ATI LPN
ATI LPN Pharmacology Exam I Questions
Extract:
Question 1 of 5
A nurse is assessing patient response to medications received. Which must the nurse know about these drugs to best evaluate whether the expected outcomes of the drug therapy have been achieved?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Therapeutic effects define expected outcomes; knowing these (e.g., pain relief) lets the nurse assess if the drug meets its clinical goal effectively. Chemical composition informs structure, not outcome; it's irrelevant to evaluating if the drug achieves its intended physiological effect directly. Mechanism explains how drugs work; it's useful but secondary to knowing the actual therapeutic result needed for outcome assessment. Side effects monitor safety, not efficacy; they don't directly measure if the drug achieves its primary therapeutic purpose as intended.
Question 2 of 5
Which statement is correct about patient tolerance to medications?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale:
Tolerance reflects receptor desensitization or enzyme induction; higher doses compensate for reduced drug efficacy, a common pharmacological adaptation. Organ failure affects metabolism, not tolerance; tolerance is a cellular response, not solely a failure of liver or kidney drug clearance mechanisms. Stable dosing contradicts tolerance; if tolerance develops, efficacy drops, necessitating dose increases, not maintenance, to achieve therapeutic levels. Non-adherence may alter response, but tolerance occurs with consistent use; it's a physiological adaptation, not a result of misuse or skipping doses.
Question 3 of 5
The nurse administering medications to a client is aware that the primary reason that most drugs are administered orally is because the oral route:
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: While reliability exists, the oral route is less predictable than IV administration due to variability in absorption caused by digestive factors, making it less reliable for rapid or consistent onset. Convenience is the primary advantage of oral administration. It allows ease of self-administration, enabling clients to manage their medications without healthcare provider intervention, making it the most frequently used route. While many clients tolerate oral medications well, others may face challenges, such as difficulty swallowing or gastric irritation, meaning tolerability varies and is not a universal advantage of this route. The oral route does not ensure fast action due to time required for digestion, absorption, and metabolism, making it slower compared to routes like IV or sublingual administration.
Question 4 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 5 of 5
The graduate nurse is aware that the count of the unit's narcotics and controlled substances at the change of shifts should involve:
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Narcotics are controlled substances requiring strict accountability; two nurses—one ending and one starting the shift—verify counts to ensure accuracy and prevent diversion per regulatory standards. The head nurse and pharmacist may oversee inventory, but shift change counts involve direct caregivers for real-time accuracy, not administrative staff, ensuring immediate responsibility and oversight. Involving all nurses from both shifts is impractical and unnecessary; it dilutes accountability and increases error risk, as only two are needed to confirm the count efficiently. Pharmacy technicians lack authority over unit narcotics, and the charge nurse alone doesn't suffice; two nurses ensure a witnessed, reliable count per hospital policy and law.