Question 1

A nurse is caring for four patients. The nurse would be concerned about which patient developing a substance use disorder?

Accepted Answer

A)  A college student who reports having experimented with marijuana in the past year 
B)  An older adult patient with terminal cancer who requires twice the normal dose of morphine for pain relief 
C)  A patient in moderate to severe pain after a total hip replacement who asks for pain medication an hour before the next dose is due 
D)  A patient whose history indicates the use of prescription narcotic analgesics for back and headache pain 
A)  A college student who reports having experimented with marijuana in the past year 
B)  An older adult patient with terminal cancer who requires twice the normal dose of morphine for pain relief 
C)  A patient in moderate to severe pain after a total hip replacement who asks for pain medication an hour before the next dose is due 
D)  A patient whose history indicates the use of prescription narcotic analgesics for back and headache pain D

Question 2

A nursing student is caring for a patient who is addicted to several drugs. The student tells the nurse that the patient "got this way on purpose." Which response by the nurse is most appropriate?

Accepted Answer

A)  "Peer pressure and social factors determine individual choices." 
B)  "Physical dependence is necessary for addiction to occur." 
C)  "Preexisting psychopathology underlies most drug abuse." 
D)  "Some individuals are more vulnerable to drug abuse than others." 
A)  "Peer pressure and social factors determine individual choices." 
B)  "Physical dependence is necessary for addiction to occur." 
C)  "Preexisting psychopathology underlies most drug abuse." 
D)  "Some individuals are more vulnerable to drug abuse than others." D

Question 3

A psychiatric nurse is caring for a drug-addicted patient. The nurse knows that the ideal goal of drug rehabilitation for this patient is:

Accepted Answer

A)  abstinence from the drug. 
B)  decreasing episodes of relapse. 
C)  minimizing drug cravings. 
D)  reduction of drug use. 
A)  abstinence from the drug. 
B)  decreasing episodes of relapse. 
C)  minimizing drug cravings. 
D)  reduction of drug use. A

Question 4

A nurse is teaching a group of nursing students about drug abuse. Which statement by a student indicates a need for further teaching?

Accepted Answer

A)  "Patients who experience physical dependence will show compulsive drug-seeking behavior." 
B)  "People who are addicted to a drug do not necessarily have tolerance to that drug." 
C)  "Physical dependence means that abstinence syndrome will occur if a drug is withdrawn." 
D)  "Physical dependence often contributes to addictive behavior but does not cause it." 
A)  "Patients who experience physical dependence will show compulsive drug-seeking behavior." 
B)  "People who are addicted to a drug do not necessarily have tolerance to that drug." 
C)  "Physical dependence means that abstinence syndrome will occur if a drug is withdrawn." 
D)  "Physical dependence often contributes to addictive behavior but does not cause it."

Question 5

The nurse is teaching a nursing student about management of controlled substances in medication administration. Which statement by the nursing student indicates understanding of the teaching?

Accepted Answer

A)  "If there is a difference between state and federal laws governing a scheduled drug, the federal law takes precedence." 
B)  "Prescriptions for drugs in Schedules III and IV may be written to include up to 5 refills." 
C)  "Schedule I drugs may only be given to hospitalized patients." 
D)  "To reduce the possibility of abuse of a drug that is Schedule II, the prescriber should call the prescription to the pharmacy." 
A)  "If there is a difference between state and federal laws governing a scheduled drug, the federal law takes precedence." 
B)  "Prescriptions for drugs in Schedules III and IV may be written to include up to 5 refills." 
C)  "Schedule I drugs may only be given to hospitalized patients." 
D)  "To reduce the possibility of abuse of a drug that is Schedule II, the prescriber should call the prescription to the pharmacy."

Question 6

A patient is ready for discharge home from a lengthy hospital stay after a motor vehicle accident. The patient suffered multiple fractures and required large doses of morphine for several weeks. The nurse preparing the patient for discharge notes that the patient requests the maximum dose of the oral opioid analgesic at the exact intervals it is prescribed. The nurse is correct to suspect that what has occurred?

Accepted Answer

A)  Addiction 
B)  Compulsive drug seeking 
C)  Cross-tolerance 
D)  Drug tolerance 
A)  Addiction 
B)  Compulsive drug seeking 
C)  Cross-tolerance 
D)  Drug tolerance

Question 7

A patient who has been taking a medication with a side effect of drowsiness stops taking the medication after several weeks. The patient reports feeling anxious and jittery. The nurse understands that this response is due to:

Accepted Answer

A)  addiction. 
B)  psychologic dependence. 
C)  tolerance. 
D)  withdrawal syndrome. 
A)  addiction. 
B)  psychologic dependence. 
C)  tolerance. 
D)  withdrawal syndrome.

