Pharmacology Hesi Exam 2026
Questions With Answers
1. A Client Is Taking Hydromorphone (Dilaudid) Po Q4h At Home. Following Surgery,
Dilaudid Iv Q4h Prn And Butorphanol Tartrate (Stadol) Iv Q4h Prn Are Prescribed For
Pain. The Client Received A Dose Of The Dilaudid Iv Four Hours Ago, And Is Again
Requesting Pain Medication. What Intervention Should The Nurse Implement? - Answer-
Administer Only The Dilaudid Q4h Prn For Pain.
2. The Healthcare Provider Prescribes Naproxen (Naproxen) Twice Daily For A Client
With Osteoarthritis Of The Hands. The Client Tells The Nurse That The Drug Does Not
Seem To Be Effective After Three Weeks. Which Is The Best Response For The Nurse
To Provide? - Answer-Another Type Of Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug May Be
Indicated
3. Which Client Should The Nurse Identify As Being At Highest Risk For Complications
During The Use Of An Opioid Analgesic? - Answer-A Young Adult With Inflammatory
Bowel Disease
4. A Client Receiving Doxorubicin (Adriamycin) Intravenously (Iv) Complains Of Pain At
The Insertion Site, And The Nurse Notes Edema At The Site. Which Intervention Is Most
Important For The Nurse To Implement? - Answer-Discontinue Iv Fluids
5. A Client Is Receiving Metoprolol (Lopressor Sr, Nu-Metop). What Assessment Is Most
Important For The Nurse To Obtain? - Answer-Blood Pressure
6. A Client Asks The Nurse If Glipizide (Glucotrol) Is An Oral Insulin. Which Response
Should The Nurse Provide? - Answer-"No, It Is Not An Oral Insulin And Can Be Used
Only When Some Beta Cell Function Is Present."
7. A Client Is Admitted To The Coronary Care Unit With A Medical Diagnosis Of Acute
Myocardial Infarction. Which Medication Prescription Decreases Both Preload And
Afterload? - Answer-Nitroglycerin
8. Which Nursing Intervention Is Most Important When Caring For A Client Receiving The
Antimetabolite Cytosine Arabinoside (Arc-C) For Chemotherapy? - Answer-Inspect The
Client's Oral Mucosa For Ulcerations
9. A 43-Year-Old Female Client Is Receiving Thyroid Replacement Hormone Following A
Thyroidectomy. What Adverse Effects Associated With Thyroid Hormone Toxicity
Should The Nurse Instruct The Client To Report Promptly To The Healthcare Provider? -
Answer-Tachycardia And Chest Pain
10. A Client Who Was Prescribed Atorvastatin (Lipitor) One Month Ago Calls The Triage
Nurse At The Clinic Complaining Of Muscle Pain And Weakness In His Legs. Which
, Statement Reflects The Correct Drug-Specific Teaching The Nurse Should Provide To
This Client? - Answer-Make An Appointment To See The Healthcare Provider, Because
Muscle Pain May Be An Indication Of A Serious Side Effect.
11. The Nurse Is Preparing The 0900 Dose Of Losartan (Cozaar), An Angiotensin Ii
Receptor Blocker (Arb), For A Client With Hypertension And Heart Failure. The Nurse
Reviews The Client's Laboratory Results And Notes That The Client's Serum Potassium
Level Is 5.9 Meq/L. What Action Should The Nurse Take First? - Answer-Withhold The
Scheduled Dose
12. A Peak And Trough Level Must Be Drawn For A Client Receiving Antibiotic Therapy.
What Is The Optimum Time For The Nurse To Obtain The Trough Level? - Answer-
Immediately Before The Next Antibiotic Dose Is Given
13. Which Change In Data Indicates To The Nurse That The Desired Effect Of The
Angiotensin Ii Receptor Antagonist Valsartan (Diovan) Has Been Achieved? - Answer-
Blood Pressure Reduced From 160/90 To 130/80
14. A Medication That Is Classified As A Beta-1 Agonist Is Most Commonly Prescribed For
A Client With Which Condition? - Answer-Heart Failure
15. A Client Is Receiving Methylprednisolone (Solu-Medrol) 40 Mg Iv Daily. The Nurse
Anticipates An Increase In Which Laboratory Value As The Result Of This Medication?
- Answer-Serum Glucose
16. A Client Receiving Albuterol (Proventil) Tablets Complains Of Nausea Every Evening
With Her 9:00 P.M. Dose. What Action Can The Nurse Take To Alleviate This Side
Effect? - Answer-Administer The Dose With A Snack
17. A Client Is Admitted To The Hospital For Diagnostic Testing For Possible Myasthenia
Gravis. The Nurse Prepares For Intravenous Administration Of Edrophonium Chloride
(Tensilon). What Is The Expected Outcome For This Client Following Administration Of
This Pharmacologic Agent? - Answer-Decreased Muscle Weakness
18. In Teaching A Client Who Had A Liver Transplant About Cyclosporine (Sandimmune),
The Nurse Should Encourage The Client To Report Which Adverse Response To The
Healthcare Provider? - Answer-Presence Of Hand Tremors
19. An Adult Client Has Prescriptions For Morphine Sulfate 2.5 Mg Iv Q6h And Ketorolac
(Toradol) 30 Mg Iv Q6h. Which Action Should The Nurse Implement? - Answer-
Administer Both Medications According To The Prescription
20. Upon Admission To The Emergency Center, An Adult Client With Acute Status
Asthmaticus Is Prescribed This Series Of Medications. In Which Order Should The
Nurse Administer The Prescribed Medications? (Arrange From First To Last.) - Answer-
1. Albuterol (Proventil) Puffs
Questions With Answers
1. A Client Is Taking Hydromorphone (Dilaudid) Po Q4h At Home. Following Surgery,
Dilaudid Iv Q4h Prn And Butorphanol Tartrate (Stadol) Iv Q4h Prn Are Prescribed For
Pain. The Client Received A Dose Of The Dilaudid Iv Four Hours Ago, And Is Again
Requesting Pain Medication. What Intervention Should The Nurse Implement? - Answer-
Administer Only The Dilaudid Q4h Prn For Pain.
