ATI PN PHARMACOLOGY PROCTORED
EXAM TEST BANK 100+ Questions with
Answers & Detailed Rationales Updated for
2023-2026 | NGN-Style Questions Included
ALREADY GRADED A+
SECTION 1: BASIC PHARMACOLOGY & SAFE MEDICATION ADMINISTRATION
Question 1
A nurse is preparing to administer a medication. Which of the following should the nurse use to
identify the client? (Select all that apply.)
A. Client's room number
B. Client's full name
C. Client's date of birth
D. Client's medical record number
E. Client's diagnosis
Answer: B, C, D
Rationale: The Joint Commission requires two client identifiers before medication
administration. Acceptable identifiers include the client's full name, date of birth, and medical
record number. Room number and diagnosis are not reliable identifiers .
Question 2
A nurse is reviewing a prescription that reads "metoprolol 25 mg PO once daily." Which part of
the prescription is missing?
A. Frequency
B. Route
C. Dose
D. Provider signature
,Answer: A. Frequency
Rationale: The prescription includes the medication name (metoprolol), dose (25 mg), route
(PO), and a frequency indicator ("once daily") is actually present. If analyzing a truly incomplete
prescription, frequency would be missing if not specified. Complete prescriptions require: client
name, date, medication name, dose, route, frequency, and provider signature .
Question 3
A provider prescribes phenobarbital for a client who has a seizure disorder. The medication has
a long half-life of 4 days. How many times per day should the nurse expect to administer this
medication?
A. One
B. Two
C. Three
D. Four
Answer: A. One
Rationale: Medications with long half-lives remain at therapeutic levels between doses for
extended periods. Phenobarbital's 4-day half-life means it can be administered once daily .
Question 4
A staff educator is reviewing factors that influence medication metabolism. Which factors
indicate a need for lower medication dosages? (Select all that apply.)
A. Increased renal secretion
B. Increased medication-metabolizing enzymes
C. Liver failure
D. Peripheral vascular disease
E. Concurrent use of medication with same metabolic pathway
Answer: C, E
Rationale: Liver failure decreases metabolism, increasing medication concentration—requiring
lower doses. When two medications compete for the same metabolic pathway, concentrations
increase—requiring dosage reduction .
,Question 5
A nurse is preparing to administer eye drops to a client. Which actions should the nurse take?
(Select all that apply.)
A. Have the client lie on her side
B. Ask the client to look up at the ceiling
C. Tell the client to blink when drops enter her eye
D. Drop medication into the center of the client's conjunctival sac
E. Instruct the client to close her eye gently after instillation
Answer: B, D, E
Rationale: The client should look upward to prevent drops from falling onto the cornea. Drops
should be placed in the conjunctival sac to promote distribution. Gentle eye closure after
instillation promotes medication distribution .
Question 6
A nurse is completing discharge teaching for a client with a new prescription for transdermal
patches. Which statement indicates understanding?
A. "I will clean the site with an alcohol swab before applying the patch."
B. "I will rotate application sites weekly."
C. "I will apply the patch to an area of skin with no hair."
D. "I will place the new patch on the site of the old patch."
Answer: C
Rationale: The client should apply the patch to a hairless area of skin to promote medication
absorption. Rotation should occur more frequently than weekly .
Question 7
A nurse reviewing a client's medical record notes a prescription for verifying a medication's
trough level. When should the nurse obtain the blood specimen?
A. Immediately prior to administering the next dose
B. 30 minutes after the infusion begins
C. 1 hour after the infusion is complete
D. At the midpoint of the infusion
, Answer: A
Rationale: Trough levels measure the lowest concentration of a medication and are drawn
immediately before administering the next dose .
Question 8
A nurse is preparing to administer vancomycin 1 g in 100 mL D5W to infuse over 45 minutes.
The drop factor is 10 gtt/mL. How many gtt/min should the nurse deliver? (Round to nearest
whole number)
Answer: 22 gtt/min
Rationale: (Volume in mL × drop factor) ÷ time in minutes = (100 mL × 10 gtt/mL) ÷ 45 min =
1000 ÷ 45 = 22.2 = 22 gtt/min .
Question 9
A nurse is administering a subcutaneous injection of heparin. Which action is correct?
A. Aspirate before injecting
B. Massage the site after injection
C. Insert the needle at a 45- to 90-degree angle
D. Use a 22-gauge needle
Answer: C
Rationale: Subcutaneous injections are given at a 45- to 90-degree angle depending on client
body habitus. Aspiration is NOT recommended for heparin, and massage is contraindicated to
prevent bruising .
Question 10
A nurse is administering ear drops to an adult client. Which action is correct?
