PN HESI PHARM EXAM
PN HESI PHARM EXAM STUDY GUIDE
2024-2025
While taking a client's history, the practical nurse (PN) discovers that the client, who
takes Coumadin daily, has added a ginger supplement on the advice of a friend. What
comment is critical for the PN to provide to this client? -Correct Answer ✔"Your health
care provider is interested in all medications and herbs you take."
A client with diabetes mellitus takes insulin daily and is prescribed propranolol (Inderal).
Which information should the nurse provide to this client? -Correct Answer ✔A sign of
hypoglycemia is that propranolol slows a rapid heart rate.
A client has a positive skin test for tuberculosis. What prophylactic drug should the
practical nurse (PN) expect to be prescribed for this client? -Correct Answer ✔Isoniazid
(INH)
Amitriptyline hydrochloride (Elavil) is prescribed for an adult female client who is
clinically depressed. Five days after beginning the drug, the client is admitted to the
hospital because of suicide ideation. She tells the practical nurse (PN) that the drug is
not working because she is not feeling any better. Which explanation should the PN
provide? -Correct Answer ✔"It takes 2 to 4 weeks for antidepressant medications to
become effective."
In planning care for a client diagnosed with bacterial pneumonia, which intervention
should the practical nurse implement? -Correct Answer ✔Obtain the sputum specimen
before administering prescribed antibiotics.
Phenytoin (Dilantin) is prescribed for a client who has a seizure disorder. Which
statement by the client indicates to the practical nurse that the instruction about this
drug has been effective? -Correct Answer ✔"I know that I should never stop taking this
medication abruptly."
The practical nurse (PN) is obtaining the medical history of a female client starting a
new prescription for conjugated estrogens (Premarin) 0.625 mg PO daily. Before taking
the first dose of the medication, which information is most important for the PN to obtain
from the client? -Correct Answer ✔Cigarette smoking history
A mother brings her 3-month-old infant to the well-baby clinic because the baby has
developed oral thrush. Which pharmacological agent should the practical nurse (PN)
expect to be prescribed for the thrush? -Correct Answer ✔Nystatin (Mycostatin)
The H2 receptor blocker famotidine (Pepcid) is prescribed for a client who has been
taking antacids for chronic gastritis. Which client statement indicates to the practical
PN HESI PHARM EXAM
, PN HESI PHARM EXAM
nurse (PN) that teaching was effective regarding concurrent use of these medications? -
Correct Answer ✔"I will take the antacid after meals and the Pepcid at bedtime."
A mother brings her 18-month-old child to the clinic because the child has had "bad
diarrhea" for the last 3 days. She states, "I bought some of this liquid at the pharmacy
and gave my daughter a half-ounce." The practical nurse (PN) sees that the bottle
contains loperamide (Imodium AD). What intervention is most important for the PN to
implement initially? -Correct Answer ✔Ask the mother when the child last voided.
A client who received a prescription for cyclosporine ophthalmic emulsion (Restasis) for
dry eyes asks the practical nurse (PN) if it is safe to continue using artificial tears. What
information should the PN provide? -Correct Answer ✔Allow a 15-minute interval
between the administration of Restasis and artificial tears.
The health care provider prescribes morphine sulfate grain 1/8 IM stat. Morphine is
available in 8 mg/mL. How many milliliters should the practical nurse (PN) administer? -
Correct Answer ✔1 mL
A 74-year-old female client asks the practical nurse (PN) if she should get a flu shot.
Which response should the PN provide? -Correct Answer ✔"Yes. Normal aging
decreases your immunity, making you more susceptible to contagious diseases such as
the flu."
A 78-year-old client with congestive heart failure (CHF) receives the cardiac glycoside
digoxin (Lanoxin) 0.25 mg PO daily. Which observation by the nurse indicates that the
medication has been effective? -Correct Answer ✔Clear breath sounds bilaterally.
The healthcare provider orders 1000 mL of 0.5% normal saline to run over 8 hours. The
drop factor is 15 gtt/mL. The nurse plans to adjust the flow rate to how many gtt/min?
(Round to the nearest whole number.) -Correct Answer ✔31
A client asks the practical nurse (PN) if glipizide (Glucotrol) is an oral insulin. What
answer should the PN provide? -Correct Answer ✔"No, it is not an oral insulin and can
be used only when some beta cell function is present."
A female client who started taking an oral sulfonamide for a urinary tract infection the
previous day reports to the nurse that the medication is causing slight anorexia. She
also states that she continues to experience urinary frequency, so she takes the
medication with a small sip of cranberry juice and limits her fluid intake. What
information should the practical nurse provide -Correct Answer ✔Drink a full glass of
water with the medication and drink additional fluids throughout the day
A health care provider prescribes cefadroxil (Duricef) for a client with a postoperative
infection. It is most important for the practical nurse (PN) to consider that a cross allergy
is possible with what drug allergy? -Correct Answer ✔Penicillins
PN HESI PHARM EXAM
PN HESI PHARM EXAM STUDY GUIDE
2024-2025
While taking a client's history, the practical nurse (PN) discovers that the client, who
takes Coumadin daily, has added a ginger supplement on the advice of a friend. What
comment is critical for the PN to provide to this client? -Correct Answer ✔"Your health
care provider is interested in all medications and herbs you take."
