ATI LPN
ATI LPN Pharmacology Exam I Questions
Extract:
Question 1 of 5
A nurse has prepared the 9:00 AM client medications for administration but is called off the unit briefly. Who can distribute these medications to clients?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Pharmacy technicians are not authorized to administer medications. Their scope involves preparation and dispensing under supervision, ensuring safety and compliance. Safe practice standards dictate that the preparing nurse administers the medications to ensure accuracy and accountability, minimizing potential errors. Delegating to the head nurse violates medication administration protocols, as accountability rests with the nurse who prepared the medications. Allowing other licensed nurses to distribute medications increases the risk of errors due to lack of firsthand knowledge of preparation specifics.
Question 2 of 5
The patient prefers to take an herbal supplement rather than the prescription medication ordered by the physician. Which is the most appropriate response of the nurse?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Convenience doesn't ensure efficacy; supplements lack rigorous testing, potentially delivering inconsistent doses or contaminants, unlike prescription drugs' controlled standards. Cost isn't a clinical justification; lower price may reflect unregulated production, risking potency or safety compared to prescriptions validated by scientific trials. Supplements aren't FDA-regulated like prescriptions; lacking standardized purity and efficacy tests, they may contain variable active ingredients, posing therapeutic risks. Plant-based doesn't guarantee safety; many herbs are toxic or interact harmfully with drugs, unlike prescriptions with established pharmacokinetics and safety profiles.
Question 3 of 5
When preparing medications for delivery to an assigned patient, the nurse should check each medication for accuracy of drug and dose:
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Checking medications only once increases the likelihood of errors. Safe practice requires multiple verification steps. While better than a single check, verifying only twice may still miss potential discrepancies in drug or dosage accuracy. The three-check system (when retrieving, preparing, and administering medication) minimizes errors, ensuring patient safety through consistent validation at each step. Excessive verification may delay administration, reducing practicality without significantly improving safety beyond three checks.
Question 4 of 5
Why does the nurse administer lorazepam intramuscularly (IM) to the patient rather than into the subcutaneous tissue?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Body fat levels influence subcutaneous absorption but are not the primary reason for choosing IM over SC injection in this scenario. Needle size varies by medication and patient factors, but this is not the defining reason for selecting IM over SC injection. IM injections deliver medication directly to muscle tissue with a rich vascular supply, ensuring faster absorption and onset compared to subcutaneous administration. IM injections are not inherently safer for patients at risk of bleeding; they carry similar risks and require proper assessment before administration.
Question 5 of 5
The nurse is reviewing medication errors. Which situation is an example of a medication error?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Allergic reactions are adverse drug effects, not necessarily medication errors. Documentation of allergies before administration prevents such events. Administering a double dose results directly from improper preparation, constituting a clear medication error requiring immediate reporting and corrective action. Patient refusal is not a medication error but a decision. Nurses must document refusals and provide education on medication importance. Persistent pain indicates ineffective medication, which is an issue of treatment efficacy, not an error in administration.