions
with Verified Answers and Detailed
Rationales
SECTION 1: CORE PRINCIPLES & THE NURSING PROCESS
Questions 1-40
Question 1
A nurse is reviewing the medication administration record (MAR) and notes that a
medication is ordered to be given "PC." When should the nurse administer this
medication?
A) Before meals
B) At bedtime
C) After meals
D) As needed
Answer: C) After meals
Rationale: "PC" is an abbreviation for post cibum, which is Latin for "after meals."
"Before meals" is AC (ante cibum), "at bedtime" is HS (hora somni), and "as needed" is
PRN (pro re nata) .
Why others are wrong:
A) Before meals: This is the meaning of "AC" (ante cibum), not "PC."
B) At bedtime: This is indicated by "HS" (hora somni).
D) As needed: This is "PRN" (pro re nata), not "PC."
Question 2
The nurse's primary responsibility before administering the first dose of a new
medication is to:
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A) Assess the patient's ability to pay for the medication
B) Verify the order and perform a patient assessment, including allergies
C) Administer the medication and then check for side effects
D) Ask the patient's family if they have any questions
Answer: B) Verify the order and perform a patient assessment, including allergies
Rationale: Patient safety is paramount. The nurse must confirm the order is correct and
assess for contraindications (e.g., allergies) before giving any medication. This is a
fundamental nursing responsibility in medication administration .
Why others are wrong:
A) Assess ability to pay: While cost may be a concern, it is not the priority before first
dose.
C) Administer then check: Side effects should be anticipated and monitored, but the
priority is verifying the order before administration.
D) Ask family: While family can provide information, the nurse's responsibility is to
verify the order and assess the patient.
Question 3
A patient receiving IV morphine for severe post-operative pain has a respiratory rate of
8 breaths/minute. This is an example of monitoring for:
A) A therapeutic effect
B) An adverse effect
C) An allergic reaction
D) A synergistic effect
Answer: B) An adverse effect
Rationale: Respiratory depression is a known and dangerous adverse effect of opioid
medications like morphine. The desired therapeutic effect is pain relief. An adverse
effect is a harmful, unintended response to a drug .
Why others are wrong:
A) Therapeutic effect: The therapeutic effect of morphine is pain relief, not respiratory
depression.
C) Allergic reaction: Allergic reactions involve immune responses (rash, hives,
anaphylaxis), not respiratory depression.
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D) Synergistic effect: Synergism occurs when two drugs together produce a greater
effect than either alone; this is a single drug effect.
Question 4
The study of how a drug moves through the body, including absorption, distribution,
metabolism, and excretion, is known as:
A) Pharmacodynamics
B) Pharmacokinetics
C) Pharmacotherapeutics
D) Pharmacogenomics
Answer: B) Pharmacokinetics
Rationale: Pharmacokinetics describes what the body does to the drug—its movement
through absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion. Pharmacodynamics
describes what the drug does to the body .
Why others are wrong:
A) Pharmacodynamics: This is the study of what the drug does to the body (mechanism
of action).
C) Pharmacotherapeutics: This is the use of drugs to treat disease.
D) Pharmacogenomics: This is the study of how genetic variation affects drug response.
Question 5
A patient's medication order reads "Metoprolol 25 mg PO BID." What does "BID"
indicate?
A) The medication should be given once daily
B) The medication should be given twice a day
C) The medication should be given three times a day
D) The medication should be given every other day
Answer: B) The medication should be given twice a day
Rationale: BID is an abbreviation for bis in die, meaning twice a day. QD is once daily,
TID is three times a day, and QOD is every other day .
Why others are wrong:
A) Once daily: This is "QD" or "daily."
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C) Three times a day: This is "TID" (ter in die).
D) Every other day: This is "QOD" (quaque altera die).
Question 6
A patient's order states "Furosemide 40 mg IV push now." What is the correct
interpretation of the "now" part of this order?
A) The medication should be given at a time when the nurse is not busy
B) The medication is a single dose and should be given within 90 minutes
C) The medication is a STAT order and should be given immediately
D) The medication is a PRN order and should be given only if the patient requests it
Answer: C) The medication is a STAT order and should be given immediately
Rationale: A "STAT" order (often implied by "now") is for a single, immediate dose given
right away in an emergency situation. "Now" orders should be administered within 90
minutes of being written .
Why others are wrong:
A) When nurse is not busy: This is not a valid interpretation of a medication order.
B) Within 90 minutes: While some facilities interpret "now" as 90 minutes, STAT means
immediately.
D) PRN order: PRN (as needed) orders are given based on patient symptoms, not
immediately.
Question 7
A patient is prescribed a medication that has a high first-pass effect. The nurse
understands that this means:
A) A large portion of the drug is inactivated by the liver before reaching systemic
circulation
B) The drug is absorbed quickly from the stomach
C) The drug is excreted unchanged by the kidneys
D) The drug has a rapid onset of action
Answer: A) A large portion of the drug is inactivated by the liver before reaching
systemic circulation
NRG 200 Pharmacology for Human Caring
Nursing – Final Exam 400 Practice Questions
with Verified Answers and Detailed
Rationales
SECTION 1: CORE PRINCIPLES & THE NURSING PROCESS
Questions 1-40
Question 1
A nurse is reviewing the medication administration record (MAR) and notes that a
medication is ordered to be given "PC." When should the nurse administer this
medication?
