Exam (elaborations)
ATI Pharmacology Proctored Exam
2025/2026 – Complete Test Bundle with
Rationales
A nurse is assessing a client who is receiving intravenous therapy. The nurse should
identify which of the following findings as a manifestation of fluid volume excess?
a. Decreased bowel sounds
b. Distended neck veins
c. Bilateral muscle weakness
d. Thread pulse
b. Distended neck veins
A nurse is caring for a client who has hyponatremia and is receiving an infusion of a
prescribed hypertonic solution. Which of the following findings should indicate to the
nurse that the treatment is effective?
a. Absent Chvostek's sign
b. Improved cognition
c. Decreased vomiting
d. Cardiac arrhythmias absent
b. Improved cognition
A nurse is teaching a client who has a new prescription for a nitroglycerin transdermal
patch. Which of the following instructions should the nurse include?
a. "Discontinue the patch if you experience a headache."
b. "Apply a new patch if you have chest pain."
c. "Cover the patch with dry gauze when taking a shower."
d. "Remove the patch prior to going to bed."
d. "Remove the patch prior to going to bed."
A nurse is reviewing the laboratory results of a client who has a prescription for sodium
polystyrene sulfonate (Kayexalate) every 6 hr. Which of the following should the nurse
report to the provider?
,a. Creatinine 0.72 mg/dL
b. Sodium 138 mEq/L
c. Magnesium 2 mEq/L
d. Potassium 5.2 mEq/L
d. Potassium 5.2 mEq/L - Hyperkalemia (serum potassium level greater than 5.0
mEq/L) increases the client risk for fatal cardiac dysrhythmias. Kayexalate is used to
decrease the serum potassium level so the PN should monitor the client's serum
potassium level
A nurse is caring for a client who has tuberculosis and is taking isoniazid and rifampin.
Which of the following outcomes indicates that the client is adhering to the medication
regimen?
a. The client has a negative sputum culture
b. The client tests negative for HIV
c. The client has a positive purified protein derivative test
d. The client's liver function test results are within the expected reference range
a. The client has a negative sputum culture
A client is caring for a client who develops an anaphylactic reaction to IV administration.
After assessing the client's respiratory status and stopping the medication infusion.
Which of the following actions should the nurse take next?
a. Replace the infusion with 0.9% sodium chloride
b. Give diphenhydramine IM
c. Elevate the client's legs and feet
d. Administer epinephrine IM
d. Administer epinephrine IM
A nurse is caring for a client who is taking sertraline and reports a desire to begin taking
supplements. Which of the following supplements should the nurse advise the client to
avoid?
a. St. John's Wort
b. Ginger root
c. Black cohosh
d. Coenzyme Q10
a. St. John's Wort
A nurse is caring for a client who has heart failure and a new prescription for lisinopril.
For which of the following adverse effects should the nurse monitor when administering
lisinopril?
, a. Bradycardia
b. Hypokalemia
c. Tinnitus
d. Hypotension
d. Hypotension
A nurse is assessing a client who is receiving heparin IV continuous IV. The client has
an PPT of 90 seconds. They should monitor the client for which of the following
changes in their vital signs?
a. Decreased temperature
b. Increased pulse rate
c. Decreased respiratory rate
d. Increased blood pressure
d. Increased blood pressure
A nurse is preparing to administer medication to a client and discovers a medication
error. The nurse should recognize which of the following staff members is responsible
for completing an incident report?
a. The quality improvement committee
b. The nurse who identifies the error
c. The nurse who caused the error
d. The charge nurse
b. The nurse who identifies the error
A nurse is planning care for a client who is receiving morphine via continuous epidural
infusion. The nurse should monitor the client for which of the following?
a. Pruritus
b. Cough
c. Tachypnea
d. Gastric bleeding
a. Pruritus - Sign of allergic reaction to morphine
A nurse is preparing to administer digoxin orally to a client. Identify the sequence of
steps the nurse should take. (Move the steps into the box on the right placing them in
the order of performance. Use all the steps.)
