RN ATI PHARMACOLOGY PROCTORED EXAM NEWEST 2025 2 VERSIONS EACH
VERSION WITH 70 QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT DETAILED ANSWERS WITH RATIONALES
(VERIFIED ANSWERS) |ALREADY GRADED A+
ATI PHARM VERSION 1
A nurse is preparing to administer heparin subcutaneously to a client. Which of
the following actions should the nurse plan to take?
a. administer the medication outside the 5 cm (2 in) radius of the umbilicus
b. aspirate for blood return before injecting
c. rub vigorously after the injection to promote absorption
d. place a pressure dressing on the injection site to prevent bleeding -
....ANSWER...a. administer the medication outside the 5 cm (2 in) radius of the
umbilicus
RATIONALE: -the nurse should administer the heparin by subcutaneous injection
to the abdomen in an area that is above the iliac crest and at least 5 cm (2 in)
away from the umbilicus
-the nurse should not aspirate by pulling back on the plunger of the heparin
syringe to check for a blood return, because this will cause the injection site to
bruise
-the nurse should apply firm pressure to the injection site for 1-2 min after the
administration of the heparin to prevent bruising
A nurse at an urgent care clinic is collecting a history from a female client who
has a urinary tract infection. The nurse anticipates a prescription for
ciprofloxacin. The nurse should identify that which of the following client
statements indicates a contraindication for administering this medication?
a. "I have tendonitis, so I haven't been able to exercise."
b. "I take a stool softener for chronic constipation."
,c. "I take medicine for my thyroid."
d. "I am allergic to sulfa." - ....ANSWER...a. "I have tendonitis, so I haven't been
able to exercise."
RATIONALE: -the nurse should identify tendonitis as a contraindication for taking
ciprofloxacin due to the risk of tendon rupture
-diarrhea is an adverse effect of this medication
-ciprofloxacin is a quinolone antibiotic
A nurse is reviewing the laboratory results for a client who is receiving heparin
via continuous IV infusion for deep-vein thrombosis. The nurse should
discontinue the medication infusion for which of the following client findings?
a. potassium 5.0 mEq/L
b. aPTT 2 times the control
c. hemoglobin 15 g/dL
d. platelets 96,000 mm3 - ....ANSWER...d. platelets 96,000 mm3 RATIONALE: -a
platelet count of 96,000 mm3 is below the expected range of 150,000-400,000
mm3. A platelet countless than 100,000 mm3 while receiving heparin can
indicate heparin-induced thrombocytopenia, a potentially fatal condition that
requires stopping the infusion
-an Hgb of 15 g/dL is within the expected range or 14-18 g/dL for a male and 12-
16 g/dL for a female and is not an indication to stop the heparin infusion
A nurse is caring for a client who is in labor. The client is receiving oxytocin by
continuous IV infusion with a maintenance IV solution. The external FHR
monitor indicates late decelerations. Which of the following actions should the
nurse take first?
a. turn the client to a side-lying position
b. disconnect the clients oxytocin from the maintenance IV
c. apply oxygen to the client by face mask
d. increase the client's maintenance IV infusion rate - ....ANSWER...a. turn the
client to a side-lying position
RATIONALE: -the greatest risk to the fetus experiencing late decelerations is
injury from uteroplacental insufficiency. Therefore,
,the priority action the nurse should take is to place the client in a lateral position
-the nurse should increase the client's maintenance IV infusion rate to maintain
adequate blood flow and promote placental perfusion.
However, another action is the nurse's priority
-all of these answers are correct, however, turning the client to the side is the
nurse's priority
A nurse is preparing to administer medications to a client who tells the nurse, "I
don't want to take my fluid pill until I get home today." Which of the following
actions should the nurse take?
a. document the refusal and inform the client's provider
b. file an incident report with the risk manager
c. contact the pharmacist to pick up the medication
d. give the client the medication to take home and document that it was
administered - ....ANSWER...a. document the refusal and inform the client's
provider
RATIONALE: -the nurse has the responsibility to verify that the client
understands the risks of refusing the medication so that an informed decision
can be made. The nurse should then document the refusal in the client's medical
record and notify the HCP
-an incident report is necessary for a medication error
-the nurse should follow protocols for discarding the medication. It is not the role
of the pharmacist to retrieve medications that a client refuses to take
-the nurse should not give the client a scheduled medication to take at home and
then document that it was administered, because this violates the ethical
principle of accountability
A nurse at a clinic is providing follow-up care to a client who is taking fluoxetine
for depression. Which of the following findings should the nurse identify as an
adverse effect of the medication?
