NUR 335 Exam 1 Practice Questions and
100% Correct Answers
Drug ✅-Any chemical that can affect living processes.
Pharmacology ✅-The study of drugs and their interactions with living systems
-Study of physical and chemical properties of drugs as well as biochemical and
physiological effects
-Includes the knowledge of the history, sources, and drug uses, drug absorption,
distribution, metabolism, and excretion
Clinical Pharmacology ✅-The study of drugs in humans.
- Includes the study of drugs in patients and health volunteers
Therapeutics ✅a.k.a. pharmacotherpeutics
-The use of drugs to diagnose, prevent, or treat disease or to prevent pregnancy
-The medical use of drugs
3 most important properties of a drug (Ideal drug) ✅Effectiveness: Most important
property a drug can have. The drug elicits the response for which it is given
Safety: Drug cannot produce harmful effects, even if given in very high doses and for a
long time. Chances of harm are reduced with proper dosing and drug selection
Selectivity: Drug elicits only the response which it is given
Additional Properties of the ideal drug (7) ✅-Reversible action
-Predictability: Knowing how the patient will respond
-Ease of administration: convenient route, low number of daily doses, enhances
adherence, decreases risk (i.e. infection)
-Freedom from drug interactions: when taking 2+ meds/substances (i.e. alcohol and an
RX)
-Low cost
-Chemical stability: during storage; when mixed in solution
-Simple generic name
Reversible action ✅-Effectiveness is reversible
-We want the drug to subside in a period of time
Therapeutic objective of drug therapy ✅-To provide maximum benefit with minimum
harm
-Remember, drugs are not ideal
,Factors that determine the intensity of drug responses ✅-Administration
-Pharmaceutics
-Thermodynamics
-Source of individual variation
Factors that determine the intensity of drug responses ✅-Ultimate concern when
administering a drug is intensity of the response
Administration ✅-Drug dosage, route, and timing
-Not taking as prescribed can result in toxicity (high) or treatment failure (low)
Poor adherance ✅When a patient does not take a medication as perscribed
Pharmokinetics & 4 major parts ✅-How much of an administered dose gets to the site
of action
-4 major parts (the impact of the body on drugs):
1. drug absorption
2. drug distribution
3. drug metabolism
4. drug excretion
Pharmodynamics ✅-Impact of drugs on the body
-Determine the nature and intensity of the response
-Drug-receptor interaction, ultimately results in a response
-Individual factors between patients/Patients functional state, i.e. tolerance build up
-Placebo effects can help determine the response a drug elicits
Source of individual variation ✅-Physiological: age, gender, weight
-Pathologic: Diminished kidney or liver function
-Genetics
-Drug interactions
-No two patients respond the same to a drug regimen
A nurse is caring for a patient who has an infection. The healthcare provider has
ordered an antimicrobial drug for the patient. The nurse understands that which of the
following is the most important characteristic of this drug?
A. That the drug will kill the microorganism
B. That the drug will be administered orally
C. That the drug does not have any harmful effects
D. That the drug does not interact with other drugs ✅Answer: A
Rationale: The three most important characteristics that any drug can have are
effectiveness, safety, and selectivity. Effectiveness is the most important property that a
drug can have.
,A patient who was prescribed an oral medication to be taken four times per day returns
to the clinic for a follow-up visit. The patient tells the nurse that he forgets to take two or
three doses of the medication each day. What is the most appropriate action that the
nurse can take?
A. Arranging for the patient to have a home healthcare nurse
B. Re-educating the patient about the medication and how it should be taken
C. Determining whether the patient is experiencing any adverse effects
D. Telling the patient to set an alarm as a reminder to take the dr ✅Answer: B
Rationale: To help minimize errors caused by poor adherence, patients should receive
thorough instruction regarding their medications and how to take them.
Another point maybe have the meds switched to extended release
Best Practice: When teaching a medication—how do you know patient understands—
they teach it back to the nurse!
Clinical Pearls: BP, MAP, HR, Temp, WBC count, Urine ✅-Systolic Blood Pressure
<90 mm Hg call healthcare provider
-Maintain MAP > 65 Keep mean arterial pressure greater than 65 mmHg
-Heart Rate <60 Call health care provider
-Heart rate > 150 call healthcare provider
-Temp >101.5 call healthcare provider (blood culture)
-Temp>100.4 in cancer patient call healthcare provider
-White blood cell count <4,000 or >12,000 call healthcare provider
-Urine output > 30mL hour call heathcare provider
10 Rights of Drug Administration ✅5 Main ones rights:
The right-
-Drug, patient, dose, route, time
5 other rights:
The right-
-assessment, documentation, evaluation, patient's right to education, patient's right of
refusal
8 aspects of drug therapy ✅1. Preadministration assessment
2. Dosage and administration
3. Evaluating and promoting therapeutic effects
4. Minimizing adverse effects
5. Minimizing adverse interactions
6. Making PRN decisions
7. Evaluating responses to medications
8. Managing toxicity
, Goals of preadminisration assessment ✅-Collecting baseline data needed to evaluate
therapeutic and adverse responses (i.e. needed to know baseline BP prior to giving a
BP medication to evaluate effectiveness)
-ID high risk patients (pathophysiology-liver/kidney impairments, genetics, drug
allergies, stage of life )
-Assessing the patients capacity for self care
*First 2 are high specific for each drug
*Third point applies to all drugs, does not require specific drug knowledge
How to identify those at high risk for reacting adversely to medications ✅-Patient
history
-Physical exam
-Lab data
* In order to be successful, you must know what to look for
Dosage and administration considerations ✅-Certain drugs have more than one
indication
-The dosage may differ depending on the indication for which the drug is being used
-Many drugs can be administered by more than one route (oral dosage is generally
greater than injected)
-The dosage may differ depending on the route selected
-Certain intravenous agents can cause severe local injury if extravasation occurs
-Read the medication order carefully
-Verify the identity of the patient
-Read the medication label carefully
-Verify dosage calculations
-Implement any special handling that the drug may require
-Do not administer any drug if you do not understand the reason for its use
Evaluating and Promoting Therapeutic Effects ✅-Must know the rationale for treatment
and the nature and time course of the intended response, cannot effectively evaluate a
drug with multiple applications if the intended use is not known
-Drug therapy can often be enhanced by non-drug measures, i.e. biofeedback,
emotional support, smoking cessation, sodium restriction, weight loss
Adherence ✅(aka compliance or concordance)
Extent to which a patient's behavior coincides with medical advice
-Patient took the right drug, at the time time, via the right route
-Evaluated with lab values, patient interview, counting pills
How to minimize adverse drug effects ✅-The major adverse effects the drug can
produce
-When these reactions are likely to occur
-Early signs that an adverse reaction is developing
-Interventions that can minimize discomfort and harm
