Deck 3: Principles of Drug Administration

Question 1

What is the best plan as the nurse prepares to administer a topical medication?

A) Check the medication for interactions with other medications.
B) Take the patient's vital signs.
C) Educate the patient to not disturb the patch.
D) Assess the patient's skin where the medication will be applied.

Answer 1

Assess the patient's skin where the medication will be applied.

Question 2

A young patient has been receiving five milliliters of liquid antibiotic three times each day. The nurse providing discharge instructions would teach the parents to use a standard measuring spoon to administer which amount for each dose?

A) 2 tablespoons
B) 1 fluid ounce
C) 15 drops
D) 1 teaspoon

Answer 2

1 teaspoon

Question 3

The physician has ordered several medications for the patient. What does the nurse recognize as responsibilities regarding administration of medications?

A) Knowing whether or not the medication is on the hospital formulary
B) Knowing the reason the medication was prescribed for this patient
C) Knowing how the medication is to be administered
D) Knowing how the medication is supplied by the pharmacy
E) Knowing the name of the medication

Answer 3

Knowing the reason the medication was prescribed for this patient
Knowing how the medication is to be administered
Knowing how the medication is supplied by the pharmacy
Knowing the name of the medication

Question 4

The physician prescribes an oral medication for the patient. What is the primary nursing assessment of the patient prior to receiving this medication?

A) The patient's understanding of the medication
B) The patient's ability to swallow
C) The patient's allergies
D) The patient's eyesight

Question 5

The nurse is preparing medications prior to administration. To promote patient safety, the nurse uses "rights" of drug administration. What do these "rights" include?

A) The right medication
B) The right time of delivery
C) The right dose
D) The right route of administration
E) The right nurse

Question 6

The physician orders enteric-coated aspirin, 300 mg every day, for the patient with a nasogastric tube. What is the priority action by the nurse?

A) Crush the tablet, dissolve it in 30 mL of water, and administer through the tube.
B) Put the tablet in the tube, "milk" it down the tube, and then flush the tube with 60 mL of water.
C) Withhold the medication and contact the physician.
D) Substitute plain aspirin, dissolve it in 30 mL of water, and administer through the tube.

Question 7

A client will receive a liter of fluid intravenously to treat dehydration. The client says, "I don't understand the metric system, how much is that?" The nurse responds, "It is about ______ cups of fluid."

Question 8

While in the hospital, the pediatric patient has been receiving amoxicillin 10 mL orally bid, pc. The child will be going home on this medication. What is the best instruction by the nurse for the parents?

A) Give 2 teaspoons by mouth, 3 times a day, on an empty stomach.
B) Give 2 teaspoons by mouth, twice a day, after meals.
C) Give 2 teaspoons by mouth, 3 times a day, after meals.
D) Give 2 teaspoons by mouth, twice a day, with meals.

Question 9

A patient has an increased reaction to a drug following a change in her dietary habits. Which change would most likely be the cause?

A) Increased intake of grapefruit juice
B) Reduced intake of alcohol
C) Increased fiber intake
D) Reduced intake of citrus fruit

Question 10

The patient is receiving a sustained-release capsule for his cardiac condition. The patient tells the nurse there is no way he can swallow such a large pill. What is the best response by the nurse?

A) "Let me contact your physician to see if a change can be made."
B) "Place the capsule on the back of your tongue, and drink a full glass of water."
C) "I will open the capsule and sprinkle the contents over some applesauce for you to eat."
D) "It may be difficult, but try to swallow the capsule as it is the best medicine for your heart condition."

Question 11

The nurse administers an oral preparation of liquid Tylenol 650 mg as ordered. Afterward, the patient indicates he had been receiving Tylenol 650 mg in pill form. Which statement is accurate in regards to the five rights?

A) The nurse failed to deliver the correct dose.
B) The nurse failed to administer the right medication.
C) The nurse did not violate the five rights.
D) The nurse failed to give the medication via the correct route.

Question 12

The nurse suspects that the patient has not been taking his prescribed antihypertensive medication because the patient's blood pressure remains elevated. What is the best therapeutic question the nurse can ask that will assess noncompliance?

A) "Taking medication is difficult for many people. What are some of your concerns about the medication?"
B) "Your blood pressure is really high; do you realize the serious consequences of not taking your medication?"
C) "I really doubt that you are taking your medication. What would you think about talking to the doctor?"
D) "You are one of my favorite patients and I want you to be safe. Are you really taking your medication?"

Question 13

The physician ordered an intravenous medication for a patient with nausea. The patient asks the nurse how it will help his nausea. What is the best response by the nurse?

A) "We have more intravenous drugs for nausea than we do oral drugs."
B) "If you take an oral medication, you will just vomit it up."
C) "This will work much faster for your nausea."
D) "You can't have anything by mouth, so you will receive the medication intravenously."

Question 14

The patient is 3 days postop, and the physician orders an oral pain medication. The patient asks the nurse if it wouldn't be better to get the medication in the intravenous (IV) line. What is the best response by the nurse?

A) "No, because you could not medicate yourself intravenously (IV) at home."
B) "No, because pills are more effective than intravenous (IV) medications."
C) "No, because pills are safer than intravenous (IV) medications."
D) "No, because we are going to take your intravenous (IV) line out."

Question 15

The order is for a pain medication to be given prn. Which statement, by the nurse, correctly teaches the client about this medication order?

A) "I can give you this medication anytime you need it, so I will be asking you about your pain level frequently."
B) "This medication will be given to you at a set time every day, probably just before your bath."
C) "You will be given this medication at bedtime each night so that you can rest."
D) "This medication may upset your stomach, so always take it with food or milk."

