Nursing Fundamentals
2 MAXE
NF Foundations of Professional Nursing Practice
CARING · COMPETENCE · COMPASSION
FUNDAMENTALS
Nursing Fundamentals — Exam 2
P H A R M A CO LO G Y, D R U G R E G U L AT I O N , C A M & H O L I ST I C N U R S I N G
INSTITUTION Nursing Fundamentals Program COURSE CODE NURS 101 — Fundamentals
PROGRAM Associate / Bachelor of Science in Nursing ACADEMIC YEAR
EXAM TITLE Exam 2 — Fundamentals of Nursing TOTAL QUESTIONS 80+ Questions
COURSE TITLE Fundamentals of Nursing FORMAT Multiple Choice — Select the Single Best
Answer
EXAMINATION INSTRUCTIONS
▸ Select the single best answer for each question.
▸ Content covers drug legislation, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, controlled substances, CAM, and holistic nursing.
PHARMACOLOGY, DRUG REGULATION & COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE Questions 1 – 80+
1. U.S. drug legislation serves to:
A. Only define prescription drugs.
B. Set official drug standards, define prescription drugs, regulate controlled substances, improve safety, and require
proof of efficacy.
C. Only regulate controlled substances.
D. Only improve safety.
CORRECT ANSWER B — Sets standards, defines prescriptions, regulates controlled substances, improves safety, requires
proof of efficacy.
RATIONALE The FDA oversees drug approval and safety. Nurse Practice Acts vary by state and identify nursing
responsibilities for medication administration and monitoring.
2. Schedule I controlled substances are characterized by:
A. Low abuse potential with accepted medical use.
B. High potential for abuse with no accepted medical use (heroin, LSD, ecstasy).
C. Moderate abuse potential with medical use.
D. Mild physical dependence only.
CORRECT ANSWER B — Highest abuse potential; no accepted medical use. Examples: heroin, LSD, ecstasy, marijuana
(federal).
RATIONALE Schedule II = high abuse with medical use (morphine, oxycodone). III = moderate (codeine, hydrocodone). IV =
mild (diazepam, alprazolam). V = lowest (Robitussin AC).
, 3. Pharmacokinetics refers to:
A. What the drug does to the body.
B. What happens to the drug in the body — absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion.
C. Only drug absorption.
D. Only drug excretion.
CORRECT ANSWER B — ADME: Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion. Pharmacodynamics = what the drug does
to the body.
RATIONALE Pharmacokinetics describes the drug's journey through the body; pharmacodynamics describes the drug's
mechanism of action and effects.
4. The first-pass effect refers to:
A. The initial dose of a medication.
B. The process in which a drug passes through the liver before reaching systemic circulation, reducing bioavailability.
C. The peak concentration of a drug.
D. The excretion of a drug through the kidneys.
CORRECT ANSWER B — Drug passes through liver first after GI absorption; some drug is metabolized before reaching
systemic circulation.
RATIONALE This is why some drugs cannot be given orally (extensive first-pass metabolism) and require IV, sublingual, or
rectal routes.
5. The peak level of a drug is:
A. The lowest concentration before the next dose.
B. The maximum concentration of a drug in the body after administration.
C. The time it takes for the drug to be eliminated.
D. The concentration that produces toxicity.
CORRECT ANSWER B — Maximum concentration after administration. Trough = lowest concentration before next dose.
RATIONALE Peak and trough levels are used for therapeutic drug monitoring, especially for drugs with narrow therapeutic
indices (gentamicin, vancomycin).
6. The biological half-life of a drug is:
A. The time until the drug starts working.
B. The time it takes for excretion processes to lower the amount of unchanged medication by half.
C. The duration of therapeutic effect.
D. The time to reach peak concentration.
CORRECT ANSWER B — Time required for the body to eliminate 50% of the drug. Determines dosing frequency.
RATIONALE Drugs with short half-lives require more frequent dosing. Renal or hepatic impairment extends half-life and
increases toxicity risk.