a. Obtain the client's apical heart rate
ATI Pharmacology Proctored Exam
2025/2026 – Complete Test Bundle with
Rationales
A nurse is assessing a client who is receiving intravenous therapy. The nurse should
identify which of the following findings as a manifestation of fluid volume excess?
a. Decreased bowel sounds
b. Distended neck veins
c. Bilateral muscle weakness
d. Thread pulse
b. Distended neck veins
A nurse is caring for a client who has hyponatremia and is receiving an infusion of a
prescribed hypertonic solution. Which of the following findings should indicate to the
nurse that the treatment is effective?
a. Absent Chvostek's sign
b. Improved cognition
c. Decreased vomiting
d. Cardiac arrhythmias absent
b. Improved cognition
A nurse is teaching a client who has a new prescription for a nitroglycerin transdermal
patch. Which of the following instructions should the nurse include?
a. "Discontinue the patch if you experience a headache."
b. "Apply a new patch if you have chest pain."
c. "Cover the patch with dry gauze when taking a shower."
d. "Remove the patch prior to going to bed."
d. "Remove the patch prior to going to bed."
A nurse is reviewing the laboratory results of a client who has a prescription for sodium
polystyrene sulfonate (Kayexalate) every 6 hr. Which of the following should the nurse
report to the provider?
,a. Creatinine 0.72 mg/dL
b. Sodium 138 mEq/L
c. Magnesium 2 mEq/L
d. Potassium 5.2 mEq/L
d. Potassium 5.2 mEq/L - Hyperkalemia (serum potassium level greater than 5.0
mEq/L) increases the client risk for fatal cardiac dysrhythmias. Kayexalate is used to
decrease the serum potassium level so the PN should monitor the client's serum
potassium level
A nurse is caring for a client who has tuberculosis and is taking isoniazid and rifampin.
Which of the following outcomes indicates that the client is adhering to the medication
regimen?
a. The client has a negative sputum culture
b. The client tests negative for HIV
c. The client has a positive purified protein derivative test
d. The client's liver function test results are within the expected reference range
a. The client has a negative sputum culture
A client is caring for a client who develops an anaphylactic reaction to IV administration.
After assessing the client's respiratory status and stopping the medication infusion.
Which of the following actions should the nurse take next?
a. Replace the infusion with 0.9% sodium chloride
b. Give diphenhydramine IM
c. Elevate the client's legs and feet
d. Administer epinephrine IM
d. Administer epinephrine IM
A nurse is caring for a client who is taking sertraline and reports a desire to begin taking
supplements. Which of the following supplements should the nurse advise the client to
avoid?
a. St. John's Wort
b. Ginger root
c. Black cohosh
d. Coenzyme Q10
a. St. John's Wort
A nurse is caring for a client who has heart failure and a new prescription for lisinopril.
For which of the following adverse effects should the nurse monitor when administering
lisinopril?
, a. Bradycardia
b. Hypokalemia
c. Tinnitus
d. Hypotension
d. Hypotension
A nurse is assessing a client who is receiving heparin IV continuous IV. The client has
an PPT of 90 seconds. They should monitor the client for which of the following
changes in their vital signs?
a. Decreased temperature
b. Increased pulse rate
c. Decreased respiratory rate
d. Increased blood pressure
d. Increased blood pressure
A nurse is preparing to administer medication to a client and discovers a medication
error. The nurse should recognize which of the following staff members is responsible
for completing an incident report?
a. The quality improvement committee
b. The nurse who identifies the error
c. The nurse who caused the error
d. The charge nurse
b. The nurse who identifies the error
A nurse is planning care for a client who is receiving morphine via continuous epidural
infusion. The nurse should monitor the client for which of the following?
a. Pruritus
b. Cough
c. Tachypnea
d. Gastric bleeding
a. Pruritus - Sign of allergic reaction to morphine
A nurse is preparing to administer digoxin orally to a client. Identify the sequence of
steps the nurse should take. (Move the steps into the box on the right placing them in
the order of performance. Use all the steps.)
a. Obtain the client's apical heart rate
