NU NUR 320 Module 1 (pdf) | 2026/2027 | Pharmacology for Nursing
Practice Q&A | Nursing
1. A nurse is teaching a patient how a medication works to treat an illness. To
do this, the nurse will rely on knowledge of which topic?
A) Pharmacokinetics
B) Pharmacotherapeutics
C) Drug efficacy
D) Clinical pharmacology
Correct Answer: Pharmacotherapeutics
Rationale: Pharmacotherapeutics is the study of the use of drugs to
diagnose, treat, and prevent conditions. Pharmacokinetics is the study of
what the body does to the drug, while clinical pharmacology is the broader
study of drug-human interactions.
2. A patient asks the nurse why a medication must be taken multiple times a
day. The nurse explains that this is because the drug has a short:
A) Therapeutic index
B) Half-life
C) Peak level
D) Onset of action
Correct Answer: Half-life
Rationale: Half-life is the time it takes for the drug concentration in the body
to decrease by 50%. Drugs with short half-lives require more frequent dosing
to maintain therapeutic levels.
,3. A nurse is preparing to administer a medication that is known to have a
narrow therapeutic index. Which of the following actions is most important
for the nurse to take?
A) Administer the drug with food to increase absorption
B) Monitor serum drug levels closely
C) Increase the dose to ensure effectiveness
D) Administer the drug via the IV route
Correct Answer: Monitor serum drug levels closely
Rationale: A narrow therapeutic index means there is a small margin
between the therapeutic dose and a toxic dose. Monitoring serum drug levels
is essential to maintain drug levels within the therapeutic range and prevent
toxicity.
4. Which of the following best describes the process of pharmacokinetics?
A) The study of how drugs affect the body
B) The study of how the body absorbs, distributes, metabolizes, and excretes
drugs
C) The study of drug-receptor interactions
D) The study of the body's immune response to drugs
Correct Answer: The study of how the body absorbs, distributes, metabolizes,
and excretes drugs
Rationale: Pharmacokinetics describes the movement of drugs through the
body, encompassing the processes of absorption, distribution, metabolism,
and excretion (ADME). Pharmacodynamics, in contrast, is the study of how
drugs affect the body.
,5. A patient is prescribed a medication that must be given intravenously.
Which phase of drug action does this route primarily affect?
A) Absorption
B) Distribution
C) Metabolism
D) Excretion
Correct Answer: Absorption
Rationale: The route of administration directly affects the absorption phase.
Intravenous administration bypasses the absorption process entirely,
delivering the drug directly into the bloodstream.
6. A patient is given a medication that is known to be highly protein-bound.
The nurse understands that this drug will have a:
A) Longer duration of action
B) Faster onset of action
C) Increased risk of toxicity if given with another highly protein-bound drug
D) Increased rate of excretion
Correct Answer: Increased risk of toxicity if given with another highly protein-
bound drug
Rationale: Drugs that are highly protein-bound can be displaced by other
protein-bound drugs, increasing the free (active) concentration of the drug in
the blood, which can lead to toxicity.
7. A nurse is educating a patient about a new medication. Which statement
by the patient indicates a need for further teaching?
, A) "I will take this medication exactly as prescribed."
B) "I can stop taking this medication when I feel better."
C) "I will report any side effects to my healthcare provider."
D) "I will keep all my follow-up appointments."
Correct Answer: "I can stop taking this medication when I feel better."
Rationale: Many medications, especially antibiotics and those for chronic
conditions, must be taken for the full prescribed course to be effective.
Stopping early can lead to relapse or drug resistance.
8. The nurse administers a drug that acts as an agonist at a specific receptor.
Which of the following describes the action of this drug?
A) It blocks the receptor and prevents activation
B) It binds to the receptor and produces a response
C) It neutralizes the receptor's natural ligand
D) It has no effect on the receptor
Correct Answer: It binds to the receptor and produces a response
Rationale: An agonist is a drug that binds to a receptor and activates it,
producing a response. An antagonist, in contrast, binds to a receptor and
blocks it, preventing a response.
