Pharmacology ATI
A provider prescribes phenobarbital for a client who has a seizure disorder. The medication has a
long half-life of 4 days. How many times per day should the nurse expect to administer this
medication?
A. One
B. Two
C. Three
D. Four - A. One
Reason: Meds w/ long half-lives remain at their therapeutic levels between doses for long periods of
time. The nurse should expect to administer this med once a day.
A staff educator is reviewing medication dosages and factors that influence medication metabolism
with a group of nurses at an in-service presentation. Which of the following factors should the
educator include as a reason to administer lower medication dosages? (Select all that apply.)
A. Increased renal excretion
B. Increased medication-metabolizing enzymes
C. Liver failure
D. Peripheral vascular disease
E. Concurrent use of medication the same pathway metabolizes - C, E
Reason: liver failure decreases metabolism and thus increases the concentration of medication (C).
When the same pathway metabolizes two meds, they compete for metabolism, thereby increasing
the concentration of one or both medications.
A nurse is preparing to administer eye drops to a client. Which of the following actions should the
nurse take? (Select all that apply.)
A. Have the client lie on her side.
B. Ask the client to look up at the ceiling
C. Tell the client to blink when the drops enter her eye.
D. Drop the medication into the center of the client's conjunctival sac.
E. Instruct the client to close her eye gently after installation. - B, D, E
,Reason: The client should look upward to keep the eye drops from falling onto her cornea (B). The
nurse should drop the med into the center of the conjunctival sac to promote distribution (D). The
client should close her eye gently to promote distribution of the med (E).
A nurse is completing discharge teaching for a client who has a new prescription for transdermal
patches. Which of the following statements should the nurse identify as an indication that the client
understands the instructions?
A. "I will clean the site with an alcohol swab before I apply the patch."
B. "I will rotate the application sites weekly."
C. "I will apply the patch to an area of skin with no hair."
D. "I will place the new patch on the site of the old patch." - C. "I will apply the patch to an area of
skin with no hair."
Reason: To promote absorption of the med
A nurse reviewing a client's medical record notes a new prescription for verifying the trough level of
the client's medication. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?
A. Obtain a blood specimen immediately prior to administering the next dose of medication.
B. Verify that the client has been taking the medication for 24 hr before obtaining a blood specimen.
C. Ask the client to provide a urine specimen after the next dose of medication.
D. Administer the medication, and obtain a blood specimen 30 min later. - A. Obtain a blood
specimen immediately prior to administering the next dose of medication.
A nurse is preparing a client's medications. Which of the following actions should the nurse take in
following legal practice guidelines? (Select all that apply.)
A. Maintain skill competency.
B. Determine the dosage.
C. Monitor for adverse effects.
D. Safeguard medications.
E. Identify the client's diagnosis. - A, C, D
,A nurse is reviewing a client's health record and notes a new prescription for lisinopril 10 mg PO once
every day. The nurse should identify this as which of the following types of prescriptions.
A. Single
B. Stat
C. Routine
D. Standing - C. Routine
Reason: A routine/standard prescription identifies medications to give on a regular schedule with or
without a termination date or a specific number of doses. The nurse will administer the medication
every day until the provider discontinues it.
A nurse is reviewing a new prescription for ondansetron 4 mg PO PRN for N/V for a client who has
hyperemesis gravidarum. The nurse should clarify which of the following parts of the prescription
with the provider?
A. Name
B. Dosage
C. Route
D. Frequency - D. Frequency
A nurse is admitting a client and completing a preassessment before administering medications.
Which of the following data should the nurse include in the preassessment? (Select all that apply.)
A. Use of herbal teas
B. Daily fluid intake
C. Current health status
D. Previous surgical history
E. Food allergies - A, C, E
Reason: The nurse should inquire about the client's use of herbal products, which often contain
caffeine, prior to med admin b/c caffeine can affect med biotransformation (A).
A nurse orienting a newly licensed nurse is reviewing the procedure for taking a telephone
prescription. Which of the following statements should the nurse identify as an indication that the
newly licensed nurse understands the process?
, A. "A second nurse enters the prescription into the client's medical record."
