Pharmacology HESI Exam Questions with Verified Answers Graded A 2024

A client who is taking an oral dose of tetracycline reports gastrointestinal upset. Which snack should the nurse instruct the client to take with the tetracycline? a. Fruit-flavored yogurt b. Toasted wheat bread and jelly c. Cold cereal with skim milk d. Cheese and crackers - B. The nurse is assessing the eyes of a client who just received mydriatic eye drops. Which physiological function of the eye will not respond during the therapeutic period after administration of eye drops? a. Refraction b. Eye convergence c. Pupillary constriction d. Accommodation - C. A older male client is being discharged after a myocardial infacrtion (MI) and receives a new prescription for atenolol. Which instruction is most important for the nurse to include in her clients teaching plan? a. Avoid intake of alcoholic beverages. b. Avoid driving or operating machinery. c. Take a missed dose as soon as possible. d. Standing slowly when getting up from bed - D. The healthcare provider prescribes vancomycin 500 mg IV every 12 hours for a client with methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Review of the client's laboratory values shows that serum peak and trough levels are within the desired therapeutic range and the serum creatinine level is 4.5 mg/dL. Which action should the nurse implement? a. Withhold the next scheduled dose and contact the healthcare provider. b. Monitor the laboratory values until all prescribed doses have been given. c. Administer the next dose and flag the results for the healthcare provider. d. Insert a second IV catheter for the administration of emergency IV fluids. - A. After taking orlistat for one week, a female client tells the home health nurse that she is experiencing increasingly frequent oily stools and flatus. Which action should the nurse take? a. Instruct the client to increase her intake of saturated fats Pharmacology HESI Exam Questions with Verified Answers Graded A 2024 over the next week. b. Obtain a stool specimen to evaluate for occult blood and fat content. c. Ask the client to describe her dietary intake history for the last several days. d. Advise the client to stop taking the drug and contact her healthcare provider. - C. 6. A client receiving a heparin sodium infusion develops hemoptysis. The nurse reviews the client's laboratory values to include hemoglobin 8 g/dL and platelet count of 50,000/mm3. Vital signs are: oxygen saturation 92% on 50% venturi mask, heart rate 130 beats/minute, respiration 32 breaths/minute, and blood pressure 76/50mmHg. Which intervention should the nurse implement first? a. Obtain consent for a blood transfusion. b. Stop the heparin sodium infusion. c. Titrate Venturi mask oxygen to 60%. d. Administer protamine sulfate. - B. The nurse is teaching a client with coronary artery disease about a newly prescribed medication, atorvastatin. The client plans to take the medication in the morning with breakfast. Which food choices are best for the nurse to recommend that the client should include with the meal? (select all that apply) a. Whole milk. b. Low fat yogurt. c. Oatmeal. d. Sliced grapefruit. e. Whole banana. - C, E A client received succinylcholine, a depolarizing neuromuscular blocking agent during surgery. Which assessment finding is most important for the nurse to report to the surgeon? a. Observable skin flushing. b. Ventricular tachycardia c. Neck and shoulder pain d. Blood pressure 114/72 mm/Hg - B. A client, who has a myocardial infarction last year, has a daily prescription for aspirin 325 mg by mouth. Which assessment finding should alert the nurse to withhold the medication? a. Low prothrombin time. b. High white blood cell count. c. Oral temperature of 97.9 F. d. Low platelet count. - D. A nurse administered a second dose of an opioid containing codeine and acetaminophen to a client fifteen minutes after a first dose was administered by another nurse, because the first dose was not documented in the medication record. Which intervention is most important for the nurse to implement? a. Assess the client's pain on a 10 point scale. b. Obtain a serum liver enzyme panel. c. Complete a medication error form. d. Evaluate the client's vital signs. - D. Azithromycin is prescribed to a client with Chlamydia trachomatis. In providing client teaching about the medication, the nurse should emphasize the importance of reporting the onset of which symptom to the healthcare provider? a. Yellow sclera. b. Headache. c. Urinary frequency. d. Flatulence and nausea. - D. Before administering a newly prescribed dose of terbinafine HCL to a client with a fungal toenail infection, which assessment finding is most important for the nurse to address? a. White blood cell count of 8,500/mm3 b. Employed as a construction worker. c. Toenails appear thick and yellow. d. Reported history of alcoholism. - D. The nurse administers naloxone to a client with opioid-induced respiratory depression. One hour later, nursing assessment reveals that the client has a respiratory rate of 4 breaths/minute, oxygen saturation of 75%, and is unable to be aroused. Which action should the nurse implement? a. Initiate cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). b. Prepare to assist with chest tube insertion. c. Administer a second dose of naloxone. d. Determine Glasgow coma scale. - A. An older adult client with restless legs syndrome begins taking melatonin at bedtime. When evaluating the effectiveness of the herb, which client assessment should the nurse complete? a. Determine sleep patterns. b. Palpate pedal pulse volume. c. Observe for peripheral edema. d. Assess anxiety level. - A. A client who