ATI RN Pharmacology (8.0)
Chapter 1
1. A provider prescribes phenobarbital for a client wo has a seizure disorder. The
medication has a long half-life
... [Show More] of 4 days. How many times per day should the nurse
expect to administer this medication?
a. One
b. Two
c. Three
d. Four
2. A nurse educator is reviewing medication metabolism at an in-service presentation.
Which of the following factors should the educator include as a reason to administer
lower medication dosages? (Select all that apply.)
a. Increased renal excretion
b. Increased medication-metabolizing enzymes
c. Liver failure
d. Peripheral vascular disease
e. Concurrent use of medication the same pathway metabolizes
3. A nurse is preparing to administer eye drops to a client. Which of the following
actions should the nurse take? (Select all that apply.)
a. Have the client lie on one side.
b. Ask the client to look up at the ceiling.
c. Tell the client to blink when the drops enter the eye.
d. Drop the medication into the client’s conjunctival sac.
e. Instruct the client to close the eye gently after instillation.
4. A nurse is teaching a client about transdermal patches. Which of the following
statements should the nurse identify as an indication that the client understands?
a. “I will clean the site with an alcohol swab before I apply the patch.”
b. “I will rotate the application sites weekly.”
c. “I will apply the patch to an area of skin with no hair.”
d. “I will place the new patch on the site of the old patch.”
5. A nurse reviewing a client’s medical record notes a new prescription for verifying
the trough level of the client’s medication. Which of the following actions should the
nurse take?
a. Obtain a blood specimen immediately prior to administering the next dose of
medication.
b. Verify that the client has been taking the medication for 24hr before obtaining a
blood specimen.
c. Ask the client to provide a urine specimen after the next dose of medication.
d. Administer the medication, and obtain a blood specimen 30 min later. 2 | P a g e
Chapter 2
1. A nurse is preparing a client’s medications. Which of the following actions should
the nurse take I following legal practice guidelines? (Select all that apply.)
a. Teach the client about the medication.
b. Determine the dosage.
c. Monitor for adverse effects.
d. Lock compartments for controlled substances.
e. Determine the client’s insurance status.
2. A nurse is preparing to administer digoxin to a client who states, “I don’t want to
take that medication. I do not want one more pill.” Which of the following responses
should the nurse make?
a. “Your physician prescribed it for you, so you really should take it.”
b. “Well, let’s just get it over quickly then.”
c. “Okay, I’ll just give you your other medications.”
d. “Tell me our concerns about taking this medication.”
3. A nurse is reviewing a client’s prescribed medications. Which of the following
situations represents a contraindication to medication administration?
a. The client drank grapefruit juice, which could reduce a medication’s
effectiveness.
b. The medication has orthostatic hypotension as an adverse effect.
c. A medication is approved for ages 12 and older, and the client is 8 years old.
d. An antianxiety medication that has an adverse effect of drowsiness is prescribed
as a preoperative sedative.
4. A nurse is assessing a client before administering medications. Which of the
following data should the nurse obtain? (Select all that apply.)
a. Use of herbal products
b. Daily fluid intake
c. Ability to swallow
d. Previous surgical history
e. Allergies
5. A nurse is working with a newly licensed nurse who is administering medications to
clients. Which of the following actions should the nurse identify as an indication that
the newly hired nurse understands medication error prevention?
a. Taking all medications out of the unit-dose wrappers before entering the client’s
room.
b. Checking the prescription when a single dose requires administration of
multiple tablets.
c. Administering a medication, then looking the usual dosage range.
d. Relying on another nurse to clarify a medication prescription. 3 | P a g e
Chapter 3
1. A nurse is preparing to administer vancomycin 1g by intermittent IV bolus.
Available is vancomycin 1g in 100 mL of dextrose 5% in water (D5W) to infuse over
45 min. the drop factor of the manual IV tubing is 10gtt/mL. The nurse should
adjust the manual IV infusion to deliver how many gtt/min? (Round the answer to
the nearest whole number. Do not use a trailing zero.)
22gtt/min
2. A nurse is preparing to administer clindamycin 200mg by intermittent IV bolus.
The amount available is clindamycin injection 200mg in 100mL 0.9% NaCl to infuse
over 30 min. The nurse should set the IV pump to deliver how many mL/hr?
(Round to the nearest whole number. Do not use a trailing zero.)
200mL/hr
3. A nurse is preparing to administer furosemide 80mg PO daily. The amount
available is furosemide oral solution 10mg/1mL. How many mL should the nurse
administer? (Round to the nearest whole number. Do not use a trailing zero.)
