Advanced Pharmacology WGU D116 Unit 3 Competency
Certification Study Guide Exam Questions with Certified for
Accuracy Answers 2025/2026
An adult patient will begin taking atomoxetine for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
What will the nurse teach this patient? - correct answer Therapeutic effects may not be
felt for 4-8 weeks after beginning therapy
A patient who has a lower back injury exhibits muscle spasms. The provider orders
cyclobenzaprine 10 mg three times a day. What will the nurse practitioner include when
teaching this patient about this drug? - correct answer "You may experience blurred
vision, dry mouth, or constipation"
Flexeril has anticholinergic properties: increased intraocular pressure, urinary retention
two other s/s
A patient with a form of epilepsy that may have spontaneous remission has been taking
an AED for a year. The patient reports being seizure free for 6 months and asks the
nurse when the drug can be discontinued. What will the nurse tell the patient? - correct
answer The provider will withdraw the drug over a 6-12 weeks period
Can taper the dose and discontinue seizure meds after 6-12 months of being seizure
free
A patient on the unit complains of cluster headaches. A new graduate nurse practitioner
is asked to differentiate between a migraine headache and cluster headaches. The
graduate nurse practitioner is correct to state that manifestations and/or risk factors for
a patient with cluster headaches include what? - correct answer -Male
-Short duration (15 mints to 2 hrs)
-Throbing, piercing pain
-Less common than migraines
Migraines: females, NV, auras
, A patient who travels frequently for business reports occasional instances of being
unable to fall asleep. The patient tells the nurse practitioner that job demands require
staying up late and then getting up early for meetings. The provider will prescribe which
medication for this patient? - correct answer Zaleplon (sonata)
A nurse practitioner student asks the nurse practitioner about receptor specificity of
adrenergic agonist medications. What will the nurse practitioner say? - correct answer
"Specificity is relative and is dose dependent"
A patient who is an opioid addict has undergone detoxification with buprenorphine and
has been given a prescription for buprenorphine with naloxone. The patient asks the
nurse why the drug was changed. Which response by the nurse is correct? - correct
answer "The addition of naloxone is used for maintenance"
Treatment is initiated with buprenorphine alone, due to minimal risk of withdrawal, pt is
maintained with combo med
A patient is admitted to the intensive care unit for treatment of shock. The prescriber
orders isoproterenol. The nurse practitioner expects this drug to increase tissue
perfusion in this patient by activating: - correct answer Beta2 receptors to cause
bronchodilation
A patient has localized muscle spasms after an injury. The prescriber has ordered
tizanidine to alleviate the spasms. When obtaining the patient's health history, the nurse
practitioner should be concerned about which possible reason for considering another
drug? - correct answer Hx of hepatitis
Tizanidine may cause hepatocellular liver injury
Used in caution with any pt with hepatic impairment
A nurse practitioner provides teaching for a patient with a newly diagnosed partial
complex seizure disorder who is about to begin therapy with antiepileptic drugs (AEDs).
Certification Study Guide Exam Questions with Certified for
Accuracy Answers 2025/2026
An adult patient will begin taking atomoxetine for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
What will the nurse teach this patient? - correct answer Therapeutic effects may not be
felt for 4-8 weeks after beginning therapy
A patient who has a lower back injury exhibits muscle spasms. The provider orders
cyclobenzaprine 10 mg three times a day. What will the nurse practitioner include when
teaching this patient about this drug? - correct answer "You may experience blurred
vision, dry mouth, or constipation"
Flexeril has anticholinergic properties: increased intraocular pressure, urinary retention
two other s/s
A patient with a form of epilepsy that may have spontaneous remission has been taking
an AED for a year. The patient reports being seizure free for 6 months and asks the
nurse when the drug can be discontinued. What will the nurse tell the patient? - correct
answer The provider will withdraw the drug over a 6-12 weeks period
Can taper the dose and discontinue seizure meds after 6-12 months of being seizure
free
A patient on the unit complains of cluster headaches. A new graduate nurse practitioner
is asked to differentiate between a migraine headache and cluster headaches. The
graduate nurse practitioner is correct to state that manifestations and/or risk factors for
a patient with cluster headaches include what? - correct answer -Male
-Short duration (15 mints to 2 hrs)
-Throbing, piercing pain
-Less common than migraines
Migraines: females, NV, auras
, A patient who travels frequently for business reports occasional instances of being
unable to fall asleep. The patient tells the nurse practitioner that job demands require
staying up late and then getting up early for meetings. The provider will prescribe which
medication for this patient? - correct answer Zaleplon (sonata)
A nurse practitioner student asks the nurse practitioner about receptor specificity of
adrenergic agonist medications. What will the nurse practitioner say? - correct answer
"Specificity is relative and is dose dependent"
A patient who is an opioid addict has undergone detoxification with buprenorphine and
has been given a prescription for buprenorphine with naloxone. The patient asks the
nurse why the drug was changed. Which response by the nurse is correct? - correct
answer "The addition of naloxone is used for maintenance"
Treatment is initiated with buprenorphine alone, due to minimal risk of withdrawal, pt is
maintained with combo med
A patient is admitted to the intensive care unit for treatment of shock. The prescriber
orders isoproterenol. The nurse practitioner expects this drug to increase tissue
perfusion in this patient by activating: - correct answer Beta2 receptors to cause
bronchodilation
A patient has localized muscle spasms after an injury. The prescriber has ordered
tizanidine to alleviate the spasms. When obtaining the patient's health history, the nurse
practitioner should be concerned about which possible reason for considering another
drug? - correct answer Hx of hepatitis
Tizanidine may cause hepatocellular liver injury
Used in caution with any pt with hepatic impairment
A nurse practitioner provides teaching for a patient with a newly diagnosed partial
complex seizure disorder who is about to begin therapy with antiepileptic drugs (AEDs).
