Karch Pharmacology Ch. 4 - The Nursing
Process in Drug Exam Questions and
Answers Graded A+
A 70-year-old patient has just received a drug that can cause sedation. What would
be the priority nursing diagnosis for this patient?
a. Noncompliance: Cost of the drug
b. Deficient knowledge: Unfamiliar with drug therapy
c. Risk for injury: Related to adverse effects of the drug
d. Ineffective health maintenance: Need for medication - Correct answer-c.
Because of the patient's age and that the medication causes sedation, the highest
priority nursing diagnosis is related to maintaining the patient's safety. Safety for
the patient is the nurse's number one concern. There is nothing indicated related to
the cost of the drug or the risk of noncompliance for this patient. Deficient
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,knowledge will need to be addressed but it is not the priority when compared with
patient safety. There is no indication the patient's need for this medication is related
to an ineffective health maintenance issue.
What is the responsibility of the nurse related to the patient's drug therapy? (Select
all that apply.)
a. Teaching the patient how to cope with therapy to ensure the best outcome
b. Providing therapy as well as medications
c. Evaluating the effectiveness of therapy
d. Altering the drug regimen to optimize outcome
e. Recommending appropriate over-the-counter medications to treat adverse effects
of prescription drug therapy - Correct answer-a, b, c
A nurse is, therefore, a key health care provider who is in a position to assess the
whole patient, to administer therapy as well as medications, to teach the patient
how best to cope with the therapy to ensure the most favorable outcome, and to
evaluate the effectiveness of the therapy. Nurses do not alter drug therapy or
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,recommend over-the-counter medications because prescribing is outside the nurse's
scope of practice.
The nurse is gathering assessment data from a medication history of a 38-year-old
man with four children. What assessment information would be most important in
providing care for this patient?
a. The medication history of the patient's mother and/or father
b. The name of the patient's pharmacy
c. Insurance, financial support, and stability for the patient and his family
d. The last time the patient was hospitalized - Correct answer-c.
In this situation, insurance, financial support, and stability would be the most
important data and may determine compliance with future drug therapy. The
medication history of the patient's parents could indicate a pattern of overall
attitude about drug therapy but is not the priority concern. The last time the patient
was hospitalized could indicate whether the patient seeks medical care when
appropriate or if he self-medicates, contributing to the nurse's knowledge of this
individual but this is not the priority concern. The name of the pharmacy would be
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, unnecessary unless the nurse anticipates having to call a prescription in to the
pharmacy for the prescriber.
During what phase of the nursing process would the nurse be required to consider
the efficacy of nursing interventions related to drug therapy?
a. Assessment
b. Nursing diagnosis
c. Interventions
d. Evaluation - Correct answer-d.
Evaluation allows the nurse to review what has changed since intervening to
determine whether the nursing care has had a positive, therapeutic effect moving
the patient toward a more healthful life. If outcomes have not improved, the nurse
begins again at the assessment phase of the nursing process with the goal of
changing the plan of care to improve outcomes. The patient's response to the drug
and occurrence of adverse drug effects indicate the effectiveness of the nursing
interventions related to drug therapy. Assessment involves a systematic, organized
collection of data concerning a patient. A nursing diagnosis indicates actual or
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Process in Drug Exam Questions and
Answers Graded A+
A 70-year-old patient has just received a drug that can cause sedation. What would
be the priority nursing diagnosis for this patient?
a. Noncompliance: Cost of the drug
b. Deficient knowledge: Unfamiliar with drug therapy
c. Risk for injury: Related to adverse effects of the drug
d. Ineffective health maintenance: Need for medication - Correct answer-c.
Because of the patient's age and that the medication causes sedation, the highest
priority nursing diagnosis is related to maintaining the patient's safety. Safety for
the patient is the nurse's number one concern. There is nothing indicated related to
the cost of the drug or the risk of noncompliance for this patient. Deficient
©COPYRIGHT 2025, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1
,knowledge will need to be addressed but it is not the priority when compared with
patient safety. There is no indication the patient's need for this medication is related
to an ineffective health maintenance issue.
What is the responsibility of the nurse related to the patient's drug therapy? (Select
all that apply.)
a. Teaching the patient how to cope with therapy to ensure the best outcome
b. Providing therapy as well as medications
c. Evaluating the effectiveness of therapy
d. Altering the drug regimen to optimize outcome
e. Recommending appropriate over-the-counter medications to treat adverse effects
of prescription drug therapy - Correct answer-a, b, c
A nurse is, therefore, a key health care provider who is in a position to assess the
whole patient, to administer therapy as well as medications, to teach the patient
how best to cope with the therapy to ensure the most favorable outcome, and to
evaluate the effectiveness of the therapy. Nurses do not alter drug therapy or
©COPYRIGHT 2025, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2
,recommend over-the-counter medications because prescribing is outside the nurse's
scope of practice.
The nurse is gathering assessment data from a medication history of a 38-year-old
man with four children. What assessment information would be most important in
providing care for this patient?
a. The medication history of the patient's mother and/or father
b. The name of the patient's pharmacy
c. Insurance, financial support, and stability for the patient and his family
d. The last time the patient was hospitalized - Correct answer-c.
In this situation, insurance, financial support, and stability would be the most
important data and may determine compliance with future drug therapy. The
medication history of the patient's parents could indicate a pattern of overall
attitude about drug therapy but is not the priority concern. The last time the patient
was hospitalized could indicate whether the patient seeks medical care when
appropriate or if he self-medicates, contributing to the nurse's knowledge of this
individual but this is not the priority concern. The name of the pharmacy would be
©COPYRIGHT 2025, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 3
, unnecessary unless the nurse anticipates having to call a prescription in to the
pharmacy for the prescriber.
During what phase of the nursing process would the nurse be required to consider
the efficacy of nursing interventions related to drug therapy?
a. Assessment
b. Nursing diagnosis
c. Interventions
d. Evaluation - Correct answer-d.
Evaluation allows the nurse to review what has changed since intervening to
determine whether the nursing care has had a positive, therapeutic effect moving
the patient toward a more healthful life. If outcomes have not improved, the nurse
begins again at the assessment phase of the nursing process with the goal of
changing the plan of care to improve outcomes. The patient's response to the drug
and occurrence of adverse drug effects indicate the effectiveness of the nursing
interventions related to drug therapy. Assessment involves a systematic, organized
collection of data concerning a patient. A nursing diagnosis indicates actual or
©COPYRIGHT 2025, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 4
