HESI MED SURG V1 LATEST 2026 | QUESTIONS AND 100%
ACCURATE VERIFIED DETAILED ANSWERS
Question
When assessing a patient's nutritional-metabolic pattern related to
hematologic health, the nurse would:
A. Inspect the skin for petechiae.
B. Ask the patient about joint pain.
C. Assess for vitamin C deficiency.
D. Determine if the patient can perform ADLs. - VERIFIED ANSWER- A. Inspect
the skin for petechiae.
Rationale: Any changes in the skin's texture or color should be explored when
assessing the patient's nutritional-metabolic pattern related to hematologic
health. The presences of petechiae or ecchymotic areas could be indicative of
hematologic deficiencies related to poor nutritional intake or related causes.
Question
When assessing lab values on a patient admitted with septicemia, the nurse
would expect to find:
A. Increased platelets
B. Decreased red blood cells
C. Decreased erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)
D. Increased bands in the WBC differential (shift to the left) - VERIFIED
ANSWER- D. Increased bands in the WBC differential (shift to the left)
Rationale: When infections are severe, such as in septicemia, more
granulocytes are released from the bone marrow as a compensatory
mechanism. To meet the increased demand, many young, immature
polymorphonuclear neutrophils (bands) are released into circulation. WBCs are
usually reported in order of maturity, with the less mature forms on the left
,side of a written report. Hence, the term "shift to the left" is used to denote an
increase in the number of bands.
Question
When caring for a patient with metastatic cancer, the nurse notes a
hemoglobin level of 8.7 g/dl and hematocrit of 26%. The nurse would place
highest priority on initiating interventions that will reduce which of the
following?
A. Fatigue
B. Thirst
C. Headache
D. Abdominal pain - VERIFIED ANSWER- A. Fatigue
Rationale: The patient with a low hemoglobin and hematocrit (normal values
approximately 13.5% to 17% and 40% to 54%, respectively) is anemic and
would be most likely to experience fatigue. This symptom develops because of
the lowered oxygen-carrying capacity that leads to reduced tissue oxygenation
to carry out cellular functions.
Question
The nurse is caring for a patient who is to receive a transfusion of two units of
packed red blood cells. After obtaining the first unit from the blood bank, the
nurse would ask which of the following health team members in the nurses'
station to assist in checking the unit before administration?
A. Unit secretary
B. Another registered nurse
C. A physician's assistant
D. A phlebotomist - VERIFIED ANSWER- B. Another registered nurse
Rationale: Before hanging a transfusion, the registered nurse must check the
unit with another RN or with a licensed practical (vocational) nurse, depending
on agency policy.
,Question
Before starting a transfusion of packed red blood cells for an anemic patient,
the nurse would arrange for a peer to monitor his or her other assigned
patients for how many minutes when the nurse begins the transfusion?
A. 60
B. 5
C. 30
D. 15 - VERIFIED ANSWER- D. 15
Rationale: As part of standard procedure, the nurse remains with the patient
for the first 15 minutes after hanging a blood transfusion. Patients who are
likely to have a transfusion reaction will more often exhibit signs within the
first 15 minutes that the blood is infusing.
Question
When preparing to administer an ordered blood transfusion, the nurse selects
which of the following intravenous solutions to use when priming the blood
tubing?
A. 5% dextrose in water
B. Lactated Ringer's
C. 0.9% sodium chloride
D. 0.45% sodium chloride - VERIFIED ANSWER- C. 0.9% sodium chloride
Rationale: The blood set should be primed before the transfusion with 0.9%
sodium chloride, also known as normal saline. It is also used to flush the blood
tubing after the infusion is complete to ensure the patient receives blood that
is left in the tubing when the bag is empty.
Question
The nurse notes a physician's order written at 10:00 AM for 2 units of packed
red blood cells to be administered to a patient who is anemic secondary to
chronic blood loss. If the transfusion is picked up at 11:30, the nurse should plan
to hang the unit no later than which of the following times?
, A. 11:45 AM
B. 12:00 noon
C. 12:30 PM
D. 3:30 PM - VERIFIED ANSWER- B. 12:00 noon
Rationale: The nurse must hang the unit of packed red blood cells within 30
minutes of signing them out from the blood bank.
Question
The nurse receives a physician's order to transfuse fresh frozen plasma to a
patient suffering from an acute blood loss. Which of the following procedures is
most appropriate for infusing this blood product?
A. Hand the fresh frozen plasma as a piggyback to a new bag of primary IV
solution without KCl.
B. Infuse the fresh frozen plasma as rapidly as the patient will tolerate.
C. Hang the fresh frozen plasma as a piggyback to the primary IV solution.
D. Infuse the fresh frozen plasma as a piggyback to a primary solution of
normal saline. - VERIFIED ANSWER- B. Infuse the fresh frozen plasma as
rapidly as the patient will tolerate.
Rationale: The fresh frozen plasma should be administered as rapidly as
possible and should be used within 2 hours of thawing. Fresh frozen plasma is
infused using any straight-line infusion set. Any existing IV should be
interrupted while the fresh frozen plasma is infused, unless a second IV line
has been started for the transfusion.
Question
Before beginning a transfusion of RBCs, which of the following actions by the
nurse would be of highest priority to avoid an error during this procedure?
A. Check the identifying information on the unit of blood against the patient's ID
bracelet.
B. Select new primary IV tubing primed with lactated Ringer's solution to use
for the transfusion.
