Pharmacological/Parenteral Therapies Practice Questions
1. A nurse cares for a client during an autologous blood transfusion. Thirty minutes after
the transfusion was started, the client reports chills. The client’s blood pressure has
decreased from 122/84 to 108/62. Which action will the nurse take FIRST?
1. Administer oral diphenyhydramine 25 mg.
2. Administer 0.45% sodium chloride 100 mL/hour intravenously.
3. Stop the transfusion and remove the blood infusion tubing immediately.
4. Check the client’s oral temperature and oxygen saturation level.
2. The nurse cares for a client diagnosed with a compound fracture of the left femur.
The client’s vital signs are BP 80/60, pulse 120, respirations 26, temperature 99.0°F
(37.2°C). Which IV fluid order should the nurse question?
1. Lactated Ringer’ s.
2. 0.45% sodium chloride.
3. 0.9% sodium chloride.
4. Hetastarch.
3. The health care provider orders an IV with 5% dextrose in water (D5W) started for an
86-year-old client. Which action by the nurse is BEST?
1. Instruct the client to breathe slowly and deeply during auscultation of the posterior
chest.
2. Apply the tourniquet 1 to 2 inches above the IV insertion site.
3. Apply a blood pressure cuff above the IV site insertion and inflate the cuff to the same
level as the systolic blood pressure.
4. Start the IV using the dorsal veins of the client’ s forearm on the nondominant side.
4. The nurse cares for a client receiving parenteral nutrition (PN) through a central
venous access device (CVAD). What is the MOST important action for the nurse to
take?
1. Remove the old dressing over the insertion site, moving against the direction the
catheter is inserted.
, 2. Clean the insertion site with an alcohol swab, moving from the outside to the inside in
a circular pattern.
3. Flush the unused catheter lumens with a 10 mL syringe.
4. Use clean gloves to reapply an occlusive dressing to the insertion site.
5. The nurse cares for a client receiving hetastarch intravenously. What is a priority
action for the nurse to take?
1. Assess for bilateral pretibial edema.
2. Measure the hourly urine output.
3. Obtain daily weights.
4. Auscultate lung sounds.
6. The nurse teaches a client about lorazepam. Which statement by the client requires
an intervention by the nurse?
1. “If the dose of lorazepam is increased, I may feel more sleepy than usual.”
2. “I should follow my regular diet when taking this medication.”
3. “I may feel dizzy when I take this medication.”
4. “If I have problems with this medication, I should stop it immediately.”
7. A client diagnosed with a bacterial infection reports hives and difficulty breathing after
amoxicillin was prescribed 10 years ago. The client reports a history of allergy to
sulfonamides. Which order should the nurse question?
1. Tetracycline hydrochloride.
2. Cefaclor.
3. Azithromycin.
4. Ciprofloxacin.
8. The nurse instructs a client about doxycycline calcium. The nurse should intervene if
the client makes which statement?
1. “I should wear a hat and use sunscreen when I am outside.”
1. A nurse cares for a client during an autologous blood transfusion. Thirty minutes after
the transfusion was started, the client reports chills. The client’s blood pressure has
decreased from 122/84 to 108/62. Which action will the nurse take FIRST?
1. Administer oral diphenyhydramine 25 mg.
2. Administer 0.45% sodium chloride 100 mL/hour intravenously.
3. Stop the transfusion and remove the blood infusion tubing immediately.
4. Check the client’s oral temperature and oxygen saturation level.
2. The nurse cares for a client diagnosed with a compound fracture of the left femur.
The client’s vital signs are BP 80/60, pulse 120, respirations 26, temperature 99.0°F
(37.2°C). Which IV fluid order should the nurse question?
1. Lactated Ringer’ s.
2. 0.45% sodium chloride.
3. 0.9% sodium chloride.
4. Hetastarch.
3. The health care provider orders an IV with 5% dextrose in water (D5W) started for an
86-year-old client. Which action by the nurse is BEST?
1. Instruct the client to breathe slowly and deeply during auscultation of the posterior
chest.
2. Apply the tourniquet 1 to 2 inches above the IV insertion site.
3. Apply a blood pressure cuff above the IV site insertion and inflate the cuff to the same
level as the systolic blood pressure.
4. Start the IV using the dorsal veins of the client’ s forearm on the nondominant side.
4. The nurse cares for a client receiving parenteral nutrition (PN) through a central
venous access device (CVAD). What is the MOST important action for the nurse to
take?
1. Remove the old dressing over the insertion site, moving against the direction the
catheter is inserted.
, 2. Clean the insertion site with an alcohol swab, moving from the outside to the inside in
a circular pattern.
3. Flush the unused catheter lumens with a 10 mL syringe.
4. Use clean gloves to reapply an occlusive dressing to the insertion site.
5. The nurse cares for a client receiving hetastarch intravenously. What is a priority
action for the nurse to take?
1. Assess for bilateral pretibial edema.
2. Measure the hourly urine output.
3. Obtain daily weights.
4. Auscultate lung sounds.
6. The nurse teaches a client about lorazepam. Which statement by the client requires
an intervention by the nurse?
1. “If the dose of lorazepam is increased, I may feel more sleepy than usual.”
2. “I should follow my regular diet when taking this medication.”
3. “I may feel dizzy when I take this medication.”
4. “If I have problems with this medication, I should stop it immediately.”
7. A client diagnosed with a bacterial infection reports hives and difficulty breathing after
amoxicillin was prescribed 10 years ago. The client reports a history of allergy to
sulfonamides. Which order should the nurse question?
1. Tetracycline hydrochloride.
2. Cefaclor.
3. Azithromycin.
4. Ciprofloxacin.
8. The nurse instructs a client about doxycycline calcium. The nurse should intervene if
the client makes which statement?
1. “I should wear a hat and use sunscreen when I am outside.”
