ATI PN PHARMACOLOGY PROCTORED EXAM
REVIEW 2023/2024 QUESTIONS ANSWERS AN
RATIONALE
A provider prescribes phenobarbital for a patient 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?
• One
• Two
• Three
• Four
A (Medications with long half-lives remain at their therapeutic levels
betweendoses for long periods of time. The nurse should expect to
administer this medication once a day.)
A staff educator is reviewing medication dosages and factors that
influence medication metabolism with a group of nurses at an in-service
presentation.Which of the following factors should the educator include as
a reason to administer lower medication dosages? (Select all that apply.)
• Increased renal secretion
• Increased medication-metabolizing enzymes
• C. Liver failure
D. Peripheral vascular disease
E. Concurrent use of medication the same pathway metabolizes
Answer:
C, E
(C. Liver failure decreases metabolism and thus increases the
concentration of a medication. This requires decreasing the dosage.
E. When the same pathway metabolizes two medications, they compete
formetabolism, thereby increasing the concentration of one or both
medications. This requires decreasing the dosage of one or both)
,A nurse is preparing to administer eye drops to a patient. Which of
thefollowing actions should the nurse take? (Select all that apply.)
• Have the patient lie on her side.
• Ask the patient to look up at the ceiling.
• Tell the patient to blink when the drops enter her eye.
• Drop the medication into the center of the patient's conjunctival sac.
• Instruct the patient to close her eye gently after instillation
b, d, e
(B. The patient should look upward to keep the drops from falling onto her
cornea.
D. The nurse should drop the medication into the
center of the conjunctival sac to promote
distribution.
E. The patient should close her eye gently to promote distribution of the
medication)
A nurse is completing discharge teaching for a patient who has a new
prescription for transdermal patches. Which of the following statements
should the nurse identify as an indication that the patient understands the
instructions?
• "I will clean the site with an alcohol swab before I apply the patch."
• "I will rotate the application sites weekly."
• "I will apply the patch to an area of skin with no hair."
• "I will place the new patch on the site of the old patch.
C (The patient should apply the patch to a hairless area of skin to promote
absorption of the medication.)
A nurse reviewing a patient's medical record notes a new prescription for
verifying the trough level of the patient's medication. Which of the
followingactions should the nurse take?
• Obtain a blood specimen immediately prior to administering the next
doseof medication.
• Verify that the patient has been taking the medication for 24 hr
beforeobtaining a blood specimen.
• Ask the patient to provide a urine specimen after the next
dose ofmedication.
• Administer the medication,and obtain a blood specimen 30 min late
,A (To verify trough levels of a medication, the nurse should obtain a blood
specimen immediately before administering the next dose of medication.)
A nurse is preparing a patient's medications. Which of the following
actions should the nurse take in following legal practice guidelines? (Select
all thatapply.)
• Maintain skill competency.
• Determine the dosage.
• Monitor for adverse effects.
• D. Safeguard medications.
E. Identify the patient's diagnosis
a, c, d
(A.maintaining skill competency and using appropriate administration
techniques are legal responsibilities of the nurse
C. A nurse is legally responsible for monitoring for side and adverse effects
of medication
D. Safeguarding of medications, such as controlled substances, is a legal
responsibility of the nurse)
A nurse reviewing a patient's health record notes a new prescription for
Lisinopril 10 mg PO once every day. The nurse should identify this as
whichof the following types of prescription?
• Single
• Stat
• Routine
• Standing
C (A routine or standard prescription identifies medications to give on a
regular schedule with or without a termination date or a specific number of
doses. The nurse will administer
this medication every day until the provider discontinues it.)
A nurse is reviewing a new prescription for Ondansetron 4 mg PO PRN for
nausea and vomiting for a patient who has Hyperemesis Gravidarum. The
nurse should clarify which of the following parts of the prescription with
theprovider?
• Name
, • Dosage
• Route
• Frequency
D (This prescription does not include the time or frequency of medication
administration. The nurse must clarify this with the prescribing provide)
A nurse is admitting a patient and completing a preassessment before
administering medications. Which of the following data should the nurse
include in the preassessment? (Select all that apply.)
• Use of herbal teas
• Daily fluid intake
• Current health status
• Previous surgical history
• E. Food allergies
a, c, e
(A. The nurse should inquire about the patient's use of herbal products,
whichoften contain caffeine, prior to medication administration because
caffeine can affect medication biotransformation
C. The nurse should review the patient's current health status because
newprescriptions can cause alterations in current health status
E. The nurse should inquire about food allergies during the preassessment
toidentify any potential reactions or interactions)
A nurse orienting a newly licensed nurse is reviewing the procedure for
taking a telephone prescription. Which of the following statements
shouldthe nurse identify as an
indication that the newly licensed nurse understands the process?
A. "A second nurse enters the prescription into the patient's medical
record."
B. "Another nurse should listen to the phone call."
C. "The provider can clarify the prescription when he signs the health
record."
D. "I should omit the 'read back' if this is a one-time prescription
B (A second nurse should listen to a telephone prescription to prevent
errorsin communication.)