Question 8

A nurse is teaching a class on addiction. Which statement by one of the class participants indicates a need for further teaching?

Accepted Answer

A)  "Addictive drugs lead to dopamine release in amounts similar to those released by normal reward circuits." 
B)  "Neural remodeling leads to decreased dopamine release, leaving users with feelings of lifelessness and depression." 
C)  "Over time, the brain will develop reduced responses to many addictive drugs." 
D)  "With the use of a drug over time, the brain undergoes synaptic remodeling." 
A)  "Addictive drugs lead to dopamine release in amounts similar to those released by normal reward circuits." 
B)  "Neural remodeling leads to decreased dopamine release, leaving users with feelings of lifelessness and depression." 
C)  "Over time, the brain will develop reduced responses to many addictive drugs." 
D)  "With the use of a drug over time, the brain undergoes synaptic remodeling."

Exam 37: Drug Abuse I: Basic Considerations

A nurse is caring for four patients. The nurse would be concerned about which patient developing a substance use disorder?

A nursing student is caring for a patient who is addicted to several drugs. The student tells the nurse that the patient "got this way on purpose." Which response by the nurse is most appropriate?

A psychiatric nurse is caring for a drug-addicted patient. The nurse knows that the ideal goal of drug rehabilitation for this patient is:

A nurse is teaching a group of nursing students about drug abuse. Which statement by a student indicates a need for further teaching?

The nurse is teaching a nursing student about management of controlled substances in medication administration. Which statement by the nursing student indicates understanding of the teaching?

A patient who has been taking a medication with a side effect of drowsiness stops taking the medication after several weeks. The patient reports feeling anxious and jittery. The nurse understands that this response is due to:

A nurse is teaching a class on addiction. Which statement by one of the class participants indicates a need for further teaching?

Orientation to Pharmacology

Application of Pharmacology in Nursing Practice

Drug Regulation, Development, Names, and Information

Pharmacokinetics

Pharmacodynamics

Drug Interactions

Adverse Drug Reactions and Medication Errors

Individual Variation in Drug Responses

Drug Therapy During Pregnancy and Breast-Feeding

Drug Therapy in Pediatric Patients

Drug Therapy in Geriatric Patients

Basic Principles of Neuropharmacology

Physiology of the Peripheral Nervous System

Muscarinic Agonists and Antagonists

Cholinesterase Inhibitors and Their Use in Myasthenia Gravis

Drugs That Block Nicotinic Cholinergic Transmission: Neuromuscular Blocking Agents

Adrenergic Agonists

Adrenergic Antagonists

Indirect-Acting Antiadrenergic Agents

Introduction to Central Nervous System Pharmacology

Drugs for Parkinson’s Disease

Drugs for Alzheimer’s Disease

Drugs for Multiple Sclerosis

Drugs for Epilepsy

Drugs for Muscle Spasm and Spasticity

Local Anesthetics

General Anesthetics

Opioid Analgesics, Opioid Antagonists, and Nonopioid Centrally Acting Analgesics

Pain Management in Patients with Cancer

Drugs for Headache

Antipsychotic Agents and Their Use in Schizophrenia

Antidepressants

Drugs for Bipolar Disorder

Sedative-Hypnotic Drugs

Management of Anxiety Disorders

Central Nervous System Stimulants and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Drug Abuse II: Alcohol

Drug Abuse III: Nicotine and Smoking

Drug Abuse IV: Major Drugs of Abuse Other Than Alcohol and Nicotine

Diuretics

Agents Affecting the Volume and Ion Content of Body Fluids

Review of Hemodynamics

Drugs Acting on the Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System

Calcium Channel Blockers

Vasodilators

Drugs for Hypertension

Drugs for Heart Failure

Antidysrhythmic Drugs

Prophylaxis of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease: Drugs That Help Normalize Cholesterol and Triglyceride Levels

Drugs for Angina Pectoris

Anticoagulant, Antiplatelet, and Thrombolytic Drugs

Management of ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction

Drugs for Hemophilia

Drugs for Deficiency Anemias

Hematopoietic Agents

Drugs for Diabetes Mellitus

Drugs for Thyroid Disorders

Drugs Related to Hypothalamic and Pituitary Function

Drugs for Disorders of the Adrenal Cortex

Estrogens and Progestins: Basic Pharmacology and Noncontraceptive Applications

Birth Control

Drug Therapy of Infertility

Drugs That Affect Uterine Function

Androgens

Drugs for Erectile Dysfunction and Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

Review of the Immune System

Childhood Immunization

Immunosuppressants

Antihistamines

Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors: Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs and Acetaminophen

Glucocorticoids in Nonendocrine Disorders

Drug Therapy of Rheumatoid Arthritis