TEST BANK LEHNE'S PHARMACOLOGY FOR
NURSING CARE, 11TH EDITION BY JACQUELINE
BURCHUM, LAURA ROSENTHAL CHAPTER 1-
112|COMPLETE GUIDE A+
Chapter 1: Orientation to Pharmacology
Test Bank
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. The nurse is teaching a patient how a medication works to treat an illness. To do this, the
nurse will rely on knowledge of:
a. clinical pharmacology.
b. drug efficacy.
c. pharmacokinetics.
d. pharmacotherapeutics.
ANS: D
Pharmacotherapeutics is the study of the use of drugs to diagnose, treat, and prevent
conditions. Clinical pharmacology is concerned with all aspects of drug–human interactions.
Drug efficacy measures the extent to which a given drug causes an intended effect.
Pharmacokinetics is the study of the impact of the body on a drug.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Comprehension REF: Four Basic Terms
TOP: Nursing Process: Implementation
MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Pharmacologic and Parenteral Therapies
2. What does it mean when a drug is described as easy to administer?
a. It can be stored indefinitely without need for refrigeration.
b. It does not interact significantly with other medications.
c. It enhances patient adherence to the drug regimen.
d. It is usually relatively inexpensive to produce.
ANS: C
A major benefit of drugs that are easy to administer is that patients taking them are more
likely to comply with the drug regimen. Drugs that are easy to give may have the other
attributes listed, but those properties are independent of ease of administration.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Comprehension
REF: Additional Properties of an Ideal Drug: Ease of Administration
TOP: Nursing Process: Assessment
MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Pharmacologic and Parenteral Therapies
, 3. A patient tells the nurse that he was told by the prescriber that the analgesic he is taking is
very effective. Which statement by the patient demonstrates an understanding of the drug’s
effectiveness?
a. “I don’t have to worry about toxicity, since it takes a large amount of this drug to
cause an overdose.”
b. “It has no side effects and doesn’t interact with other drugs.”
c. “I only have to take it every 12 hours.”
d. “It might make me sleepy, and it lessens pain for several hours at a time.”
ANS: D
A drug is effective if it produces the intended effects, even if it also produces side effects.
Because no drug is completely safe, the level of toxicity does not determine effectiveness. All
drugs have side effects and many react with other substances; these do not affect the drug’s
effectiveness. Ease of administration is independent of a drug’s effectiveness.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Comprehension REF: Properties of an Ideal Drug
TOP: Nursing Process: Evaluation
MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Pharmacologic and Parenteral Therapies
MULTIPLE RESPONSE
1. What are the properties of an ideal drug? (Select all that apply.)
a. Irreversible action
b. Predictability
c. Ease of administration
d. Chemical stability
e. A simple trade name
ANS: B, C, D
In addition to predictability, ease of administration, and chemical stability, other properties
include a reversible action so that any harm the drug may cause can be undone and a simple
generic name, because generic names are usually complex and difficult to remember and
pronounce.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Comprehension
REF: Properties of an Ideal Drug | Additional Properties of an Ideal Drug
TOP: Nursing Process: Assessment
MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Pharmacologic and Parenteral Therapies
2. Before administering a medication, what does the nurse need to know to evaluate how
individual patient variability might affect the patient’s response to the medication? (Select all
that apply.)
a. Chemical stability of the medication
b. Ease of administration
c. Family medical history
d. Patient’s age
e. Patient’s diagnosis
ANS: C, D, E
The family medical history can indicate genetic factors that may affect a patient’s response to
a medication. Patients of different ages can respond differently to medications. The patient’s
illness can affect how drugs are metabolized. The chemical stability of the medication and the
ease of administration are properties of drugs.
