2025 NR293 Pharmacology
Comprehensive Exam with Questions,
Answers and Rationale
A nurse is caring for a client who has multiple medication allergies. During which of the
following steps of the nursing process should the nurse identify the client's allergies?
A. Planning
B. Evaluation
C. Data Collection
D. Implementation ------- Correct Ans ---------- C. Data Collection
A nurse is caring for a client and realizes after administering the 0900 medications that she gave
digoxin 0.25 mg PO to the client instead of the prescribed dose of digoxin 0.125 mg PO. Which
of the following actions should the nurse take first?
A. notify the provider
B. contact the nursing supervisor
C. check the client's apical pulse
D. complete an incident report ------- Correct Ans ---------- C. check the client's apical pulse
A nurse is preparing to administer medication to a client. Which of the following abbreviations
indicates the greatest frequency of medication administration?
A. BID
B. TID
C. QID
D. Q8h ------- Correct Ans ---------- C. QID
,A nurse is reviewing the medication administration record of a client who has impaired
swallowing. The nurse should crush the medication when administering which of the following
prescriptions?
A. Aspirin EC 80 mg PO daily
B. Levothyroxine 75 mcg PO q AM before breakfast
C. Metformin XR 500 mg PO daily
D. Nitroglycerin 0.3 mg SL PRN chest pain, can repeat q 5 min for 2 additional doses. -------
Correct Ans ---------- B. Levothyroxine 75 mcg PO q AM before breakfast
EC = enteric coated, XR = extended release, SL = sublingually
A nurse is caring for a client who is receiving cefotetan 1 g via intermittent IV bolus every 12
hours to treat a postoperative infection. Which of the following manifestations should the nurse
monitor for as an adverse effect of the medication?
A. disorientation
B. epistaxis
C. constipation
D. jaundice ------- Correct Ans ---------- B. Epistaxis
Cefotetan is an antibiotic that affects vitamin K levels, which can result in bleeding and epistaxis.
It is a second generation cephalosporin.
A nurse is assisting with the care of a client who is postoperative. The client reports a pain level
of 8 on a scale of 0 to 10 and has a prescription for meperidine. Which of the following routes of
administration will deliver the medication with the shortest time of onset?
A. oral
B. Intravenous
C. intramuscular
d. subcutaneous ------- Correct Ans ---------- B. Intravenous
nurse is monitoring a client with pneumonia who has received penicillin G intramuscularly.
Which of the following findings should the nurse plan to evaluate first?
,A. pain at the injection site
B. prolonged motor dysfunction
C. laryngeal edema
D. temperature of 99.7 F ------- Correct Ans ---------- C. laryngeal edema
this can indicate an allergic reaction, possibly anaphylaxis
A nurse is reviewing the laboratory results of a client who is taking a medication and notes that
the client's blood tests show an elevated level of the enzymes aspartate aminotransferase (AST)
and alanine aminotransferase (ALT). The nurse should recognize that these findings are potential
indications of which of the following conditions?
a. renal dysfunction
b. myelotoxicity
c. hepatic toxicity
d. cardiac dysrhythmia ------- Correct Ans ---------- c. hepatic toxicity
A nurse is reviewing the laboratory data for a client who has Alzheimer's disease and a new
prescription for memantine. The nurse should identify that which of the following findings
increases the risk for reduced clearance of the medication?
A. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) 60 international units.
B. Creatinine clearance 35 mL/min
C. HbA1c 5%
D. BMI 31 ------- Correct Ans ---------- B. Creatinine clearance 35 mL/min
A nurse is preparing to administer albuterol syrup 0.1 mg/kg/day to a school-aged child who
weights 44 pounds. The amount available is albuterol syrup 2 mg/5 mL. How many mL should
the nurse administer? (Round your answer to the nearest tenth. Use a leading zero if applicable
but do not use a trailing zero.) ------- Correct Ans ---------- 5 mL
A nurse is assisting with the administration of an IV injection to a client. For which of the
following reasons should the nurse inject the medication slowly?
, A. to reduce toxicity risk
B. to improve the absorption pattern
C. to prevent medication dilution
D. to protect against embolism ------- Correct Ans ---------- A. to reduce toxicity risk
A nurse is reinforcing teaching with a client who has atrial fibrillation and a new prescription for
amiodarone. Which of the following items should the nurse instruct the client to avoid while
taking this medication?
A. green leafy vegetables
B. grapefruit juice
C. garlic
D. salt substitutes ------- Correct Ans ---------- B. grapefruit juice
A nurse is caring fora client who has developed MRSA in a surgical incision. Which of the
following medications should the nurse expect the provider to prescribe?
A. ceftriaxone
B. vancomycin
C. ketoconazole
D. ciprofloxacin ------- Correct Ans ---------- B. vancomycin
A nurse is caring for a client who is experiencing severe cancer pain. Which of the following
medications should the nurse expect the provider to prescribe?
A. buprenorphine
B. tramadol
C. hydromorphone
D. oxycodone ------- Correct Ans ---------- C. hydromorphone
Hydromorphone is an opioid antagonist. It is used for the treatment of moderate to severe pain
management in clients who have cancer.