2. The Healthcare Provider Prescribes Naproxen (Naproxen) Twice Daily For A Client
With Osteoarthritis Of The Hands. The Client Tells The Nurse That The Drug Does Not
Seem To Be Effective After Three Weeks. Which Is The Best Response For The Nurse
To Provide? - Answer-Another Type Of Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug May Be
Indicated
3. Which Client Should The Nurse Identify As Being At Highest Risk For Complications
During The Use Of An Opioid Analgesic? - Answer-A Young Adult With Inflammatory
Bowel Disease
4. A Client Receiving Doxorubicin (Adriamycin) Intravenously (Iv) Complains Of Pain At
The Insertion Site, And The Nurse Notes Edema At The Site. Which Intervention Is Most
Important For The Nurse To Implement? - Answer-Discontinue Iv Fluids
5. A Client Is Receiving Metoprolol (Lopressor Sr, Nu-Metop). What Assessment Is Most
Important For The Nurse To Obtain? - Answer-Blood Pressure
6. A Client Asks The Nurse If Glipizide (Glucotrol) Is An Oral Insulin. Which Response
Should The Nurse Provide? - Answer-"No, It Is Not An Oral Insulin And Can Be Used
Only When Some Beta Cell Function Is Present."
7. A Client Is Admitted To The Coronary Care Unit With A Medical Diagnosis Of Acute
Myocardial Infarction. Which Medication Prescription Decreases Both Preload And
Afterload? - Answer-Nitroglycerin
8. Which Nursing Intervention Is Most Important When Caring For A Client Receiving The
Antimetabolite Cytosine Arabinoside (Arc-C) For Chemotherapy? - Answer-Inspect The
Client's Oral Mucosa For Ulcerations
9. A 43-Year-Old Female Client Is Receiving Thyroid Replacement Hormone Following A
Thyroidectomy. What Adverse Effects Associated With Thyroid Hormone Toxicity
Should The Nurse Instruct The Client To Report Promptly To The Healthcare Provider? -
Answer-Tachycardia And Chest Pain
10. A Client Who Was Prescribed Atorvastatin (Lipitor) One Month Ago Calls The Triage
Nurse At The Clinic Complaining Of Muscle Pain And Weakness In His Legs. Which
, Statement Reflects The Correct Drug-Specific Teaching The Nurse Should Provide To
This Client? - Answer-Make An Appointment To See The Healthcare Provider, Because
Muscle Pain May Be An Indication Of A Serious Side Effect.
11. The Nurse Is Preparing The 0900 Dose Of Losartan (Cozaar), An Angiotensin Ii
Receptor Blocker (Arb), For A Client With Hypertension And Heart Failure. The Nurse
Reviews The Client's Laboratory Results And Notes That The Client's Serum Potassium
Level Is 5.9 Meq/L. What Action Should The Nurse Take First? - Answer-Withhold The
Scheduled Dose
12. A Peak And Trough Level Must Be Drawn For A Client Receiving Antibiotic Therapy.
What Is The Optimum Time For The Nurse To Obtain The Trough Level? - Answer-
Immediately Before The Next Antibiotic Dose Is Given
13. Which Change In Data Indicates To The Nurse That The Desired Effect Of The
Angiotensin Ii Receptor Antagonist Valsartan (Diovan) Has Been Achieved? - Answer-
Blood Pressure Reduced From 160/90 To 130/80
14. A Medication That Is Classified As A Beta-1 Agonist Is Most Commonly Prescribed For
A Client With Which Condition? - Answer-Heart Failure
15. A Client Is Receiving Methylprednisolone (Solu-Medrol) 40 Mg Iv Daily. The Nurse
Anticipates An Increase In Which Laboratory Value As The Result Of This Medication?
- Answer-Serum Glucose
16. A Client Receiving Albuterol (Proventil) Tablets Complains Of Nausea Every Evening
With Her 9:00 P.M. Dose. What Action Can The Nurse Take To Alleviate This Side
Effect? - Answer-Administer The Dose With A Snack
17. A Client Is Admitted To The Hospital For Diagnostic Testing For Possible Myasthenia
Gravis. The Nurse Prepares For Intravenous Administration Of Edrophonium Chloride
(Tensilon). What Is The Expected Outcome For This Client Following Administration Of
This Pharmacologic Agent? - Answer-Decreased Muscle Weakness
18. In Teaching A Client Who Had A Liver Transplant About Cyclosporine (Sandimmune),
The Nurse Should Encourage The Client To Report Which Adverse Response To The
Healthcare Provider? - Answer-Presence Of Hand Tremors
19. An Adult Client Has Prescriptions For Morphine Sulfate 2.5 Mg Iv Q6h And Ketorolac
(Toradol) 30 Mg Iv Q6h. Which Action Should The Nurse Implement? - Answer-
Administer Both Medications According To The Prescription
20. Upon Admission To The Emergency Center, An Adult Client With Acute Status
Asthmaticus Is Prescribed This Series Of Medications. In Which Order Should The
Nurse Administer The Prescribed Medications? (Arrange From First To Last.) - Answer-
1. Albuterol (Proventil) Puffs
