NURS 270 Exam 1
Study Guide- Xavier
University
,Module 1
Chapter 1
● Know the difference between generic and trade names
○ A generic name: The generic name is related to the chemical or
official name and is independent of the manufacturer
○ A brand (trade) name: The brand or trade name is patented and
designed by the manufacturer.
● Know what a prototype drug is
○ Prototype: Often the first drug of a particular drug class to be
developed; usually the standard against which newer, similar drugs are
compared.
● Know the difference between local and systemic effects
○ What are local effects? Local effects are effects at the site of application.
○ What are systemic effects? Systemic effects are those that are taken
into the body, circulated through the bloodstream to their sites of
action in the various tissues and eventually excreted from the body
● Know the definition of high-alert drugs by the ISMP
○ High-Alert Medications: Medications identified by the Institute for Safe
Medication practices (ISMP) that when used in error have a heightened risk of
causing significant patient harm.
● Review common drugs used in the different Scheduled Drugs categories
○ Schedule I:
■ Examples: Heroin, LSD, MDMA or ecstasy, peyote, mescaline
○ Schedule II
■ Examples of Opioid analgesics: codeine, hydromorphone,
methadone, meperidine, morphine, oxycodone
■ Examples of Central nervous system stimulants:
cocaine, methamphetamine
■ Example of Barbiturate sedative-hypnotics: pentobarbital
○ Schedule III
■ Examples of depressants: ketamine, pentobarbital
■ Example of CNS stimulants: methylphenidate
■ Examples of Mixtures containing small amounts of
controlled substances: codeine, barbiturates not listed in
other schedules
○ Schedule IV
■ Examples of Benzodiazepines: diazepam, lorazepam
■ Examples of Other sedative-hypnotics: phenobarbital, chloral
hydrate
■ Example of prescription appetite suppressants: phentermine
○ Schedule V
■ Examples: Cough suppressants containing a small amount of
codeine and antidiarrheal drugs, such as diphenoxylate and
atropine
● Nursing responsibilities regarding administration of controlled (Schedule II)
drugs
○ What are the nursing responsibilities regarding controlled substances?
Nurses are responsible for storing controlled substances in a locked
container, administering them only to the people to whom they are
proscribed, recording
, each dose given on agency narcotics sheets and on the patient’s
medication administration record, maintaining an accurate inventory,
and reporting discrepancies to the proper authorities.
● Know the role of the FDA in drug approval
○ The FDA is responsible for ensuring that new drugs are safe and
effective before approving the drugs and allowing them to be
marketed.
● Know the rights of medication administration, how errors occur, and how to
prevent them
○ What are the 10 Rights of Administration?
■ Right drug
■ Right dose
■ Right patient
■ Right route
■ Right time
■ Right reason
■ Right documentation
■ Right patient education
■ Right evaluation
■ Right to refuse to the medication
○ What are the error-reduction strategies during medication administration?
■ Having a “quiet zone” to prepare medications
■ Placing “quiet zone” signs at the entrance to the
medication room or above the automated medication
dispensing system.
■ Following protocols and the checklist outlining medication
administration
■ Wearing a sash of vest to signal others not to interrupt the
nurse during medication administration.
■ Educating the staff to reduce interruptions to nurses
administering medications
Chapter 2
● Differentiate between Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics
○ Pharmacokinetics: drug movement through the body (i.e., “what the body does
to the drug”) to reach sites of action, metabolism, and excretion.
○ Pharmacodynamics: involves drug actions on target cells and the resulting
alterations in cellular biochemical reactions and functions (i.e., “what the
drug does to the body”).
● Know what absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion are
○ Absorption: the process that occurs from the time a drug enters the body to
the time it enters the bloodstream to be circulated.
○ Distribution: involves the transport of drug molecules within the body.
○ Metabolism (aka: biotransformation): the method by which drugs
are inactivated or biotransformed by the body.
○ Excretion: refers to elimination of a drug from the body
● Know what the term half-life means
○ Serum half-life: the time required for the serum concentration of a drug
to decrease by 50%.
