HESI RN
RN HESI Pharmacology Exam Questions
Extract:
Question 1 of 5
A client with bipolar disorder admitted with severe depression and suicidal ideation receives a prescription for lithium carbonate. Which instruction should the nurse provide to the client?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: NSAIDs increase lithium levels, risking toxicity (e.g., tremors, confusion). Eliminating NSAIDs is critical. Glucose, dental notifications, and iodine foods are unrelated to lithium safety.
Question 2 of 5
The nurse is teaching a client with type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM) about the onset, peak, and duration of a new prescription for glargine insulin. If the insulin is administered at 0800, when is the client most likely to experience hypoglycemia?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Glargine insulin has no pronounced peak, providing steady coverage for 24 hours, minimizing hypoglycemia risk at specific times. Midmorning, midafternoon, or midnight are not tied to glargine’s profile.
Question 3 of 5
Azithromycin is prescribed for a client with Chlamydia trachomatis. In providing client teaching about the medication, the nurse should emphasize the importance of reporting the onset of which symptom to the health care provider?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Yellow sclera indicates potential hepatotoxicity, a rare but serious azithromycin side effect requiring immediate reporting. Flatulence, nausea, and headache are common and mild; urinary frequency is unrelated.
Extract:
History and Physical
• - Admit to the surgical floor
• - Clear liquid diet, advance as tolerated
• - Continuous cardiorespiratory monitoring
• - Morphine 1 mg/hr intravenously
• - Alert surgeon to signs of bleeding or infection in the surgical site
•
Orders
- Admit to the surgical floor
- Clear liquid diet, advance as tolerated
- Continuous cardiorespiratory monitoring
- Morphine 1 mg/hr intravenously
- Alert surgeon to signs of bleeding or infection in the surgical site
Question 4 of 5
The nurse is discussing the client's pain management with a student nurse. Morphine is a(n) ----------------------- and it activates----------------receptors and is used to relieve -------------- .
Correct Answer: A,B,E
Rationale: Morphine is a pure opioid agonist (not antagonist, correcting the provided answer), activating mu receptors for analgesia, primarily for severe pain (e.g., post-surgical). Agonist-antagonists, local anesthetics, kappa, NMDA, or other pain types are incorrect.
Extract:
History and Physical
The client is a 42-year-old female who had a right above-the-knee amputation for osteomyelitis. The client has a drain in place and a surgical dressing that will need to be changed by the surgeon on post-op day 1.
Nurses' Notes
1400: Started continuous morphine in the left antecubital vein peripheral intravenous line. No redness, edema, or bleeding noted at the site. Vital signs are heart rate 77 bpm, blood pressure 118/74 mmHg, respiratory rate 16 breaths/min.
Orders
• Admit to the surgical floor
• Clear liquid diet, advance as tolerated
• Continuous cardiorespiratory monitoring
• Morphine 1 mg/hr intravenously
• Alert surgeon to signs of bleeding or infection in the surgical site
Question 5 of 5
What other medications would the nurse expect the surgeon to prescribe along with morphine? Select all that apply.
Correct Answer: A,D,E
Rationale: Ibuprofen enhances pain relief and reduces inflammation, while senna and docusate sodium prevent opioid-induced constipation. Propofol (anesthetic), methadone (chronic pain), and naloxone (emergency reversal) are inappropriate for routine post-op care.