West Coast University NURS 180 ATI Exam (pdf) | 2026/2027 | ATI
Proctored Q&A | Pharmacology
1. A nurse is preparing to administer a medication to a client. The nurse
notes that the medication order includes the drug's generic name. Which of
the following is true regarding a drug's generic name?
A) It is the name assigned by the pharmaceutical company that developed
the drug
B) It is the name assigned by the US Adopted Name Council and the FDA
C) It is the chemical formula of the drug
D) There can be multiple generic names for the same drug
Correct Answer: It is the name assigned by the US Adopted Name Council
and the FDA
Rationale: The generic name is the official, nonproprietary name assigned to
a drug by the US Adopted Name Council and the FDA. There is only one
generic name per medication, whereas there can be multiple trade (brand)
names. The chemical name describes the drug's chemical formula, and the
trade name is assigned by the pharmaceutical company.
2. A nurse is reviewing a medication order and notices the drug is listed by
its trade name. Which of the following is an example of a trade name?
A) Acetaminophen
B) Tylenol
C) N-acetyl-para-aminophenol
D) Metoprolol
Correct Answer: Tylenol
,Rationale: Tylenol is the trade (brand) name for acetaminophen.
Acetaminophen is the generic name. N-acetyl-para-aminophenol is the
chemical name. Metoprolol is a generic name for a different medication
(trade name Lopressor).
3. A nurse is caring for a client who is prescribed a Schedule II controlled
substance. Which characteristic is most associated with Schedule II drugs?
A) High potential for abuse with no accepted medical use
B) High potential for abuse with accepted medical use
C) Moderate potential for abuse with accepted medical use
D) Low potential for abuse with accepted medical use
Correct Answer: High potential for abuse with accepted medical use
Rationale: Schedule II drugs have a high potential for abuse but have
accepted medical uses (e.g., morphine, oxycodone). Schedule I drugs have
high abuse potential and no accepted medical use. Schedule III has
moderate potential, and Schedule IV has low potential.
4. A client asks the nurse about the difference between a side effect and an
adverse effect of a medication. Which response by the nurse is most
accurate?
A) "Side effects are always harmful, while adverse effects are mild."
B) "Side effects are expected and often predictable, while adverse effects are
severe and life-threatening."
C) "Side effects and adverse effects are the same thing."
D) "Side effects are intended effects, while adverse effects are unintended
effects."
Correct Answer: "Side effects are expected and often predictable, while
adverse effects are severe and life-threatening."
,Rationale: Side effects are unintended but predictable effects that occur at
therapeutic doses. Adverse effects are severe, unintended, and potentially
life-threatening reactions. Therapeutic effects are the intended effects of the
drug.
5. A nurse is administering a medication that is a prototype drug. What does
this mean?
A) The drug is the first of its kind in its pharmacologic class
B) The drug is a well-understood model drug with which other drugs in its
class are compared
C) The drug has the most severe side effects in its class
D) The drug is the most expensive in its class
Correct Answer: The drug is a well-understood model drug with which other
drugs in its class are compared
Rationale: A prototype drug is a well-understood model drug with which
other drugs in a pharmacologic class may be compared. It serves as a
standard for understanding the actions, side effects, and nursing implications
for the entire class.
6. The nurse is caring for a client who is 2 days post-operative. The client
rates pain as 8/10. The nurse administers morphine sulfate as ordered. After
30 minutes, the nurse reassesses the pain level at 3/10. The reassessment
step occurs during which phase of the nursing process?
A) Assessment
B) Diagnosis
C) Planning
D) Evaluation
, Correct Answer: Evaluation
Rationale: The nursing process includes Assessment (data collection),
Diagnosis (identifying problems), Planning (setting goals), Implementation
(performing interventions), and Evaluation (determining if goals were met).
Reassessing pain after an intervention is an evaluation of the effectiveness of
the intervention.
7. A nurse is reviewing a client's medical record and notes that the client has
a new diagnosis of hypertension. The nurse identifies the problem as
"Ineffective health maintenance related to lack of knowledge about lifestyle
modifications." This is an example of which phase of the nursing process?
A) Assessment
B) Diagnosis
C) Planning
D) Implementation
Correct Answer: Diagnosis
Rationale: The nursing diagnosis phase involves analyzing assessment data
to identify client problems. "Ineffective health maintenance" is a NANDA-I
approved nursing diagnosis that describes a problem that can be treated by
nursing interventions.
8. A nurse is using critical thinking to prioritize client care. Which of the
following questions should the nurse ask first?
A) "What are the client's current vital signs?"
B) "Does the client have family in the waiting room?"
C) "What is the client's favorite food?"
