NCLEX-RN · Physiological Integrity
Pharmacological and Parenteral Therapies Review
Review status: Draft. This educational content has not yet been reviewed by a licensed nursing professional.
Safe medication administration, expected and adverse effects, IV therapy, and dosage calculation.
- 2026 NCLEX-RN test plan:
- 13–19% of the exam
- Practice questions:
- 32 original
What this category covers
This area covers giving medications and IV therapies safely. It includes checking orders, knowing expected effects and adverse effects, monitoring for interactions, managing IV lines and blood products, and calculating doses accurately from the information provided.
Key concepts
Safe administration
The rights of medication administration, two client identifiers, allergy checks, and knowing when to hold a medication and contact the provider prevent many errors.
Expected and adverse effects
Nurses assess before and after giving a medication: what should improve, what could go wrong, and which findings mean the medication should be held or reported.
High-alert medications and IV therapy
Anticoagulants, insulin, opioids and concentrated electrolytes can cause serious harm when given in error. IV therapy adds line care, infusion monitoring, and infiltration or reaction checks.
Dosage calculation
Every calculation starts from the order and the product label. Dosage Calcs' calculators, lessons and practice problems cover this math in depth.
Topics to review
- Rights of medication administration
- Adverse effects, interactions and contraindications
- High-alert medications
- IV therapy, infiltration and line care
- Blood and blood product administration
- Pain management and opioid safety
- Dosage calculation from supplied orders
- Client teaching about medications
Related case studies
Related Dosage Calcs tools
Related categories
Sources
Educational Use & Safety
Educational exam preparation only. Questions and case studies use fictional clients and teach general nursing concepts. They are not medical advice and do not determine care for an actual patient. Always follow current clinical guidance, provider orders, and your program's and facility's policies.
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