A. Pull the pinna up and back
B. Pull the pinna down and back
C. Instill drops directly into ear canal without straightening
D. Warm the drops in a microwave
Answer: A
EXAM TEST BANK 100+ Questions with
Answers & Detailed Rationales Updated for
2023-2026 | NGN-Style Questions Included
ALREADY GRADED A+
SECTION 1: BASIC PHARMACOLOGY & SAFE MEDICATION ADMINISTRATION
Question 1
A nurse is preparing to administer a medication. Which of the following should the nurse use to
identify the client? (Select all that apply.)
A. Client's room number
B. Client's full name
C. Client's date of birth
D. Client's medical record number
E. Client's diagnosis
Answer: B, C, D
Rationale: The Joint Commission requires two client identifiers before medication
administration. Acceptable identifiers include the client's full name, date of birth, and medical
record number. Room number and diagnosis are not reliable identifiers .
Question 2
A nurse is reviewing a prescription that reads "metoprolol 25 mg PO once daily." Which part of
the prescription is missing?
A. Frequency
B. Route
C. Dose
D. Provider signature
,Answer: A. Frequency
Rationale: The prescription includes the medication name (metoprolol), dose (25 mg), route
(PO), and a frequency indicator ("once daily") is actually present. If analyzing a truly incomplete
prescription, frequency would be missing if not specified. Complete prescriptions require: client
name, date, medication name, dose, route, frequency, and provider signature .
Question 3
A provider prescribes phenobarbital for a client who has a seizure disorder. The medication has
a long half-life of 4 days. How many times per day should the nurse expect to administer this
medication?
A. One
B. Two
C. Three
D. Four
Answer: A. One
Rationale: Medications with long half-lives remain at therapeutic levels between doses for
extended periods. Phenobarbital's 4-day half-life means it can be administered once daily .
Question 4
A staff educator is reviewing factors that influence medication metabolism. Which factors
indicate a need for lower medication dosages? (Select all that apply.)
A. Increased renal secretion
B. Increased medication-metabolizing enzymes
C. Liver failure
D. Peripheral vascular disease
E. Concurrent use of medication with same metabolic pathway
Answer: C, E
Rationale: Liver failure decreases metabolism, increasing medication concentration—requiring
lower doses. When two medications compete for the same metabolic pathway, concentrations
increase—requiring dosage reduction .
,Question 5
A nurse is preparing to administer eye drops to a client. Which actions should the nurse take?
(Select all that apply.)
A. Have the client lie on her side
B. Ask the client to look up at the ceiling
C. Tell the client to blink when drops enter her eye
D. Drop medication into the center of the client's conjunctival sac
E. Instruct the client to close her eye gently after instillation
Answer: B, D, E
Rationale: The client should look upward to prevent drops from falling onto the cornea. Drops
should be placed in the conjunctival sac to promote distribution. Gentle eye closure after
instillation promotes medication distribution .
Question 6
A nurse is completing discharge teaching for a client with a new prescription for transdermal
patches. Which statement indicates understanding?
A. "I will clean the site with an alcohol swab before applying the patch."
B. "I will rotate application sites weekly."
C. "I will apply the patch to an area of skin with no hair."
D. "I will place the new patch on the site of the old patch."
Answer: C
Rationale: The client should apply the patch to a hairless area of skin to promote medication
absorption. Rotation should occur more frequently than weekly .
Question 7
A nurse reviewing a client's medical record notes a prescription for verifying a medication's
trough level. When should the nurse obtain the blood specimen?
A. Immediately prior to administering the next dose
B. 30 minutes after the infusion begins
C. 1 hour after the infusion is complete
D. At the midpoint of the infusion
, Answer: A
Rationale: Trough levels measure the lowest concentration of a medication and are drawn
immediately before administering the next dose .
Question 8
A nurse is preparing to administer vancomycin 1 g in 100 mL D5W to infuse over 45 minutes.
The drop factor is 10 gtt/mL. How many gtt/min should the nurse deliver? (Round to nearest
whole number)
Answer: 22 gtt/min
Rationale: (Volume in mL × drop factor) ÷ time in minutes = (100 mL × 10 gtt/mL) ÷ 45 min =
1000 ÷ 45 = 22.2 = 22 gtt/min .
Question 9
A nurse is administering a subcutaneous injection of heparin. Which action is correct?
A. Aspirate before injecting
B. Massage the site after injection
C. Insert the needle at a 45- to 90-degree angle
D. Use a 22-gauge needle
Answer: C
Rationale: Subcutaneous injections are given at a 45- to 90-degree angle depending on client
body habitus. Aspiration is NOT recommended for heparin, and massage is contraindicated to
prevent bruising .
Question 10
A nurse is administering ear drops to an adult client. Which action is correct?
A. Pull the pinna up and back
B. Pull the pinna down and back
C. Instill drops directly into ear canal without straightening
D. Warm the drops in a microwave
Answer: A
