Chapter 01: Orientation to Pharmacology
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Burchum: Lehne’s Pharmacology for Nursing Care, 11th Edition
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1. The nurse is teaching a patient how a medication works to treat an illness. To do this, the nurse will
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rely on knowledge of which topic?
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a. Clinical pharmacology J
b. Drug efficacy J
c. Pharmacokinetics
d. Pharmacotherapeutics
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Pharmacotherapeutics is the study of the use of drugs to diagnose, treat, and prevent conditions. J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J
Clinical pharmacology is concerned with all aspects of drug-human interactions. Drug efficacy
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measures the extent to which a given drug causes an intended effect. Pharmacokinetics is the study of
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the impact of the body on a drug.
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2. What is a desired outcome when a drug is described as easy to administer?
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a. It can be stored indefinitely without need for refrigeration.
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b. It does not interact significantly with other medications.
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c. It enhances patient adherence to the drug regimen.
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d. It is usually relatively inexpensive to produce.
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A major benefit of drugs that are easy to administer is that patients taking them are more likely to
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comply with the drug regimen. Drugs that are easy to give may have the other attributes listed, but
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those properties are independent of ease of administration.
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3. A patient tells the nurse that an analgesic he will begin taking may cause drowsiness and will
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decrease pain up to 4 hours at a time. Based on this understanding of the drug’s effects by the
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patient, the nurse will anticipate which outcome?
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a. Decreased chance of having a placebo effect J J J J J J
b. Decreased motivation to take the drug J J J J J
c. Improved compliance with the drug regimen J J J J J
d. Increased likelihood of drug overdose J J J J
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A drug is effective if it produces the intended effects, even if it also produces side effects. Patients who
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understand both the risks and benefits of taking a medication are more likely to comply with the drug
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regimen.
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, Lehne’s Pharmacology for Nursing Care 11th Edition Tes Bank J
MULTIPLE RESPONSE J
1. What are considered the ‘Big Three’ properties of an ideal drug? (Select all that apply.)
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a. Irreversible action J
b. Effectiveness
c. Safety
d. Selectivity
e. A recognizable trade name J J J
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The ‘Big Three’ properties of the ideal drug are effectiveness, safety, and selectivity. PTS:
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1
2. Before administering a medication, what does the nurse need to know to evaluate how individual
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patient variability might affect the patient’s response to the medication? (Select all that apply.)
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a. Chemical stability of the medication J J J J
b. Ease of administration J J
c. Family medical history J J
d. Patient’s age J
e. Patient’s diagnosis J
ANS: C, D, E J J J
The family medical history can indicate genetic factors that may affect a patient’s response to a
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medication. Patients of different ages can respond differently to medications. The patient’s illness
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can affect how drugs are metabolized. The chemical stability of the medication and the ease of
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administration are properties of drugs. J J J J
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Chapter 02: Application of Pharmacology in Nursing Practice
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Burchum: Lehne’s Pharmacology for Nursing Care, 11th Edition
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MULTIPLE CHOICE J
1. A patient is using a metered-dose inhaler containing albuterol for asthma. The medication label
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instructs the patient to administer “2 puffs every 4 hours as needed for coughing or wheezing.” The
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patient reports feeling jittery sometimes when taking the medication, and doesn’t feel that the
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medication is always effective. Which action is outside the nurse’s scope of practice?
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a. Asking the patient to demonstrate the use of the inhaler J J J J J J J J J
b. Assessing the patient’s exposure to tobacco smoke J J J J J J
c. Auscultating lung sounds and obtaining vital signs J J J J J J
d. Suggesting that the patient use 1 puff to reduce side effects J J J J J J J J J J
ANS: D J
, Lehne’s Pharmacology for Nursing Care 11th Edition Tes Bank J
It is not within the nurse’s scope of practice to change the dose of a medication without an order from a
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prescriber. Asking the patient to demonstrate inhaler use helps the nurse to evaluate the patient’s ability
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to administer the medication properly and is part of the nurse’s evaluation.
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Assessing tobacco smoke exposure helps the nurse determine whether nondrug therapies, such a smoke
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avoidance, can be used as an adjunct to drug therapy. Performing a physical assessment helps the nurse
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evaluate the patient’s response to the medication. J J J J J J
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2. A postoperative patient is being discharged home with acetaminophen/hydrocodone [Norco] for
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pain. The patient asks the nurse about using Tylenol for fever. Which statement by the nurse is
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correct?
a. “It is not safe to take over-the-counter drugs with prescription medications.”
