Nursing Pharmacology Sample Exam Questions:
Note: Answers to the sample questions are provided at the end of the question set.
1. A patient requires a high dose of a new antihypertensive medication because the new
medication has a significant first-pass effect. What does this mean?
a. The medication must pass through the patient's bloodstream several times to
generate a therapeutic effect.
b. The medication passes through the renal tubules and is excreted in large amounts.
c. The medication is extensively metabolized in the patient's liver.
d. The medication is ineffective following the first dose and increasingly effective with
each subsequent dose.
2. As you are preparing morning medications, the patient says, “I have had loose stools all
night long.” Your patient has scheduled docusate at 0900. What is the priority action?
a. Hold the medication and inform the healthcare provider.
b. Administer the medication as ordered.
c. Increase IV flow rate
d. Ask the healthcare provider to increase the dose of the medication.
3. A patient taking SMZ/TMP asks the nurse what the name means. The nurse replies
sulfamethoxazole is combined with trimethoprim in SMZ/TMP to help the drug effectiveness.
How does this work?
a. Sulfamethoxazole acts along with trimethoprim as an anesthetic.
b. Sulfamethoxazole is highly protein bound and displaces the trimethoprim.
c. Sulfamethoxazole increases the excretion of trimethoprim, thereby increasing the
response in the bladder.
d. Sulfamethoxazole has a synergistic effect with trimethoprim against gram-positive
and gram-negative organisms.
4. The nurse will be administering an antitussive medication containing codeine to a patient.
What is the priority assessment?
a. Pulse oximeter reading
b. Lung sounds
c. Respiratory rate
d. Sputum consistency
5. The nurse is monitoring a patient taking furosemide for heart failure. Which electrolyte
imbalance must the nurse be alert for?
a. Hyperkalemia
b. Hypernatremia
c. Hypokalemia
d. Hyponatremia
6. A patient in the clinic reports difficulty tolerating the current ACE inhibitor medication, and
questions if another medication could be used. The nurse correctly suspects the prescriber
will choose which medication, which affects the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system?
a. atenolol
b. losartan
c. spironolactone
d. adenosine
Note: Answers to the sample questions are provided at the end of the question set.
1. A patient requires a high dose of a new antihypertensive medication because the new
medication has a significant first-pass effect. What does this mean?
a. The medication must pass through the patient's bloodstream several times to
generate a therapeutic effect.
b. The medication passes through the renal tubules and is excreted in large amounts.
c. The medication is extensively metabolized in the patient's liver.
d. The medication is ineffective following the first dose and increasingly effective with
each subsequent dose.
2. As you are preparing morning medications, the patient says, “I have had loose stools all
night long.” Your patient has scheduled docusate at 0900. What is the priority action?
a. Hold the medication and inform the healthcare provider.
b. Administer the medication as ordered.
c. Increase IV flow rate
d. Ask the healthcare provider to increase the dose of the medication.
3. A patient taking SMZ/TMP asks the nurse what the name means. The nurse replies
sulfamethoxazole is combined with trimethoprim in SMZ/TMP to help the drug effectiveness.
How does this work?
a. Sulfamethoxazole acts along with trimethoprim as an anesthetic.
b. Sulfamethoxazole is highly protein bound and displaces the trimethoprim.
c. Sulfamethoxazole increases the excretion of trimethoprim, thereby increasing the
response in the bladder.
d. Sulfamethoxazole has a synergistic effect with trimethoprim against gram-positive
and gram-negative organisms.
4. The nurse will be administering an antitussive medication containing codeine to a patient.
What is the priority assessment?
a. Pulse oximeter reading
b. Lung sounds
c. Respiratory rate
d. Sputum consistency
5. The nurse is monitoring a patient taking furosemide for heart failure. Which electrolyte
imbalance must the nurse be alert for?
a. Hyperkalemia
b. Hypernatremia
c. Hypokalemia
d. Hyponatremia
6. A patient in the clinic reports difficulty tolerating the current ACE inhibitor medication, and
questions if another medication could be used. The nurse correctly suspects the prescriber
will choose which medication, which affects the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system?
a. atenolol
b. losartan
c. spironolactone
d. adenosine