, DIF: Cognitive Level: Analysis REF: Sources of Individual Variation
TOP: Nursing Process: Implementation
MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Reduction of Risk Potential
Chapter 2: Application of Pharmacology in Nursing
Practice Test Bank
MULTIPLE
CHOICE
1. A patient is using a metered-dose inhaler containing albuterol for asthma. The
medication label instructs the patient to administer “2 puffs every 4 hours as needed
for coughing or wheezing.” The patient reports feeling jittery sometimes when taking
the medication, and shedoesn’t feel that the medication is always effective. Which is
not an appropriate nursing intervention for this patient?
a. Asking the patient to demonstrate use of the inhaler
b. Assessing the patient’s exposure to tobacco smoke
c. Auscultating lung sounds and obtaining vital signs
d. Suggesting that the patient use one puff to reduce side effects
ANS: D
It is not within the nurse’s scope of practice to change the dose of a medication
without an order from a prescriber. Asking the patient to demonstrate inhaler use
helps the nurse to evaluate the patient’s ability to administer the medication
properly and is part of the nurse’s evaluation. Assessing tobacco smoke exposure
helps the nurse determine whether nondrug therapies, such a smoke avoidance, can
be used as an adjunct to drug therapy. Performing aphysical assessment helps the
nurse evaluate the patient’s response to the medication.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Application
REF: Applying the Nursing Process in Drug Therapy: Preadministration Assessment
[and all subsections under this heading] TOP: Nursing Process: Implementation
MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Pharmacologic and Parenteral
Therapies
2. A postoperative patient is being discharged home with acetaminophen/hydrocodone
(Lortab) for pain. The patient asks the nurse about using Tylenol for fever. Which
statement by the nurse is correct?
a. “It is not safe to take over-the-counter drugs with prescription medications.”
b. “Taking the two medications together poses a risk of drug toxicity.”
c. “There are no known drug interactions, so this will be safe.”
d. “Tylenol and Lortab are different drugs, so there is no risk of overdose.”
ANS: B
Tylenol is the trade name and acetaminophen is the generic name for the same
medication. It is important to teach patients to be aware of the different names for
the same drug to minimizethe risk of overdose. Over-the-counter (OTC) medications
and prescription medications may be taken together unless significant harmful drug
interactions are possible. Even though no drug interactions are at play in this case,
both drugs contain acetaminophen, which could lead to toxicity.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Application
REF: Application of Pharmacology in Patient Education: Dosage and
, Administration TOP: Nursing Process: Implementation
MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Reduction of Risk Potential
3. The nurse is preparing to care for a patient who will be taking an antihypertensive
medication. Which action by the nurse is part of the assessment step of the nursing
process?
a. Asking the prescriber for an order to monitor serum drug levels
b. Monitoring the patient for drug interactions after giving the medication
c. Questioning the patient about over-the-counter medications
d. Taking the patient’s blood pressure throughout the course of treatment
ANS: C
The assessment part of the nursing process involves gathering information before
beginningtreatment, and this includes asking about other medications the patient
may be taking.
Monitoring serum drug levels, watching for drug interactions, and checking vital
signs after giving the medication are all part of the evaluation phase.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: Preadministration
Assessment TOP: Nursing Process: Assessment
MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Reduction of Risk Potential
4. A postoperative patient reports pain, which the patient rates as an 8 on a scale from
1 to 10 (10 being the most extreme pain). The prescriber has ordered acetaminophen
(Tylenol) 650 mg PO every 6 hours PRN pain. What will the nurse do?
a. Ask the patient what medications have helped with pain in the past.
b. Contact the provider to request a different analgesic medication.
c. Give the pain medication and reposition the patient to promote comfort.
d. Request an order to administer the medication every 4 hours.
ANS: B
The nursing diagnosis for this patient is severe pain. Acetaminophen is given for mild
to moderate pain, so the nurse should ask the prescriber to order a stronger analgesic
medication. Asking the patient to tell the nurse what has helped in the past is a part
of an initial assessmentand should be done preoperatively and not when the patient is
having severe pain. Because thepatient is having severe pain, acetaminophen combined
with nondrug therapies will not be sufficient. Increasing the frequency of the dose of
a medication for mild pain will not be effective.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Analysis REF: Analysis and Nursing
Diagnosis TOP: Nursing Process: Diagnosis
MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Pharmacologic and Parenteral
Therapies
5. A patient newly diagnosed with diabetes is to be discharged from the hospital.
The nurseteaching this patient about home management should begin by doing
what?
a. Asking the patient to demonstrate how to measure and administer insulin
b. Discussing methods of storing insulin and discarding syringes
c. Giving information about how diet and exercise affect insulin requirements
d. Teaching the patient about the long-term consequences of poor diabetes control
ANS: A
Because insulin must be given correctly to control symptoms and because an overdose
NURSING CARE, 11TH EDITION BY JACQUELINE
BURCHUM, LAURA ROSENTHAL CHAPTER 1-
112|COMPLETE GUIDE A+
Chapter 1: Orientation to Pharmacology
Test Bank
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. The nurse is teaching a patient how a medication works to treat an illness. To do this, the
nurse will rely on knowledge of:
a. clinical pharmacology.
b. drug efficacy.
c. pharmacokinetics.
d. pharmacotherapeutics.
