CNUR 202 FINAL EXAM REVIEW STUDY GUIDE | COMPLETE NURSING FINAL EXAM PREP,
PRACTICE QUESTIONS & ANSWERS 2026/2027
Pharmacology - ANS ✔✔The study of drugs
Pharmacotherapeutics - ANS ✔✔The clinical uses of drugs to prevent and treat disease
Nursing process - ANS ✔✔Assess
Diagnose
Plan
Intervene
Evaluate (monitor)
Chemical name - ANS ✔✔Chemical composition
Generic name - ANS ✔✔Commonly known, less expensive drug
Trade name - ANS ✔✔Patented, belongs to company
Classification - ANS ✔✔Group of drugs with similar properties
Pharmacognosy - ANS ✔✔Natural drugs sources
Pharmaceutical phase - ANS ✔✔Drugs enter body and disintegrates
Pharmacokinetics - ANS ✔✔Drugs are absorbed, distributed, metabolized, and excreted
,Pharmacodynamics - ANS ✔✔Available drug interacts with receptors to produce effects
Absorption - ANS ✔✔The pharmacokinetic phase or time from a drug entering the body until
drug enters the bloodstream, affected by forms of medication, route of administration, and
patient variables.
Bioavailability - ANS ✔✔Extent of drug absorption to systemic blood circulation
Buccal or sublingual - ANS ✔✔Drugs inhaled or administered through this way are absorbed
rapidly through mucous membranes
By mouth - ANS ✔✔Drugs administered this way is affected by form (liquid or solid), acid or
food in stomach
Injected drugs - ANS ✔✔Absorption of this route is affected by route, blood flow to site of entry,
administration, and dosage
Distribution - ANS ✔✔The route a drug takes to the site of action, depends on adequate blood
circulation.
Protein bound - ANS ✔✔If drug is _________________ or bound to albumin in blood, it cannot
pass outside blood to tissues. Only drug molecules that are not ___________________ can be
freely distributed to tissue outside blood vessels.
Metabolism - ANS ✔✔1) an inactive metabolite or less active form
2) a more soluble compound
3) a more potent metabolite
,Gastrointestinal - ANS ✔✔LIver metabolizes drugs absorbed in the __________________ tract
First-pass effect - ANS ✔✔The ____________________ inactivates a portion then moves drug
to excretion
Drug metabolism is decreased - ANS ✔✔- In infants with immature hepatic enzyme system
- In people with impaired hepatic blood flow (includes livers disease in older adults)
- People with severe hepatic, renal, CV disease, low serum albumin, or starvation
- With drug-drug interactions (when drugs compete for the same metabolizing enzymes)
Drug metabolism is increased - ANS ✔✔- With some conditions (fast acetylator, a genetic
influence on response to a substance: pharmacogenetics)
- Drugs (enzyme inducers, or if people develop tolerance for example barbiturates, phenytoin,
rifampin)
Excretion - ANS ✔✔Drug is expelled or excreted from the body with a functioning circulatory
system.
Most drugs are excreted by kidneys in urine
Liver can excrete drugs in bile, which is eliminated by bowels
Less commonly drugs are eliminated by lungs, sweat glands, salivary and mammary glands.
Serum half life - ANS ✔✔(Elimination half life) is the time required for the serum concentration
of a drug to decrease by 50%
Steady state - ANS ✔✔Is when the amount of drug removed by elimination is equal to amount
of drug absorbed with each dose. The goal of reaching steady state is to have consistent amount
of drug correlating to maximum therapeutic benefits.
, Onset - ANS ✔✔The time is takes for a drug to elicit a therapeutic response, example: insulin
lispro (Humalog): 15-30 minutes
Peak - ANS ✔✔The time it takes for a drug to reach its maximum therapeutic response,
example: insulin lispro (Humalog): 30 minutes - 2.5 hours
Duration - ANS ✔✔The length of time a sufficient drug concentration is therapeutic, example:
insulin lispro (Humalog): 3-6.5 hours
Drug toxicity - ANS ✔✔Too much drug in body, from a single dose (at peak) or multiple doses
Therapeutic effect of a drug - ANS ✔✔Is desired response to correct a physiological or
biochemical condition
Therapeutic index - ANS ✔✔Is the ratio of a drug's toxic level to the therapeutic level.