REVIEW 2023/2024 QUESTIONS ANSWERS AN
RATIONALE
A provider prescribes phenobarbital for a patient 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?
• One
• Two
• Three
• Four
A (Medications with long half-lives remain at their therapeutic levels
betweendoses for long periods of time. The nurse should expect to
administer this medication once a day.)
A staff educator is reviewing medication dosages and factors that
influence medication metabolism with a group of nurses at an in-service
presentation.Which of the following factors should the educator include as
a reason to administer lower medication dosages? (Select all that apply.)
• Increased renal secretion
• Increased medication-metabolizing enzymes
• C. Liver failure
D. Peripheral vascular disease
E. Concurrent use of medication the same pathway metabolizes
Answer:
C, E
(C. Liver failure decreases metabolism and thus increases the
concentration of a medication. This requires decreasing the dosage.
E. When the same pathway metabolizes two medications, they compete
formetabolism, thereby increasing the concentration of one or both
medications. This requires decreasing the dosage of one or both)
,A nurse is preparing to administer eye drops to a patient. Which of
thefollowing actions should the nurse take? (Select all that apply.)
• Have the patient lie on her side.
• Ask the patient to look up at the ceiling.
• Tell the patient to blink when the drops enter her eye.
• Drop the medication into the center of the patient's conjunctival sac.
• Instruct the patient to close her eye gently after instillation
b, d, e
(B. The patient should look upward to keep the drops from falling onto her
cornea.
D. The nurse should drop the medication into the
center of the conjunctival sac to promote
distribution.
E. The patient should close her eye gently to promote distribution of the
medication)
A nurse is completing discharge teaching for a patient who has a new
prescription for transdermal patches. Which of the following statements
should the nurse identify as an indication that the patient understands the
instructions?
• "I will clean the site with an alcohol swab before I apply the patch."
• "I will rotate the application sites weekly."
• "I will apply the patch to an area of skin with no hair."
• "I will place the new patch on the site of the old patch.
C (The patient should apply the patch to a hairless area of skin to promote
absorption of the medication.)
A nurse reviewing a patient's medical record notes a new prescription for
verifying the trough level of the patient's medication. Which of the
followingactions should the nurse take?
• Obtain a blood specimen immediately prior to administering the next
doseof medication.
• Verify that the patient has been taking the medication for 24 hr
beforeobtaining a blood specimen.
• Ask the patient to provide a urine specimen after the next
dose ofmedication.
• Administer the medication,and obtain a blood specimen 30 min late
,A (To verify trough levels of a medication, the nurse should obtain a blood
specimen immediately before administering the next dose of medication.)
A nurse is preparing a patient's medications. Which of the following
actions should the nurse take in following legal practice guidelines? (Select
all thatapply.)
• Maintain skill competency.
• Determine the dosage.
• Monitor for adverse effects.
• D. Safeguard medications.
E. Identify the patient's diagnosis
a, c, d
(A.maintaining skill competency and using appropriate administration
techniques are legal responsibilities of the nurse
C. A nurse is legally responsible for monitoring for side and adverse effects
of medication
D. Safeguarding of medications, such as controlled substances, is a legal
responsibility of the nurse)
A nurse reviewing a patient's health record notes a new prescription for
Lisinopril 10 mg PO once every day. The nurse should identify this as
whichof the following types of prescription?
• Single
• Stat
• Routine
• Standing
C (A routine or standard prescription identifies medications to give on a
regular schedule with or without a termination date or a specific number of
doses. The nurse will administer
this medication every day until the provider discontinues it.)
A nurse is reviewing a new prescription for Ondansetron 4 mg PO PRN for
nausea and vomiting for a patient who has Hyperemesis Gravidarum. The
nurse should clarify which of the following parts of the prescription with
theprovider?
• Name
, • Dosage
• Route
• Frequency
D (This prescription does not include the time or frequency of medication
administration. The nurse must clarify this with the prescribing provide)
A nurse is admitting a patient and completing a preassessment before
administering medications. Which of the following data should the nurse
include in the preassessment? (Select all that apply.)
• Use of herbal teas
• Daily fluid intake
• Current health status
• Previous surgical history
• E. Food allergies
a, c, e
(A. The nurse should inquire about the patient's use of herbal products,
whichoften contain caffeine, prior to medication administration because
caffeine can affect medication biotransformation
C. The nurse should review the patient's current health status because
newprescriptions can cause alterations in current health status
E. The nurse should inquire about food allergies during the preassessment
toidentify any potential reactions or interactions)
A nurse orienting a newly licensed nurse is reviewing the procedure for
taking a telephone prescription. Which of the following statements
shouldthe nurse identify as an
indication that the newly licensed nurse understands the process?
A. "A second nurse enters the prescription into the patient's medical
record."
B. "Another nurse should listen to the phone call."
C. "The provider can clarify the prescription when he signs the health
record."
D. "I should omit the 'read back' if this is a one-time prescription
B (A second nurse should listen to a telephone prescription to prevent
errorsin communication.)
