VATI Custom: 2019 RN VATI Pharmacological Therapies

A nurse is caring for a client is who has a deep vein thrombosis and is prescribed heparin by continuous IV infusion at 1,200 units/hr. Available is heparin 25,000 units in 500 mL D5W. The nurse should set the IV pump to deliver how many mL/hr? (Round the answer to the nearest tenth/whole number. Use a leading zero if it applies. Do not use a trailing zero.)

24 mL/hr

A nurse is teaching a client who has chronic kidney disease and a new prescription for epoetin alfa. The nurse should instruct the client to increase dietary intake of which of the following substances?

Iron Epoetin alfa is a synthetic form of erythropoietin, a substance produced by the kidneys that stimulates the bone marrow to produce red blood cells. Increased iron is needed for the production of hemoglobin and red blood cells by the bone marrow.

A nurse is teaching a client who has a new prescription for colchicine to treat gout. Which of the following instructions should the nurse include?

"Monitor for muscle pain." This medication can cause rhabdomyolysis. The client should monitor and report muscle pain.

A nurse is providing teaching for a client who has schizophrenia and a new prescription for fluphenazine. Which of the following information should the nurse provide?

"Sleepiness should subside within a week." The nurse should inform the client that fluphenazine, like other first-generation antipsychotics, may cause sedation with early treatment, but should subside within a week or so.

A nurse is caring for a client who is postoperative following an appendectomy and is prescribed D5 lactated Ringer's at 150 mL/hr by continuous IV infusion for 12 hr. The drop factor of the manual IV tubing is 20 gtt/mL. The nurse should set the manual IV infusion to deliver how many gtt/min? (Round the answer to the nearest whole number. Use a leading zero if it applies. Do not use a trailing zero.)

50 gtt/min

A nurse is instructing a client who is newly diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) about the use of antitubercular medications. Which of the following information should the nurse include in the teaching?

A typical course of treatment involves 6 to 9 months of consistent medication use. Pulmonary TB is a contagious bacterial infection caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Active TB is usually treated with the simultaneous administration of a combination of medications to which the organisms are susceptible. Such therapy is continued until the disease is controlled. A 6- to 9-month regimen consisting of two, and often four, different medications is used. The client should not drink alcohol during this time.

A nurse caring for a client who has hypertension and asks the nurse about a prescription for propranolol. The nurse should inform the client that this medication is contraindicated in clients who have a history of which of the following conditions?

Asthma Propranolol, a beta-blocker, is contraindicated in clients who have asthma because it can cause bronchospasms. Propranolol blocks the sympathetic stimulation, which prevents smooth muscle relaxation.

A nurse is providing teaching to a client who has emphysema and a new prescription for theophylline. Which of the following instructions should the nurse provide?

Avoid caffeine while taking this medication. The nurse should instruct the client that caffeine should be avoided while taking theophylline, as it can increase central nervous system stimulation.

A nurse is caring for a client who has preeclampsia and is being treated with magnesium sulfate IV. The client's respiratory rate is 10/min and deep-tendon reflexes are absent. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?

Discontinue the medication infusion. Magnesium toxicity is manifested by bradypnea (respiratory rate less than 12/min) and absent deep tendon reflexes. The magnesium sulfate infusion should be discontinued and calcium gluconate administered via IV.

A nurse is providing teaching to a 17-year-old female client who has severe acne about the use of isotretinoin. Which of the following adverse effects should the nurse instruct the client is the priority to report to the provider?

Feelings of isolation Feelings of isolation can indicate suicide ideation, which can lead to self-harm. Therefore, this adverse effect is the priority to report to the provider.

A nurse is caring for a client who has cancer and a new prescription for ondansetron to treat chemotherapy-induced nausea. For which of the following adverse effects should the nurse monitor?

Headache Headache is a common adverse effect of ondansetron. Analgesic relief is often required.

