Saunders Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-
PN® Examination
9th Edition
• Author(s)Linda Anne Silvestri; Angela Silvestri
NURSING PHARMACOLOGY (ADVANCED — DRUG
ADMINISTRATION, DOSAGE & CATEGORIES). TEST BANK
Traditional multiple choice items (1–18)
1) (Safe medication administration)
A nurse is preparing to administer morning medications. Which
action best satisfies the right patient principle of safe
medication administration?
A. Ask the patient, “What is your name?” and match to the
MAR.
B. Check the patient’s ID band and compare the name and birth
date to the MAR.
C. Verify the medication with the nurse who handed it to you
earlier.
D. Ask the patient to state the name of their medication before
giving it.
Correct answer: B
,Rationales:
A. Incorrect. Asking the patient name alone is insufficient —
patients may be confused, nonverbal, or have similar names.
Always verify against an objective identifier. (Safety principle:
two patient identifiers.)
B. Correct. Checking the ID band against the MAR (name + birth
date or other approved identifier) is the standard method to
confirm the right patient and reduces error. This is a core
element of the “rights” and the NCSBN test plan emphasizes
safe administration. NCSBN+1
C. Incorrect. Verbal transfer between clinicians can propagate
errors; the nurse giving the med is not a substitute for checking
the patient ID and MAR.
D. Incorrect. Patient self-report is a helpful adjunct but not a
primary identifier (patients may be disoriented or unable to
respond).
2) (Dosage calculation — IV mL/hr)
Order: Infuse 1,000 mL D5W over 8 hours. The infusion pump
should be set to:
A. 100 mL/hr
B. 125 mL/hr
C. 150 mL/hr
D. 80 mL/hr
Correct answer: B
,Rationales (showing calculation):
Total volume = 1,000 mL. Time = 8 hr. Flow = 1,000 ÷ 8 = 125
mL/hr.
A. Incorrect. 100 mL/hr would infuse 800 mL in 8 hours (too
slow).
B. Correct. 125 mL/hr delivers 1,000 mL in 8 hours.
C. Incorrect. 150 mL/hr would infuse 1,200 mL in 8 hours (too
fast).
D. Incorrect. 80 mL/hr would infuse 640 mL in 8 hours (too
slow).
3) (IV drip rate — microdrip vs macrodrip)
A physician orders 500 mL of IV antibiotic to be infused over 4
hours. The tubing tubing has a drop factor of 15 gtt/mL. What is
the drip rate in drops per minute (gtt/min)? (Round to nearest
whole drop.)
A. 21 gtt/min
B. 31 gtt/min
C. 47 gtt/min
D. 63 gtt/min
Correct answer: B
Rationale & calculation (step-by-step):
Total minutes = 4 hr × 60 = 240 min. Volume/min = 500 ÷ 240 =
2.083333... mL/min. Multiply by drop factor: 2.08333 × 15 =
31.25 gtt/min → round = 31 gtt/min.
, A. Incorrect. 21 gtt/min would be too slow.
B. Correct. Matches the calculated value. SimpleNursing
C/D. Incorrect. Too fast.
4) (Pediatric dose mg/kg)
A child weighs 18 kg. The recommended dose of cefuroxime is
30 mg/kg/day divided every 12 hours. What is the dose per
administration?
A. 270 mg every 12 hours
B. 540 mg every 12 hours
C. 810 mg every 12 hours
D. 360 mg every 12 hours
Correct answer: A
Calculation & rationales:
Total daily dose = 30 mg/kg × 18 kg = 540 mg/day. Divided q12h
→ 540 ÷ 2 = 270 mg every 12 hours.
A. Correct. Calculation matches. NCBI
B. Incorrect. 540 mg is the total daily dose, not per
administration.
