NMCN Professional Examination · Nigeria · Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN)
Original practice questions written to the published syllabus · not past papersWhat a medicine does, and what it does to this person
In the exams: NORCET: Mains — nursing practice, case-scenario based (100 questions); NORCET: Prelims — nursing syllabus (80 of 100 questions); NCLEX-RN: Physiological Integrity (43–67%); NMC Test of Competence — CBT: Part A — Numeracy (15 marks, 90% to pass); Philippine Nurse Licensure Examination: Medical-surgical and psychiatric nursing (Papers 4 and 5); Japan National Nursing Examination: Human structure, function and disease (Core across both sections); NMCN Professional Examination: Medical and surgical nursing (Core paper); Nursing Council of Kenya Licensure Examination: Medical and surgical nursing (Core)
How our questions for NMCN Professional Examination spread across the units of Pharmacology. Difficulty: 19 easy, 53 medium, 19 hard.
| End-of-manual check | 12 | |
| Calculation | 8 | |
| Pain and Sedation | 5 | |
| Heart and Circulation Medicines | 5 | |
| Routes and Formulations | 5 | |
| Why Nurses Study This Separately | 4 | |
| What The Body Does To A Drug | 4 | |
| What A Drug Does To The Body | 4 | |
| Reading a Prescription | 4 | |
| Medicines That Fight Infection | 4 | |
| Diabetes and Hormone Medicines | 4 | |
| Breathing, Brain and Mental Health Medicines | 4 | |
| Older People and Many Medicines at Once | 4 | |
| Pregnancy, Children and Special Groups | 4 | |
| Where Supply Is Unreliable | 4 | |
| When Something Goes Wrong | 4 | |
| Stewardship and the Bigger Picture | 4 | |
| Controlled and High-Alert Medicines | 4 | |
| Being Examined On This | 4 |
Choose an answer, then open the working. Each explanation says why the right answer is right and why the others are not.
What is a prescribing cascade?
C. A side effect treated as a new problem with another medicine
One medicine causes an effect, that effect is treated with a second, and the second causes a third. Recognising it requires somebody to ask when the symptom began relative to when the medicine began, which nurses are well placed to do.
Further reading: SUNYRA nursing manual: Pharmacology for Nurses
At which stage of the medicine process is the nurse usually the last person able to stop an error?
D. Administration
Medicines are prescribed, dispensed and administered. The nurse at administration is the final check before the medicine reaches the patient.
Further reading: Laisha original question, written to the SUNYRA nursing manual: Pharmacology
Which item must a prescription include?
D. The route of administration
Prescriptions state patient identity, drug, strength, dose, route, frequency, start and stop dates, prescriber and allergies.
Further reading: Laisha original question, written to the SUNYRA nursing manual: Pharmacology
A prescription looks wrong to the nurse. What is the correct action?
B. Withhold it and query the prescriber before giving
Querying a doubtful prescription before administration is a professional duty; the nurse never alters a prescription.
Further reading: Laisha original question, written to the SUNYRA nursing manual: Pharmacology
Convert 0.25 mg to micrograms.
C. 250 micrograms
1 mg = 1,000 micrograms, so 0.25 x 1,000 = 250 micrograms. Writing 'micrograms' in full avoids confusion with mg.
Further reading: Laisha original question, written to the SUNYRA nursing manual: Pharmacology
A patient wants to stop antibiotics on day 3 because they feel better. What should the nurse explain?
A. The course length is set to clear the infection
Explaining why the duration matters improves completion. Courses are set by evidence and are reviewed by the prescriber, not stopped by symptom alone.
Further reading: Laisha original question, written to the SUNYRA nursing manual: Pharmacology
Which drug reverses opioid-induced respiratory depression?
B. Naloxone
Naloxone is an opioid antagonist; its effect can wear off before the opioid's, so observation continues. Flumazenil reverses benzodiazepines; protamine reverses heparin.
Further reading: Laisha original question, written to the SUNYRA nursing manual: Pharmacology
What is the first treatment for anaphylaxis?
A. Intramuscular adrenaline
Adrenaline intramuscularly into the thigh, repeated if needed, with airway support, fluids and help; antihistamines and steroids are secondary.
Further reading: Laisha original question, written to the SUNYRA nursing manual: Pharmacology
Why are suspected adverse reactions reported to the national pharmacovigilance scheme?
C. Rare reactions are found after licensing through them
Spontaneous reporting detects rare and long-term harms that trials miss.
Further reading: Laisha original question, written to the SUNYRA nursing manual: Pharmacology
Which group recurs on high-alert medicine lists worldwide?
B. Anticoagulants, insulin, opioids, strong potassium
Errors with these cause severe harm, so extra checks, standard concentrations and separate storage are used.
Further reading: Laisha original question, written to the SUNYRA nursing manual: Pharmacology
Ten here, 91 in the app. The Laisha app has every practice question we have written to NMCN Professional Examination in this subject, marked as you go, with timed papers, a jump-to-unanswered list and a certificate when you pass at 70 per cent.
Free for ten days, then one subscription of US$10 a month. We would rather say so here than have you find it later.
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