NUR2474 / NUR 2474 Quiz 3: Pharmacology for Professional
Nursing – Rasmussen Actual Exam Complete Questions &
Rationales | Nursing Pharmacology | Pass Guaranteed - A+
Graded
Foundations of Safe Medication Administration
Q1: A nursing student is preparing to administer morning medications. Before entering
the patient's room, the student verifies the patient's name, date of birth, and medical
record number against the medication administration record. Which right of medication
administration is the student demonstrating?
A. Right dose
B. Right route
C. Right patient [CORRECT]
D. Right time
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The best answer is C. Checking two or more patient identifiers against the
MAR is exactly how we verify the right patient before giving any medication, and it's a
non-negotiable safety step.
Q2: During a busy shift on a medical-surgical unit, a nurse accidentally grabs a vial of
morphine sulfate instead of hydromorphone from the automated dispensing cabinet.
Both vials were stored next to each other and have similar packaging. This situation
best exemplifies which medication safety risk?
A. A high-alert medication error
B. A look-alike/sound-alike drug hazard [CORRECT]
C. A calculation error
D. A transcription error
Correct Answer: B
, Rationale: That's correct because morphine and hydromorphone are classic
look-alike/sound-alike drugs that require extra vigilance, and storing them near each
other in the cabinet only increases the chance of a mix-up.
Q3: A patient asks why their sublingual nitroglycerin tablet works faster than their oral
metformin tablet. The nurse explains that sublingual administration bypasses which
pharmacokinetic process?
A. Distribution
B. Metabolism
C. Absorption from the gastrointestinal tract and first-pass hepatic metabolism
[CORRECT]
D. Excretion
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: This choice is correct because when a drug dissolves under the tongue, it
enters the bloodstream directly through the mucous membranes and skips both the
stomach and intestinal absorption as well as the liver's first-pass effect, so relief comes
within minutes.
Q4: A nurse is reviewing a medication order that reads "Lasix 40 mg PO daily." The nurse
recognizes that "Lasix" is the trade name for which generic medication?
A. Hydrochlorothiazide
B. Spironolactone
C. Furosemide [CORRECT]
D. Chlorthalidone
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: In professional nursing practice, we need to know that Lasix is the brand
name for furosemide, a loop diuretic, because using generic names reduces confusion
and is the standard for safe communication.
Q5: The nurse is preparing to administer heparin 5,000 units subcutaneously. The
pharmacy has sent a vial labeled 10,000 units/mL. The nurse draws up 0.5 mL in the
syringe but is interrupted by a phone call. After returning, the nurse is uncertain whether
the syringe contains the correct volume. What is the nurse's best immediate action?
A. Administer the medication since heparin is a common subcutaneous injection
B. Ask the charge nurse to verify the dose calculation
Nursing – Rasmussen Actual Exam Complete Questions &
Rationales | Nursing Pharmacology | Pass Guaranteed - A+
Graded
Foundations of Safe Medication Administration
Q1: A nursing student is preparing to administer morning medications. Before entering
the patient's room, the student verifies the patient's name, date of birth, and medical
record number against the medication administration record. Which right of medication
administration is the student demonstrating?
A. Right dose
B. Right route
C. Right patient [CORRECT]
D. Right time
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The best answer is C. Checking two or more patient identifiers against the
MAR is exactly how we verify the right patient before giving any medication, and it's a
non-negotiable safety step.
Q2: During a busy shift on a medical-surgical unit, a nurse accidentally grabs a vial of
morphine sulfate instead of hydromorphone from the automated dispensing cabinet.
Both vials were stored next to each other and have similar packaging. This situation
best exemplifies which medication safety risk?
A. A high-alert medication error
B. A look-alike/sound-alike drug hazard [CORRECT]
C. A calculation error
D. A transcription error
Correct Answer: B
, Rationale: That's correct because morphine and hydromorphone are classic
look-alike/sound-alike drugs that require extra vigilance, and storing them near each
other in the cabinet only increases the chance of a mix-up.
Q3: A patient asks why their sublingual nitroglycerin tablet works faster than their oral
metformin tablet. The nurse explains that sublingual administration bypasses which
pharmacokinetic process?
A. Distribution
B. Metabolism
C. Absorption from the gastrointestinal tract and first-pass hepatic metabolism
[CORRECT]
D. Excretion
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: This choice is correct because when a drug dissolves under the tongue, it
enters the bloodstream directly through the mucous membranes and skips both the
stomach and intestinal absorption as well as the liver's first-pass effect, so relief comes
within minutes.
Q4: A nurse is reviewing a medication order that reads "Lasix 40 mg PO daily." The nurse
recognizes that "Lasix" is the trade name for which generic medication?
A. Hydrochlorothiazide
B. Spironolactone
C. Furosemide [CORRECT]
D. Chlorthalidone
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: In professional nursing practice, we need to know that Lasix is the brand
name for furosemide, a loop diuretic, because using generic names reduces confusion
and is the standard for safe communication.
Q5: The nurse is preparing to administer heparin 5,000 units subcutaneously. The
pharmacy has sent a vial labeled 10,000 units/mL. The nurse draws up 0.5 mL in the
syringe but is interrupted by a phone call. After returning, the nurse is uncertain whether
the syringe contains the correct volume. What is the nurse's best immediate action?
A. Administer the medication since heparin is a common subcutaneous injection
B. Ask the charge nurse to verify the dose calculation
