1. The nurse answers a patient's call light and finds the patient sitting up in bed and requesting pain medication. What
will the nurse do first?
A.
... [Show More] Check the orders and give the patient the requested pain medication
B. Provide comfort measures to the patient
C. Assess the patient's pain and pain level
D. Evaluate the effectiveness of previous pain medications
2. The nurse is preparing to administer a transdermal patch to a patient and finds that the patient already has a
medication patch on his right upper chest. What will the nurse do?
A. Remove the old medication patch and notify the health care provider
B. Apply the new patch without removing the old one
C. Remove the old patch and apply the new one in the same spot
D. Remove the old patch and apply the new patch to a different clean area
3.A patient is complaining of severe pain and has orders for morphine sulfate. The nurse knows that the route that
would give the slowest pain relief is which route?
A. IV
B. PO
C. Subcutaneous
D. IM
4.A patient is recovering from an appendectomy. She also has asthma and allergies to shellfish and iodine. To
manage her postoperative pain, the physician has prescribed hydromorphone (Dilaudid). Which vital sign is of
greatest concern?
A. Temperature
B. Respirations
C. Pulse
D. Blood pressure
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5. The patient is diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and has been started on a dopaminergic replacement drug
therapy with carbidopa-levodopa, it is important for the nurse to
A. assess the patient for dizziness and syncope when the patient is walking
B. administer the medication first thing in the morning
C. administer the medication on an empty stomach
D. remove protein from the patient's diet
6. Which drug will the nurse anticipate administering to a patient experiencing a benzodiazepine overdose?
A. Flumazenil
B. Narcan
C. Methadone
D. Antabuse
7. Which statement is important for the nurse to include when teaching a patient about disulfiram (Antabuse) therapy?
A. This medication will cure your alcoholism if you take as directed
B. This medication will cause your blood pressure to get very high if you drink alcohol after taking it
C. "You cannot drink alcohol for at least 3-4 days after taking this medication
D. "If you miss a dose of Antabuse, double up the next time it is due"
8.A patient on a dobutamine drip starts complaining that her IV line "hurts really bad" The nurse on assessing the site
notices that it is red, swollen and cool to touch. What will the nurse do first?
A. Slow the infusion rate
B. Stop the infusion
C. Inject the area with phentolamine
D. Notify the health care provider
9.A nursing is planning care for a client who is receiving furosemide (lasix) IV for peripheral edema. Which of the
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following interventions should the nurse include in the plan of care? (Select all that apply)
A. Assess for tinnitus
B. Monitor serum potassium
C. Elevate head of bed before ambulation
D. Report urine output of 50mL/hr
E. Recommend eating a banana daily
10.A nurse is planning to administer a first dose of captopril to a client who has hypertension. Which of the following
medications can intensify first dose hypotension? (Select all that apply)
A. Simvastain (Zocor)
B. Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ)
C. Dilantin (Phenytoin)
D. Clonidine (Catapres)
E. Nitroglycerin (Nitrostat)
11.A nurse is teaching a client about a new medication, verapamil (Calan), for hypertension. What information should
be include in teaching?
A. Increase the amount of dietary fiber in the diet
B. Drink grapefruit juice daily to increase vitamin C intake
C. Decrease the amount of calcium in diet
D. Withhold food for 1 hour after the medication is taken
12.When planning care for an assigned patient, the nurse identifies the outcome of “Patient will be able to safely
self-administer enoxaparin (Lovenox) subcutaneously upon discharge.” Which method is best for the nurse to use
in evaluating the patient’s achievement of this outcome?
A. Demonstrate the correct administration procedure to the patient.
B. Give the patient detailed written instructions illustrating the procedure.
C. Observe the patient’s return demonstration of the administration procedure.
D. Ask the patient to verbalize the correct administration procedure step by step.
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13.During an intravenous (IV) infusion of amphotericin B, a patient develops tingling and numbness in his toes and
fingers. What will the nurse do first?
