NCLEX- RN Practice Exam 15

1. Which individual is at greatest risk for developing hypertension?

1. 45 year-old African American attorney
2. 60 year-old Asian American shop owner
3. 40 year-old Caucasian nurse
4. 55 year-old Hispanic teacher

2. A child who ingested 15 maximum strength acetaminophen tablets 45 minutes ago is seen in the emergency department. Which of these orders should the nurse do first?

1. Gastric lavage PRN
2. Acetylcysteine (mucomyst) for age per pharmacy
3. Start an IV Dextrose 5% with 0.33% normal saline to keep vein open
4. Activated charcoal per pharmacy

3. Which complication of cardiac catheterization should the nurse monitor for in the initial 24 hours after the procedure?

1. angina at rest
2. thrombus formation
3. dizziness
4. falling blood pressure

4. A client is admitted to the emergency room with renal calculi and is complaining of moderate to severe flank pain and nausea. The client’s temperature is 100.8 degrees Fahrenheit. The priority nursing goal for this client is

1. Maintain fluid and electrolyte balance
2. Control nausea
3. Manage pain
4. Prevent urinary tract infection

5. What would the nurse expect to see while assessing the growth of children during their school age years?

1. Decreasing amounts of body fat and muscle mass
2. Little change in body appearance from year to year
3. Progressive height increase of 4 inches each year
4.  Yearly weight gain of about 5.5 pounds per year

6. At a community health fair the blood pressure of a 62 year-old client is 160/96. The client states “My blood pressure is usually much lower.” The nurse should tell the client to

1. go get a blood pressure check within the next 48 to 72 hours
2. check blood pressure again in 2 months
3. see the health care provider immediately
4. visit the health care provider within 1 week for a BP check

7. The hospital has sounded the call for a disaster drill on the evening shift. Which of these clients would the nurse put first on the list to be discharged in order to make a room available for a new admission?

1. A middle aged client with a history of being ventilator dependent for over 7 years and admitted with bacterial pneumonia five days ago
2. A young adult with diabetes mellitus Type 2 for over 10 years and admitted with antibiotic induced diarrhea 24 hours ago
3. An elderly client with a history of hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and lupus, and was admitted with Stevens-Johnson syndrome that morning
4. An adolescent with a positive HIV test and admitted for acute cellulitus of the lower leg 48 hours ago

8. A client has been newly diagnosed with hypothyroidism and will take levothyroxine (Synthroid) 50 mcg/day by mouth. As part of the teaching plan, the nurse emphasizes that this medication:

1. Should be taken in the morning
2. May decrease the client’s energy level
3. Must be stored in a dark container
4. Will decrease the client’s heart rate

9. A 3 year-old child comes to the pediatric clinic after the sudden onset of findings that include irritability, thick muffled voice, croaking on inspiration, hot to touch, sit leaning forward, tongue protruding, drooling and suprasternal retractions. What should the nurse do first?

1. Prepare the child for x-ray of upper airways
2. Examine the child’s throat
3. Collect a sputum specimen
4. Notify the healthcare provider of the child’s status

10. In children suspected to have a diagnosis of diabetes, which one of the following complaints would be most likely to prompt parents to take their school age child for evaluation?

1. Polyphagia
2. Dehydration
3. Bed wetting
4. Weight loss

11. A client comes to the clinic for treatment of recurrent pelvic inflammatory disease. The nurse recognizes that this condition most frequently follows which type of infection?

1. Trichomoniasis
2. Chlamydia
3. Staphylococcus
4. Streptococcus

12. An RN who usually works in a spinal rehabilitation unit is floated to the emergency department. Which of these clients should the charge nurse assign to this RN?

1. A middle-aged client who says “I took too many diet pills” and “my heart feels like it is racing out of my chest.”
2. A young adult who says “I hear songs from heaven. I need money for beer. I quit drinking 2 days ago for my family. Why are my arms and legs jerking?”
3. An adolescent who has been on pain medications terminal cancer with an initial assessment finding pupils and a relaxed respiratory rate of 10
4. An elderly client who reports having taken a “large crack hit” 10 minutes prior to walking into the emergency room

13. When teaching a client with coronary artery disease about nutrition, the nurse should emphasize

1. Eating 3 balanced meals a day
2. Adding complex carbohydrates
3. Avoiding very heavy meals
4. Limiting sodium to 7 gms per day

14. Which of these findings indicate that a pump to deliver a basal rate of 10 ml per hour plus PRN for pain break through for morphine drip is not working?

