NUR 252 Nursing Pharmacology Exam Actual Exam
2026/2027 | Clinical Application | Questions with Verified
Answers | 100% Correct | Pass Guaranteed
SECTION 1: Pharmacology Foundations & Safety (10 Questions)
Q1: A nurse is preparing to administer digoxin 0.25 mg PO. Which action is essential
before giving the dose?
A. Check the patient’s weight
B. Count the apical pulse for 1 full minute
C. Monitor blood pressure
D. Assess respiratory rate
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Nursing Process – Assessment: Digoxin slows heart rate; apical pulse <60
bpm or irregular rhythm are hold criteria.
Safety: Withhold dose and notify provider if pulse <60 or significant change.
Patient Education: Teach patient to report dizziness, palpitations, or visual changes
(green-yellow halos).
Q2: A patient is prescribed warfarin 5 mg daily. Which dietary instruction is most
important?
,A. Avoid all dairy products
B. Maintain consistent vitamin K intake daily
C. Increase protein-rich foods
D. Take with grapefruit juice
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Drug-Food Interaction: Warfarin antagonizes vitamin K-dependent clotting
factors. Fluctuating intake (leafy greens) causes unstable INR.
Nursing Teaching: Encourage consistent portions of green vegetables; don’t eliminate
them.
Monitoring: Weekly INR until stable; watch for bleeding (gums, bruises, dark stools).
Q3: The Six Rights of medication administration. The first right verified is:
A. Right dose
B. Right patient
C. Right route
D. Right documentation
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Safety Protocol: Two patient identifiers (name + DOB) before any other step
prevents wrong-patient errors.
Implementation: Check armband, ask patient to state name, compare to MAR.
,Q4: A nurse notes the look-alike/sound-alike labels for hydromorphone and morphine.
The best prevention strategy is:
A. Store bottles alphabetically
B. Use tall-man lettering (hydrO-morphone, morPHINE) and separate storage
C. Ask pharmacy to stock only one
D. Double-check only high-risk patients
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: ISMP High-Alert Medications: Tall-man lettering and physical separation
reduce selection errors.
Nursing Action: Scan barcode, read label aloud, confirm dose (hydromorphone is 5×
more potent than morphine).
Q5: A patient on metformin is scheduled for a CT scan with IV contrast. The nurse
should:
A. Hold metformin 48 h before and after contrast to prevent lactic acidosis
B. Continue metformin as normal
C. Switch to insulin temporarily
D. Increase fluid intake only
Correct Answer: A
, Rationale: Drug-Procedure Interaction: IV contrast can impair renal function →
metformin accumulation → lactic acidosis.
Nursing Protocol: Hold metformin 48 h before/after, monitor creatinine, restart only if
normal.
Q6: A patient’s morphine PCA has a basal rate of 2 mg/h and demand dose 1 mg
q10min. The nurse’s priority assessment is:
A. Respiratory rate and sedation level
B. Urine output
C. Pain score only
D. Blood pressure
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Opioid Safety: Basal rates increase risk of respiratory depression.
Monitoring: Q2h RR and sedation (0-3 scale); naloxone available.
Hold parameters: RR <10, sedation score ≥3, or difficult to arouse.
Q7: A heparin infusion is running at 18 mL/h (25,000 units in 500 mL). The aPTT is 90
seconds (control 30 s). The nurse should:
A. Stop infusion immediately and call provider
B. Continue current rate
C. Increase rate
2026/2027 | Clinical Application | Questions with Verified
Answers | 100% Correct | Pass Guaranteed
SECTION 1: Pharmacology Foundations & Safety (10 Questions)
Q1: A nurse is preparing to administer digoxin 0.25 mg PO. Which action is essential
before giving the dose?
A. Check the patient’s weight
B. Count the apical pulse for 1 full minute
C. Monitor blood pressure
D. Assess respiratory rate
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Nursing Process – Assessment: Digoxin slows heart rate; apical pulse <60
bpm or irregular rhythm are hold criteria.
Safety: Withhold dose and notify provider if pulse <60 or significant change.
Patient Education: Teach patient to report dizziness, palpitations, or visual changes
(green-yellow halos).
Q2: A patient is prescribed warfarin 5 mg daily. Which dietary instruction is most
important?
,A. Avoid all dairy products
B. Maintain consistent vitamin K intake daily
C. Increase protein-rich foods
D. Take with grapefruit juice
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Drug-Food Interaction: Warfarin antagonizes vitamin K-dependent clotting
factors. Fluctuating intake (leafy greens) causes unstable INR.
Nursing Teaching: Encourage consistent portions of green vegetables; don’t eliminate
them.
Monitoring: Weekly INR until stable; watch for bleeding (gums, bruises, dark stools).
Q3: The Six Rights of medication administration. The first right verified is:
A. Right dose
B. Right patient
C. Right route
D. Right documentation
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Safety Protocol: Two patient identifiers (name + DOB) before any other step
prevents wrong-patient errors.
Implementation: Check armband, ask patient to state name, compare to MAR.
,Q4: A nurse notes the look-alike/sound-alike labels for hydromorphone and morphine.
The best prevention strategy is:
A. Store bottles alphabetically
B. Use tall-man lettering (hydrO-morphone, morPHINE) and separate storage
C. Ask pharmacy to stock only one
D. Double-check only high-risk patients
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: ISMP High-Alert Medications: Tall-man lettering and physical separation
reduce selection errors.
Nursing Action: Scan barcode, read label aloud, confirm dose (hydromorphone is 5×
more potent than morphine).
Q5: A patient on metformin is scheduled for a CT scan with IV contrast. The nurse
should:
A. Hold metformin 48 h before and after contrast to prevent lactic acidosis
B. Continue metformin as normal
C. Switch to insulin temporarily
D. Increase fluid intake only
Correct Answer: A
, Rationale: Drug-Procedure Interaction: IV contrast can impair renal function →
metformin accumulation → lactic acidosis.
Nursing Protocol: Hold metformin 48 h before/after, monitor creatinine, restart only if
normal.
Q6: A patient’s morphine PCA has a basal rate of 2 mg/h and demand dose 1 mg
q10min. The nurse’s priority assessment is:
A. Respiratory rate and sedation level
B. Urine output
C. Pain score only
D. Blood pressure
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Opioid Safety: Basal rates increase risk of respiratory depression.
Monitoring: Q2h RR and sedation (0-3 scale); naloxone available.
Hold parameters: RR <10, sedation score ≥3, or difficult to arouse.
Q7: A heparin infusion is running at 18 mL/h (25,000 units in 500 mL). The aPTT is 90
seconds (control 30 s). The nurse should:
A. Stop infusion immediately and call provider
B. Continue current rate
C. Increase rate