Study Guide- Xavier
University
,Module 1
Chapter 1
● Know the difference between generic and trade names
○ A generic name: The generic name is related to the chemical or
official name and is independent of the manufacturer
○ A brand (trade) name: The brand or trade name is patented and
designed by the manufacturer.
● Know what a prototype drug is
○ Prototype: Often the first drug of a particular drug class to be
developed; usually the standard against which newer, similar drugs are
compared.
● Know the difference between local and systemic effects
○ What are local effects? Local effects are effects at the site of application.
○ What are systemic effects? Systemic effects are those that are taken
into the body, circulated through the bloodstream to their sites of
action in the various tissues and eventually excreted from the body
● Know the definition of high-alert drugs by the ISMP
○ High-Alert Medications: Medications identified by the Institute for Safe
Medication practices (ISMP) that when used in error have a heightened risk of
causing significant patient harm.
● Review common drugs used in the different Scheduled Drugs categories
○ Schedule I:
■ Examples: Heroin, LSD, MDMA or ecstasy, peyote, mescaline
○ Schedule II
■ Examples of Opioid analgesics: codeine, hydromorphone,
methadone, meperidine, morphine, oxycodone
■ Examples of Central nervous system stimulants:
cocaine, methamphetamine
■ Example of Barbiturate sedative-hypnotics: pentobarbital
○ Schedule III
■ Examples of depressants: ketamine, pentobarbital
■ Example of CNS stimulants: methylphenidate
■ Examples of Mixtures containing small amounts of
controlled substances: codeine, barbiturates not listed in
other schedules
○ Schedule IV
■ Examples of Benzodiazepines: diazepam, lorazepam
■ Examples of Other sedative-hypnotics: phenobarbital, chloral
hydrate
■ Example of prescription appetite suppressants: phentermine
○ Schedule V
■ Examples: Cough suppressants containing a small amount of
codeine and antidiarrheal drugs, such as diphenoxylate and
atropine
● Nursing responsibilities regarding administration of controlled (Schedule II)
drugs
○ What are the nursing responsibilities regarding controlled substances?
Nurses are responsible for storing controlled substances in a locked
container, administering them only to the people to whom they are
proscribed, recording
, each dose given on agency narcotics sheets and on the patient’s
medication administration record, maintaining an accurate inventory,
and reporting discrepancies to the proper authorities.
● Know the role of the FDA in drug approval
○ The FDA is responsible for ensuring that new drugs are safe and
effective before approving the drugs and allowing them to be
marketed.
● Know the rights of medication administration, how errors occur, and how to
prevent them
○ What are the 10 Rights of Administration?
■ Right drug
■ Right dose
■ Right patient
■ Right route
■ Right time
■ Right reason
■ Right documentation
■ Right patient education
■ Right evaluation
■ Right to refuse to the medication
○ What are the error-reduction strategies during medication administration?
■ Having a “quiet zone” to prepare medications
■ Placing “quiet zone” signs at the entrance to the
medication room or above the automated medication
dispensing system.
■ Following protocols and the checklist outlining medication
administration
■ Wearing a sash of vest to signal others not to interrupt the
nurse during medication administration.
■ Educating the staff to reduce interruptions to nurses
administering medications
Chapter 2
● Differentiate between Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics
○ Pharmacokinetics: drug movement through the body (i.e., “what the body does
to the drug”) to reach sites of action, metabolism, and excretion.
○ Pharmacodynamics: involves drug actions on target cells and the resulting
alterations in cellular biochemical reactions and functions (i.e., “what the
drug does to the body”).
● Know what absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion are
○ Absorption: the process that occurs from the time a drug enters the body to
the time it enters the bloodstream to be circulated.
○ Distribution: involves the transport of drug molecules within the body.
○ Metabolism (aka: biotransformation): the method by which drugs
are inactivated or biotransformed by the body.
○ Excretion: refers to elimination of a drug from the body
● Know what the term half-life means
○ Serum half-life: the time required for the serum concentration of a drug
to decrease by 50%.