A client with diabetes mellitus takes insulin daily and is prescribed propranolol (Inderal).
Which information should the nurse provide to this client? -Correct Answer ✔A sign of
hypoglycemia is that propranolol slows a rapid heart rate.
A client has a positive skin test for tuberculosis. What prophylactic drug should the
practical nurse (PN) expect to be prescribed for this client? -Correct Answer ✔Isoniazid
(INH)
Amitriptyline hydrochloride (Elavil) is prescribed for an adult female client who is
clinically depressed. Five days after beginning the drug, the client is admitted to the
hospital because of suicide ideation. She tells the practical nurse (PN) that the drug is
not working because she is not feeling any better. Which explanation should the PN
provide? -Correct Answer ✔"It takes 2 to 4 weeks for antidepressant medications to
become effective."
In planning care for a client diagnosed with bacterial pneumonia, which intervention
should the practical nurse implement? -Correct Answer ✔Obtain the sputum specimen
before administering prescribed antibiotics.
Phenytoin (Dilantin) is prescribed for a client who has a seizure disorder. Which
statement by the client indicates to the practical nurse that the instruction about this
drug has been effective? -Correct Answer ✔"I know that I should never stop taking this
medication abruptly."
The practical nurse (PN) is obtaining the medical history of a female client starting a
new prescription for conjugated estrogens (Premarin) 0.625 mg PO daily. Before taking
the first dose of the medication, which information is most important for the PN to obtain
from the client? -Correct Answer ✔Cigarette smoking history
A mother brings her 3-month-old infant to the well-baby clinic because the baby has
developed oral thrush. Which pharmacological agent should the practical nurse (PN)
expect to be prescribed for the thrush? -Correct Answer ✔Nystatin (Mycostatin)
The H2 receptor blocker famotidine (Pepcid) is prescribed for a client who has been
taking antacids for chronic gastritis. Which client statement indicates to the practical
PN HESI PHARM EXAM
, PN HESI PHARM EXAM
nurse (PN) that teaching was effective regarding concurrent use of these medications? -
Correct Answer ✔"I will take the antacid after meals and the Pepcid at bedtime."
A mother brings her 18-month-old child to the clinic because the child has had "bad
diarrhea" for the last 3 days. She states, "I bought some of this liquid at the pharmacy
and gave my daughter a half-ounce." The practical nurse (PN) sees that the bottle
contains loperamide (Imodium AD). What intervention is most important for the PN to
implement initially? -Correct Answer ✔Ask the mother when the child last voided.
A client who received a prescription for cyclosporine ophthalmic emulsion (Restasis) for
dry eyes asks the practical nurse (PN) if it is safe to continue using artificial tears. What
information should the PN provide? -Correct Answer ✔Allow a 15-minute interval
between the administration of Restasis and artificial tears.
The health care provider prescribes morphine sulfate grain 1/8 IM stat. Morphine is
available in 8 mg/mL. How many milliliters should the practical nurse (PN) administer? -
Correct Answer ✔1 mL
A 74-year-old female client asks the practical nurse (PN) if she should get a flu shot.
Which response should the PN provide? -Correct Answer ✔"Yes. Normal aging
decreases your immunity, making you more susceptible to contagious diseases such as
the flu."
A 78-year-old client with congestive heart failure (CHF) receives the cardiac glycoside
digoxin (Lanoxin) 0.25 mg PO daily. Which observation by the nurse indicates that the
medication has been effective? -Correct Answer ✔Clear breath sounds bilaterally.
The healthcare provider orders 1000 mL of 0.5% normal saline to run over 8 hours. The
drop factor is 15 gtt/mL. The nurse plans to adjust the flow rate to how many gtt/min?
(Round to the nearest whole number.) -Correct Answer ✔31
A client asks the practical nurse (PN) if glipizide (Glucotrol) is an oral insulin. What
answer should the PN provide? -Correct Answer ✔"No, it is not an oral insulin and can
be used only when some beta cell function is present."
A female client who started taking an oral sulfonamide for a urinary tract infection the
previous day reports to the nurse that the medication is causing slight anorexia. She
also states that she continues to experience urinary frequency, so she takes the
medication with a small sip of cranberry juice and limits her fluid intake. What
information should the practical nurse provide -Correct Answer ✔Drink a full glass of
water with the medication and drink additional fluids throughout the day
A health care provider prescribes cefadroxil (Duricef) for a client with a postoperative
infection. It is most important for the practical nurse (PN) to consider that a cross allergy
is possible with what drug allergy? -Correct Answer ✔Penicillins
PN HESI PHARM EXAM
