Medical-Surgical Nursing (Med-Surg)
Certification – Practice Questions with
Detailed Answers for Exam Preparation
Introduction:
This document contains a comprehensive set of medical-
surgical nursing certification practice questions with detailed
explanations for each correct answer. The material covers a
wide range of clinical topics including cardiovascular
disorders, renal conditions, musculoskeletal injuries,
infectious diseases, oncology, hematologic disorders, and
respiratory conditions.
The questions follow a format similar to certification or
nursing board exams and include rationales that help reinforce
clinical reasoning and test-taking strategies. It is useful for
nursing students and practicing nurses preparing for Med-Surg
certification or review exams.
Exam Questions and Detailed Answers:
Which assessment finding would the nurse expect to auscultate
in a patient with mitral valve insufficiency?
,A. Harsh systolic murmur heard best at the right upper sternal
border
B. Rumbling diastolic murmur heard best at the left lower
sternal border
C. Holosystolic murmur heard best at the cardiac apex
D. Mid-systolic click and soft diastolic murmur at the right
lower sternal border ---Correct precise answer---C
Mitral insufficiency or regurgitation is characterized by a
holosystolic murmur at the apex. Think back to your pneumatic
devices from the previous slide
Which of the following is a risk factor for a deep vein
thrombosis (DVT)?
A. Decreased thyroid stimulating hormone level
B. Elevated liver function tests
C. Hypocoagulability
D. Dehydration ---Correct precise answer---D. Dehydration
A has minimal relevance, some studies have shown a potential
link to two elevated liver enzyme values increasing a risk for
,VTE but it is not directly linked, hypocoagulapthy is a
distractor to trick you into selecting it thinking it is
hypercoagulability
In a dehydrated state blood vessels narrow and blood becomes
more concentrated, therefore creating an ideal situation for
blood to pool and clot
Virchow's Triad - stasis of blood flow, endothelial injury,
hypercoagulability
Dehydration can promote hypercoagulability
Which are probably clinical findings in a patient with an acute
VTE? SATA.
A. Pallor and coolness of foot and calf
B. Mild to moderate calf pain and tenderness
C. Crossly diminished or absent pedal pulses
D. Unilateral edema and induration of the thigh
E. Palpable cord along a superficial varicose vein ---Correct
precise answer---B, D
VTE will generally present as a warm, reddened, unilaterally
swollen extremity with mild to moderate pain.
, A 50-year-old woman weighs 85kg and has a history of
cigarette smoking, high blood pressure, high sodium intake,
and sedentary lifestyle. When developing an individualized
care plan for her, the nurse determines that the most
important risk factors for peripheral artery disease that need
to be modified are:
A. Weight and diet
B. Activity level and diet
C. Cigarette smoking and high blood pressure
D. Sedentary lifestyle and high blood pressure ---Correct
precise answer---C. Cigarette smoking and high blood pressure
These really all need to be addressed but smoking most of all,
especially combined with high BP
A patient is admitted with peripheral artery disease. The nurse
would expect to observe which of these findings in the affected
lower extremity?
A. Hypersensitivity to touch
Certification – Practice Questions with
Detailed Answers for Exam Preparation
Introduction:
This document contains a comprehensive set of medical-
surgical nursing certification practice questions with detailed
explanations for each correct answer. The material covers a
wide range of clinical topics including cardiovascular
disorders, renal conditions, musculoskeletal injuries,
infectious diseases, oncology, hematologic disorders, and
respiratory conditions.
The questions follow a format similar to certification or
nursing board exams and include rationales that help reinforce
clinical reasoning and test-taking strategies. It is useful for
nursing students and practicing nurses preparing for Med-Surg
certification or review exams.
Exam Questions and Detailed Answers:
Which assessment finding would the nurse expect to auscultate
in a patient with mitral valve insufficiency?
,A. Harsh systolic murmur heard best at the right upper sternal
border
B. Rumbling diastolic murmur heard best at the left lower
sternal border
C. Holosystolic murmur heard best at the cardiac apex
D. Mid-systolic click and soft diastolic murmur at the right
lower sternal border ---Correct precise answer---C
Mitral insufficiency or regurgitation is characterized by a
holosystolic murmur at the apex. Think back to your pneumatic
devices from the previous slide
Which of the following is a risk factor for a deep vein
thrombosis (DVT)?
A. Decreased thyroid stimulating hormone level
B. Elevated liver function tests
C. Hypocoagulability
D. Dehydration ---Correct precise answer---D. Dehydration
A has minimal relevance, some studies have shown a potential
link to two elevated liver enzyme values increasing a risk for
,VTE but it is not directly linked, hypocoagulapthy is a
distractor to trick you into selecting it thinking it is
hypercoagulability
In a dehydrated state blood vessels narrow and blood becomes
more concentrated, therefore creating an ideal situation for
blood to pool and clot
Virchow's Triad - stasis of blood flow, endothelial injury,
hypercoagulability
Dehydration can promote hypercoagulability
Which are probably clinical findings in a patient with an acute
VTE? SATA.
A. Pallor and coolness of foot and calf
B. Mild to moderate calf pain and tenderness
C. Crossly diminished or absent pedal pulses
D. Unilateral edema and induration of the thigh
E. Palpable cord along a superficial varicose vein ---Correct
precise answer---B, D
VTE will generally present as a warm, reddened, unilaterally
swollen extremity with mild to moderate pain.
, A 50-year-old woman weighs 85kg and has a history of
cigarette smoking, high blood pressure, high sodium intake,
and sedentary lifestyle. When developing an individualized
care plan for her, the nurse determines that the most
important risk factors for peripheral artery disease that need
to be modified are:
A. Weight and diet
B. Activity level and diet
C. Cigarette smoking and high blood pressure
D. Sedentary lifestyle and high blood pressure ---Correct
precise answer---C. Cigarette smoking and high blood pressure
These really all need to be addressed but smoking most of all,
especially combined with high BP
A patient is admitted with peripheral artery disease. The nurse
would expect to observe which of these findings in the affected
lower extremity?
A. Hypersensitivity to touch