A. Discontinue the infusion immediately.
B. Reduce the infusion rate gradually until the adverse effects subside.
C. Administer the medication by rapid IV infusion to reduce these effects.
D. Nothing; these are expected side effects of this medication.
14.A patient is taking nystatin (Mycostatin) oral lozenges to treat an oral candidiasis infection resulting from inhaled
corticosteroid therapy for asthma. Which instruction by the nurse is appropriate?
A. “Chew the lozenges until they are completely dissolved.”
B. “Let the lozenge dissolve slowly and completely in your mouth without chewing it.”
C. “Rinse your mouth with water before taking the inhaler.”
D. “Rinse your mouth with mouthwash after taking the inhaler.”
15.A patient with active HIV has been taking zidovudine (Retrovir). Which is potential adverse effect may limit the
length of time this medication can be taken?
A. Lactic Acidosis
B. Bone marrow suppression
C. Hepatomegaly
D. Fatigue
16.A patient is taking guaifenesin (Humibid) as part of treatment for a sinus infection. Which instruction will the nurse
include during patient teaching?
A. Report clear-colored sputum to the prescriber.
B. Force fluids to help loosen and liquefy secretions.
C. Avoid driving a car or operating heavy machinery because of the sedating effects.
D. Report symptoms that last longer than 2 days.
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17.A patient is suffering from tendonitis of the knee. The nurse is reviewing the patient’s medication administration
record and recognizes that which adjuvant medication is most appropriate for this type of pain?
A. Antidepressant
B. Anticonvulsant
C. Corticosteroid
D. Local anesthesia
18.The nurse on educating the patient on the common side/adverse effects of opioids will educate on which of the
following: (Select all that apply)
A. decreased respirations
B. heartburn
C. constipation
D. nausea
E. insomnia
19.A patient who is receiving high-dose chemotherapy with methotrexate is also receiving leucovorin. The purpose of
the leucovorin is to:
A. produce an additive effect with the methotrexate by increasing its potency against the cancer cells.
B. reduce the incidence of cardiomyopathy caused by the methotrexate.
C. reduce the Bone Marrow Suppression caused by the methotrexate.
D. add its antiinflammatory effects to the treatment regimen.
20.A patient is taking ibuprofen 800 mg three times a day by mouth as treatment for OA. While taking a health history,
the nurse finds out that the patient has a few beers on weekends. What concern would there be with the
interaction of the alcohol and ibuprofen?
A. Increased bleeding tendencies
B. Increased chance for GI bleeding
C. Increased nephrotoxic effects
D. Reduced antiinflammatory effects of the NSAID
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21.The nurse should teach the patient taking an oral corticosteroid to take the medication at what time?
A. 8:00 am
B. 8:00 pm
C. 12 noon
D. 5:00 pm
22.A patient wants to take garlic to improve his cholesterol levels. Which condition would be a contraindication?
A. Hptertension
B. Scheduled surgery
C. Sinus infection
D. Bowel obstruction
23.When converting from IV heparin to oral warfarin (Coumadin) therapy, the prescriber monitors which of the
following to determine the next appropriate dose of warfarin?
A. Platelet count
B. aPTT
C. Red blood cell count
D. PT/INR
24.A patient with extremely high blood pressure is in the emergency department. The physician will order therapy
with nitroglycerin to manage the patient's blood pressure. Which form of nitroglycerin is most appropriate?
A. Sublingual spray
B. Transdermal patch
C. Oral capsule
D. IV infusion
25.A nurse is caring for a client who is to receive liquid medications via a gastrostomy tube. The client is prescribed
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Detailed Answer Key
Pharmacology Proctored Exam_Cloned_Assessment 1
phenytoin 250 mg. The amount available is phenytoin oral solution 25 mg/5 mL. How many mL should the nurse
administer per dose? (Round the answer to the nearest whole number. Use a leading zero if it applies. Do not use
a trailing zero.)
