NURS 209 Nursing Pathophysiology,
NURS 209 – Practice HESI Questions with
Answers and Rationales
Introduction:
This document contains extensive NURS 209 practice
questions designed for HESI exam preparation, covering core
pathophysiology concepts across multiple body systems. It
includes fully answered multiple-choice and select-all-that-
apply questions with detailed rationales to support
understanding and exam readiness. The material is suitable for
review throughout the course and for final HESI exam
preparation.
Exam Questions and Answers with Rationales:
A patient who is experiencing difficulty in recognizing a
pattern's form and the nature of objects is exhibiting
characteristics of:
A. agnosia.
B. aphasia.
C. dysphasia.
D. Alzheimer disease. ---Correct Answer---A. agnosia.
,Agnosia is a defect of pattern recognition. Aphasia is the
complete absence of speech. Dysphasia is impairment of
comprehension or production of language. Alzheimer disease is
a disease of dementia.
A patient who is experiencing a loss of comprehension or the
production of language is described as having:
A. dysphasia.
B. aphasia.
C. expressive dysphasia.
D. transcortical dysphasia. ---Correct Answer---A. dysphasia.
Aphasia is complete inability to speak. Dysphasia is
impairment in comprehension or production of language.
Expressive dysphasia is characterized primarily by deficits in
expression, but comprehension may be present. Transcortical
dysphasia involves the ability to repeat and to recite.
A patient who fell and hit his head 2 days ago is now restless
and irritable. This scenario is characteristic of:
A. Alzheimer disease.
,B. dementia.
C. delirium.
D. coma. ---Correct Answer---C. delirium.
Delirium is an acute state of confusion. It is abrupt in its onset.
The patient may have difficulty in concentration, restlessness,
irritability, tremulousness, insomnia, and poor appetite.
Dementia is a more chronic problem in which there is
progressive failure of many cerebral functions. Alzheimer
disease is a type of dementia. A coma is a loss of
consciousness.
It is TRUE that Alzheimer disease is:
A. an uncommon neurologic disorder.
B. not believed to have a genetic relationship.
C. a result of neuronal proteins becoming distorted and
tangled.
D. the cause of plaques increasing nerve impulse transmission.
---Correct Answer---C. a result of neuronal proteins becoming
distorted and tangled.
Neurofibrillary tangles occur when the proteins in neurons
become tangled and distorted. There is a genetic relationship
, in late-onset familial Alzheimer dementia. It is a common
neurologic disorder; nearly 6 million Americans had the
disease in 2000. With the formation of plaques, there is
decreased nerve impulse transmission.
The term used to describe a patient who sustains a
cerebrovascular accident and is paralyzed on the left side is:
A. hemiplegia.
B. paraplegia.
C. diplegia.
D. quadriplegia. ---Correct Answer---A. hemiplegia.
Hemiplegia means loss of motor function on one side of the
body. Paraplegia refers to loss of motor function of the lower
extremities. Diplegia is the paralysis of both upper or both
lower extremities as a result of cerebral hemisphere injuries.
Quadriplegia refers to paralysis of all four extremities.
A patient who exhibits involuntary twisting movements caused
by slow muscle contraction on the right side of the body is
experiencing:
A. hypertonia.
B. spasticity.
NURS 209 – Practice HESI Questions with
Answers and Rationales
Introduction:
This document contains extensive NURS 209 practice
questions designed for HESI exam preparation, covering core
pathophysiology concepts across multiple body systems. It
includes fully answered multiple-choice and select-all-that-
apply questions with detailed rationales to support
understanding and exam readiness. The material is suitable for
review throughout the course and for final HESI exam
preparation.
Exam Questions and Answers with Rationales:
A patient who is experiencing difficulty in recognizing a
pattern's form and the nature of objects is exhibiting
characteristics of:
A. agnosia.
B. aphasia.
C. dysphasia.
D. Alzheimer disease. ---Correct Answer---A. agnosia.
,Agnosia is a defect of pattern recognition. Aphasia is the
complete absence of speech. Dysphasia is impairment of
comprehension or production of language. Alzheimer disease is
a disease of dementia.
A patient who is experiencing a loss of comprehension or the
production of language is described as having:
A. dysphasia.
B. aphasia.
C. expressive dysphasia.
D. transcortical dysphasia. ---Correct Answer---A. dysphasia.
Aphasia is complete inability to speak. Dysphasia is
impairment in comprehension or production of language.
Expressive dysphasia is characterized primarily by deficits in
expression, but comprehension may be present. Transcortical
dysphasia involves the ability to repeat and to recite.
A patient who fell and hit his head 2 days ago is now restless
and irritable. This scenario is characteristic of:
A. Alzheimer disease.
,B. dementia.
C. delirium.
D. coma. ---Correct Answer---C. delirium.
Delirium is an acute state of confusion. It is abrupt in its onset.
The patient may have difficulty in concentration, restlessness,
irritability, tremulousness, insomnia, and poor appetite.
Dementia is a more chronic problem in which there is
progressive failure of many cerebral functions. Alzheimer
disease is a type of dementia. A coma is a loss of
consciousness.
It is TRUE that Alzheimer disease is:
A. an uncommon neurologic disorder.
B. not believed to have a genetic relationship.
C. a result of neuronal proteins becoming distorted and
tangled.
D. the cause of plaques increasing nerve impulse transmission.
---Correct Answer---C. a result of neuronal proteins becoming
distorted and tangled.
Neurofibrillary tangles occur when the proteins in neurons
become tangled and distorted. There is a genetic relationship
, in late-onset familial Alzheimer dementia. It is a common
neurologic disorder; nearly 6 million Americans had the
disease in 2000. With the formation of plaques, there is
decreased nerve impulse transmission.
The term used to describe a patient who sustains a
cerebrovascular accident and is paralyzed on the left side is:
A. hemiplegia.
B. paraplegia.
C. diplegia.
D. quadriplegia. ---Correct Answer---A. hemiplegia.
Hemiplegia means loss of motor function on one side of the
body. Paraplegia refers to loss of motor function of the lower
extremities. Diplegia is the paralysis of both upper or both
lower extremities as a result of cerebral hemisphere injuries.
Quadriplegia refers to paralysis of all four extremities.
A patient who exhibits involuntary twisting movements caused
by slow muscle contraction on the right side of the body is
experiencing:
A. hypertonia.
B. spasticity.
