This free Fundamentals of Nursing Practice Test #5 covers medication administration — client identification, injection sites, routes, eye and ear drops, insulin, and tube medications. Work through 10 timed questions, then check every answer with the full rationales below. No sign-up required.
All 10 Questions With Answers & Rationales
Prefer to work at your own pace? Every question from the timed quiz above is listed here in full. Choose your answer, then tap Show Answer & Rationale to check it.
Question 1: Safety
Which two identifiers should the nurse use before giving a medication?
- A. The client's name and room number
- B. The client's name and date of birth
- C. The room number and bed number
- D. The client's diagnosis and name
Show Answer & Rationale
Answer: B. The client's name and date of birth
Rationale: The Joint Commission requires at least two client-specific identifiers, such as full name and date of birth, checked against the order and the ID band. Room and bed numbers change and are never used as identifiers.
Question 2: Injections
Which site is preferred for an intramuscular injection in most adults?
- A. Dorsogluteal
- B. Ventrogluteal
- C. Deltoid for large volumes
- D. Abdomen
Show Answer & Rationale
Answer: B. Ventrogluteal
Rationale: The ventrogluteal site has thick muscle and is away from major nerves and blood vessels. The dorsogluteal site risks sciatic nerve injury, the deltoid holds only small volumes, and the abdomen is a subcutaneous site.
Question 3: Routes
Which instruction should the nurse give a client taking sublingual nitroglycerin?
- A. Place the tablet under the tongue and let it dissolve
- B. Swallow the tablet with water
- C. Chew the tablet
- D. Place it between the cheek and gum and drink water
Show Answer & Rationale
Answer: A. Place the tablet under the tongue and let it dissolve
Rationale: Sublingual tablets are absorbed directly through the blood vessels under the tongue, which gives a fast effect. Swallowing it sends the drug through the liver, which inactivates much of it.
Question 4: Eye Drops
How should the nurse instill eye drops?
- A. Directly onto the cornea
- B. Into the upper eyelid
- C. Into the inner corner while the client looks down
- D. Into the lower conjunctival sac, then press gently on the inner corner of the eye
Show Answer & Rationale
Answer: D. Into the lower conjunctival sac, then press gently on the inner corner of the eye
Rationale: Drops go into the pocket of the lower lid, not onto the sensitive cornea. Gentle pressure on the inner canthus closes the tear duct so less medicine drains into the nose and throat.
Question 5: Ear Drops
How should the nurse position the ear to give ear drops to a 2-year-old?
- A. Pull the pinna up and back
- B. Pull the pinna down and back
- C. Pull the earlobe forward
- D. Leave the ear in its normal position
Show Answer & Rationale
Answer: B. Pull the pinna down and back
Rationale: In children under about 3, the ear canal points upward, so pulling the pinna down and back straightens it. In adults and older children, the pinna is pulled up and back.
Question 6: Insulin
The nurse is mixing regular insulin and NPH insulin in one syringe. Which should be drawn up first?
- A. NPH (cloudy) insulin
- B. Either one, the order does not matter
- C. The one with the larger dose
- D. Regular (clear) insulin
Show Answer & Rationale
Answer: D. Regular (clear) insulin
Rationale: "Clear before cloudy." Drawing up regular insulin first keeps NPH out of the regular insulin vial, which would change how fast it acts.
Question 7: Tube Medications
How should the nurse give several medications through a nasogastric tube?
- A. Crush and mix all medications together
- B. Mix the medications into the tube feeding bag
- C. Give each medication separately and flush with water before, between, and after
- D. Give them without checking tube placement
Show Answer & Rationale
Answer: C. Give each medication separately and flush with water before, between, and after
Rationale: Giving each drug separately prevents interactions and clogging, and flushing keeps the tube open. Placement is verified per policy before anything goes into the tube. Medications are never added to the feeding bag.
Question 8: Oral Medications
A client cannot swallow an enteric-coated tablet. What should the nurse do?
- A. Ask the provider or pharmacist for another form
- B. Crush it and mix it with applesauce
- C. Break it in half
- D. Have the client chew it
Show Answer & Rationale
Answer: A. Ask the provider or pharmacist for another form
Rationale: Enteric coating protects the stomach or protects the drug from stomach acid. Crushing, splitting, or chewing destroys the coating. Extended-release tablets should not be crushed either. Ask for a liquid or alternative form.
Question 9: Client Rights
A client refuses a scheduled medication. What should the nurse do?
- A. Hide the medication in food
- B. Tell the client it is required
- C. Ask about the reason, document the refusal, and notify the provider
- D. Give it later without telling the client
Show Answer & Rationale
Answer: C. Ask about the reason, document the refusal, and notify the provider
Rationale: Competent clients have the right to refuse medication. The nurse explores the reason, provides information, documents the refusal, and reports it. Giving a medication without consent, including hiding it in food, is a legal and ethical violation.
Question 10: Injections
Which technique is correct when giving subcutaneous heparin?
- A. Do not aspirate and do not massage the site
- B. Aspirate before injecting
- C. Massage the site afterward
- D. Inject into the deltoid muscle
Show Answer & Rationale
Answer: A. Do not aspirate and do not massage the site
Rationale: Aspirating and massaging can damage small blood vessels and cause bruising and bleeding. Heparin is given subcutaneously, usually in the abdomen at least 2 inches from the navel.
Fundamentals of Nursing Practice Tests
Six free, timed tests on the nursing basics — every question with a full rationale. Work through all six to build speed and confidence.
Safety, Infection Control & Priorities
Hand hygiene, PPE, fire safety, falls, positioning, vital signs, documentation, delegation, and prioritization.
Infection Control & Asepsis
Isolation precautions, PPE order, sterile technique, sterile gloves, hand hygiene, and sharps safety.
Vital Signs & Assessment
Apical pulse, blood pressure errors, respirations, temperature, oxygen saturation, pain scales, and abdominal assessment.
Hygiene, Mobility & Body Mechanics
Body mechanics, transfers, canes, crutches, walkers, oral care, foot care, and immobility.
Medication Administration
Client identifiers, IM sites, sublingual meds, eye and ear drops, mixing insulin, and NG tube meds.
Communication, Legal & Ethics
Therapeutic communication, informed consent, HIPAA, restraints, advance directives, SBAR, and ethics.
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