is newly diagnosed with erosive esophagitis secondary to GERD reports to the home health nurse that there has been only a minimal reduction in symptoms after taking lansoprazole PO for one full week. Which action should the nurse take? a. Auscultate the client's bowel sounds and measure abdominal girth. b. Notify the healthcare provider that the client may need a change in dosage. c. Advise the client that healing typically takes several weeks to occur. d. Confirm that the client is taking the medication one hour after meals. - C. A client recently diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease receives a new prescription for carbidopa levodopa, a dopaminergic drug. To reduce the client's risk for injury, which instruction should the nurse provide? a. Use caution when changing from sitting to standing position. b. Place small rugs on smooth surfaces such as tile or wood floors. c. Ambulate using a four-point cane or a walker with wheels. d. Obtain a hospital bed with side rails and an over-bed trapeze. - C. A client diagnosed with myasthenia gravis receives a prescription for the anticholinesterase medication, pyridostigmine. Which intervention should the nurse implement when preparing to administer this medication? a. Schedule the medication to be given just before bedtime. b. Administer the medication thirty minutes prior to meals. c. Break the medication into small pieces and sprinkle onto food. d. Instruct the client to avoid dairy products for at least 30 minutes. - B. A client who is receiving pregabalin for fibromyalgia complains of tremors in the hands. Which action should the nurse implement? a. Collect a capillary glucose level. b. Administer a PRN dose of an antianxiety drug. c. Notify the healthcare provider. d. Obtain orthostatic blood pressure readings. - C. A client scheduled to receive an IM dose of corticotropin tells the nurse about feeling swollen and gaining weight. The client no longer wants to take the medication. What action should the nurse take? a. Distract the client while administering the medication in the deltoid site. b. Hold the dose and document the client's refusal to take the medication. c. Inform the client that fluid retention indicates the need for an increased dose. d. Explain the need to reduce salt intake while the medication dose is tapered off. - D. The nurse is interviewing a client who takes a daily antihypertensive medication. Current blood pressure reading is 124/80 mmHg. Which client statement supports the nursing problem of, "knowledge deficit of medication regimen"? a. "If I skip a dose of my antihypertensive medication, my blood pressure will go up again." b. "My blood pressure is normal because the antihypertensive medication is working." c. "I will save my blood pressure medicine for tomorrow since my blood pressure is good today." d. I realize high blood pressure can damage my kidneys without my even knowing it is happening." - C A client with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is receiving calcium acetate 667 mg by mouth. A decrease in which blood value indicates to the nurse that the medication is having the desired effect? a. pH b. Potassium c. Calcium d. Phosphate - D. Prior to administering oral doses of calcitriol and calcium carbonate to a client with hypoparathyroidism, the nurse notes that the client's total calcium level is 14 mg/dL. Which action should the nurse implement? a. Hold the calcitriol but administer the calcium carbonate as scheduled. b. Hold the calcium carbonate but administer the calcitriol as scheduled. c. Hold both medications until contacting the healthcare provider. d. Administer both prescribed medications as scheduled. - C. The nurse is caring for a client receiving regular insulin prescribed per sliding scale. If a regular insulin is administered at 0730, which additional nursing action is indicated for this client? a. Ensure that the client eats breakfast. b. Assess the client for hypoglycemia around 1500. c. Provide a mid-afternoon snack for the client. d. Perform a glucometer reading at 1000. - A The nurse is developing a plan of care for a client who takes hydroxychloroquine for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Which recommendation should the nurse provide the client to monitor side effects from this drug? a. Undergo annual bone density exams. b. Take folic acid 1 mg every day. c. Obtain monthly chest radiographs. d. Schedule an ophthalmic exam every 6 to 12 months. - D. Two months after taking nitrofurantoin for a bacterial infection, a client reports the onset of severe, watery diarrhea to the home health nurse. How should the nurse respond? a. Explain that the diarrhea maybe an adverse effect that requires further evaluation. b. Determine if the full course of the initial prescription of medication was taken. c. Offer instructions about the use of an over-the-counter antidiarrheal medication. d. Advise that the infection has returned, and additional medication will be needed - A. The nurse notes that a client has been receiving hydromorphone every six hours for four days. Which assessment is most important for the nurse to complete? a. Measure the client's capillary glucose level. b. Observe for edema around the ankles. c. Count the apical and radial pulses simultaneously. d. Auscultate the client's bowel sounds. - D. The nurse is caring for a client who is taking diclofenac, a non-steroidal anti- inflammatory drug (NSAID) for rheumatoid arthritis. During a clinic visit, the client appears pale and reports increasing fatigue. Which of the client's serum laboratory values is most important for the nurse to review? a. Sodium. b. Glucose. c. Hemoglobin. d. Total protein. - C.