CMS Pharmacology study Questions with CORRECT
Answers (Grade A+)
Question 1:
A nurse is teaching a client about the use of a dinoprostone vaginal insert pouch to stimulate
labor. Which of the following statements should the nurse include in the teaching?
Answer:
"Lie on your back for at least 2 hours without getting up." The client should remain supine for
at least 2 hours after the dinoprostone vaginal pouch is inserted to allow a slow release of the
medication from the pouch to stimulate labor.
Question 2:
A nurse is teaching a client who is about to start taking propylthiouracil to treat
hyperthyroidism. Which of the following statements should the nurse identify as an indication
that the teaching has been effective?
Answer:
"I will need laboratory tests to check my liver function." Propylthiouracil is hepatotoxic and can
cause severe liver injury. The nurse should instruct the client to report dark urine and
yellowing of the eyes, which can indicate an injury to the liver.
Question 3:
A nurse is preparing a discharge teaching plan for a 6-year-old client with asthma who has
several prescription medications using metered-dose inhalers (MDIs). Which of the following
interventions should the nurse include in the plan?
Answer:
Add a spacer to each MDI. MDIs are difficult to use correctly; even when properly used, only a
portion of the medication is delivered to the lungs. A spacer applied to an MDI can make up for
a lack of hand-lung coordination by increasing the amount of medication delivered to the
lungs.
,Question 4:
A nurse is preparing to administer oxytocin to a client who is at 41 weeks gestation and is
experiencing ineffective labor. Which of the following actions should the nurse plan to take?
Answer:
Increase the dose of oxytocin to obtain uterine contractions that occur every 2 to 3 min.
Effective uterine contractions should occur every 2 to 3 minutes.
Question 5:
A nurse is monitoring the laboratory values of a male client who has leukemia and is receiving
weekly chemotherapy with methotrexate via IV infusion. Which of the following laboratory
values should the nurse report to the provider?
Answer:
Platelets 78,000/mm^3 The nurse should monitor the platelet count of a client who is taking
methotrexate because the medication can cause thrombocytopenia. This client's platelet count
is very low and puts the client at risk of severe bleeding. The nurse should report this finding
promptly to the provider.
Question 6:
A nurse is teaching a client who has a new prescription for alosetron. Which of the following
client statements indicates an understanding of the teaching?
Answer:
"I should contact my provider immediately if I experience constipation." The nurse should
identify that constipation is an adverse effect of this medication and requires the provider to be
notified. The provider may adjust the dose or withhold the medication and then instruct the
client to resume taking it once the constipation has resolved.
Question 7:
of the following data from the client's medical record should the nurse identify as a risk factor
for hearing loss? A nurse is reviewing the medical record of a client who might have
Answer:
Chronic use of salicylates. Chronic use of salicylates such as aspirin can lead to ototoxicity,
which can manifest as tinnitus or hearing loss.
, Question 8:
A nurse on a medical unit is preparing to administer alendronate 40 mg PO for an older adult
client who has Paget's disease of the bone. Which of the following actions should be the
nurse's priority?
Answer:
Ambulate the client to a chair prior to administering the medication . The nurse should
ambulate the client to a chair and ensure that the client is sitting upright before administering
the alendronate to prevent esophagitis from occurring. The client must also be able to sit or
stand upright for 30 minutes after taking the medication. The nurse should apply the safety
and risk-reduction priority-setting framework, which assigns priority to the factor or situation
posing the greatest safety risk to the client. When there are several risks to safety, the one
posing the greatest threat is the highest priority. The nurse should use Maslow's Hierarchy of
Needs, the ABC priority-setting framework, and/or nursing knowledge to identify which risk
poses the greatest threat to the client.
Question 9:
A nurse is preparing to administer dantrolene to a client who has muscle spasticity. Which of
the following findings from the client's medical history should the nurse identify as a
contraindication to the administration of this medication?
Answer:
History of cirrhosis The nurse should identify that dantrolene is contraindicated for clients who
have active liver disease because it is hepatotoxic and can cause liver failure. Liver function
tests are monitored for clients throughout treatment with this medication.
Question 10:
a client who was recently admitted and has a history of alcohol use disorder. The client
displays ataxia, an altered level of consciousness, and nystagmus. Which of the following
medications should the nurse anticipate administering to the client?
Answer:
The nurse should identify that a client who has a history of alcohol use disorder and displays
ataxia, an altered level of consciousness, and nystagmus is exhibiting manifestations of
Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome due to a thiamine deficiency. Therefore, the nurse should
anticipate administering parenteral thiamine.