1. The client complains of discomfort at the IV insertion site
2. The client states “I just can’t get relief from my pain.”
3. The level of drug is 100 ml at 8 AM and is 80 ml at noon
4. The level of the drug is 100 ml at 8 AM and is 50 ml at noon

15. The nurse is speaking at a community meeting about personal responsibility for health promotion. A participant asks about chiropractic treatment for illnesses. What should be the focus of the nurse’s response?

1.  Electrical energy fields
2. Spinal column manipulation
3. Mind-body balance
4. Exercise of joints

16. The nurse is performing a neurological assessment on a client post right CVA. Which finding, if observed by the nurse, would warrant immediate attention?

1. Decrease in level of consciousness
2. Loss of bladder control
3. Altered sensation to stimuli
4. Emotional ability

17. A child who has recently been diagnosed with cystic fibrosis is in a pediatric clinic where a nurse is performing an assessment. Which later finding of this disease would the nurse not expect to see at this time?

1. Positive sweat test
2. Bulky greasy stools
3. Moist, productive cough
4. Meconium ileus

18. The home health nurse visits a male client to provide wound care and finds the client lethargic and confused. His wife states he fell down the stairs 2 hours ago. The nurse should

1. Place a call to the client’s health care provider for instructions
2. Send him to the emergency room for evaluation
3. Reassure the client’s wife that the symptoms are transient
4. Instruct the client’s wife to call the doctor if his symptoms become worse

19. Which of the following should the nurse implement to prepare a client for a KUB (Kidney, Ureter, Bladder) radiograph test?

1. Client must be NPO before the examination
2. Enema to be administered prior to the examination
3. Medicate client with Lasix 20 mg IV 30 minutes prior to the examination
4. No special orders are necessary for this examination

20. The nurse is giving discharge teaching to a client 7 days post myocardial infarction. He asks the nurse why he must wait 6 weeks before having sexual intercourse. What is the best response by the nurse to this question?

1.  “You need to regain your strength before attempting such exertion.”
2. “When you can climb 2 flights of stairs without problems, it is generally safe.”
3. “Have a glass of wine to relax you, then you can try to have sex.”
4.  “If you can maintain an active walking program, you will have less risk.”

21. A triage nurse has these 4 clients arrive in the emergency department within 15 minutes. Which client should the triage nurse send back to be seen first?

1. A 2 month old infant with a history of rolling off the bed and has bulging fontanels with crying
2. A teenager who got a singed beard while camping
3. An elderly client with complaints of frequent liquid brown colored stools
4. A middle aged client with intermittent pain behind the right scapula

22. While planning care for a toddler, the nurse teaches the parents about the expected developmental changes for this age. Which statement by the mother shows that she understands the child’s developmental needs?

1. “I want to protect my child from any falls.”
2. “I will set limits on exploring the house.”
3. “I understand the need to use those new skills.”
4. “I intend to keep control over our child.”

23. The nurse is preparing to administer an enteral feeding to a client via a nasogastric feeding tube. The most important action of the nurse is

1. Verify correct placement of the tube
2. Check that the feeding solution matches the dietary order
3. Aspirate abdominal contents to determine the amount of last feeding remaining in stomach
4. Ensure that feeding solution is at room temperature

24. The nurse is caring for a client with a serum potassium level of 3.5 mEq/L. The client is placed on a cardiac monitor and receives 40 mEq KCL in 1000 ml of 5% dextrose in water IV. Which of the following EKG patterns indicates to the nurse that the infusions should be discontinued?

1. Narrowed QRS complex
2. Shortened “PR” interval
3. Tall peaked T waves
4. Prominent “U” waves

25. A nurse prepares to care for a 4 year-old newly admitted for rhabdomyosarcoma. The nurse should alert the staff to pay more attention to the function of which area of the body?