9. A patient is taking two drugs that have synergistic effects. The nurse
should monitor the patient for:
A) Decreased therapeutic effect
B) Increased risk of adverse effects
C) No change in drug response
Practice Q&A | Nursing
1. A nurse is teaching a patient how a medication works to treat an illness. To
do this, the nurse will rely on knowledge of which topic?
A) Pharmacokinetics
B) Pharmacotherapeutics
C) Drug efficacy
D) Clinical pharmacology
Correct Answer: Pharmacotherapeutics
Rationale: Pharmacotherapeutics is the study of the use of drugs to
diagnose, treat, and prevent conditions. Pharmacokinetics is the study of
what the body does to the drug, while clinical pharmacology is the broader
study of drug-human interactions.
2. A patient asks the nurse why a medication must be taken multiple times a
day. The nurse explains that this is because the drug has a short:
A) Therapeutic index
B) Half-life
C) Peak level
D) Onset of action
Correct Answer: Half-life
Rationale: Half-life is the time it takes for the drug concentration in the body
to decrease by 50%. Drugs with short half-lives require more frequent dosing
to maintain therapeutic levels.
,3. A nurse is preparing to administer a medication that is known to have a
narrow therapeutic index. Which of the following actions is most important
for the nurse to take?
A) Administer the drug with food to increase absorption
B) Monitor serum drug levels closely
C) Increase the dose to ensure effectiveness
D) Administer the drug via the IV route
Correct Answer: Monitor serum drug levels closely
Rationale: A narrow therapeutic index means there is a small margin
between the therapeutic dose and a toxic dose. Monitoring serum drug levels
is essential to maintain drug levels within the therapeutic range and prevent
toxicity.
4. Which of the following best describes the process of pharmacokinetics?
A) The study of how drugs affect the body
B) The study of how the body absorbs, distributes, metabolizes, and excretes
drugs
C) The study of drug-receptor interactions
D) The study of the body's immune response to drugs
Correct Answer: The study of how the body absorbs, distributes, metabolizes,
and excretes drugs
Rationale: Pharmacokinetics describes the movement of drugs through the
body, encompassing the processes of absorption, distribution, metabolism,
and excretion (ADME). Pharmacodynamics, in contrast, is the study of how
drugs affect the body.
,5. A patient is prescribed a medication that must be given intravenously.
Which phase of drug action does this route primarily affect?
A) Absorption
B) Distribution
C) Metabolism
D) Excretion
Correct Answer: Absorption
Rationale: The route of administration directly affects the absorption phase.
Intravenous administration bypasses the absorption process entirely,
delivering the drug directly into the bloodstream.
6. A patient is given a medication that is known to be highly protein-bound.
The nurse understands that this drug will have a:
A) Longer duration of action
B) Faster onset of action
C) Increased risk of toxicity if given with another highly protein-bound drug
D) Increased rate of excretion
Correct Answer: Increased risk of toxicity if given with another highly protein-
bound drug
Rationale: Drugs that are highly protein-bound can be displaced by other
protein-bound drugs, increasing the free (active) concentration of the drug in
the blood, which can lead to toxicity.
7. A nurse is educating a patient about a new medication. Which statement
by the patient indicates a need for further teaching?
, A) "I will take this medication exactly as prescribed."
B) "I can stop taking this medication when I feel better."
C) "I will report any side effects to my healthcare provider."
D) "I will keep all my follow-up appointments."
Correct Answer: "I can stop taking this medication when I feel better."
Rationale: Many medications, especially antibiotics and those for chronic
conditions, must be taken for the full prescribed course to be effective.
Stopping early can lead to relapse or drug resistance.
8. The nurse administers a drug that acts as an agonist at a specific receptor.
Which of the following describes the action of this drug?
A) It blocks the receptor and prevents activation
B) It binds to the receptor and produces a response
C) It neutralizes the receptor's natural ligand
D) It has no effect on the receptor
Correct Answer: It binds to the receptor and produces a response
Rationale: An agonist is a drug that binds to a receptor and activates it,
producing a response. An antagonist, in contrast, binds to a receptor and
blocks it, preventing a response.
9. A patient is taking two drugs that have synergistic effects. The nurse
should monitor the patient for:
A) Decreased therapeutic effect
B) Increased risk of adverse effects
C) No change in drug response