Answers (Grade A+)
Question 1:
A nurse is teaching a client about the use of a dinoprostone vaginal insert pouch to stimulate
labor. Which of the following statements should the nurse include in the teaching?
Answer:
"Lie on your back for at least 2 hours without getting up." The client should remain supine for
at least 2 hours after the dinoprostone vaginal pouch is inserted to allow a slow release of the
medication from the pouch to stimulate labor.
Question 2:
A nurse is teaching a client who is about to start taking propylthiouracil to treat
hyperthyroidism. Which of the following statements should the nurse identify as an indication
that the teaching has been effective?
Answer:
"I will need laboratory tests to check my liver function." Propylthiouracil is hepatotoxic and can
cause severe liver injury. The nurse should instruct the client to report dark urine and
yellowing of the eyes, which can indicate an injury to the liver.
Question 3:
A nurse is preparing a discharge teaching plan for a 6-year-old client with asthma who has
several prescription medications using metered-dose inhalers (MDIs). Which of the following
interventions should the nurse include in the plan?
Answer:
Add a spacer to each MDI. MDIs are difficult to use correctly; even when properly used, only a
portion of the medication is delivered to the lungs. A spacer applied to an MDI can make up for
a lack of hand-lung coordination by increasing the amount of medication delivered to the
lungs.
,Question 4:
A nurse is preparing to administer oxytocin to a client who is at 41 weeks gestation and is
experiencing ineffective labor. Which of the following actions should the nurse plan to take?
Answer:
Increase the dose of oxytocin to obtain uterine contractions that occur every 2 to 3 min.
Effective uterine contractions should occur every 2 to 3 minutes.
Question 5:
A nurse is monitoring the laboratory values of a male client who has leukemia and is receiving
weekly chemotherapy with methotrexate via IV infusion. Which of the following laboratory
values should the nurse report to the provider?
Answer:
Platelets 78,000/mm^3 The nurse should monitor the platelet count of a client who is taking
methotrexate because the medication can cause thrombocytopenia. This client's platelet count
is very low and puts the client at risk of severe bleeding. The nurse should report this finding
promptly to the provider.
Question 6:
A nurse is teaching a client who has a new prescription for alosetron. Which of the following
client statements indicates an understanding of the teaching?
Answer:
"I should contact my provider immediately if I experience constipation." The nurse should
identify that constipation is an adverse effect of this medication and requires the provider to be
notified. The provider may adjust the dose or withhold the medication and then instruct the
client to resume taking it once the constipation has resolved.
Question 7:
of the following data from the client's medical record should the nurse identify as a risk factor
for hearing loss? A nurse is reviewing the medical record of a client who might have
Answer:
Chronic use of salicylates. Chronic use of salicylates such as aspirin can lead to ototoxicity,
which can manifest as tinnitus or hearing loss.
, Question 8:
A nurse on a medical unit is preparing to administer alendronate 40 mg PO for an older adult
client who has Paget's disease of the bone. Which of the following actions should be the
nurse's priority?
Answer:
Ambulate the client to a chair prior to administering the medication . The nurse should
ambulate the client to a chair and ensure that the client is sitting upright before administering
the alendronate to prevent esophagitis from occurring. The client must also be able to sit or
stand upright for 30 minutes after taking the medication. The nurse should apply the safety
and risk-reduction priority-setting framework, which assigns priority to the factor or situation
posing the greatest safety risk to the client. When there are several risks to safety, the one
posing the greatest threat is the highest priority. The nurse should use Maslow's Hierarchy of
Needs, the ABC priority-setting framework, and/or nursing knowledge to identify which risk
poses the greatest threat to the client.
Question 9:
A nurse is preparing to administer dantrolene to a client who has muscle spasticity. Which of
the following findings from the client's medical history should the nurse identify as a
contraindication to the administration of this medication?
Answer:
History of cirrhosis The nurse should identify that dantrolene is contraindicated for clients who
have active liver disease because it is hepatotoxic and can cause liver failure. Liver function
tests are monitored for clients throughout treatment with this medication.
Question 10:
a client who was recently admitted and has a history of alcohol use disorder. The client
displays ataxia, an altered level of consciousness, and nystagmus. Which of the following
medications should the nurse anticipate administering to the client?
Answer:
The nurse should identify that a client who has a history of alcohol use disorder and displays
ataxia, an altered level of consciousness, and nystagmus is exhibiting manifestations of
Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome due to a thiamine deficiency. Therefore, the nurse should
anticipate administering parenteral thiamine.