ANS: D
Pharmacotherapeutics is the study of the use of drugs to diagnose, treat, and prevent
conditions. Clinical pharmacology is concerned with all aspects of drug–human interactions.
Drug efficacy measures the extent to which a given drug causes an intended effect.
Pharmacokinetics is the study of the impact of the body on a drug.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Comprehension REF: Four Basic Terms
TOP: Nursing Process: Implementation
MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Pharmacologic and Parenteral Therapies
2. What does it mean when a drug is described as easy to administer?
a. It can be stored indefinitely without need for refrigeration.
b. It does not interact significantly with other medications.
c. It enhances patient adherence to the drug regimen.
d. It is usually relatively inexpensive to produce.
ANS: C
A major benefit of drugs that are easy to administer is that patients taking them are more
likely to comply with the drug regimen. Drugs that are easy to give may have the other
attributes listed, but those properties are independent of ease of administration.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Comprehension
REF: Additional Properties of an Ideal Drug: Ease of Administration
TOP: Nursing Process: Assessment
MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Pharmacologic and Parenteral Therapies
, 3. A patient tells the nurse that he was told by the prescriber that the analgesic he is taking is
very effective. Which statement by the patient demonstrates an understanding of the drug’s
effectiveness?
a. “I don’t have to worry about toxicity, since it takes a large amount of this drug to
cause an overdose.”
b. “It has no side effects and doesn’t interact with other drugs.”
c. “I only have to take it every 12 hours.”
d. “It might make me sleepy, and it lessens pain for several hours at a time.”
ANS: D
A drug is effective if it produces the intended effects, even if it also produces side effects.
Because no drug is completely safe, the level of toxicity does not determine effectiveness. All
drugs have side effects and many react with other substances; these do not affect the drug’s
effectiveness. Ease of administration is independent of a drug’s effectiveness.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Comprehension REF: Properties of an Ideal Drug
TOP: Nursing Process: Evaluation
MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Pharmacologic and Parenteral Therapies
MULTIPLE RESPONSE
1. What are the properties of an ideal drug? (Select all that apply.)
a. Irreversible action
b. Predictability
c. Ease of administration
d. Chemical stability
e. A simple trade name
ANS: B, C, D
In addition to predictability, ease of administration, and chemical stability, other properties
include a reversible action so that any harm the drug may cause can be undone and a simple
generic name, because generic names are usually complex and difficult to remember and
pronounce.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Comprehension
REF: Properties of an Ideal Drug | Additional Properties of an Ideal Drug
TOP: Nursing Process: Assessment
MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Pharmacologic and Parenteral Therapies
2. Before administering a medication, what does the nurse need to know to evaluate how
individual patient variability might affect the patient’s response to the medication? (Select all
that apply.)
a. Chemical stability of the medication
b. Ease of administration
c. Family medical history
d. Patient’s age
e. Patient’s diagnosis
ANS: C, D, E
The family medical history can indicate genetic factors that may affect a patient’s response to
a medication. Patients of different ages can respond differently to medications. The patient’s
illness can affect how drugs are metabolized. The chemical stability of the medication and the
ease of administration are properties of drugs.