A nurse is providing teaching to a client who has asthma and a new prescription for inhaled beclomethasone. Which of the following instructions should the nurse provide?

Rinse the mouth after administration. Use of glucocorticoids by metered dose inhaler can allow a fungal overgrowth in the mouth. Rinsing the mouth after administration can lessen the likelihood of this complication.

A nurse is preparing to transfuse one unit of packed RBC to a client who experienced a mild allergic reaction during a previous transfusion. The nurse should administer diphenhydramine prior to the transfusion for which of the following allergic responses?

Urticaria For clients who have previously had allergic reactions to blood transfusions, administering an antihistamine such as diphenhydramine prior to the transfusion might prevent future reactions. Allergic reactions typically include urticaria (hives).

A nurse is caring for a client who is hospitalized with active pulmonary tuberculosis and is started on ethambutol therapy. The nurse should understand that which of the following should be monitored?

Visual acuity A significant adverse effect of ethambutol is optic neuritis, vision loss, and loss of color discrimination, especially red and green. Baseline vision testing should be performed before use, and visual acuity monitored at regular intervals.

A nurse is caring for a client who has poison ivy and is prescribed diphenhydramine. Which of the following instructions should the nurse give regarding the adverse effect of dry mouth associated with diphenhydramine?

"Chew on sugarless gum or suck on hard, sour candies." Clients who report dry mouth can get the most effective relief by sucking on hard candies (especially the sour varieties that stimulate salivation), chewing gum, or rinsing the mouth frequently. It is the local effect of these actions that provides comfort to the client.

A clinic nurse is giving instructions to a mother on the proper technique of applying ophthalmic ointment to her preschool-age child who has conjunctivitis. Which of the following should the nurse include in the instructions?

"Discard the first bead of ointment before each application." The parent should discard the first bead of ointment from the tube because it is considered contaminated.

A nurse is teaching a client who has multiple sclerosis and a new prescription for dantrolene. Which of the following statements by the client indicates an understanding of the teaching?

"I need to apply a sunscreen when I go outside." This medication can cause photosensitivity; therefore, the client should protect her skin by wearing a hat and using sunscreen while in sunlight.

A nurse is caring for a client who is taking naproxen following an exacerbation of rheumatoid arthritis. Which of the following statements by the client requires further discussion by the nurse?

"I've been taking an antacid to help with indigestion." NSAIDs, like naproxen, can cause serious adverse gastrointestinal reactions such as ulceration, bleeding, and perforation. Warning manifestations such as nausea or vomiting, gastrointestinal burning, and blood in the stool reported by the client require further investigation by the nurse. The client might be taking an antacid because he is experiencing one or more of these manifestations.

A nurse is assessing a client who is receiving a parental lipid infusion. Which of the following findings is a manifestation of fat overload syndrome?

Elevated temperature An elevated temperature is an early manifestation of fat overload syndrome. The client is at risk for coagulopathy and multi-organ system failure due to fat overload syndrome.

A nurse is assessing a client who is receiving total parenteral nutrition (TPN) therapy via an infusion pump. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?

Change the IV tubing every 24 hr. The nurse should change the client's IV tubing every 24 hr, or per facility protocol, to prevent bacteria from developing in the tubing.

A nurse is caring for a client who has congestive heart failure and is taking digoxin daily. The client refused breakfast and is complaining of nausea and weakness. Which of the following actions should the nurse take first?

Check the client's vital signs. It is possible that the client's nausea is secondary to digoxin toxicity. By obtaining vital signs, the nurse can assess for bradycardia, which is a symptom of digoxin toxicity. The nurse should withhold the medication and call the provider if the client's heart rate is less than 60 bpm.

A nurse in a provider's clinic is assessing a client who has cancer and a prescription for methotrexate PO. Which of the following actions should the nurse take when the client reports bleeding gums?

