WGU D116 – PHARMACOLOGY FOR ADVANCED NURSING PRACTICE
| 2025–2026 PRE-ASSESSMENT ANSWERS |80 VERIFIED QUESTIONS
& A+ CORRECT answers
This WGU D116 pre-assessment guide is tailored for advanced nursing students
preparing for the pharmacology exam. The document includes realistic clinical
scenarios and precise answer explanations related to beta-blocker interactions
with bronchodilators, lipid solubility and drug transfer into breast milk,
morphine-induced constipation mechanisms, and the expected
pharmacodynamic effects of dobutamine in cardiogenic shock. Every answer
is aligned with current pharmacological standards, ensuring you study what
matters most for success at WGU.
How will these drug interactions affect this patient?
An elderly patient with a history of asthma and hypertension presents to the emergency department
complaining of chest pain and shortness of breath. The advanced practice registered nurse (APRN)
reviews the patient's current medications and notes that the patient is taking propranolol and
inhaled albuterol.
✓ Propranolol can decrease albuterol's therapeutic effect.
A 35-year-old mother who is currently breastfeeding her four-month-old baby comes to a clinic for
an evaluation of a sinus infection. The advanced practice registered nurse needs to prescribe
medication that does not pass across the membrane into the breast milk.
✓ Lipid-soluble
A 42-year-old patient suffering from pain due to cancer comes to a clinic and visits with the
advanced practice registered nurse (APRN). The APRN previously had prescribed morphine to treat
the pain. The patient is concerned because her bowel movements have become irregular and asks
the APRN why she is experiencing constipation.
How should the APRN respond?
✓ The drug depresses peristalsis, prolonging drug transit time.
, An advanced practice registered nurse is prescribing dobutamine for a patient in cardiogenic shock.
Which outcome is expected when this drug is used?
✓ Increases heart rate
An advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) volunteers one day per month at a local free clinic in
the community and is seeing a 43-year-old Caucasian patient with hypertension. The patient's blood
pressure is 196/100, and the patient states being prescribed three blood pressure medications:
metoprolol 100 mg bid, losartan 50 mg daily, and clonidine 0.1 mg tid.
The patient states that there is no way to check blood pressure, and upon reviewing all the patient's
medications, the APRN notes that the losartan has not been filled for three months and only 10 pills
remain. The patient admits taking half the prescribed dose so the pills last longer.
Which action should be taken by the APRN?
✓ Enroll the patient in the local Mission prescription assistance program
A 78-year-old woman is diagnosed with chronic open-angle glaucoma. She has a past history of first-
degree atrioventricular block and bradycardia.
Which medication should be avoided by this patient?
✓ Timolol
An advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) is evaluating a patient at a six-month follow-up
appointment. The patient is taking cimetidine 1 g at bedtime, metoprolol 100 mg daily, aspirin 81 mg
daily, and metformin 1 g daily. The patient's vitals are BP 160/90, pulse 110, respirations 12, and
temperature 97.8°F.
The patient is concerned that her blood pressure and pulse are still elevated. The patient tells the
APRN she does not want to take another pill because she feels she is taking too many.
Which action should the APRN take next?
✓ Change the cimetidine to ranitidine because the original drug may decrease the
effectiveness of the metoprolol
| 2025–2026 PRE-ASSESSMENT ANSWERS |80 VERIFIED QUESTIONS
& A+ CORRECT answers
This WGU D116 pre-assessment guide is tailored for advanced nursing students
preparing for the pharmacology exam. The document includes realistic clinical
scenarios and precise answer explanations related to beta-blocker interactions
with bronchodilators, lipid solubility and drug transfer into breast milk,
morphine-induced constipation mechanisms, and the expected
pharmacodynamic effects of dobutamine in cardiogenic shock. Every answer
is aligned with current pharmacological standards, ensuring you study what
matters most for success at WGU.
How will these drug interactions affect this patient?
An elderly patient with a history of asthma and hypertension presents to the emergency department
complaining of chest pain and shortness of breath. The advanced practice registered nurse (APRN)
reviews the patient's current medications and notes that the patient is taking propranolol and
inhaled albuterol.
✓ Propranolol can decrease albuterol's therapeutic effect.
A 35-year-old mother who is currently breastfeeding her four-month-old baby comes to a clinic for
an evaluation of a sinus infection. The advanced practice registered nurse needs to prescribe
medication that does not pass across the membrane into the breast milk.
✓ Lipid-soluble
A 42-year-old patient suffering from pain due to cancer comes to a clinic and visits with the
advanced practice registered nurse (APRN). The APRN previously had prescribed morphine to treat
the pain. The patient is concerned because her bowel movements have become irregular and asks
the APRN why she is experiencing constipation.
How should the APRN respond?
✓ The drug depresses peristalsis, prolonging drug transit time.
, An advanced practice registered nurse is prescribing dobutamine for a patient in cardiogenic shock.
Which outcome is expected when this drug is used?
✓ Increases heart rate
An advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) volunteers one day per month at a local free clinic in
the community and is seeing a 43-year-old Caucasian patient with hypertension. The patient's blood
pressure is 196/100, and the patient states being prescribed three blood pressure medications:
metoprolol 100 mg bid, losartan 50 mg daily, and clonidine 0.1 mg tid.
The patient states that there is no way to check blood pressure, and upon reviewing all the patient's
medications, the APRN notes that the losartan has not been filled for three months and only 10 pills
remain. The patient admits taking half the prescribed dose so the pills last longer.
Which action should be taken by the APRN?
✓ Enroll the patient in the local Mission prescription assistance program
A 78-year-old woman is diagnosed with chronic open-angle glaucoma. She has a past history of first-
degree atrioventricular block and bradycardia.
Which medication should be avoided by this patient?
✓ Timolol
An advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) is evaluating a patient at a six-month follow-up
appointment. The patient is taking cimetidine 1 g at bedtime, metoprolol 100 mg daily, aspirin 81 mg
daily, and metformin 1 g daily. The patient's vitals are BP 160/90, pulse 110, respirations 12, and
temperature 97.8°F.
The patient is concerned that her blood pressure and pulse are still elevated. The patient tells the
APRN she does not want to take another pill because she feels she is taking too many.
Which action should the APRN take next?
✓ Change the cimetidine to ranitidine because the original drug may decrease the
effectiveness of the metoprolol
