USA NU 578 unit 1 | Questions with 100% Verified Answers
| Latest Update 2026/2027
Question: A nurse is preparing to give an oral dose of drug X to treat a
patient's high blood pressure. After giving the drug, the nurse
finds that it not only reduces the blood pressure without
serious harmful effects, but it also causes the patient to have
nausea and headache. Based on this information, which
property of an ideal drug is this drug lacking?
A. Effectiveness
B. Safety
C. Selectivity
D. Ease of administration
Answer: C. Selectivity Correct
The drug is effective in lowering the blood pressure and safe in that it does not cause
harmful effects. However, as do most drugs, it causes other effects besides the one
response desired; therefore, it lacks selectivity. The oral form provides ease of
administration.
Question: The nurse is preparing to give a drug with certain properties.
Which property of the drug is the most compelling indication
that it should not be given?
A. The drug produces an unwanted side effect.
B. The drug is difficult to administer.
C. The drug's effects are reversible.
D. The drug is not effective for its intended purpose.
Answer: D. The drug is not effective for its intended purpose. Correct
If a drug is not effective, there is no justification for giving it. Some drugs may be given
even though they produce unwanted side effects or are difficult to administer. Reversible
action is a desired property for most drugs.
Question: Why is it important for drugs to have ease of administration?
A. Fewer administration errors
B. Less risk of side effects
C. Greater chemical stability
D. Greater likelihood of reversibility
Answer: A. Fewer administration errors Correct
Ease of administration increases convenience and adherence and can reduce
administration errors. Ease of administration is not related to side effects, chemical
stability, or reversibility.
,Question: The nurse teaches a patient not to consume alcohol with
nitroglycerine, because the blood pressure often drops
significantly when nitroglycerine is taken with alcohol. Which
drug property does this illustrate?
A. Chemical instability
B. Drug interaction
C. Reversible action
D. Drug selectivity
Answer: B. Drug interaction Correct
When two or more drugs are taken together, they can interact, causing either increased
or decreased drug responses. In this case, alcohol would increase the nitroglycerine
response. Chemical instability, reversible action, and drug selectivity are not related to
this situation.
Question: When studying the impact a drug has on the body, the nurse is
reviewing what?
A. The drug's pharmacokinetics
B. The drug's selectivity
C. The drug's pharmacodynamics
D. The drug's predictability.
Answer: C. The drug's pharmacodynamics Correct
Pharmacodynamics can be thought of as the impact of drugs on the body.
Pharmacokinetics describes the movement of drugs through the body. Selectivity is the
ability of a drug to elicit only the response for which it is given. Predictability is the
degree of certainty about how a patient will respond to a certain drug.
Question: When studying the effects of drugs in humans, the nurse is
learning about what?
A. Pharmacology
B. Clinical pharmacology
C. Therapeutics
D. Effectiveness
Answer: B. Clinical pharmacology Correct
Clinical pharmacology is the study of the effects of drugs in humans. Pharmacology can
be defined as the study of drugs and their interactions with living systems. Therapeutics,
also known as pharmacotherapeutics, is the use of drugs to diagnose, prevent, or treat
disease or to prevent pregnancy. The term effectiveness indicates that the drug elicits the
intended response or responses.
,Question: Which statement by a new nurse indicates that further study is
indicated?
A. Effectiveness is the most important property a drug can
have.
B. There is no such thing as a safe drug.
C. Drugs are defined as illegal substances.
D. There is no such thing as a selective drug; all medications
cause side effects.
Answer: Drugs are defined as illegal substances. Correct
A drug is any chemical that can affect living processes. All the other statements are
correct.
Question: What is the ultimate concern for the nurse when administering
a drug?
A. Intensity of the response
B. Dosage
C. Route of administration
D. Timing of administration
Answer: A. Intensity of the response Correct
The ultimate concern for the nurse when administering a drug is the intensity of the
response, which is determined by the dosage size, route of administration, and timing of
administration.
Question: What is the objective of drug therapy?