Comprehensive Exam with Questions,
Answers and Rationale
A nurse is caring for a client who has multiple medication allergies. During which of the
following steps of the nursing process should the nurse identify the client's allergies?
A. Planning
B. Evaluation
C. Data Collection
D. Implementation ------- Correct Ans ---------- C. Data Collection
A nurse is caring for a client and realizes after administering the 0900 medications that she gave
digoxin 0.25 mg PO to the client instead of the prescribed dose of digoxin 0.125 mg PO. Which
of the following actions should the nurse take first?
A. notify the provider
B. contact the nursing supervisor
C. check the client's apical pulse
D. complete an incident report ------- Correct Ans ---------- C. check the client's apical pulse
A nurse is preparing to administer medication to a client. Which of the following abbreviations
indicates the greatest frequency of medication administration?
A. BID
B. TID
C. QID
D. Q8h ------- Correct Ans ---------- C. QID
,A nurse is reviewing the medication administration record of a client who has impaired
swallowing. The nurse should crush the medication when administering which of the following
prescriptions?
A. Aspirin EC 80 mg PO daily
B. Levothyroxine 75 mcg PO q AM before breakfast
C. Metformin XR 500 mg PO daily
D. Nitroglycerin 0.3 mg SL PRN chest pain, can repeat q 5 min for 2 additional doses. -------
Correct Ans ---------- B. Levothyroxine 75 mcg PO q AM before breakfast
EC = enteric coated, XR = extended release, SL = sublingually
A nurse is caring for a client who is receiving cefotetan 1 g via intermittent IV bolus every 12
hours to treat a postoperative infection. Which of the following manifestations should the nurse
monitor for as an adverse effect of the medication?
A. disorientation
B. epistaxis
C. constipation
D. jaundice ------- Correct Ans ---------- B. Epistaxis
Cefotetan is an antibiotic that affects vitamin K levels, which can result in bleeding and epistaxis.
It is a second generation cephalosporin.
A nurse is assisting with the care of a client who is postoperative. The client reports a pain level
of 8 on a scale of 0 to 10 and has a prescription for meperidine. Which of the following routes of
administration will deliver the medication with the shortest time of onset?
A. oral
B. Intravenous
C. intramuscular
d. subcutaneous ------- Correct Ans ---------- B. Intravenous
nurse is monitoring a client with pneumonia who has received penicillin G intramuscularly.
Which of the following findings should the nurse plan to evaluate first?
,A. pain at the injection site
B. prolonged motor dysfunction
C. laryngeal edema
D. temperature of 99.7 F ------- Correct Ans ---------- C. laryngeal edema
this can indicate an allergic reaction, possibly anaphylaxis
A nurse is reviewing the laboratory results of a client who is taking a medication and notes that
the client's blood tests show an elevated level of the enzymes aspartate aminotransferase (AST)
and alanine aminotransferase (ALT). The nurse should recognize that these findings are potential
indications of which of the following conditions?
a. renal dysfunction
b. myelotoxicity
c. hepatic toxicity
d. cardiac dysrhythmia ------- Correct Ans ---------- c. hepatic toxicity
A nurse is reviewing the laboratory data for a client who has Alzheimer's disease and a new
prescription for memantine. The nurse should identify that which of the following findings
increases the risk for reduced clearance of the medication?
A. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) 60 international units.
B. Creatinine clearance 35 mL/min
C. HbA1c 5%
D. BMI 31 ------- Correct Ans ---------- B. Creatinine clearance 35 mL/min
A nurse is preparing to administer albuterol syrup 0.1 mg/kg/day to a school-aged child who
weights 44 pounds. The amount available is albuterol syrup 2 mg/5 mL. How many mL should
the nurse administer? (Round your answer to the nearest tenth. Use a leading zero if applicable
but do not use a trailing zero.) ------- Correct Ans ---------- 5 mL
A nurse is assisting with the administration of an IV injection to a client. For which of the
following reasons should the nurse inject the medication slowly?
, A. to reduce toxicity risk
B. to improve the absorption pattern
C. to prevent medication dilution
D. to protect against embolism ------- Correct Ans ---------- A. to reduce toxicity risk
A nurse is reinforcing teaching with a client who has atrial fibrillation and a new prescription for
amiodarone. Which of the following items should the nurse instruct the client to avoid while
taking this medication?
A. green leafy vegetables
B. grapefruit juice
C. garlic
D. salt substitutes ------- Correct Ans ---------- B. grapefruit juice
A nurse is caring fora client who has developed MRSA in a surgical incision. Which of the
following medications should the nurse expect the provider to prescribe?
A. ceftriaxone
B. vancomycin
C. ketoconazole
D. ciprofloxacin ------- Correct Ans ---------- B. vancomycin
A nurse is caring for a client who is experiencing severe cancer pain. Which of the following
medications should the nurse expect the provider to prescribe?
A. buprenorphine
B. tramadol
C. hydromorphone
D. oxycodone ------- Correct Ans ---------- C. hydromorphone
Hydromorphone is an opioid antagonist. It is used for the treatment of moderate to severe pain
management in clients who have cancer.