, DIF: Cognitive Level: Analysis REF: Sources of Individual Variation
TOP: Nursing Process: Implementation
MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Reduction of Risk Potential
Chapter 2: Application of Pharmacology in Nursing
Practice Test Bank
MULTIPLE
CHOICE
1. A patient is using a metered-dose inhaler containing albuterol for asthma. The
medication label instructs the patient to administer “2 puffs every 4 hours as needed
for coughing or wheezing.” The patient reports feeling jittery sometimes when taking
the medication, and shedoesn’t feel that the medication is always effective. Which is
not an appropriate nursing intervention for this patient?
a. Asking the patient to demonstrate use of the inhaler
b. Assessing the patient’s exposure to tobacco smoke
c. Auscultating lung sounds and obtaining vital signs
d. Suggesting that the patient use one puff to reduce side effects
ANS: D
It is not within the nurse’s scope of practice to change the dose of a medication
without an order from a prescriber. Asking the patient to demonstrate inhaler use
helps the nurse to evaluate the patient’s ability to administer the medication
properly and is part of the nurse’s evaluation. Assessing tobacco smoke exposure
helps the nurse determine whether nondrug therapies, such a smoke avoidance, can
be used as an adjunct to drug therapy. Performing aphysical assessment helps the
nurse evaluate the patient’s response to the medication.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Application
REF: Applying the Nursing Process in Drug Therapy: Preadministration Assessment
[and all subsections under this heading] TOP: Nursing Process: Implementation
MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Pharmacologic and Parenteral
Therapies
2. A postoperative patient is being discharged home with acetaminophen/hydrocodone
(Lortab) for pain. The patient asks the nurse about using Tylenol for fever. Which
statement by the nurse is correct?
a. “It is not safe to take over-the-counter drugs with prescription medications.”
b. “Taking the two medications together poses a risk of drug toxicity.”
c. “There are no known drug interactions, so this will be safe.”
d. “Tylenol and Lortab are different drugs, so there is no risk of overdose.”
ANS: B
Tylenol is the trade name and acetaminophen is the generic name for the same
medication. It is important to teach patients to be aware of the different names for
the same drug to minimizethe risk of overdose. Over-the-counter (OTC) medications
and prescription medications may be taken together unless significant harmful drug
interactions are possible. Even though no drug interactions are at play in this case,
both drugs contain acetaminophen, which could lead to toxicity.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Application
REF: Application of Pharmacology in Patient Education: Dosage and
, Administration TOP: Nursing Process: Implementation
MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Reduction of Risk Potential
3. The nurse is preparing to care for a patient who will be taking an antihypertensive
medication. Which action by the nurse is part of the assessment step of the nursing
process?
a. Asking the prescriber for an order to monitor serum drug levels
b. Monitoring the patient for drug interactions after giving the medication
c. Questioning the patient about over-the-counter medications
d. Taking the patient’s blood pressure throughout the course of treatment
ANS: C
The assessment part of the nursing process involves gathering information before
beginningtreatment, and this includes asking about other medications the patient
may be taking.
Monitoring serum drug levels, watching for drug interactions, and checking vital
signs after giving the medication are all part of the evaluation phase.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: Preadministration
Assessment TOP: Nursing Process: Assessment
MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Reduction of Risk Potential
4. A postoperative patient reports pain, which the patient rates as an 8 on a scale from
1 to 10 (10 being the most extreme pain). The prescriber has ordered acetaminophen
(Tylenol) 650 mg PO every 6 hours PRN pain. What will the nurse do?
a. Ask the patient what medications have helped with pain in the past.
b. Contact the provider to request a different analgesic medication.
c. Give the pain medication and reposition the patient to promote comfort.
d. Request an order to administer the medication every 4 hours.
ANS: B
The nursing diagnosis for this patient is severe pain. Acetaminophen is given for mild
to moderate pain, so the nurse should ask the prescriber to order a stronger analgesic
medication. Asking the patient to tell the nurse what has helped in the past is a part
of an initial assessmentand should be done preoperatively and not when the patient is
having severe pain. Because thepatient is having severe pain, acetaminophen combined
with nondrug therapies will not be sufficient. Increasing the frequency of the dose of
a medication for mild pain will not be effective.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Analysis REF: Analysis and Nursing
Diagnosis TOP: Nursing Process: Diagnosis
MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Pharmacologic and Parenteral
Therapies
5. A patient newly diagnosed with diabetes is to be discharged from the hospital.
The nurseteaching this patient about home management should begin by doing
what?
a. Asking the patient to demonstrate how to measure and administer insulin
b. Discussing methods of storing insulin and discarding syringes
c. Giving information about how diet and exercise affect insulin requirements
d. Teaching the patient about the long-term consequences of poor diabetes control
ANS: A
Because insulin must be given correctly to control symptoms and because an overdose