A. To provide maximum benefit with minimal harm
B. To provide minimum benefit with maximum harm
C. To provide total relief of symptoms regardless of harm
D. To provide as much benefit as possible
Answer: A. To provide maximum benefit with minimal harm Correct
The objective of drug therapy is to provide maximum benefit with minimal harm. All drugs
have the potential to produce side effects. Because drugs are not ideal, we must exercise
skill and care if treatment is to result in more good than harm
, Question: Characteristics unique to each patient can influence
pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic processes. What
characteristics may determine the patient's response to a
drug? (Select all that apply.)
A. Age
B. Gender
C. Weight
D. Mood
E. Genetics
Answer: A. Age
B. Gender
C. Weight
E. Genetics
Characteristics unique to each patient can influence pharmacokinetic and
pharmacodynamic processes and, by doing so, can help determine the patient's
response to a drug. Sources of individual variation include drug interactions; physiologic
variables (eg, age, gender, weight); pathologic variables (especially diminished function
of the kidneys and liver, the major organs of drug elimination); and genetic variables.
Question: The nurse is preparing to administer a dose of penicillin.
Before administering the medication, the nurse assesses the
patient's allergy history. Which aspect of drug therapy does
this represent?
A. Making PRN (as needed) decisions
B. Evaluating therapeutic effects
C. Ensuring proper dosage
D. Identifying high-risk
Answer: D. Identifying high-risk patients Correct
Patients receiving penicillin are at high risk for dangerous allergic reactions. This
intervention represents the nurse's role in identifying situations with high risk. This
situation does not represent the remaining responses.
Question: The nurse is preparing to administer a medication with the
following order: "Aldomet 250 mg daily." What should the
nurse do?
A. Administer the medication as it was given last time.
B. Administer the medication by mouth.
C. Verify the order with the prescriber..
D. Ask the patient how this medication is usually given.
Answer: C. Verify the order with the prescriber. Correct
This order does not include a drug route. The nurse should clarify any questionable
orders with the prescriber. The other responses are incorrect.
| Latest Update 2026/2027
Question: A nurse is preparing to give an oral dose of drug X to treat a
patient's high blood pressure. After giving the drug, the nurse
finds that it not only reduces the blood pressure without
serious harmful effects, but it also causes the patient to have
nausea and headache. Based on this information, which
property of an ideal drug is this drug lacking?
A. Effectiveness
B. Safety
C. Selectivity
D. Ease of administration
Answer: C. Selectivity Correct
The drug is effective in lowering the blood pressure and safe in that it does not cause
harmful effects. However, as do most drugs, it causes other effects besides the one
response desired; therefore, it lacks selectivity. The oral form provides ease of
administration.
Question: The nurse is preparing to give a drug with certain properties.
Which property of the drug is the most compelling indication
that it should not be given?
A. The drug produces an unwanted side effect.
B. The drug is difficult to administer.
C. The drug's effects are reversible.
D. The drug is not effective for its intended purpose.
Answer: D. The drug is not effective for its intended purpose. Correct
If a drug is not effective, there is no justification for giving it. Some drugs may be given
even though they produce unwanted side effects or are difficult to administer. Reversible
action is a desired property for most drugs.
Question: Why is it important for drugs to have ease of administration?
A. Fewer administration errors
B. Less risk of side effects
C. Greater chemical stability
D. Greater likelihood of reversibility
Answer: A. Fewer administration errors Correct
Ease of administration increases convenience and adherence and can reduce
administration errors. Ease of administration is not related to side effects, chemical
stability, or reversibility.
,Question: The nurse teaches a patient not to consume alcohol with
nitroglycerine, because the blood pressure often drops
significantly when nitroglycerine is taken with alcohol. Which
drug property does this illustrate?
A. Chemical instability
B. Drug interaction
C. Reversible action
D. Drug selectivity
Answer: B. Drug interaction Correct
When two or more drugs are taken together, they can interact, causing either increased
or decreased drug responses. In this case, alcohol would increase the nitroglycerine
response. Chemical instability, reversible action, and drug selectivity are not related to
this situation.
