ATI RN
Medication Administration NCLEX Questions Questions
Question 1 of 5
A 2-year-old child is ordered to have eardrops daily. Which action will the nurse take?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Children up to 3 years of age should have the auricle pulled down and back, children 3 years of age to adults should have the auricle pulled upward and outward. Solution should be instilled 1 cm (1/2 in) above the opening of the ear canal. The patient should remain in the side-lying position 2 to 3 minutes. If a cotton ball is needed, place it into the outermost part of the ear canal.
Question 2 of 5
A patient needs assistance in eliminating an anesthetic gaseous medication (nitrous oxide). Which action will the nurse take?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Gaseous and volatile medications are excreted through gas exchange (lungs). Deep breathing and coughing will assist in clearing the medication more quickly. It is a gaseous medication and cannot be suctioned out of the lungs. It is not excreted through the kidneys, so fluids and voiding will not help.
Question 3 of 5
Which patient does the nurse most closely monitor for an unintended synergistic effect?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The 72-year-old seeing four different providers is likely to experience polypharmacy. Polypharmacy places the patient at risk for unintended mixing of medications that potentiate each other. When two medications have a synergistic effect, their combined effect is greater than the effect of the medications when given separately. The child taking too much of a medication by mistake could experience overdose or toxicity. The 50 year old is prescribed two different blood pressure medications for their synergistic effect, but this is a desired, intended event. A patient taking meth and mixing chemicals can be toxic.
Question 4 of 5
A nurse is attempting to administer an oral medication to a child, but the child refuses to take the medication. A parent is in the room. Which statement by the nurse to the parent is best?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Children often have difficulties taking medication, but it can be less traumatic for the child if the parent administers the medication and the nurse supervises. Another nurse should help restrain a child if needed; the parent acts as a comforter, not a restrainer. Holding down the child is not the best option because it may further upset the child. Never administer an oral medication to a sleeping child. Don't mix medications into the child's favorite foods because the child might start to refuse the food.
Question 5 of 5
A patient is taking 1 tablet of hydrocodone bitartrate 5 mg and acetaminophen 500 mg every 4 hours. The patient is also taking 2 tablets of acetaminophen 325 mg every 12 hours. How many grams of acetaminophen is the patient taking daily? Record your answer using one decimal place. g
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The nurse should calculate the dosage taken via the first medication and add it to the daily intake of the second medication. Then, convert milligrams to grams. 500 mg x 6 doses a day = 3000 mg/day + (2 tablets x 325 mg) x 2 doses a day = 1300 mg/day = 3300 mg/day total of acetaminophen; 3300 mg converted to grams = 3.3 g.