8 mL
4. A nurse is preparing to administer haloperidol 2mg PO every 12 hr. The amount
available is haloperidol 1mg/tablet. How many tablets should the nurse administer?
(Round to the nearest whole number. Do not use a trailing zero.)
2 tablets 4 | P a g e
5. A nurse is preparing to administer amoxicillin 20mg/kg/day PO to divide equally
every 12 hr to a preschooler who weighs 44lb. The amount available is amoxicillin
suspension 250mg/5mL. How many mL should the nurse administer per dose?
(Round to the nearest whole number. Do not use a trailing zero.)
4 mL
6. A nurse is preparing to administer heparin 15,000 units subcutaneously every 12 hr.
The amount available is heparin injection 20,000 units/mL. How many mL should
the nurse administer per dose? (Round to the nearest tenth. Do not use a trailing
zero.)
0.8 mL
7. A nurse is preparing to administer acetaminophen 650mg PO every 6 hr PRN for
pain. The amount available is acetaminophen liquid 500 mg/5mL. how many mL
should the nurse administer per dose? (Round to the nearest tenth. Use a leading
zero if applies. Do not use a trailing zero.)
6.5mL
8. A nurse is preparing to administer dextrose 5% in water (D5W) 750 mL IV to
infuse over 6 hr. The nurse should set the IV pump to deliver how many mL/hr?
(Round the answer to the nearest whole number. Do not use a trailing zero.)
125 mL/hr5 | P a g e
Chapter 4
1. A nurse is caring for a client experiencing IV extravasation. The facility requires the
administration of an antidote for the prescribed IV solution. After stropping the IV
infusion, which of the following actions should the nurse take first?
a. Remove the IV catheter.
b. Withdraw the solution from the IV access.
c. Administer the antidote to the vesicant.
d. Insert a new IV access in a different extremity.
2. A nurse is preparing to initiate IV therapy for an older adult client. Which of the
following actions should the nurse plan to take?
a. Use a disposable razor to remove excess hair on the extremity.
b. Select the back of the client’s hand to insert the IV catheter.
c. Distend the veins by using BP cuff.
d. Direct the client to raise their arm above the heart.
3. A nurse assessing the IV catheter insertion site for a client receiving a nonvesicant
solution and notes swelling at the site with decreased skin temperature. Which of the
following actions should the nurse take? (Select all that apply.)
a. Stop the infusion.
b. Start a new IV access distal to this site.
c. Apply warm compresses to the insertion.
d. Elevate the client’s arm.
e. Obtain a specimen for culture at the insertion site.
Chapter 5
1. A nurse in a clinic is caring for a group of clients. The nurse should contact the
provider about a potential contraindication to a medication for which of the
following clients? (Select all that apply.)
a. A client at 8 weeks of gestation who asks for an influenza immunization.
b. A client who takes prednisone and has a possible fungal infection.
c. A client who has chronic liver disease and is taking
hydrocodone/acetaminophen.
d. A client who has peptic ulcer disease, takes sucralfate, and has started taking OTC
aluminum hydroxide.
e. A client who has a prosthetic heart valve, takes warfarin, and reports
suspected pregnancy.
2. A nurse is preparing to administer an IM dose of PCN to a client who has a new
prescription. The client states when they took PCN 3 years ago, the developed a
rash. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?
a. Administer the prescribed dose.
b. Withhold the medication.
c. Ask the provider to change the prescription to an oral form. 6 | P a g e
d. Administer an oral histamine at the same time.
3. A nurse is providing discharge instructions for a client who has a new prescription
for an antihypertensive medication. Which of the following statements should the
nurse give?
a. “Be sure to limit your potassium intake while taking this medication.”
b. “You should check your blood pressure every 8 hours while taking this
medication.”
c. “Your medication dosage will be increased if you develop tachycardia.”
d. “Change positions slowly when you move from sitting to standing.”
4. A nurse is reviewing a client’s health record and notes that the client experienced
permanent extrapyramidal effects caused by a previous medication. The nurse
should recognize that the medication affected which of the following systems in the
client?
a. Cardiovascular
b. Immune
c. Central nervous
d. Gastrointestinal
5. A nurse is caring for a client who is taking oral oxycodone. The client is also taking
ibuprofen in three recommended doses daily. The nurse should identify that an
interaction between these two medications will cause which of the following
findings?
a. A decrease in blood levels of ibuprofen, possibly leading to a need for increased
doses of this medication.
b. A decrease in blood levels of oxycodone, possibly leading to a need for increased
doses of this medication.
c. An increase in the expected therapeutic effect of both medications.
d. An increase in expected adverse effects for both medications.