Question: When studying the impact a drug has on the body, the nurse is
reviewing what?
A. The drug's pharmacokinetics
B. The drug's selectivity
C. The drug's pharmacodynamics
D. The drug's predictability.
Answer: C. The drug's pharmacodynamics Correct
Pharmacodynamics can be thought of as the impact of drugs on the body.
Pharmacokinetics describes the movement of drugs through the body. Selectivity is the
ability of a drug to elicit only the response for which it is given. Predictability is the
degree of certainty about how a patient will respond to a certain drug.
Question: When studying the effects of drugs in humans, the nurse is
learning about what?
A. Pharmacology
B. Clinical pharmacology
C. Therapeutics
D. Effectiveness
Answer: B. Clinical pharmacology Correct
Clinical pharmacology is the study of the effects of drugs in humans. Pharmacology can
be defined as the study of drugs and their interactions with living systems. Therapeutics,
also known as pharmacotherapeutics, is the use of drugs to diagnose, prevent, or treat
disease or to prevent pregnancy. The term effectiveness indicates that the drug elicits the
intended response or responses.
,Question: Which statement by a new nurse indicates that further study is
indicated?
A. Effectiveness is the most important property a drug can
have.
B. There is no such thing as a safe drug.
C. Drugs are defined as illegal substances.
D. There is no such thing as a selective drug; all medications
cause side effects.
Answer: Drugs are defined as illegal substances. Correct
A drug is any chemical that can affect living processes. All the other statements are
correct.
Question: What is the ultimate concern for the nurse when administering
a drug?
A. Intensity of the response
B. Dosage
C. Route of administration
D. Timing of administration
Answer: A. Intensity of the response Correct
The ultimate concern for the nurse when administering a drug is the intensity of the
response, which is determined by the dosage size, route of administration, and timing of
administration.
Question: What is the objective of drug therapy?
A. To provide maximum benefit with minimal harm
B. To provide minimum benefit with maximum harm
C. To provide total relief of symptoms regardless of harm
D. To provide as much benefit as possible
Answer: A. To provide maximum benefit with minimal harm Correct
The objective of drug therapy is to provide maximum benefit with minimal harm. All drugs
have the potential to produce side effects. Because drugs are not ideal, we must exercise
skill and care if treatment is to result in more good than harm
, Question: Characteristics unique to each patient can influence
pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic processes. What
characteristics may determine the patient's response to a
drug? (Select all that apply.)
A. Age
B. Gender
C. Weight
D. Mood
E. Genetics
Answer: A. Age
B. Gender
C. Weight
E. Genetics
Characteristics unique to each patient can influence pharmacokinetic and
pharmacodynamic processes and, by doing so, can help determine the patient's
response to a drug. Sources of individual variation include drug interactions; physiologic
variables (eg, age, gender, weight); pathologic variables (especially diminished function
of the kidneys and liver, the major organs of drug elimination); and genetic variables.
Question: The nurse is preparing to administer a dose of penicillin.
Before administering the medication, the nurse assesses the
patient's allergy history. Which aspect of drug therapy does
this represent?
A. Making PRN (as needed) decisions
B. Evaluating therapeutic effects
C. Ensuring proper dosage
D. Identifying high-risk
Answer: D. Identifying high-risk patients Correct
Patients receiving penicillin are at high risk for dangerous allergic reactions. This
intervention represents the nurse's role in identifying situations with high risk. This
situation does not represent the remaining responses.
Question: The nurse is preparing to administer a medication with the
following order: "Aldomet 250 mg daily." What should the
nurse do?
A. Administer the medication as it was given last time.
B. Administer the medication by mouth.
C. Verify the order with the prescriber..
D. Ask the patient how this medication is usually given.
Answer: C. Verify the order with the prescriber. Correct
This order does not include a drug route. The nurse should clarify any questionable
orders with the prescriber. The other responses are incorrect.
