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CEN Certified Emergency Nurse Exam A&B ALL 450
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS LATEST
UPDATE THIS YEAR
CEN Certified Emergency Nurse Exam
QUESTION: Upon initial assessment of a male patient involved in a motor vehicle crash, the
nurse observes bruises in various stages of healing to his torso. He denies any medical history.
When asked about the bruising, the patient avoids eye contact, states that he fell yesterday,
and asks if his male partner has arrived to the ED. The nurse suspects:
A. the patient may have undiagnosed coagulopathy.
B. the bruising was sustained during the motor vehicle crash.
C. the patient may be a victim of domestic violence.
D. the bruising is a result of the stated fall. - ANSWER-C. the patient may be a victim of domestic
violence.
QUESTION: The nurse is caring for a patient who became unresponsive after diving head-first
into a shallow pool. The patient is experiencing refractory hypotension. The nurse should
prepare for the administration of
a. lactated Ringers.
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b. norepinephrine.
c. normal saline.
d. epinephrine. - ANSWER-b. norepinephrine
QUESTION: A 3-year-old child who has acute respiratory distress is admitted to the emergency
department. The child is sitting forward and drooling, and the neck is extended. These findings
support the diagnosis of
A. epiglottitis.
B. bronchiolitis.
C. croup.
D. aspiration of a foreign body. - ANSWER-A. epiglottitis
QUESTION: The nurse understands that adenosine is administered
A. IV push over 1-2 seconds.
B. as a bolus over 10-15 minutes.
C. as a bolus over 1 hour.
D. IV push over 1-2 minutes. - ANSWER-A. IV push over 1-2 seconds.
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QUESTION: A man who briefly lost consciousness after a motor vehicle crash is alert and
oriented upon arrival at the emergency department. The patient states that he is fine except for
an abrasion where his head hit the door frame of the vehicle. The patient complains of blurred
vision 1 hour later. The nurse should FIRST
A. repeat the neurologic assessment.
B. obtain orthostatic vital signs.
C. assess visual acuity.
D. obtain blood glucose measurement. - ANSWER-A. repeat the neurologic assessment.
QUESTION: After a non-traumatic resuscitation, the patient has a perfusing ECG rhythm and a
stable blood pressure, but the patient remains comatose. The nurse should NEXT prepare for
A. initiation of targeted temperature management.
B. initiation of stroke protocol.
C. transport to the cardiac catheterization lab.
D. transport to the neurovascular suite. - ANSWER-A. initiation of targeted temperature
management.
QUESTION: After a patient has an episode of violent behavior in the waiting room, an important
intervention is to
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A. tell the patient to get himself under control.
B. instruct the patient to be quiet and speak only when spoken to.
C. allow the patient to go home as soon as possible.
D. encourage the patient to verbalize his feelings about the situation. - ANSWER-D. encourage
the patient to verbalize his feelings about the situation.
Q;The nurse is caring for a patient who has a high fever, central nervous system dysfunction
and tachycardia. The nurse should recognize that the patient may be experiencing
A. myxedema crisis.
B. Beck's triad.
C. thyroid storm.
D. hyperosmolar hyperglycemic nonketotic syndrome (HHNS). - ANSWER-C. Thyroid storm
QUESTION: Which of the following assessment findings associated with a skull fracture indicate
the need for further intervention?
A. otorrhea, nausea, and vomiting
B. decreasing level of consciousness and restlessness
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CEN Certified Emergency Nurse Exam A&B ALL 450
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS LATEST
UPDATE THIS YEAR
CEN Certified Emergency Nurse Exam
QUESTION: Upon initial assessment of a male patient involved in a motor vehicle crash, the
nurse observes bruises in various stages of healing to his torso. He denies any medical history.
When asked about the bruising, the patient avoids eye contact, states that he fell yesterday,
and asks if his male partner has arrived to the ED. The nurse suspects:
A. the patient may have undiagnosed coagulopathy.
B. the bruising was sustained during the motor vehicle crash.
C. the patient may be a victim of domestic violence.
D. the bruising is a result of the stated fall. - ANSWER-C. the patient may be a victim of domestic
violence.
QUESTION: The nurse is caring for a patient who became unresponsive after diving head-first
into a shallow pool. The patient is experiencing refractory hypotension. The nurse should
prepare for the administration of
a. lactated Ringers.
1
, Page 2 of 149
b. norepinephrine.
c. normal saline.
d. epinephrine. - ANSWER-b. norepinephrine
QUESTION: A 3-year-old child who has acute respiratory distress is admitted to the emergency
department. The child is sitting forward and drooling, and the neck is extended. These findings
support the diagnosis of
A. epiglottitis.
B. bronchiolitis.
C. croup.
D. aspiration of a foreign body. - ANSWER-A. epiglottitis
QUESTION: The nurse understands that adenosine is administered
A. IV push over 1-2 seconds.
B. as a bolus over 10-15 minutes.
C. as a bolus over 1 hour.
D. IV push over 1-2 minutes. - ANSWER-A. IV push over 1-2 seconds.
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QUESTION: A man who briefly lost consciousness after a motor vehicle crash is alert and
oriented upon arrival at the emergency department. The patient states that he is fine except for
an abrasion where his head hit the door frame of the vehicle. The patient complains of blurred
vision 1 hour later. The nurse should FIRST
A. repeat the neurologic assessment.
B. obtain orthostatic vital signs.
C. assess visual acuity.
D. obtain blood glucose measurement. - ANSWER-A. repeat the neurologic assessment.
QUESTION: After a non-traumatic resuscitation, the patient has a perfusing ECG rhythm and a
stable blood pressure, but the patient remains comatose. The nurse should NEXT prepare for
A. initiation of targeted temperature management.
B. initiation of stroke protocol.
C. transport to the cardiac catheterization lab.
D. transport to the neurovascular suite. - ANSWER-A. initiation of targeted temperature
management.
QUESTION: After a patient has an episode of violent behavior in the waiting room, an important
intervention is to
3
, Page 4 of 149
A. tell the patient to get himself under control.
B. instruct the patient to be quiet and speak only when spoken to.
C. allow the patient to go home as soon as possible.
D. encourage the patient to verbalize his feelings about the situation. - ANSWER-D. encourage
the patient to verbalize his feelings about the situation.
Q;The nurse is caring for a patient who has a high fever, central nervous system dysfunction
and tachycardia. The nurse should recognize that the patient may be experiencing
A. myxedema crisis.
B. Beck's triad.
C. thyroid storm.
D. hyperosmolar hyperglycemic nonketotic syndrome (HHNS). - ANSWER-C. Thyroid storm
QUESTION: Which of the following assessment findings associated with a skull fracture indicate
the need for further intervention?
A. otorrhea, nausea, and vomiting
B. decreasing level of consciousness and restlessness
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