a. tingling toes
b. sexual dysfunction
c. absence of dreams
d. pica - ....ANSWER...b. sexual dysfunction
, RATIONALE: -sexual dysfunction, including a decreased libido, impotence, and
delayed orgasm, or anorgasmia, is a common adverse effect of fluoxetine and
occurs in about 70% of clients who take this SSRI antidepressant
-fluoxetine is an SSRI that can cause muscle twitching
-fluoxetine can cause CNS adverse effect including abnormal dreaming, sedation,
delusions, hallucinations, and psychosis
-fluoxetine can cause neurologic adverse effects such as agitation, euphoria, and
sedation
A nurse is preparing to administer PO sodium polystyrene sulfonate to a client
who has hyperkalemia. Which of the following actions should the nurse plan to
take?
a. hold the client's other oral medication for 8 hr post administration
b. inform the client that his medication can turn stool a light tan color
c. keep the client's solution in the refrigerator for up to 72 hours
d. monitor the client for constipation - ....ANSWER...d. monitor the client for
constipation
RATIONALE: -the nurse should monitor the client for the adverse effect of
constipation and report it to the provider because this can lead to fecal
impaction
-the nurse should hold the client's other medications for 6 hr before and after
administration of sodium polystyrene sulfonate
-sodium polystyrene sulfonate will not alter the color of the client's stool and is
stable for 24 hr when refrigerated
A nurse is preparing to administer a scheduled antibiotic at 0800 to a client and
discovers the antibiotic is not present in the client's medication drawer. The
nurse should identify that administration of the medication can occur at which of
the following time periods without requiring an incident report?
a. 1000
b. 0900
c. 0830
d. 1200 - ....ANSWER...c. 0830
VERSION WITH 70 QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT DETAILED ANSWERS WITH RATIONALES
(VERIFIED ANSWERS) |ALREADY GRADED A+
ATI PHARM VERSION 1
A nurse is preparing to administer heparin subcutaneously to a client. Which of
the following actions should the nurse plan to take?
a. administer the medication outside the 5 cm (2 in) radius of the umbilicus
b. aspirate for blood return before injecting
c. rub vigorously after the injection to promote absorption
d. place a pressure dressing on the injection site to prevent bleeding -
....ANSWER...a. administer the medication outside the 5 cm (2 in) radius of the
umbilicus
RATIONALE: -the nurse should administer the heparin by subcutaneous injection
to the abdomen in an area that is above the iliac crest and at least 5 cm (2 in)
away from the umbilicus
-the nurse should not aspirate by pulling back on the plunger of the heparin
syringe to check for a blood return, because this will cause the injection site to
bruise
-the nurse should apply firm pressure to the injection site for 1-2 min after the
administration of the heparin to prevent bruising
A nurse at an urgent care clinic is collecting a history from a female client who
has a urinary tract infection. The nurse anticipates a prescription for
ciprofloxacin. The nurse should identify that which of the following client
statements indicates a contraindication for administering this medication?
a. "I have tendonitis, so I haven't been able to exercise."
b. "I take a stool softener for chronic constipation."
,c. "I take medicine for my thyroid."
d. "I am allergic to sulfa." - ....ANSWER...a. "I have tendonitis, so I haven't been
able to exercise."