Low therapeutic index - ANS ✔✔Small difference between the therapeutic level of a dose and a
toxic dose
Drug tolerance - ANS ✔✔When a person's response to repeated doses decreases
Dependence - ANS ✔✔Is a physiological or psychological need for the drug
Receptor interactions - ANS ✔✔Drug molecule joins with receptor at reactive site of a cell to
accept drug, produce desired effect, can not change function of cell, but can increase or
decrease function
Enzyme interactions - ANS ✔✔Drug interacts with enzyme system to alter a physiological
response of a cell or cells to enzyme's interaction with its normal target molecules. Chemical
PRACTICE QUESTIONS & ANSWERS 2026/2027
Pharmacology - ANS ✔✔The study of drugs
Pharmacotherapeutics - ANS ✔✔The clinical uses of drugs to prevent and treat disease
Nursing process - ANS ✔✔Assess
Diagnose
Plan
Intervene
Evaluate (monitor)
Chemical name - ANS ✔✔Chemical composition
Generic name - ANS ✔✔Commonly known, less expensive drug
Trade name - ANS ✔✔Patented, belongs to company
Classification - ANS ✔✔Group of drugs with similar properties
Pharmacognosy - ANS ✔✔Natural drugs sources
Pharmaceutical phase - ANS ✔✔Drugs enter body and disintegrates
Pharmacokinetics - ANS ✔✔Drugs are absorbed, distributed, metabolized, and excreted
,Pharmacodynamics - ANS ✔✔Available drug interacts with receptors to produce effects
Absorption - ANS ✔✔The pharmacokinetic phase or time from a drug entering the body until
drug enters the bloodstream, affected by forms of medication, route of administration, and
patient variables.
Bioavailability - ANS ✔✔Extent of drug absorption to systemic blood circulation
Buccal or sublingual - ANS ✔✔Drugs inhaled or administered through this way are absorbed
rapidly through mucous membranes
By mouth - ANS ✔✔Drugs administered this way is affected by form (liquid or solid), acid or
food in stomach
Injected drugs - ANS ✔✔Absorption of this route is affected by route, blood flow to site of entry,
administration, and dosage
Distribution - ANS ✔✔The route a drug takes to the site of action, depends on adequate blood
circulation.
Protein bound - ANS ✔✔If drug is _________________ or bound to albumin in blood, it cannot
pass outside blood to tissues. Only drug molecules that are not ___________________ can be
freely distributed to tissue outside blood vessels.
Metabolism - ANS ✔✔1) an inactive metabolite or less active form
2) a more soluble compound
3) a more potent metabolite
,Gastrointestinal - ANS ✔✔LIver metabolizes drugs absorbed in the __________________ tract
First-pass effect - ANS ✔✔The ____________________ inactivates a portion then moves drug
to excretion
Drug metabolism is decreased - ANS ✔✔- In infants with immature hepatic enzyme system
- In people with impaired hepatic blood flow (includes livers disease in older adults)
- People with severe hepatic, renal, CV disease, low serum albumin, or starvation
- With drug-drug interactions (when drugs compete for the same metabolizing enzymes)
Drug metabolism is increased - ANS ✔✔- With some conditions (fast acetylator, a genetic
influence on response to a substance: pharmacogenetics)
- Drugs (enzyme inducers, or if people develop tolerance for example barbiturates, phenytoin,
rifampin)
Excretion - ANS ✔✔Drug is expelled or excreted from the body with a functioning circulatory
system.
Most drugs are excreted by kidneys in urine
Liver can excrete drugs in bile, which is eliminated by bowels
Less commonly drugs are eliminated by lungs, sweat glands, salivary and mammary glands.
Serum half life - ANS ✔✔(Elimination half life) is the time required for the serum concentration
of a drug to decrease by 50%
Steady state - ANS ✔✔Is when the amount of drug removed by elimination is equal to amount
of drug absorbed with each dose. The goal of reaching steady state is to have consistent amount
of drug correlating to maximum therapeutic benefits.
, Onset - ANS ✔✔The time is takes for a drug to elicit a therapeutic response, example: insulin
lispro (Humalog): 15-30 minutes
Peak - ANS ✔✔The time it takes for a drug to reach its maximum therapeutic response,
example: insulin lispro (Humalog): 30 minutes - 2.5 hours
Duration - ANS ✔✔The length of time a sufficient drug concentration is therapeutic, example:
insulin lispro (Humalog): 3-6.5 hours
Drug toxicity - ANS ✔✔Too much drug in body, from a single dose (at peak) or multiple doses
Therapeutic effect of a drug - ANS ✔✔Is desired response to correct a physiological or
biochemical condition
Therapeutic index - ANS ✔✔Is the ratio of a drug's toxic level to the therapeutic level.
Low therapeutic index - ANS ✔✔Small difference between the therapeutic level of a dose and a
toxic dose
Drug tolerance - ANS ✔✔When a person's response to repeated doses decreases
Dependence - ANS ✔✔Is a physiological or psychological need for the drug
Receptor interactions - ANS ✔✔Drug molecule joins with receptor at reactive site of a cell to
accept drug, produce desired effect, can not change function of cell, but can increase or
decrease function
Enzyme interactions - ANS ✔✔Drug interacts with enzyme system to alter a physiological
response of a cell or cells to enzyme's interaction with its normal target molecules. Chemical
