Pharmacology Module 1 Questions
The nurse answers a patient's call light and finds the patient sitting up in bed and
requesting pain medication. What will the nurse do first?
A. Check the orders and give the patient the requested pain medication.
B. Provide comfort measures to the patient.
C. Assess the patient's pain and pain level.
D. Evaluate the effectiveness of previous pain medications. correct answers Correct
answer: C
Rationale: The nurse should always assess a patient before any intervention. Although
the nurse will check the orders and possibly give the medication (and possibly even
perform the actions in responses B and D), the first priority is assessment.
The patient's medication administration record lists two antiepileptic medications that
are due at 0900, but the patient is NPO for a barium study. The nurse's coworker
suggests giving the medications via IV because the patient is NPO. What will the nurse
do?
A. Give the medications PO with a small sip of water.
B. Give the medications via the IV route because the patient is NPO.
C. Hold the medications until after the test is completed.
D. Call the health care provider to clarify the instructions. correct answers Correct
answer: D
Rationale: The dosage for the IV route would not be the same as for the PO route.
Holding the medications may cause drug levels to drop and result in seizure activity,
and giving the medications PO without consent may alter the test results. The nurse
must never assume the route of medication administration and should consult the
physician for clarification of the orders.
The day shift charge nurse is making rounds. A patient tells the nurse that the night shift
nurse never gave him his medication, which was due at 2100. What will the nurse do
first to determine whether the medication was given?
A. Call the night nurse at home.
B. Check the medication administration record.
C. Call the pharmacy.
D. Review the nurse's notes. correct answers Correct answer: B
Rationale: The medication administration record is the legal documentation that the
professional nurse uses to sign off medications that are given, so it should be checked
first.
, A nurse makes an error when administering medications to a patient. Which action by
the nurse requires the supervising nurse to intervene? The nurse
A. completes an incident report.
B. informs the prescriber of the error.
C. documents adverse effects to the medication error.
D. records completion of an incident report in the medical chart. correct answers
Correct answer: D
Rationale: If there is a medication error, the nurse should complete an incident report
with the entire event, surrounding circumstances, therapeutic response, adverse effects,
and notification of the prescriber described in detail. However, the nurse should not
record completion of an incident report in the medical chart.
A patient is prescribed ibuprofen 200 mg PO every 4 hours as needed for pain. The
pharmacy sends up enteric-coated tablets, but the patient refuses the tablets, stating
that she cannot swallow pills. What will the nurse do?
A. Crush the tablets and mix them with applesauce or pudding.
B. Call the pharmacy and ask for the liquid form of the medication.
C. Call the pharmacy and ask for the IV form of the medication.
D. Encourage the patient to try to swallow the tablets. correct answers Correct answer:
B
Rationale: The liquid form is appropriate because it is also given via the oral route.
Enteric-coated tablets should not be crushed, and the patient should not be forced to
take the tablets. This medication does not have an IV form, but even if it did, the routes
cannot be changed without a health care provider's order.
The nurse is preparing to administer a transdermal patch to a patient and finds that the
patient already has a medication patch on his right upper chest. What will the nurse do?
A. Remove the old medication patch and notify the health care provider.
B. Apply the new patch without removing the old one.
C. Remove the old patch and apply the new patch in the same spot.
D. Remove the old patch and apply the new patch to a different, clean area. correct
answers Correct answer: D
Rationale: Transdermal drugs should be placed on alternating sites, on a clean and
nonirritating area, and only after the previously applied patch has been removed.
The nurse is giving a medication that has a high first-pass effect. The health care
provider has changed the route from IV to PO. The nurse expects the oral dose to be
A. higher because of the first-pass effect.
B. lower because of the first-pass effect.
C. the same as the IV dose.
D. unchanged. correct answers Correct answer: A
The nurse answers a patient's call light and finds the patient sitting up in bed and
requesting pain medication. What will the nurse do first?
A. Check the orders and give the patient the requested pain medication.
B. Provide comfort measures to the patient.
C. Assess the patient's pain and pain level.
D. Evaluate the effectiveness of previous pain medications. correct answers Correct
answer: C
Rationale: The nurse should always assess a patient before any intervention. Although
the nurse will check the orders and possibly give the medication (and possibly even
perform the actions in responses B and D), the first priority is assessment.
The patient's medication administration record lists two antiepileptic medications that
are due at 0900, but the patient is NPO for a barium study. The nurse's coworker
suggests giving the medications via IV because the patient is NPO. What will the nurse
do?
A. Give the medications PO with a small sip of water.
B. Give the medications via the IV route because the patient is NPO.
C. Hold the medications until after the test is completed.
D. Call the health care provider to clarify the instructions. correct answers Correct
answer: D
Rationale: The dosage for the IV route would not be the same as for the PO route.
Holding the medications may cause drug levels to drop and result in seizure activity,
and giving the medications PO without consent may alter the test results. The nurse
must never assume the route of medication administration and should consult the
physician for clarification of the orders.
The day shift charge nurse is making rounds. A patient tells the nurse that the night shift
nurse never gave him his medication, which was due at 2100. What will the nurse do
first to determine whether the medication was given?
A. Call the night nurse at home.
B. Check the medication administration record.
C. Call the pharmacy.
D. Review the nurse's notes. correct answers Correct answer: B
Rationale: The medication administration record is the legal documentation that the
professional nurse uses to sign off medications that are given, so it should be checked
first.
, A nurse makes an error when administering medications to a patient. Which action by
the nurse requires the supervising nurse to intervene? The nurse
A. completes an incident report.
B. informs the prescriber of the error.
C. documents adverse effects to the medication error.
D. records completion of an incident report in the medical chart. correct answers
Correct answer: D
Rationale: If there is a medication error, the nurse should complete an incident report
with the entire event, surrounding circumstances, therapeutic response, adverse effects,
and notification of the prescriber described in detail. However, the nurse should not
record completion of an incident report in the medical chart.
A patient is prescribed ibuprofen 200 mg PO every 4 hours as needed for pain. The
pharmacy sends up enteric-coated tablets, but the patient refuses the tablets, stating
that she cannot swallow pills. What will the nurse do?
A. Crush the tablets and mix them with applesauce or pudding.
B. Call the pharmacy and ask for the liquid form of the medication.
C. Call the pharmacy and ask for the IV form of the medication.
D. Encourage the patient to try to swallow the tablets. correct answers Correct answer:
B
Rationale: The liquid form is appropriate because it is also given via the oral route.
Enteric-coated tablets should not be crushed, and the patient should not be forced to
take the tablets. This medication does not have an IV form, but even if it did, the routes
cannot be changed without a health care provider's order.
The nurse is preparing to administer a transdermal patch to a patient and finds that the
patient already has a medication patch on his right upper chest. What will the nurse do?
A. Remove the old medication patch and notify the health care provider.
B. Apply the new patch without removing the old one.
C. Remove the old patch and apply the new patch in the same spot.
D. Remove the old patch and apply the new patch to a different, clean area. correct
answers Correct answer: D
Rationale: Transdermal drugs should be placed on alternating sites, on a clean and
nonirritating area, and only after the previously applied patch has been removed.
The nurse is giving a medication that has a high first-pass effect. The health care
provider has changed the route from IV to PO. The nurse expects the oral dose to be
A. higher because of the first-pass effect.
B. lower because of the first-pass effect.
C. the same as the IV dose.
D. unchanged. correct answers Correct answer: A