RATIONALE: -the nurse should identify tendonitis as a contraindication for taking
ciprofloxacin due to the risk of tendon rupture
-diarrhea is an adverse effect of this medication
-ciprofloxacin is a quinolone antibiotic
A nurse is reviewing the laboratory results for a client who is receiving heparin
via continuous IV infusion for deep-vein thrombosis. The nurse should
discontinue the medication infusion for which of the following client findings?
a. potassium 5.0 mEq/L
b. aPTT 2 times the control
c. hemoglobin 15 g/dL
d. platelets 96,000 mm3 - ....ANSWER...d. platelets 96,000 mm3 RATIONALE: -a
platelet count of 96,000 mm3 is below the expected range of 150,000-400,000
mm3. A platelet countless than 100,000 mm3 while receiving heparin can
indicate heparin-induced thrombocytopenia, a potentially fatal condition that
requires stopping the infusion
-an Hgb of 15 g/dL is within the expected range or 14-18 g/dL for a male and 12-
16 g/dL for a female and is not an indication to stop the heparin infusion
A nurse is caring for a client who is in labor. The client is receiving oxytocin by
continuous IV infusion with a maintenance IV solution. The external FHR
monitor indicates late decelerations. Which of the following actions should the
nurse take first?
a. turn the client to a side-lying position
b. disconnect the clients oxytocin from the maintenance IV
c. apply oxygen to the client by face mask
d. increase the client's maintenance IV infusion rate - ....ANSWER...a. turn the
client to a side-lying position
RATIONALE: -the greatest risk to the fetus experiencing late decelerations is
injury from uteroplacental insufficiency. Therefore,
,the priority action the nurse should take is to place the client in a lateral position
-the nurse should increase the client's maintenance IV infusion rate to maintain
adequate blood flow and promote placental perfusion.
However, another action is the nurse's priority
-all of these answers are correct, however, turning the client to the side is the
nurse's priority
A nurse is preparing to administer medications to a client who tells the nurse, "I
don't want to take my fluid pill until I get home today." Which of the following
actions should the nurse take?
a. document the refusal and inform the client's provider
b. file an incident report with the risk manager
c. contact the pharmacist to pick up the medication
d. give the client the medication to take home and document that it was
administered - ....ANSWER...a. document the refusal and inform the client's
provider
RATIONALE: -the nurse has the responsibility to verify that the client
understands the risks of refusing the medication so that an informed decision
can be made. The nurse should then document the refusal in the client's medical
record and notify the HCP
-an incident report is necessary for a medication error
-the nurse should follow protocols for discarding the medication. It is not the role
of the pharmacist to retrieve medications that a client refuses to take
-the nurse should not give the client a scheduled medication to take at home and
then document that it was administered, because this violates the ethical
principle of accountability
A nurse at a clinic is providing follow-up care to a client who is taking fluoxetine
for depression. Which of the following findings should the nurse identify as an
adverse effect of the medication?
a. tingling toes
b. sexual dysfunction
c. absence of dreams
d. pica - ....ANSWER...b. sexual dysfunction
, RATIONALE: -sexual dysfunction, including a decreased libido, impotence, and
delayed orgasm, or anorgasmia, is a common adverse effect of fluoxetine and
occurs in about 70% of clients who take this SSRI antidepressant
-fluoxetine is an SSRI that can cause muscle twitching
-fluoxetine can cause CNS adverse effect including abnormal dreaming, sedation,
delusions, hallucinations, and psychosis
-fluoxetine can cause neurologic adverse effects such as agitation, euphoria, and
sedation
A nurse is preparing to administer PO sodium polystyrene sulfonate to a client
who has hyperkalemia. Which of the following actions should the nurse plan to
take?
a. hold the client's other oral medication for 8 hr post administration
b. inform the client that his medication can turn stool a light tan color
c. keep the client's solution in the refrigerator for up to 72 hours
d. monitor the client for constipation - ....ANSWER...d. monitor the client for
constipation
RATIONALE: -the nurse should monitor the client for the adverse effect of
constipation and report it to the provider because this can lead to fecal
impaction
-the nurse should hold the client's other medications for 6 hr before and after
administration of sodium polystyrene sulfonate
-sodium polystyrene sulfonate will not alter the color of the client's stool and is
stable for 24 hr when refrigerated
A nurse is preparing to administer a scheduled antibiotic at 0800 to a client and
discovers the antibiotic is not present in the client's medication drawer. The
nurse should identify that administration of the medication can occur at which of
the following time periods without requiring an incident report?
a. 1000
b. 0900
c. 0830
d. 1200 - ....ANSWER...c. 0830
