N322 Exam 1 Questions and Answers Already Passed Latest Update 2025-2026
Nursing process of med admin - Answers Assessment → diagnosis (critical thinking, check for
missing information, immediate needs, possible alternatives)→ planning (goal for giving the
medication, safe medication administration, medication usage for patient treatment)→
implementation (physically giving the med, communication and collaboration with the client and
healthcare team, can be independent, collaborative, or dependent on prescriber's order, rights of
medication administration) → evaluation (ongoing assessment, revisit goals and intended
outcomes, pt response to medications, documentation of findings).
Pharmacology - Answers Study or science of drugs
Toxicology - Answers Science of adverse effects
Drug - Answers Chemical impacting an organism's physiology
Prototype drug - Answers Example drug, usually the first
Drug class - Answers Grouping drugs by structure or use.
Generic name - Answers Drug given by the FDA
Brand name - Answers Drug name given by the manufacturer
Pharmacokinetics - Answers Study of what the body does to the drugs.
ADME - Answers Absorption - how will it get in?
Bioavailability: percentage of drug available to work at the intended site.
IV has 100% bioavailability d/t fast onset d/t being placed directly into the blo odstream.
First pass effect: liver changes a large amount of the drug into inactive metabolites - making the
med less bioavailable.
Distribution - where will it go?
Transportation of the med to its intended site of action, often carried by albumin through the
bloodstream.
Metabolism
How the medication is broken down and converted - typically takes place in the liver.
Assess liver function.
Necessary for proper excretion.
,Excretion
Elimination of drugs from the body.
Most common: renal (check for good kidney function and urine output)
May also be excreted via biliary function (waste product excreted in stool) or bowel excretion.
drug schedules - Answers Identifies risk of abuse: CI - most addictive --> CV - least addictive
Pharmacodynamics - Answers what the drug does to the body; mechanism of action
Pharmacotherapeutics - Answers Clinical use of drugs to prevent and treat diseases.
Therapeutic level - Answers drug concentration for desired effect.
Peak level - Answers The maximum concentration of a drug in the body after administration,
usually measured in a blood sample for therapeutic drug monitoring.
Trough level - Answers Concentration 30 min before the next dose.
Half-life - Answers Time taken for drug to reduce by 1/2 - important for dosing.
Tolerance - Answers Decreased responses to drug doses
Mechanism of action - Answers the specific biochemical interaction through which a drug
produces its pharmacological effect (how the drug works at the cellular or molecular level and
what system it affects).
Indication - Answers the medical condition(s) or disease(s) for which the drug is approved or
prescribed.
Contraindication - Answers specific situations when a drug should not be used because it can
be absolutely (never should be used) or relatively (might be used under certain situations and
circumstances) harmful to the patient.
Side effect - Answers expected effect; can be harmful or beneficial (i.e GLP-1 meds work great
for weight loss, but it is not what the medication is indicated for), not the primary purpose of the
drug.
I.e lisinopril can cause a dry cough.
Adverse effect - Answers unintended consequence; often harmful.
I.e allergies
Interaction - Answers how a drug may influence or be influenced by other substances
(medications, food, supplements, etc).
, I.e. grapefruit juice increases the potency of sertraline.
Nursing implications - Answers considerations and actions that nurses must take when
administering a medication.
I.e pt education, safe drug admin, monitor for therapeutic and adverse effects, etc.
Examples of medication errors - Answers given at the wrong time, missing a dose, extra dose,
incorrect dose, wrong patient, wrong infusion rate, wrong route, wrong medication or fluid,
expired medication or fluid, wrong reason, wrong monitoring, wrong consent or documentation.
Prescription drugs - Answers medications that require a provider's authorization to be
dispensed and is strictly regulated by the FDA (must undergo rigorous testing for safety and
efficacy). Prescribed for specific medical conditions and often require monitoring by a
healthcare professional, and can have significant side effects and potential interactions with
other medications.
Over the counter drugs (OTC) - Answers medications that can be purchased without a
prescription, also regulated by the FDA but the approval process is generally less rigorous than
for prescription drugs. Designed for self-treatment of common ailments, such as pain relief,
allergies, cold symptoms. Generally considered safe WHEN USED AS DIRECTED, but side
effects can still occur. Insurance does not always cover OTC.
Herbals - Answers not always regulated natural products derived from plants used for medicinal
purposes that are used in traditional and alternative medicine - efficacy can vary widely. Can
interact with medications and may have side effects, though these are often less documented.
Ex. marajuana.
Dietary supplements - Answers products taken orally that contain essential dietary ingredients
to supplement the diet, regulated as foods. Intended to enhance health and well-being not as a
treatment for a disease, generally considered safe but can contraindicate medications.
Agonist - Answers activate receptors to produce a response. AGONIST ACTIVATE
Antagonist - Answers block receptors, preventing a response. ANTI BLOCK
Alpha 1 receptors - Answers located in vascular smooth muscle, activates VASOCONSTRICTION.
Increased peripheral resistance can indirectly influence cardiac workload and blood pressure.
Urinary retention, mydriasis, ejaculation, constriction of blood vessels.
Alpha 2 receptors - Answers Found in the brain and the presynaptic nerve terminals, activation
inhibits norepinephrine release, DECREASE HR AND CO.
Beta 1 receptors - Answers heart (1 HEART), activation leads to INCREASED HR,
CONTRACTILITY, CONDUCTION THROUGH AV NODE.