ACCURATE VERIFIED DETAILED ANSWERS
Question
When assessing a patient's nutritional-metabolic pattern related to
hematologic health, the nurse would:
A. Inspect the skin for petechiae.
B. Ask the patient about joint pain.
C. Assess for vitamin C deficiency.
D. Determine if the patient can perform ADLs. - VERIFIED ANSWER- A. Inspect
the skin for petechiae.
Rationale: Any changes in the skin's texture or color should be explored when
assessing the patient's nutritional-metabolic pattern related to hematologic
health. The presences of petechiae or ecchymotic areas could be indicative of
hematologic deficiencies related to poor nutritional intake or related causes.
Question
When assessing lab values on a patient admitted with septicemia, the nurse
would expect to find:
A. Increased platelets
B. Decreased red blood cells
C. Decreased erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)
D. Increased bands in the WBC differential (shift to the left) - VERIFIED
ANSWER- D. Increased bands in the WBC differential (shift to the left)
Rationale: When infections are severe, such as in septicemia, more
granulocytes are released from the bone marrow as a compensatory
mechanism. To meet the increased demand, many young, immature
polymorphonuclear neutrophils (bands) are released into circulation. WBCs are
usually reported in order of maturity, with the less mature forms on the left
,side of a written report. Hence, the term "shift to the left" is used to denote an
increase in the number of bands.
Question
When caring for a patient with metastatic cancer, the nurse notes a
hemoglobin level of 8.7 g/dl and hematocrit of 26%. The nurse would place
highest priority on initiating interventions that will reduce which of the
following?
A. Fatigue
B. Thirst
C. Headache
D. Abdominal pain - VERIFIED ANSWER- A. Fatigue
Rationale: The patient with a low hemoglobin and hematocrit (normal values
approximately 13.5% to 17% and 40% to 54%, respectively) is anemic and
would be most likely to experience fatigue. This symptom develops because of
the lowered oxygen-carrying capacity that leads to reduced tissue oxygenation
to carry out cellular functions.
Question
The nurse is caring for a patient who is to receive a transfusion of two units of
packed red blood cells. After obtaining the first unit from the blood bank, the
nurse would ask which of the following health team members in the nurses'
station to assist in checking the unit before administration?
A. Unit secretary
B. Another registered nurse
C. A physician's assistant
D. A phlebotomist - VERIFIED ANSWER- B. Another registered nurse
Rationale: Before hanging a transfusion, the registered nurse must check the
unit with another RN or with a licensed practical (vocational) nurse, depending
on agency policy.
,Question
Before starting a transfusion of packed red blood cells for an anemic patient,
the nurse would arrange for a peer to monitor his or her other assigned
patients for how many minutes when the nurse begins the transfusion?
A. 60
B. 5
C. 30
D. 15 - VERIFIED ANSWER- D. 15
Rationale: As part of standard procedure, the nurse remains with the patient
for the first 15 minutes after hanging a blood transfusion. Patients who are
likely to have a transfusion reaction will more often exhibit signs within the
first 15 minutes that the blood is infusing.
Question
When preparing to administer an ordered blood transfusion, the nurse selects
which of the following intravenous solutions to use when priming the blood
tubing?
A. 5% dextrose in water
B. Lactated Ringer's
C. 0.9% sodium chloride
D. 0.45% sodium chloride - VERIFIED ANSWER- C. 0.9% sodium chloride
Rationale: The blood set should be primed before the transfusion with 0.9%
sodium chloride, also known as normal saline. It is also used to flush the blood
tubing after the infusion is complete to ensure the patient receives blood that
is left in the tubing when the bag is empty.
Question
The nurse notes a physician's order written at 10:00 AM for 2 units of packed
red blood cells to be administered to a patient who is anemic secondary to
chronic blood loss. If the transfusion is picked up at 11:30, the nurse should plan
to hang the unit no later than which of the following times?
, A. 11:45 AM
B. 12:00 noon
C. 12:30 PM
D. 3:30 PM - VERIFIED ANSWER- B. 12:00 noon
Rationale: The nurse must hang the unit of packed red blood cells within 30
minutes of signing them out from the blood bank.
Question
The nurse receives a physician's order to transfuse fresh frozen plasma to a
patient suffering from an acute blood loss. Which of the following procedures is
most appropriate for infusing this blood product?
A. Hand the fresh frozen plasma as a piggyback to a new bag of primary IV
solution without KCl.
B. Infuse the fresh frozen plasma as rapidly as the patient will tolerate.
C. Hang the fresh frozen plasma as a piggyback to the primary IV solution.
D. Infuse the fresh frozen plasma as a piggyback to a primary solution of
normal saline. - VERIFIED ANSWER- B. Infuse the fresh frozen plasma as
rapidly as the patient will tolerate.
Rationale: The fresh frozen plasma should be administered as rapidly as
possible and should be used within 2 hours of thawing. Fresh frozen plasma is
infused using any straight-line infusion set. Any existing IV should be
interrupted while the fresh frozen plasma is infused, unless a second IV line
has been started for the transfusion.
Question
Before beginning a transfusion of RBCs, which of the following actions by the
nurse would be of highest priority to avoid an error during this procedure?
A. Check the identifying information on the unit of blood against the patient's ID
bracelet.
B. Select new primary IV tubing primed with lactated Ringer's solution to use
for the transfusion.