Chapter 6
1. A nurse is preparing to administer medications to a 4-month-old infant. Which of
the following pharmacokinetic principles should the nurse consider when
administering medications to this client? (Select all that apply.)
a. Infants have a more rapid gastric emptying time.
b. Infants have immature liver function.
c. Infants’ blood-brain barrier is poorly developed.
d. Infants have an increased ability to absorb topical medications.
e. Infants have an increased number of protein-binding sites.
2. A nurse in a provider’s office is reviewing the medical record of a client who is
pregnant and at the first prenatal visit. Which of the following immunizations can
the nurse administer safely to this client?
a. Varicella vaccine 7 | P a g e
b. Rubella vaccine
c. Inactivated influenza vaccine
d. Measles vaccine
3. A nurse on a medical-surgical unit administers a hypnotic medication to an older
adult client at 2100. The next morning, the client is drowsy and wants to sleep
instead of eating breakfast. Which of the following factors should the nurse identify
as a possible reason for the client’s drowsiness?
a. Reduced cardiac function
b. First-pass effect
c. Reduced hepatic function
d. Increased gastric motility.
Chapter 7
1. A nurse working in an emergency department is caring for a client who has
benzodiazepine toxicity. Which of the following actions is the nurse’s priority?
a. Administer flumazenil.
b. Identify the client’s level of orientation.
c. Infuse IV fluids.
d. Prepare the client for gastric lavage.
2. A nurse is teaching a client who has a new prescription for escitalopram for
treatment of generalized anxiety disorder. Which of the following statements by the
client indicated understanding of the teaching?
a. “I should take the medication on an empty stomach.”
b. “I will follow a low-sodium diet while taking this medication.”
c. “I need to discontinue this medication slowly.”
d. “I should not crush this medication before swallowing.”
3. A nurse is providing teaching to a client who has a new prescription for buspirone
to treat anxiety. Which of the following information should the nurse include?
a. “Take this medication on an empty stomach.”
b. “Expect optimal therapeutic effects within 24 hr.”
c. “Take this medication when needed for anxiety.”
d. “This medication has a low risk for dependency.”
4. A nurse is teaching a client who has obsessive-compulsive disorder and has a new
prescription for paroxetine. Which of the following instructions should the nurse
include?
a. “It can take several weeks before you feel like the medication is helping.”
b. “Take the medication just before bedtime to promote sleep.”
c. “You should take the medication when needed for obsessive urges.”
d. “Monitor for weight gain while taking this medication.”8 | P a g e
5. A nurse is caring for a client who takes paroxetine to treat posttraumatic stress
disorder and reports that they grind their teeth during the night. The nurse should
identify which of the following interventions to manage bruxism? (Select all that
apply.)
a. Concurrent administration of buspirone
b. Administration of different SSRI
c. Use of mouth guard
d. Changing to a different class of antidepressant medication
e. Increasing the dose of paroxetine
Chapter 8
1. A nurse is caring for a client who has a new prescription for phenelzine for the
treatment of depression. Which of the following indicates that the client has
developed and adverse effect of this medication?
a. Orthostatic hypotension
b. Hearing loss
c. Gastrointestinal bleeding
d. Weight loss
2. A nurse is providing teaching to a client who has a new prescription for
amitriptyline for treatment of depression. Which of the following should the nurse
include in the teaching? (Select all that apply.)
a. Expect therapeutic effects in 24 to 48 hr.
b. Discontinue the medication after a week of improved mood.
c. Change positions slowly to minimize dizziness.
d. Decrease dietary fiber intake to control diarrhea.
e. Chew sugarless gum to prevent dry mouth.
3. A nurse is providing discharge teaching to a client who has a new prescription for
fluoxetine for posttraumatic stress disorder. Which of the following statements
should the nurse include in the teaching?
a. “You can have a decreased desire for intimacy while taking this medication.”
b. “You should take this medication at bedtime to help promote sleep.”
c. “You will have fewer urinary adverse effects if you urinate just before taking this
medication.”
d. “You’ll need to wear sunglasses when outdoors due to the light sensitivity caused
by this medication.”
4. A nurse is caring for a client who has depression and a new prescription for
venlafaxine. The nurse should monitor the client for which of the following
manifestation as an adverse effect of this medication? (Select all that apply.)
a. Mydriasis
b. Dizziness
c. Decreased libido
d. Alopecia [Show Less]