50 mL
Correct Rationale: Ratio and Proportion
STEP 1: What is the unit of measurement the nurse should calculate? mL STEP 2: What
is the dose the nurse should administer? Dose to administer= Desired 250 mg STEP 3:
What is the dose available? Dose available = Have 25 mg STEP 4: Should the nurse
convert the units of measurement? No STEP 5: What is the quantity of the dose
available? 5 mL STEP 6: Set up an equation and solve for X. Have/Quantity = Desired/X
25 mg/5 mL = 250 mg/X mL X = 50 STEP 7: Round if necessary. STEP 8: Reassess to
determine whether the amount to administer makes sense. If there are 25 mg/5 mL and
the prescription reads 250 mg, it makes sense to administer 50 mL. The nurse should
administer phenytoin 50 mL via gastrostomy tube.
Desired Over Have
STEP 1: What is the unit of measurement the nurse should calculate? mL STEP 2: What
is the dose the nurse should administer? Dose to administer= Desired 250 mg STEP 3:
What is the dose available? Dose available = Have 25 mg STEP 4: Should the nurse
convert the units of measurement? No STEP 5: What is the quantity of the dose
available? 5 mL STEP 6: Set up an equation and solve for X. Desired x Quantity/Have =
X 250 mg x 5 mL/25 mg = X mL 50 = X STEP 7: Round if necessary. STEP 8:
Reassess to determine whether the amount to administer makes sense. If there are 25
mg/5 mL and the prescription reads 250 mg, it makes sense to administer 50 mL. The
nurse should administer phenytoin 50 mL via gastrostomy tube.
Dimensional Analysis
STEP 1: What is the unit of measurement the nurse should calculate? mL STEP 2: What
is the quantity of the dose available? 5 mL STEP 3: What is the dose available? Dose
available = Have 25 mL STEP 4: What is the dose the nurse should administer? Dose to
administer= Desired 250 mg STEP 5: Should the nurse convert the units of
measurement? No
STEP 6: Set up an equation and solve for X. X = Quantity/Have x Conversion
(Have)/Conversion(Desired) x Desired/ X mL = 5 mL/25 mg x 250 mg/ X = 50STEP 7:
Round if necessary. STEP 8: Reassess to determine whether the amount to administer
makes sense. If there are 25 mg/5 mL and the prescription reads 250 mg, it makes sense
to administer 50 mL. The nurse should administer phenytoin 50 mL via gastrostomy tube.
InCorrect Rationale: Ratio and Proportion
STEP 1: What is the unit of measurement the nurse should calculate? mL STEP 2:
What is the dose the nurse should administer? Dose to administer= Desired 250 mg
STEP 3: What is the dose available? Dose available = Have 25 mg STEP 4: Should
the nurse convert the units of measurement? No STEP 5: What is the quantity of the
dose available? 5 mL STEP 6: Set up an equation and solve for X. Have/Quantity =
Desired/X 25 mg/5 mL = 250 mg/X mL X = 50 STEP 7: Round if necessary. STEP 8:
Reassess to determine whether the amount to administer makes sense. If there are 25
mg/5 mL and the prescription reads 250 mg, it makes sense to administer 50 mL. The
nurse should administer phenytoin 50 mL via gastrostomy tube.
Desired Over Have
STEP 1: What is the unit of measurement the nurse should calculate? mL STEP 2:
What is the dose the nurse should administer? Dose to administer= Desired 250 mg
STEP 3: What is the dose available? Dose available = Have 25 mg STEP 4: Should
the nurse convert the units of measurement? No STEP 5: What is the quantity of the
dose available? 5 mL STEP 6: Set up an equation and solve for X. Desired x
Quantity/Have = X 250 mg x 5 mL/25 mg = X mL 50 = X STEP 7: Round if
necessary. STEP 8: Reassess to d [Show Less]