A) Before meals
B) At bedtime
C) After meals
D) As needed
Answer: C) After meals
Rationale: "PC" is an abbreviation for post cibum, which is Latin for "after meals."
"Before meals" is AC (ante cibum), "at bedtime" is HS (hora somni), and "as needed" is
PRN (pro re nata) .
Why others are wrong:
A) Before meals: This is the meaning of "AC" (ante cibum), not "PC."
B) At bedtime: This is indicated by "HS" (hora somni).
D) As needed: This is "PRN" (pro re nata), not "PC."
Question 2
The nurse's primary responsibility before administering the first dose of a new
medication is to:
,2|Page
A) Assess the patient's ability to pay for the medication
B) Verify the order and perform a patient assessment, including allergies
C) Administer the medication and then check for side effects
D) Ask the patient's family if they have any questions
Answer: B) Verify the order and perform a patient assessment, including allergies
Rationale: Patient safety is paramount. The nurse must confirm the order is correct and
assess for contraindications (e.g., allergies) before giving any medication. This is a
fundamental nursing responsibility in medication administration .
Why others are wrong:
A) Assess ability to pay: While cost may be a concern, it is not the priority before first
dose.
C) Administer then check: Side effects should be anticipated and monitored, but the
priority is verifying the order before administration.
D) Ask family: While family can provide information, the nurse's responsibility is to
verify the order and assess the patient.
Question 3
A patient receiving IV morphine for severe post-operative pain has a respiratory rate of
8 breaths/minute. This is an example of monitoring for:
A) A therapeutic effect
B) An adverse effect
C) An allergic reaction
D) A synergistic effect
Answer: B) An adverse effect
Rationale: Respiratory depression is a known and dangerous adverse effect of opioid
medications like morphine. The desired therapeutic effect is pain relief. An adverse
effect is a harmful, unintended response to a drug .
Why others are wrong:
A) Therapeutic effect: The therapeutic effect of morphine is pain relief, not respiratory
depression.
C) Allergic reaction: Allergic reactions involve immune responses (rash, hives,
anaphylaxis), not respiratory depression.
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D) Synergistic effect: Synergism occurs when two drugs together produce a greater
effect than either alone; this is a single drug effect.
Question 4
The study of how a drug moves through the body, including absorption, distribution,
metabolism, and excretion, is known as:
A) Pharmacodynamics
B) Pharmacokinetics
C) Pharmacotherapeutics
D) Pharmacogenomics
Answer: B) Pharmacokinetics
Rationale: Pharmacokinetics describes what the body does to the drug—its movement
through absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion. Pharmacodynamics
describes what the drug does to the body .
Why others are wrong:
A) Pharmacodynamics: This is the study of what the drug does to the body (mechanism
of action).
C) Pharmacotherapeutics: This is the use of drugs to treat disease.
D) Pharmacogenomics: This is the study of how genetic variation affects drug response.
Question 5
A patient's medication order reads "Metoprolol 25 mg PO BID." What does "BID"
indicate?
A) The medication should be given once daily
B) The medication should be given twice a day
C) The medication should be given three times a day
D) The medication should be given every other day
Answer: B) The medication should be given twice a day
Rationale: BID is an abbreviation for bis in die, meaning twice a day. QD is once daily,
TID is three times a day, and QOD is every other day .
Why others are wrong:
A) Once daily: This is "QD" or "daily."
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C) Three times a day: This is "TID" (ter in die).
D) Every other day: This is "QOD" (quaque altera die).
Question 6
A patient's order states "Furosemide 40 mg IV push now." What is the correct
interpretation of the "now" part of this order?
A) The medication should be given at a time when the nurse is not busy
B) The medication is a single dose and should be given within 90 minutes
C) The medication is a STAT order and should be given immediately
D) The medication is a PRN order and should be given only if the patient requests it
Answer: C) The medication is a STAT order and should be given immediately
Rationale: A "STAT" order (often implied by "now") is for a single, immediate dose given
right away in an emergency situation. "Now" orders should be administered within 90
minutes of being written .
Why others are wrong:
A) When nurse is not busy: This is not a valid interpretation of a medication order.
B) Within 90 minutes: While some facilities interpret "now" as 90 minutes, STAT means
immediately.
D) PRN order: PRN (as needed) orders are given based on patient symptoms, not
immediately.
Question 7
A patient is prescribed a medication that has a high first-pass effect. The nurse
understands that this means:
A) A large portion of the drug is inactivated by the liver before reaching systemic
circulation
B) The drug is absorbed quickly from the stomach
C) The drug is excreted unchanged by the kidneys
D) The drug has a rapid onset of action
Answer: A) A large portion of the drug is inactivated by the liver before reaching
systemic circulation