B. "Another nurse should listen to the phone call."
C. "The provider can clarify the prescription when he signs the health record."
D. "I should omit the 'read back' if this is a one-time prescription." - B. "Another nurse should listen
to the phone call."
Reason: Another nurse should listen to the phone call to prevent errors in communication.
A nurse is preparing to administer vancomycin 1 g by intermittent IV bolus. Available is vancomycin 1
g in 100 mL of dextrose 5% in water (D5W) to infuse over 45 min. The drop factor of the manual IV
tubing is 10 gtt/mL. The nurse should adjust the manual IV infusion to deliver how many gtt/min?
(Round to nearest whole number.) - 22 gtt/min
A nurse is preparing to administer clindamycin 200 mg by intermittent IV bolus. The amount available
is clindamycin injection 200 mg in 100 mL 0.9% NaCl to infuse over 30 min. The nurse should set the
IV pump to deliver how many mL/hr? (Round to nearest whole number.) - 200 mL/hr
A nurse is preparing to administer furosemide 80 mg PO daily. The amount available is furosemide
oral solution 10 mg/1 mL. How many mL should the nurse administer? (Round to nearest whole
number.) - 8 mL
A nurse is preparing to administer haloperidol 2 mg PO every 12 hr. The amount available is
haloperidol 1 mg/tablet. How many tablets should the nurse administer? (Round to nearest whole
number.) - 2 tablets
A nurse is preparing to administer amoxicillin 20 mg/kg/day PO to divide equally every 12 hr to a
preschooler who weights 44 lb. The amount available is amoxicillin suspension 250 mg/5 mL. How
many mL should the nurse administer per dose? (Round to nearest whole number.) - 4 mL every 12
hr
A nurse is preparing to administer heparin 15,000 units subcutaneously every 12 hr. The amount
available is heparin injection 20,000 units/mL. How many mL should the nurse administer per dose?
(Round to nearest tenth.) - 0.8 mL
A nurse is preparing to administer acetaminophen 650 mg PO every 6 hr PRN for pain. The amount
available is acetaminophen liquid 500 mg/5 mL. How many mL should the nurse administer per
dose? (Round to nearest tenth.) - 6.5 mL
A provider prescribes phenobarbital for a client who has a seizure disorder. The medication has a
long half-life of 4 days. How many times per day should the nurse expect to administer this
medication?
A. One
B. Two
C. Three
D. Four - A. One
Reason: Meds w/ long half-lives remain at their therapeutic levels between doses for long periods of
time. The nurse should expect to administer this med once a day.
A staff educator is reviewing medication dosages and factors that influence medication metabolism
with a group of nurses at an in-service presentation. Which of the following factors should the
educator include as a reason to administer lower medication dosages? (Select all that apply.)
A. Increased renal excretion
B. Increased medication-metabolizing enzymes
C. Liver failure
D. Peripheral vascular disease
E. Concurrent use of medication the same pathway metabolizes - C, E
Reason: liver failure decreases metabolism and thus increases the concentration of medication (C).
When the same pathway metabolizes two meds, they compete for metabolism, thereby increasing
the concentration of one or both medications.
A nurse is preparing to administer eye drops to a client. Which of the following actions should the
nurse take? (Select all that apply.)
A. Have the client lie on her side.
B. Ask the client to look up at the ceiling
C. Tell the client to blink when the drops enter her eye.
D. Drop the medication into the center of the client's conjunctival sac.
E. Instruct the client to close her eye gently after installation. - B, D, E
,Reason: The client should look upward to keep the eye drops from falling onto her cornea (B). The
nurse should drop the med into the center of the conjunctival sac to promote distribution (D). The
client should close her eye gently to promote distribution of the med (E).
A nurse is completing discharge teaching for a client who has a new prescription for transdermal
patches. Which of the following statements should the nurse identify as an indication that the client
understands the instructions?
A. "I will clean the site with an alcohol swab before I apply the patch."
B. "I will rotate the application sites weekly."
C. "I will apply the patch to an area of skin with no hair."
D. "I will place the new patch on the site of the old patch." - C. "I will apply the patch to an area of
skin with no hair."
Reason: To promote absorption of the med
A nurse reviewing a client's medical record notes a new prescription for verifying the trough level of
the client's medication. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?