2 MAXE
NF Foundations of Professional Nursing Practice
CARING · COMPETENCE · COMPASSION
FUNDAMENTALS
Nursing Fundamentals — Exam 2
P H A R M A CO LO G Y, D R U G R E G U L AT I O N , C A M & H O L I ST I C N U R S I N G
INSTITUTION Nursing Fundamentals Program COURSE CODE NURS 101 — Fundamentals
PROGRAM Associate / Bachelor of Science in Nursing ACADEMIC YEAR
EXAM TITLE Exam 2 — Fundamentals of Nursing TOTAL QUESTIONS 80+ Questions
COURSE TITLE Fundamentals of Nursing FORMAT Multiple Choice — Select the Single Best
Answer
EXAMINATION INSTRUCTIONS
▸ Select the single best answer for each question.
▸ Content covers drug legislation, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, controlled substances, CAM, and holistic nursing.
PHARMACOLOGY, DRUG REGULATION & COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE Questions 1 – 80+
1. U.S. drug legislation serves to:
A. Only define prescription drugs.
B. Set official drug standards, define prescription drugs, regulate controlled substances, improve safety, and require
proof of efficacy.
C. Only regulate controlled substances.
D. Only improve safety.
CORRECT ANSWER B — Sets standards, defines prescriptions, regulates controlled substances, improves safety, requires
proof of efficacy.
RATIONALE The FDA oversees drug approval and safety. Nurse Practice Acts vary by state and identify nursing
responsibilities for medication administration and monitoring.
2. Schedule I controlled substances are characterized by:
A. Low abuse potential with accepted medical use.
B. High potential for abuse with no accepted medical use (heroin, LSD, ecstasy).
C. Moderate abuse potential with medical use.
D. Mild physical dependence only.
CORRECT ANSWER B — Highest abuse potential; no accepted medical use. Examples: heroin, LSD, ecstasy, marijuana
(federal).
RATIONALE Schedule II = high abuse with medical use (morphine, oxycodone). III = moderate (codeine, hydrocodone). IV =
mild (diazepam, alprazolam). V = lowest (Robitussin AC).
, 3. Pharmacokinetics refers to:
A. What the drug does to the body.
B. What happens to the drug in the body — absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion.
C. Only drug absorption.
D. Only drug excretion.
CORRECT ANSWER B — ADME: Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion. Pharmacodynamics = what the drug does
to the body.
RATIONALE Pharmacokinetics describes the drug's journey through the body; pharmacodynamics describes the drug's
mechanism of action and effects.
4. The first-pass effect refers to:
A. The initial dose of a medication.
B. The process in which a drug passes through the liver before reaching systemic circulation, reducing bioavailability.
C. The peak concentration of a drug.
D. The excretion of a drug through the kidneys.
CORRECT ANSWER B — Drug passes through liver first after GI absorption; some drug is metabolized before reaching
systemic circulation.
RATIONALE This is why some drugs cannot be given orally (extensive first-pass metabolism) and require IV, sublingual, or
rectal routes.
5. The peak level of a drug is:
A. The lowest concentration before the next dose.
B. The maximum concentration of a drug in the body after administration.
C. The time it takes for the drug to be eliminated.
D. The concentration that produces toxicity.
CORRECT ANSWER B — Maximum concentration after administration. Trough = lowest concentration before next dose.
RATIONALE Peak and trough levels are used for therapeutic drug monitoring, especially for drugs with narrow therapeutic
indices (gentamicin, vancomycin).
6. The biological half-life of a drug is:
A. The time until the drug starts working.
B. The time it takes for excretion processes to lower the amount of unchanged medication by half.
C. The duration of therapeutic effect.
D. The time to reach peak concentration.
CORRECT ANSWER B — Time required for the body to eliminate 50% of the drug. Determines dosing frequency.
RATIONALE Drugs with short half-lives require more frequent dosing. Renal or hepatic impairment extends half-life and
increases toxicity risk.