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b. “Taking the two medications together poses a risk of drug toxicity.” J J J J J J J J J J
c. “There are no known drug interactions, so this will be safe.” J J J J J J J J J J
d. “Tylenol and Norco are different drugs, so there is no risk of overdose.” J J J J J J J J J J J J
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Tylenol is the trade name and acetaminophen is the generic name for the same medication. It is
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important to teach patients to be aware of the different names for the same drug to minimize the risk of
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overdose. Over-the-counter (OTC) medications and prescription medications may be taken together
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unless significant harmful drug interactions are possible. Even though no drug interactions are at play
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in this case, both drugs contain acetaminophen, which could lead to toxicity.
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3. The nurse is preparing to care for a patient who will be taking an antihypertensive medication.
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Which action by the nurse is part of the assessment step of the nursing process?
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a. Asking the prescriber for an order to monitor serum drug levels J J J J J J J J J J
b. Monitoring the patient for drug interactions after giving the medication J J J J J J J J J
c. Questioning the patient about over-the-counter medications J J J J J
d. Taking the patient’s blood pressure throughout the course of treatment J J J J J J J J J
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The assessment part of the nursing process involves gathering information before beginning
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treatment, and this includes asking about other medications the patient may be taking.
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Monitoring serum drug levels, watching for drug interactions, and checking vital signs after giving the
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medication are all part of the evaluation phase. J J J J J J J
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4. A postoperative patient reports pain, which the patient rates as an 8 on a scale from 1 to 10 (10 being
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the most extreme pain). The prescriber has ordered acetaminophen [Tylenol] 650 mg PO every 6
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hours PRN pain. What will the nurse do?
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a. Ask the patient what medications have helped with pain in the past.
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b. Contact the provider to request a different analgesic medication. J J J J J J J J
c. Give the pain medication and reposition the patient to promote comfort.
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, Lehne’s Pharmacology for Nursing Care 11th Edition Tes Bank J
d. Request an order to administer the medication every 4 hours. J J J J J J J J J
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The nursing diagnosis for this patient is severe pain. Acetaminophen is given for mild to moderate
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pain, so the nurse should ask the prescriber to order a stronger analgesic medication. Asking the
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patient to tell the nurse what has helped in the past is part of an initial assessment and should be done
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preoperatively and not when the patient is having severe pain. Because the patient is having severe
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pain, acetaminophen combined with nondrug therapies will not be sufficient. Increasing the
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frequency of the dose of a medication for mild pain will not be effective.
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5. A patient newly diagnosed with diabetes is to be discharged from the hospital. The nurse
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teaching this patient about home management should begin by doing what?
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a. Asking the patient to demonstrate how to measure and administer insulin
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b. Discussing methods of storing insulin and discarding syringes J J J J J J J
c. Giving information about how diet and exercise affect insulin requirements
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d. Teaching the patient about the long-term consequences of poor diabetes control J J J J J J J J J J
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Because insulin must be given correctly to control symptoms and because an overdose can be fatal, it
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is most important for the patient to know how to administer it. Asking for a demonstration of
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technique is the best way to determine whether the patient has understood the teaching. When a
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patient is receiving a lot of new information, the information presented first is the most likely to be
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remembered. The other teaching points are important as well, but they are not as critical and can be
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taught later. J
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6. The nurse receives an order to give morphine 5 mg IV every 2 hours PRN pain. Which action is
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not part of the six rights of drug administration?
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a. Assessing the patient’s pain level 15 to 30 minutes after giving the medication J J J J J J J J J J J J
b. Checking the medication administration record to see when the last dose was J J J J J J J J J J J J
administered
c. Consulting a drug manual to determine whether the amount the prescriber ordered is J J J J J J J J J J J J J
appropriate
d. Documenting the reason the medication was given in the patient’s electronic J J J J J J J J J J J
medical record J
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Assessing the patient’s pain after administering the medication is an important part of the nursing
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process when giving medications, but it is not part of the six rights of drug administration.
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Checking to see when the last dose was given helps ensure that the medication is given at the right
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time. Consulting a drug manual helps ensure that the medication is given in the right dose.
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Documenting the reason for a pain medication is an important part of the right documentation— the
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sixth right. J
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