ADMINISTERING
MEDICATIONS: 2025 RELEASE
• AUTHOR(S)DONNA
GAUWITZ
TEST BANK
1
Reference
Ch. 1 — Chapter 1 Introduction / Orientation to Medications
Stem
A newly hired RN on a medical-surgical unit receives orientation
about the facility’s medication safety program and the nurse’s
role in pharmacotherapy. The RN asks which basic responsibility
most directly reduces medication errors at the point of
administration. Which action should the preceptor identify as
highest priority for reducing bedside errors?
,A. Memorizing common drug doses for each unit.
B. Verifying the medication order on the eMAR against the
original prescriber’s order before giving medications.
C. Relying on pharmacy to catch dispensing errors because
pharmacy is responsible for safe medications.
D. Delegating medication reconciliation to unit clerical staff to
save time.
Correct Answer: B
Rationales
Correct (B): Verifying the prescriber’s original order against the
eMAR at the bedside ensures accuracy of the legal order and
catches transcription/entry errors before administration. This
nursing verification is an evidence-based barrier to medication
errors and aligns with the nurse’s legal duty.
Incorrect (A): Memorizing doses may be useful but is unreliable
and can lead to errors, especially with high-risk or off-label
dosing.
Incorrect (C): Pharmacy is an important safety layer, but
ultimate responsibility for safe administration and verification
rests with the nurse at point of care. Relying solely on pharmacy
is unsafe.
Incorrect (D): Delegating medication reconciliation to clerical
staff places clinical judgment outside licensed scope and
increases risk of missed discrepancies.
,Teaching Point: Always verify the prescriber’s order against the
eMAR before administration.
Citation: Gauwitz, D. (2025). Administering Medications. Ch. 1.
2
Reference
Ch. 1 — Definition of Terms / Pharmacology
Stem
An RN is teaching a new graduate about pharmacology terms.
The graduate asks how to differentiate pharmacokinetics from
pharmacodynamics when assessing a patient’s response to an
antibiotic. Which explanation should the RN provide that
demonstrates correct clinical application?
A. Pharmacokinetics describes what the drug does to the body;
pharmacodynamics describes how the body affects the drug.
B. Pharmacokinetics covers absorption, distribution,
metabolism, and excretion; pharmacodynamics describes the
drug’s mechanism of action and effect.
C. Pharmacokinetics is only relevant for IV drugs;
pharmacodynamics is only relevant for oral drugs.
D. Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics are
interchangeable terms in clinical practice.
Correct Answer: B
Rationales
Correct (B): Pharmacokinetics (ADME) governs drug levels over
, time and dosing decisions; pharmacodynamics explains
receptor interactions and clinical effects—both are essential for
dose selection and predicting therapeutic response.
Incorrect (A): This reverses the definitions and would mislead
dosing and monitoring decisions.
Incorrect (C): Both concepts apply to all routes of
administration; limiting them to IV or oral is inaccurate.
Incorrect (D): Treating them as interchangeable obscures
important distinctions that affect monitoring and drug
selection.
Teaching Point: ADME = pharmacokinetics; mechanism and
effect = pharmacodynamics.
Citation: Gauwitz, D. (2025). Administering Medications. Ch. 1.
3
Reference
Ch. 1 — Drug Sources / Drug Uses
Stem
A physician prescribes a medication derived from a plant source
for a patient with heart failure. The patient asks whether a
plant-derived drug is less effective than a synthetic one. Which
nursing response best applies pharmacologic principles and
patient-centered education?
A. “Plant-derived drugs are safer, so you don’t need to worry
about side effects.”
MEDICATIONS: 2025 RELEASE
• AUTHOR(S)DONNA
GAUWITZ
TEST BANK
1
Reference
Ch. 1 — Chapter 1 Introduction / Orientation to Medications
Stem
A newly hired RN on a medical-surgical unit receives orientation
about the facility’s medication safety program and the nurse’s
role in pharmacotherapy. The RN asks which basic responsibility
most directly reduces medication errors at the point of
administration. Which action should the preceptor identify as
highest priority for reducing bedside errors?
,A. Memorizing common drug doses for each unit.
B. Verifying the medication order on the eMAR against the
original prescriber’s order before giving medications.
C. Relying on pharmacy to catch dispensing errors because
pharmacy is responsible for safe medications.
D. Delegating medication reconciliation to unit clerical staff to
save time.
Correct Answer: B
Rationales
Correct (B): Verifying the prescriber’s original order against the
eMAR at the bedside ensures accuracy of the legal order and
catches transcription/entry errors before administration. This
nursing verification is an evidence-based barrier to medication
errors and aligns with the nurse’s legal duty.
Incorrect (A): Memorizing doses may be useful but is unreliable
and can lead to errors, especially with high-risk or off-label
dosing.
Incorrect (C): Pharmacy is an important safety layer, but
ultimate responsibility for safe administration and verification
rests with the nurse at point of care. Relying solely on pharmacy
is unsafe.
Incorrect (D): Delegating medication reconciliation to clerical
staff places clinical judgment outside licensed scope and
increases risk of missed discrepancies.
,Teaching Point: Always verify the prescriber’s order against the
eMAR before administration.
Citation: Gauwitz, D. (2025). Administering Medications. Ch. 1.
2
Reference
Ch. 1 — Definition of Terms / Pharmacology
Stem
An RN is teaching a new graduate about pharmacology terms.
The graduate asks how to differentiate pharmacokinetics from
pharmacodynamics when assessing a patient’s response to an
antibiotic. Which explanation should the RN provide that
demonstrates correct clinical application?
A. Pharmacokinetics describes what the drug does to the body;
pharmacodynamics describes how the body affects the drug.
B. Pharmacokinetics covers absorption, distribution,
metabolism, and excretion; pharmacodynamics describes the
drug’s mechanism of action and effect.
C. Pharmacokinetics is only relevant for IV drugs;
pharmacodynamics is only relevant for oral drugs.
D. Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics are
interchangeable terms in clinical practice.
Correct Answer: B
Rationales
Correct (B): Pharmacokinetics (ADME) governs drug levels over
, time and dosing decisions; pharmacodynamics explains
receptor interactions and clinical effects—both are essential for
dose selection and predicting therapeutic response.
Incorrect (A): This reverses the definitions and would mislead
dosing and monitoring decisions.
Incorrect (C): Both concepts apply to all routes of
administration; limiting them to IV or oral is inaccurate.
Incorrect (D): Treating them as interchangeable obscures
important distinctions that affect monitoring and drug
selection.
Teaching Point: ADME = pharmacokinetics; mechanism and
effect = pharmacodynamics.
Citation: Gauwitz, D. (2025). Administering Medications. Ch. 1.
3
Reference
Ch. 1 — Drug Sources / Drug Uses
Stem
A physician prescribes a medication derived from a plant source
for a patient with heart failure. The patient asks whether a
plant-derived drug is less effective than a synthetic one. Which
nursing response best applies pharmacologic principles and
patient-centered education?
A. “Plant-derived drugs are safer, so you don’t need to worry
about side effects.”