Question 16

The nurse uses the nursing process prior to administering any medications. Which step will ensure the best patient safety?

A) Assess the patient's developmental level.
B) Assess the patient's medical history.
C) Assess the patient's disease process.
D) Assess the patient's learning needs.

Question 17

The patient is having chest pain. The physician orders sublingual nitroglycerine STAT. The nurse obtains the medication from the pharmacy and administers it to the patient 30 minutes later. Which statement best describes the nurse's action?

A) The medication should have been administered immediately.
B) The physician should have specified the time frame for the medication.
C) The medication should have been administered within a 5-minute time frame.
D) The nursing action was correct because the medication was not on the unit.

Question 18

Placement of a tablet between the cheek and gum would be which route?

A) Buccal
B) Oral
C) Transdermal
D) Sublingual

Question 19

The physician ordered an oral medication. The nurse incorrectly administered the medication intravenously. What does the best analysis of the nurse's action reveal?

A) An antidote cannot be given.
B) The nurse will be terminated from her job.
C) The medication cannot be retrieved.
D) A lawsuit by the patient will be impending.

Question 20

The nurse plans to administer heparin by drawing the heparin up in an appropriate syringe, donning gloves, prepping the patient's abdominal area, inserting the needle, aspirating for blood, and injecting the medication. Which statement best describes the nurse's plan?

A) The nurse does not need to wear gloves.
B) The nurse should not aspirate for blood.
C) The nurse does not need to prep the skin.
D) The nurse performed the injection correctly.

Question 21

Which statement is accurate regarding medication administration via the intradermal route?

A) Injections should be limited to 1-2 milliliters.
B) Hairy sites should be avoided.
C) Usual administration sites include the upper and lower abdomen.
D) Medications should be injected into the epidermis skin layer.

Question 22

The nurse has finished teaching a patient's husband how to administer drugs and enteral feeding through a gastrostomy tube. The nurse knows the husband understands the use of the tube when he makes which statements?

A) "My wife has a gastrostomy tube instead of a nasogastric tube because she will have the tube for a long time."
B) "I will need to use liquid medications. If any of the medications are in pill form, I will use the pill crusher to crush them and mix them with water before putting them in the tube."
C) "This medication says it is enteric coated. I'm not supposed to crush this kind of medication. I will need to ask the doctor to substitute another medication that is liquid or can be crushed."
D) "There's a big difference in how the drugs work in the body when they're taken orally and when they're administered through the tube. That's why my wife has to have this tube."
E) "I have to be very careful to flush the tube after I put medication in it. If I don't, the tube could get clogged."

Question 23

The nurse is caring for a patient who has been involved in a motor vehicle crash. The health care provider has written orders for a transdermal patch for pain. The nurse knows that.

A) the transdermal patch should not be applied to areas of abrasion.
B) transdermal medications undergo the first-pass effect in the liver.
C) transdermal medications completely bypass digestive enzymes.
D) the actual dose received by the patient from this pain patch may vary.
E) transdermal patches are not considered an effective means of delivering medications because the rate of delivery and actual dose can vary.

Question 24

A patient admitted to the hospital tells the nurse she is very nervous about getting all her medications while she is in the hospital because her health care provider has her on a very "strict" schedule. Which principles describe how medication dosing schedules are determined?

A) The physical and biologic characteristics of a drug may determine dosing schedule.
B) Specific times may improve effectiveness and decrease risk of adverse effects.
C) Some drugs must be taken a certain time prior to an event or immediately after an event.
D) Dosing may be set for the convenience of patient and nurse.
E) Hospitals have routine dosing intervals so that all patients receive medications at the same time each day.

Question 25

At the end of the shift, the patient reports drinking 4 cups of water during the day. The nurse would include this ______ mL of fluid with the patient's oral intake amount.

Question 26

A patient at a community health center has been prescribed oral medications and tells the nurse that medications were administered intravenously when the patient was in the hospital. The nurse discusses the benefits and disadvantages of oral medications, including which facts?

A) The oral route is considered the second safest route, after the intradermal route.
B) Tablets that are scored may be crushed for easier swallowing.
C) Enteric-coated drugs are designed to dissolve in the stomach, not the small intestine.
D) A major disadvantage of oral medications is that the patient must be conscious and able to swallow.
E) Enteric-coated drugs should be crushed to help facilitate dissolving by the stomach acid.

Question 27

The nurse is to administer an intramuscular injection. The end of the needle should be inserted to which level?

A) A
B) B
C) C
D) D

Question 28

Which patients should the nurse be concerned about regarding nonadherence to prescribed medication regimens?

A) A 70-year-old male patient with hypertension who has a prescription for a diuretic and is complaining that his medication is keeping him up all night
B) A 30-year-old college student who has a prescription for birth control pills and tells the nurse she has had breakthrough bleeding this past cycle
C) A 45-year-old patient with diabetes who has a prescription for insulin and whose blood sugar is within the normal range
D) A 57-year-old day laborer who has a prescription for Lipitor for high cholesterol and a prescription card for a free health clinic
E) An 18-year-old male with a prescription for an acne medication that must be taken 4 times a day

Question 29

Twenty minutes after receiving a dose of antibiotic, the patient develops a red, itchy rash. What nursing actions are indicated?

A) The nurse should plan to watch for a rash after the next dose is administered.
B) The nurse should contact the prescriber and relay this assessment information.
C) The nurse should contact the pharmacy.
D) The nurse should place an allergy bracelet on the patient.
E) The nurse should document the presence of the rash in the medical record.

Question 30

The nurse is preparing to administer a subcutaneous injection. The needle should be inserted at an angle of ______ degrees.