1. All striated muscles
2. The cerebellum
3. The kidneys
4. The leg bones

26. The nurse anticipates that for a family who practices Chinese medicine the priority goal would be to

1. Achieve harmony
2. Maintain a balance of energy
3. Respect life
4. Restore yin and yang

27. During an assessment of a client with cardiomyopathy, the nurse finds that the systolic blood pressure has decreased from 145 to 110 mm Hg and the heart rate has risen from 72 to 96 beats per minute and the client complains of periodic dizzy spells. The nurse instructs the client to

1. Increase fluids that are high in protein
2. Restrict fluids
3. Force fluids and reassess blood pressure
4.  Limit fluids to non-caffeine beverages

28. A client has a Swan-Ganz catheter in place. The nurse understands that this is intended to measure

1. Right heart function
2. Left heart function
3. Renal tubule function
4. Carotid artery function

29. A nurse enters a client’s room to discover that the client has no pulse or respirations. After calling for help, the first action the nurse should take is

1. Start a peripheral IV
2. Initiate closed-chest massage
3. Establish an airway
4. Obtain the crash cart

30. A client is receiving digoxin (Lanoxin) 0.25 mg. Daily. The health care provider has written a new order to give metoprolol (Lopressor) 25 mg. B.I.D. In assessing the client prior to administering the medications, which of the following should the nurse report immediately to the health care provider?

1. Blood pressure 94/60
2. Heart rate 76
3. Urine output 50 ml/hour
4. Respiratory rate 16

31. While assessing a 1 month-old infant, which finding should the nurse report immediately?

1. Abdominal respirations
2. Irregular breathing rate
3. Inspiratory grunt
4. Increased heart rate with crying

32. The nurse practicing in a maternity setting recognizes that the post mature fetus is at risk due to

1. Excessive fetal weight
2. Low blood sugar levels
3. Depletion of subcutaneous fat
4. Progressive placental insufficiency

33. The nurse is caring for a client who had a total hip replacement 4 days ago. Which assessment requires the nurse’s immediate attention?

1. I have bad muscle spasms in my lower leg of the affected extremity.
2. “I just can’t ‘catch my breath’ over the past few minutes and I think I am in grave danger.”
3. “I have to use the bedpan to pass my water at least every 1 to 2 hours.”
4. “It seems that the pain medication is not working as well today.”

34. A client has been taking furosemide (Lasix) for the past week. The nurse recognizes which finding may indicate the client is experiencing a negative side effect from the medication?

1. Weight gain of 5 pounds
2. Edema of the ankles
3. Gastric irritability
4. Decreased appetite

35. A client who is pregnant comes to the clinic for a first visit. The nurse gathers data about her obstetric history, which includes 3 year-old twins at home and a miscarriage 10 years ago at 12 weeks gestation. How would the nurse accurately document this information?

1. Gravida 4 para 2
2. Gravida 2 para 1
3. Gravida 3 para 1
4. Gravida 3 para 2

36. The nurse is caring for a client with a venous stasis ulcer. Which nursing intervention would be most effective in promoting healing?

1. Apply dressing using sterile technique
2. Improve the client’s nutrition status
3. Initiate limb compression therapy
4. Begin proteolytic debridement

37. A nurse is to administer meperidine hydrochloride (Demerol) 100 mg, atropine sulfate (Atropisol) 0.4 mg, and promethizine hydrochloride (Phenergan) 50 mg IM to a pre-operative client. Which action should the nurse take first?

1. Raise the side rails on the bed
2. Place the call bell within reach
3.  Instruct the client to remain in bed
4. Have the client empty bladder

38. Which of these statements best describes the characteristic of an effective reward-feedback system?

1. Specific feedback is given as close to the event as possible
2. Staff are given feedback in equal amounts over time
3.  Positive statements are to precede a negative statement
4. Performance goals should be higher than what is attainable

39. A client with multiple sclerosis plans to begin an exercise program. In addition to discussing the benefits of regular exercise, the nurse should caution the client to avoid activities which

1. Increase the heart rate
2. Lead to dehydration
3. Are considered aerobic
4. May be competitive

40. During the evaluation of the quality of home care for a client with Alzheimer’s disease, the priority for the nurse is to reinforce which statement by a family member?

1. At least 2 full meals a day is eaten.
2. We go to a group discussion every week at our community center.
3. We have safety bars installed in the bathroom and have 24 hour alarms on the doors.
4. The medication is not a problem to have it taken 3 times a day.

Answers and Rationales