C. Incorrect. 810 mg exceeds the calculated daily dose.
D. Incorrect. 360 mg does not fit the calculation.
5) (Titration — vasopressor)
PN® Examination
9th Edition
• Author(s)Linda Anne Silvestri; Angela Silvestri
NURSING PHARMACOLOGY (ADVANCED — DRUG
ADMINISTRATION, DOSAGE & CATEGORIES). TEST BANK
Traditional multiple choice items (1–18)
1) (Safe medication administration)
A nurse is preparing to administer morning medications. Which
action best satisfies the right patient principle of safe
medication administration?
A. Ask the patient, “What is your name?” and match to the
MAR.
B. Check the patient’s ID band and compare the name and birth
date to the MAR.
C. Verify the medication with the nurse who handed it to you
earlier.
D. Ask the patient to state the name of their medication before
giving it.
Correct answer: B
,Rationales:
A. Incorrect. Asking the patient name alone is insufficient —
patients may be confused, nonverbal, or have similar names.
Always verify against an objective identifier. (Safety principle:
two patient identifiers.)
B. Correct. Checking the ID band against the MAR (name + birth
date or other approved identifier) is the standard method to
confirm the right patient and reduces error. This is a core
element of the “rights” and the NCSBN test plan emphasizes
safe administration. NCSBN+1
C. Incorrect. Verbal transfer between clinicians can propagate
errors; the nurse giving the med is not a substitute for checking
the patient ID and MAR.
D. Incorrect. Patient self-report is a helpful adjunct but not a
primary identifier (patients may be disoriented or unable to
respond).
2) (Dosage calculation — IV mL/hr)
Order: Infuse 1,000 mL D5W over 8 hours. The infusion pump
should be set to:
A. 100 mL/hr
B. 125 mL/hr
C. 150 mL/hr
D. 80 mL/hr
Correct answer: B
,Rationales (showing calculation):
Total volume = 1,000 mL. Time = 8 hr. Flow = 1,000 ÷ 8 = 125
mL/hr.
A. Incorrect. 100 mL/hr would infuse 800 mL in 8 hours (too
slow).
B. Correct. 125 mL/hr delivers 1,000 mL in 8 hours.
C. Incorrect. 150 mL/hr would infuse 1,200 mL in 8 hours (too
fast).
D. Incorrect. 80 mL/hr would infuse 640 mL in 8 hours (too
slow).
3) (IV drip rate — microdrip vs macrodrip)
A physician orders 500 mL of IV antibiotic to be infused over 4
hours. The tubing tubing has a drop factor of 15 gtt/mL. What is
the drip rate in drops per minute (gtt/min)? (Round to nearest
whole drop.)
A. 21 gtt/min
B. 31 gtt/min
C. 47 gtt/min
D. 63 gtt/min
Correct answer: B
Rationale & calculation (step-by-step):
Total minutes = 4 hr × 60 = 240 min. Volume/min = 500 ÷ 240 =
2.083333... mL/min. Multiply by drop factor: 2.08333 × 15 =
31.25 gtt/min → round = 31 gtt/min.
, A. Incorrect. 21 gtt/min would be too slow.
B. Correct. Matches the calculated value. SimpleNursing
C/D. Incorrect. Too fast.
4) (Pediatric dose mg/kg)
A child weighs 18 kg. The recommended dose of cefuroxime is
30 mg/kg/day divided every 12 hours. What is the dose per
administration?
A. 270 mg every 12 hours
B. 540 mg every 12 hours
C. 810 mg every 12 hours
D. 360 mg every 12 hours
Correct answer: A
Calculation & rationales:
Total daily dose = 30 mg/kg × 18 kg = 540 mg/day. Divided q12h
→ 540 ÷ 2 = 270 mg every 12 hours.
A. Correct. Calculation matches. NCBI
B. Incorrect. 540 mg is the total daily dose, not per
administration.
C. Incorrect. 810 mg exceeds the calculated daily dose.
D. Incorrect. 360 mg does not fit the calculation.
5) (Titration — vasopressor)