Check the value of the client's current platelet count. The nurse should recognize that the bleeding is likely due to the adverse effect of the chemotherapy and needs to be evaluated further. Bleeding gums is a sign of thrombocytopenia (decreased platelet count) secondary to bone marrow suppression, which can be life-threatening in a client who is receiving chemotherapy.

A nurse is caring for a client who is prescribed warfarin therapy for an artificial heart valve. Which of the following laboratory values should the nurse monitor for a therapeutic effect of warfarin?

Prothrombin time (PT) Idk why

A nurse is preparing a client for outpatient surgery. After the nurse inserts the IV catheter, the client reports pain in the insertion area. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?

Remove the catheter and insert another into a different site. It is possible that the catheter is up against a valve or near a nerve and is causing more pain than an IV catheter insertion should. The nurse should remove the source of the pain and establish peripheral IV access elsewhere.

A nurse is caring for a 2-year-old child who has seizures and is receiving phenytoin in suspension form. Which of the following actions should the nurse take before administering each dose?

Shake the container vigorously. A suspension form of medication refers to one in which the particles of medication are mixed with, but not dissolved in, a fluid. It is important for the nurse to shake the container that contains the suspension because the child can be under-medicated if the medication is not evenly distributed.

A nurse is caring for a client who is taking lisinopril. Which of the following outcomes indicates a therapeutic effect of the medication?

Decreased blood pressure Lisinopril, an ACE inhibitor, may be used alone or in combination with other antihypertensives in the management of hypertension and congestive heart failure. A therapeutic effect of the medication is a decrease in blood pressure.

A nurse is reviewing the medical record of a client who has been on levothyroxine for several months. Which of the following findings indicates a therapeutic response to the medication?

Decrease in level of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). In hypothyroidism, the nonfunctioning thyroid gland is unable to respond to the TSH, and no endogenous thyroid hormones are released. This results in an elevation of the TSH level as the anterior pituitary continues to release the TSH to stimulate the thyroid gland. Administration of exogenous thyroid hormones, such as levothyroxine, turns off this feedback loop, which results in a decreased level of TSH. If the dose of this medication has been adequate, the nurse should see a decrease in weight, as hypothyroidism causes a decrease in metabolism with weight gain. If the dose of this medication has been adequate, the nurse should see a decrease in the hr of sleep per night, as hypothyroidism causes sluggishness with increased hr of sleep. If the dose of this medication has been adequate, the nurse should see an increase in the T4.

A nurse is reviewing a client's admission record. The nurse notes that there are prescriptions for several medications. Which of the following factors should the nurse recognize is of primary consideration when determining the schedule of administration?

Specific characteristics of the medications Evidence-based practice indicates that the specific characteristics of the medications be the primary consideration of scheduling administration times. The characteristics of each medication, including the indication, onset, durations of action, and potential adverse effects and interactions, primarily determine the schedule of administration. Although an institutional policy may require that all once daily medications be administered at 0800, the nurse should be aware that some classifications of medications should only be given at bedtime, or should only be given with food. Likewise, the client's preferences, as well as the availability of each medication from the pharmacy, play important but smaller roles in determining the schedule of administration.

A nurse is caring for several clients who have mental health disorders at an assisted-living facility. Which of the following clients should the nurse determine needs to be seen by a provider immediately?

A client who is taking clozapine, and has flu-like manifestations Clozapine is used to treat schizophrenia and can cause life-threatening agranulocytosis. Presence of flu-like manifestations indicates that this is the client at greatest risk; therefore, the nurse should contact this client's provider immediately.

A nurse is completing discharge planning for a client who has bacterial endocarditis. The client will need to receive 12 weeks of antibiotic therapy. Which of the following venous access devices should the nurse identify as appropriate for the client?

Peripherally inserted central catheter A peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) line is the venous access device commonly used when the client needs extended, but not permanent, intravenous access. The PICC line may remain in place for weeks or months. PICC lines can also be used to draw blood samples without the need for additional venipunctures.