ATI RN
Pharmacology Test Bank Questions
Question 1 of 5
Which of the following is the priority nursing diagnosis for a client undergoing chemotherapy?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Altered nutrition is often the priority nursing diagnosis for clients undergoing chemotherapy because the treatment can cause side effects such as nausea, vomiting, anorexia, and mucositis, leading to malnutrition and weight loss. Proper nutrition is essential for maintaining strength, supporting the immune system, and promoting recovery. While fear, anxiety, and decreased cardiac output are valid concerns, addressing nutritional deficits is critical to the client's overall well-being and ability to tolerate treatment.
Question 2 of 5
Regarding glucocorticoids:
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Cortisol is indeed the primary human glucocorticoid, a true statement regulating metabolism and stress. Normal cortisol secretion is ~10-20 mg/day, not 100 mg, so that's false. ACTH suppression occurs rapidly (hours), true. Cortisol absence heightens catecholamine sensitivity, true, as in Addison's disease. Leukocyte/macrophage inhibition is a glucocorticoid action, not its absence. Cortisol's role as the major glucocorticoid underpins its therapeutic mimicry (e.g., hydrocortisone) in adrenal insufficiency.
Question 3 of 5
The nurse is assessing a client and notes that he is receiving finasteride (Proscar). The client denies having any history of a significant prostate disorder. What is the best assessment question for the nurse to ask at this time?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Finasteride, a 5-alpha reductase inhibitor, is used as Proscar for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and as Propecia for male pattern baldness, reducing dihydrotestosterone to promote hair growth. Without prostate issues, baldness is a likely reason for its use. Erectile dysfunction isn't treated by finasteride-it may cause it-making that irrelevant. Stomach ulcers and hypertension aren't linked to finasteride's androgen-targeted action. Asking about baldness probes a condition tied to its alternative use, clarifying the prescription's purpose and guiding the nurse's understanding of the client's therapy.
Question 4 of 5
The patient receives antibiotics for a serious infection. The patient asks the nurse, 'Why don't you just give me more of that drug to cure this infection faster?' What is the best response by the nurse?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Antibiotics have a maximum dose beyond which efficacy plateaus-more risks toxicity (e.g., ototoxicity), not faster cure, a pharmacodynamic limit. Checking with the doctor delays a clear answer. Interactions aren't the sole issue-toxicity is. Time-based increase lacks basis. Maximum dose explains efficacy ceiling, educating safely.
Question 5 of 5
An individual who has difficulty sleeping due to two final examinations scheduled for the same day later in the week most likely would be suffering from
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Sleep trouble from exams is situational anxiety-transient, event-driven stress, per psychiatry. Social anxiety involves interaction fears, not events. OCD features obsessions/rituals, not sleep-specific. Performance anxiety ties to tasks, less sleep focus. Situational fits, triggered by circumstance.