ATI LPN
LPN Pharmacology Practice Test
1. A healthcare professional is preparing to administer a unit of packed red blood cells to a client. Which of the following actions should the healthcare professional take?
- A. Prime the blood tubing with normal saline.
- B. Verify the client’s identity using two identifiers.
- C. Infuse the blood rapidly over 30 minutes.
- D. Obtain the client’s vital signs every 4 hours during the transfusion.
Correct answer: B
Rationale: Verifying the client’s identity using two identifiers is a critical patient safety measure to ensure the correct patient receives the blood transfusion. This process involves checking the patient's identity using at least two unique identifiers, such as name, date of birth, or medical record number, to prevent administration errors. Priming the blood tubing with normal saline is necessary to ensure there are no air bubbles in the tubing, but it is not the immediate action required before administering the blood. Infusing packed red blood cells over 30 minutes is generally too rapid and can lead to adverse reactions; a slower rate is recommended for safe administration. Obtaining vital signs every 4 hours during the transfusion is not frequent enough to monitor the client adequately for potential transfusion reactions or complications; vital signs should be monitored more frequently, especially during the initial phase of the transfusion.
2. A client is wearing a continuous cardiac monitor, which begins to alarm at the nurse's station. The nurse sees no electrocardiographic complexes on the screen. What should the nurse do first?
- A. Call a code blue.
- B. Call the healthcare provider.
- C. Check the client's status and lead placement.
- D. Press the recorder button on the ECG console.
Correct answer: C
Rationale: The correct first action for the nurse to take is to check the client's status and lead placement. This step is crucial to ensure that the alarm is not triggered by a simple issue such as lead displacement. Calling a code blue (choice A) is premature without assessing the client first. Contacting the healthcare provider (choice B) can be done after ruling out basic causes for the alarm. Pressing the recorder button (choice D) is not as urgent as checking the client's status and lead placement in this scenario.
3. A client has a new prescription for metformin. Which of the following instructions should the nurse include?
- A. Take the medication with food.
- B. Monitor for signs of hyperglycemia.
- C. Increase your fluid intake.
- D. Expect a sweet taste in your mouth.
Correct answer: C
Rationale: The correct instruction for a client starting metformin is to increase fluid intake. Metformin commonly causes gastrointestinal discomfort, and increasing fluid intake can help alleviate this side effect. Instructing the client to take the medication with food (Choice A) rather than on an empty stomach is recommended to reduce gastrointestinal side effects. Monitoring for signs of hyperglycemia (Choice B) is not directly related to metformin but rather to low blood sugar. Expecting a sweet taste in the mouth (Choice D) is not a common side effect of metformin.
4. What should be the nurse's priority action when a client diagnosed with angina pectoris complains of chest pain while taking a brisk walk?
- A. Administer nitroglycerin
- B. Have the client sit down
- C. Obtain an electrocardiogram
- D. Apply oxygen
Correct answer: B
Rationale: The nurse's priority action when a client diagnosed with angina pectoris complains of chest pain while taking a brisk walk is to have the client sit down. Sitting down reduces the workload on the heart and may alleviate pain by improving oxygen supply. This action aims to reduce the strain on the heart and improve oxygen delivery to the myocardium, which can help relieve the symptoms of angina pectoris. Administering nitroglycerin could be the next step after having the client sit down if the pain persists. Obtaining an electrocardiogram and applying oxygen are not the immediate priority actions when dealing with angina pectoris symptoms.
5. A client has a new prescription for captopril. Which of the following instructions should the nurse include?
- A. Take the medication with food.
- B. Monitor for signs of hypokalemia.
- C. Take the medication at bedtime.
- D. Monitor for a dry cough.
Correct answer: D
Rationale: The correct answer is to monitor for a dry cough. Captopril is known to cause a persistent dry cough as a common side effect. If a dry cough develops, it should be reported to the healthcare provider promptly, as it may necessitate discontinuation of the medication. Choice A is incorrect because captopril is usually taken on an empty stomach. Choice B is incorrect as hypokalemia is not a common side effect of captopril. Choice C is incorrect as captopril is typically taken during the day and not specifically at bedtime.
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