Nursing process of med admin - Answers Assessment → diagnosis (critical thinking, check for
missing information, immediate needs, possible alternatives)→ planning (goal for giving the
medication, safe medication administration, medication usage for patient treatment)→
implementation (physically giving the med, communication and collaboration with the client and
healthcare team, can be independent, collaborative, or dependent on prescriber's order, rights of
medication administration) → evaluation (ongoing assessment, revisit goals and intended
outcomes, pt response to medications, documentation of findings).
Pharmacology - Answers Study or science of drugs
Toxicology - Answers Science of adverse effects
Drug - Answers Chemical impacting an organism's physiology
Prototype drug - Answers Example drug, usually the first
Drug class - Answers Grouping drugs by structure or use.
Generic name - Answers Drug given by the FDA
Brand name - Answers Drug name given by the manufacturer
Pharmacokinetics - Answers Study of what the body does to the drugs.
ADME - Answers Absorption - how will it get in?
Bioavailability: percentage of drug available to work at the intended site.
IV has 100% bioavailability d/t fast onset d/t being placed directly into the blo odstream.
First pass effect: liver changes a large amount of the drug into inactive metabolites - making the
med less bioavailable.
Distribution - where will it go?
Transportation of the med to its intended site of action, often carried by albumin through the
bloodstream.
Metabolism
How the medication is broken down and converted - typically takes place in the liver.
Assess liver function.
Necessary for proper excretion.
,Excretion
Elimination of drugs from the body.
Most common: renal (check for good kidney function and urine output)
May also be excreted via biliary function (waste product excreted in stool) or bowel excretion.
drug schedules - Answers Identifies risk of abuse: CI - most addictive --> CV - least addictive
Pharmacodynamics - Answers what the drug does to the body; mechanism of action
Pharmacotherapeutics - Answers Clinical use of drugs to prevent and treat diseases.
Therapeutic level - Answers drug concentration for desired effect.
Peak level - Answers The maximum concentration of a drug in the body after administration,
usually measured in a blood sample for therapeutic drug monitoring.
Trough level - Answers Concentration 30 min before the next dose.
Half-life - Answers Time taken for drug to reduce by 1/2 - important for dosing.
Tolerance - Answers Decreased responses to drug doses
Mechanism of action - Answers the specific biochemical interaction through which a drug
produces its pharmacological effect (how the drug works at the cellular or molecular level and
what system it affects).
Indication - Answers the medical condition(s) or disease(s) for which the drug is approved or
prescribed.
Contraindication - Answers specific situations when a drug should not be used because it can
be absolutely (never should be used) or relatively (might be used under certain situations and
circumstances) harmful to the patient.
Side effect - Answers expected effect; can be harmful or beneficial (i.e GLP-1 meds work great
for weight loss, but it is not what the medication is indicated for), not the primary purpose of the
drug.
I.e lisinopril can cause a dry cough.
Adverse effect - Answers unintended consequence; often harmful.
I.e allergies
Interaction - Answers how a drug may influence or be influenced by other substances
(medications, food, supplements, etc).
, I.e. grapefruit juice increases the potency of sertraline.
Nursing implications - Answers considerations and actions that nurses must take when
administering a medication.
I.e pt education, safe drug admin, monitor for therapeutic and adverse effects, etc.
Examples of medication errors - Answers given at the wrong time, missing a dose, extra dose,
incorrect dose, wrong patient, wrong infusion rate, wrong route, wrong medication or fluid,
expired medication or fluid, wrong reason, wrong monitoring, wrong consent or documentation.
Prescription drugs - Answers medications that require a provider's authorization to be
dispensed and is strictly regulated by the FDA (must undergo rigorous testing for safety and
efficacy). Prescribed for specific medical conditions and often require monitoring by a
healthcare professional, and can have significant side effects and potential interactions with
other medications.
Over the counter drugs (OTC) - Answers medications that can be purchased without a
prescription, also regulated by the FDA but the approval process is generally less rigorous than
for prescription drugs. Designed for self-treatment of common ailments, such as pain relief,
allergies, cold symptoms. Generally considered safe WHEN USED AS DIRECTED, but side
effects can still occur. Insurance does not always cover OTC.
Herbals - Answers not always regulated natural products derived from plants used for medicinal
purposes that are used in traditional and alternative medicine - efficacy can vary widely. Can
interact with medications and may have side effects, though these are often less documented.
Ex. marajuana.
Dietary supplements - Answers products taken orally that contain essential dietary ingredients
to supplement the diet, regulated as foods. Intended to enhance health and well-being not as a
treatment for a disease, generally considered safe but can contraindicate medications.
Agonist - Answers activate receptors to produce a response. AGONIST ACTIVATE
Antagonist - Answers block receptors, preventing a response. ANTI BLOCK
Alpha 1 receptors - Answers located in vascular smooth muscle, activates VASOCONSTRICTION.
Increased peripheral resistance can indirectly influence cardiac workload and blood pressure.
Urinary retention, mydriasis, ejaculation, constriction of blood vessels.
Alpha 2 receptors - Answers Found in the brain and the presynaptic nerve terminals, activation
inhibits norepinephrine release, DECREASE HR AND CO.
Beta 1 receptors - Answers heart (1 HEART), activation leads to INCREASED HR,
CONTRACTILITY, CONDUCTION THROUGH AV NODE.