A. Obtain a blood specimen immediately prior to administering the next dose of medication.
B. Verify that the client has been taking the medication for 24 hr before obtaining a blood specimen.
C. Ask the client to provide a urine specimen after the next dose of medication.
D. Administer the medication, and obtain a blood specimen 30 min later. - A. Obtain a blood
specimen immediately prior to administering the next dose of medication.
A nurse is preparing a client's medications. Which of the following actions should the nurse take in
following legal practice guidelines? (Select all that apply.)
A. Maintain skill competency.
B. Determine the dosage.
C. Monitor for adverse effects.
D. Safeguard medications.
E. Identify the client's diagnosis. - A, C, D
,A nurse is reviewing a client's health record and notes a new prescription for lisinopril 10 mg PO once
every day. The nurse should identify this as which of the following types of prescriptions.
A. Single
B. Stat
C. Routine
D. Standing - C. Routine
Reason: A routine/standard prescription identifies medications to give on a regular schedule with or
without a termination date or a specific number of doses. The nurse will administer the medication
every day until the provider discontinues it.
A nurse is reviewing a new prescription for ondansetron 4 mg PO PRN for N/V for a client who has
hyperemesis gravidarum. The nurse should clarify which of the following parts of the prescription
with the provider?
A. Name
B. Dosage
C. Route
D. Frequency - D. Frequency
A nurse is admitting a client and completing a preassessment before administering medications.
Which of the following data should the nurse include in the preassessment? (Select all that apply.)
A. Use of herbal teas
B. Daily fluid intake
C. Current health status
D. Previous surgical history
E. Food allergies - A, C, E
Reason: The nurse should inquire about the client's use of herbal products, which often contain
caffeine, prior to med admin b/c caffeine can affect med biotransformation (A).
A nurse orienting a newly licensed nurse is reviewing the procedure for taking a telephone
prescription. Which of the following statements should the nurse identify as an indication that the
newly licensed nurse understands the process?
, A. "A second nurse enters the prescription into the client's medical record."
B. "Another nurse should listen to the phone call."
C. "The provider can clarify the prescription when he signs the health record."
D. "I should omit the 'read back' if this is a one-time prescription." - B. "Another nurse should listen
to the phone call."
Reason: Another nurse should listen to the phone call to prevent errors in communication.
A nurse is preparing to administer vancomycin 1 g by intermittent IV bolus. Available is vancomycin 1
g in 100 mL of dextrose 5% in water (D5W) to infuse over 45 min. The drop factor of the manual IV
tubing is 10 gtt/mL. The nurse should adjust the manual IV infusion to deliver how many gtt/min?
(Round to nearest whole number.) - 22 gtt/min
A nurse is preparing to administer clindamycin 200 mg by intermittent IV bolus. The amount available
is clindamycin injection 200 mg in 100 mL 0.9% NaCl to infuse over 30 min. The nurse should set the
IV pump to deliver how many mL/hr? (Round to nearest whole number.) - 200 mL/hr
A nurse is preparing to administer furosemide 80 mg PO daily. The amount available is furosemide
oral solution 10 mg/1 mL. How many mL should the nurse administer? (Round to nearest whole
number.) - 8 mL
A nurse is preparing to administer haloperidol 2 mg PO every 12 hr. The amount available is
haloperidol 1 mg/tablet. How many tablets should the nurse administer? (Round to nearest whole
number.) - 2 tablets
A nurse is preparing to administer amoxicillin 20 mg/kg/day PO to divide equally every 12 hr to a
preschooler who weights 44 lb. The amount available is amoxicillin suspension 250 mg/5 mL. How
many mL should the nurse administer per dose? (Round to nearest whole number.) - 4 mL every 12
hr
A nurse is preparing to administer heparin 15,000 units subcutaneously every 12 hr. The amount
available is heparin injection 20,000 units/mL. How many mL should the nurse administer per dose?
(Round to nearest tenth.) - 0.8 mL
A nurse is preparing to administer acetaminophen 650 mg PO every 6 hr PRN for pain. The amount
available is acetaminophen liquid 500 mg/5 mL. How many mL should the nurse administer per
dose? (Round to nearest tenth.) - 6.5 mL
