Nurse pharmacology practice questions -
Exam 1
Digoxin has a half-life of 36 to 48 hours. Because of the length of the
half-life, the nurse expects dosing to occur how often?
A. 4 times per day
B. 3 times per day
C. 2 times per day
D. Once a day - Correct Answer ✔️✔️Answer: D
Rationale: The concept of the half-life tells us that, no matter what the
amount of drug in the body may be, half (50%) will leave during a
specified period of time (i.e., the half-life). The actual amount of drug
that is lost during one half-life depends on just how much drug is
present: The more drug that is in the body, the larger the amount lost
,during one half-life. If a long dosing interval were used, drug levels
would fall below the minimum effective concentration between doses,
and therapeutic effects would be lost. Conversely, if a drug has a long
half-life, a long time can separate doses without a loss of benefits.
A patient with cancer is receiving morphine for pain control. The
patient calls the nurse to report that the morphine is no longer
controlling his pain. What is the most appropriate response by the
nurse?
A. "Increasing the dose of morphine will make you so sleepy that you
will not be able to function."
B. "This means that you have developed a psychological addiction to
morphine."
C. "You have developed a tolerance to morphine and will need a higher
dose."
, D. "It is recommended that we wait to increase the morphine until the
pain is more severe." - Correct Answer ✔️✔️Answer: C
Rationale: Tolerance is a decreased responsiveness to a drug as a result
of repeated drug administration. Patients who become tolerant to a
drug require higher doses to produce effects equivalent to those that
could be achieved with lower doses before the tolerance developed.
The nurse is preparing to administer warfarin [Coumadin] to a patient.
The nurse notes that the patient has altered CYP2D6 genes. It is most
important for the nurse to do which of the following?
A. Check for signs of a transient ischemic attack.
B. Monitor for ST segment elevation or depression.
C. Observe the patient's legs for symptoms of a blood clot.
D. Examine the patient's stools for the presence of blood. - Correct
Answer ✔️✔️Answer: D
Exam 1
Digoxin has a half-life of 36 to 48 hours. Because of the length of the
half-life, the nurse expects dosing to occur how often?
A. 4 times per day
B. 3 times per day
C. 2 times per day
D. Once a day - Correct Answer ✔️✔️Answer: D
Rationale: The concept of the half-life tells us that, no matter what the
amount of drug in the body may be, half (50%) will leave during a
specified period of time (i.e., the half-life). The actual amount of drug
that is lost during one half-life depends on just how much drug is
present: The more drug that is in the body, the larger the amount lost
,during one half-life. If a long dosing interval were used, drug levels
would fall below the minimum effective concentration between doses,
and therapeutic effects would be lost. Conversely, if a drug has a long
half-life, a long time can separate doses without a loss of benefits.
A patient with cancer is receiving morphine for pain control. The
patient calls the nurse to report that the morphine is no longer
controlling his pain. What is the most appropriate response by the
nurse?
A. "Increasing the dose of morphine will make you so sleepy that you
will not be able to function."
B. "This means that you have developed a psychological addiction to
morphine."
C. "You have developed a tolerance to morphine and will need a higher
dose."
, D. "It is recommended that we wait to increase the morphine until the
pain is more severe." - Correct Answer ✔️✔️Answer: C
Rationale: Tolerance is a decreased responsiveness to a drug as a result
of repeated drug administration. Patients who become tolerant to a
drug require higher doses to produce effects equivalent to those that
could be achieved with lower doses before the tolerance developed.
The nurse is preparing to administer warfarin [Coumadin] to a patient.
The nurse notes that the patient has altered CYP2D6 genes. It is most
important for the nurse to do which of the following?
A. Check for signs of a transient ischemic attack.
B. Monitor for ST segment elevation or depression.
C. Observe the patient's legs for symptoms of a blood clot.
D. Examine the patient's stools for the presence of blood. - Correct
Answer ✔️✔️Answer: D