D) "When was the client last seen by the provider?"
Proctored Q&A | Pharmacology
1. A nurse is preparing to administer a medication to a client. The nurse
notes that the medication order includes the drug's generic name. Which of
the following is true regarding a drug's generic name?
A) It is the name assigned by the pharmaceutical company that developed
the drug
B) It is the name assigned by the US Adopted Name Council and the FDA
C) It is the chemical formula of the drug
D) There can be multiple generic names for the same drug
Correct Answer: It is the name assigned by the US Adopted Name Council
and the FDA
Rationale: The generic name is the official, nonproprietary name assigned to
a drug by the US Adopted Name Council and the FDA. There is only one
generic name per medication, whereas there can be multiple trade (brand)
names. The chemical name describes the drug's chemical formula, and the
trade name is assigned by the pharmaceutical company.
2. A nurse is reviewing a medication order and notices the drug is listed by
its trade name. Which of the following is an example of a trade name?
A) Acetaminophen
B) Tylenol
C) N-acetyl-para-aminophenol
D) Metoprolol
Correct Answer: Tylenol
,Rationale: Tylenol is the trade (brand) name for acetaminophen.
Acetaminophen is the generic name. N-acetyl-para-aminophenol is the
chemical name. Metoprolol is a generic name for a different medication
(trade name Lopressor).
3. A nurse is caring for a client who is prescribed a Schedule II controlled
substance. Which characteristic is most associated with Schedule II drugs?
A) High potential for abuse with no accepted medical use
B) High potential for abuse with accepted medical use
C) Moderate potential for abuse with accepted medical use
D) Low potential for abuse with accepted medical use
Correct Answer: High potential for abuse with accepted medical use
Rationale: Schedule II drugs have a high potential for abuse but have
accepted medical uses (e.g., morphine, oxycodone). Schedule I drugs have
high abuse potential and no accepted medical use. Schedule III has
moderate potential, and Schedule IV has low potential.
4. A client asks the nurse about the difference between a side effect and an
adverse effect of a medication. Which response by the nurse is most
accurate?
A) "Side effects are always harmful, while adverse effects are mild."
B) "Side effects are expected and often predictable, while adverse effects are
severe and life-threatening."
C) "Side effects and adverse effects are the same thing."
D) "Side effects are intended effects, while adverse effects are unintended
effects."
Correct Answer: "Side effects are expected and often predictable, while
adverse effects are severe and life-threatening."
,Rationale: Side effects are unintended but predictable effects that occur at
therapeutic doses. Adverse effects are severe, unintended, and potentially
life-threatening reactions. Therapeutic effects are the intended effects of the
drug.
5. A nurse is administering a medication that is a prototype drug. What does
this mean?
A) The drug is the first of its kind in its pharmacologic class
B) The drug is a well-understood model drug with which other drugs in its
class are compared
C) The drug has the most severe side effects in its class
D) The drug is the most expensive in its class
Correct Answer: The drug is a well-understood model drug with which other
drugs in its class are compared
Rationale: A prototype drug is a well-understood model drug with which
other drugs in a pharmacologic class may be compared. It serves as a
standard for understanding the actions, side effects, and nursing implications
for the entire class.
6. The nurse is caring for a client who is 2 days post-operative. The client
rates pain as 8/10. The nurse administers morphine sulfate as ordered. After
30 minutes, the nurse reassesses the pain level at 3/10. The reassessment
step occurs during which phase of the nursing process?
A) Assessment
B) Diagnosis
C) Planning
D) Evaluation
, Correct Answer: Evaluation
Rationale: The nursing process includes Assessment (data collection),
Diagnosis (identifying problems), Planning (setting goals), Implementation
(performing interventions), and Evaluation (determining if goals were met).
Reassessing pain after an intervention is an evaluation of the effectiveness of
the intervention.
7. A nurse is reviewing a client's medical record and notes that the client has
a new diagnosis of hypertension. The nurse identifies the problem as
"Ineffective health maintenance related to lack of knowledge about lifestyle
modifications." This is an example of which phase of the nursing process?
A) Assessment
B) Diagnosis
C) Planning
D) Implementation
Correct Answer: Diagnosis
Rationale: The nursing diagnosis phase involves analyzing assessment data
to identify client problems. "Ineffective health maintenance" is a NANDA-I
approved nursing diagnosis that describes a problem that can be treated by
nursing interventions.
8. A nurse is using critical thinking to prioritize client care. Which of the
following questions should the nurse ask first?
A) "What are the client's current vital signs?"
B) "Does the client have family in the waiting room?"
C) "What is the client's favorite food?"
D) "When was the client last seen by the provider?"
