HESI RN Exit Exam Questions with Correct
Answers
The nurse is completing the admission assessment of a 3-year old who is admitted
with bacterial meningitis and hydrocephalus. Which assessment finding is
evidence that the child is experiencing increased intracranial pressure (ICP)?
A. Tachycardia and tachypnea
B. Sluggish and unequal pupillary responses
C. Increased head circumference and bulging fontanels
D. Blood pressure fluctuations and syncope - ✅✅B. Sluggish and unequal
pupillary responses
A client with acute pancreatitis is admitted with severe, piercing abdominal pain
and an elevated serum amylase. Which additional information is the client most
likely to report to the nurse?
A. Abdominal pain decreases when lying supine
B. Pain lasts an hour and leaves the abdomen tender
C. Right upper quadrant pain refers to right scapula
D. Drinks alcohol until intoxicated at least twice weekly. - ✅✅A. Abdominal pain
decreases when lying supine
A child newly diagnosed with sickle cell anemia (SCA) is being discharged from the
hospital. Which information is most important for the nurse to provide the
parents prior to discharge?
A. Instructions about how much fluid the child should drink daily.
B. Signs of addiction to opioid pain medications
C. Information about non-pharmaceutical pain relief measures
,D. Referral for social services for the child and family - ✅✅A. Instructions about
how much fluid the child should drink daily
To auscultate for a carotid bruit, the nurse places the stethoscope at what
location. (Select the location on the image with a red dot). - ✅✅I placed the red
dot on the base of the neck on the right side
After receiving report on an inpatient acute care unit, which client should the
nurse assess first?
A. The client with an obstruction of the large intestine who is experiencing
abdominal distention
B. The client who had surgery yesterday and is experiencing a paralytic ileus with
absent bowel sounds
C. The client with a small bowel obstruction who has a nasogastric tube that is
draining greenish fluid
D. The client with a bowel obstruction due to a volvulus who is experiencing
abdominal rigidity - ✅✅D. The client with a bowel obstruction due to a volvulus
who is experiencing abdominal rigidity
A teenager presents to the emergency department with palpitations after vaping
at a party. The client is anxious, fearful, and hyperventilating. The nurse
anticipates the client developing which acid base imbalance?
A. Respiratory acidosis
B. Metabolic alkalosis
C. Metabolic acidosis
D. Respiratory alkalosis - ✅✅D. Respiratory alkalosis
,A client with dyspnea is being admitted to the medical unit. To best prepare for
the client's arrival, the nurse should ensure that the client's bed is in which
position?
A. Supine
B. supine; feet elevated higher than head
C. supine; head elevated higher than feet
D. Fowlers - ✅✅Fowlers
The nurse is taking the blood pressure measurement of a client with Parkinson's
disease. Which information in the client's admission assessment is relevant to the
nurse's plan for taking the blood pressure reading? (Select all the apply)
A. Frequent syncope
B. Occasional nocturia
C. Flat affect
D. Blurred vision
E. Frequent drooling - ✅✅A. Frequent syncope
C. Flat affect
D. Blurred vision
While caring for a client's postoperative dressing, the nurse observes purulent
drainage at the wound. Before reporting this finding to the healthcare provider,
the nurse should review which of the client's laboratory values?
A. Serum albumin
B. Culture for sensitive organisms
C. Serum blood glucose level
D. Creatinine level - ✅✅B. Culture for sensitive organisms
, A preschool-aged boy is admitted to the pediatric unit following successful
resuscitation from a near-drowning incident. While providing care to the child, the
nurse begins talking with his preadolescent brother who rescued the child from
the swimming pool and initiated resuscitation. The nurse notices the older boy
becomes withdrawn when asked about what happened. Which action should the
nurse take?
A. Develop a water safety teaching plan for the family
B. Ask the older brother how he felt during the incident
C. Tell the older brother that he seems depressed
D. Commend the older brother for his heroic actions - ✅✅B. Ask the older
brother how he felt during the incident
A male client with cirrhosis has jaundice and pruritus. He tells the nurse that he
has been soaking in hot baths at night with no relief of his discomfort. Which
action should the nurse take?
A. Encourage the client to use cooler water and apply calamine lotion after
soaking
B. Obtain a PRN prescription for an analgesic that the client can use for symptom
relief
C. Suggest that the client take brief showers and apply oil-based lotion after
showering
D. Explain that the symptoms are caused by liver damage and cannot be relieved -
✅✅A. Encourage the client to use cooler water and apply calamine lotion after
soaking
An older client with a long history of coronary artery disease (CAD), hypertension
(HTN), and heart failure (HF) arrives in the Emergency Department (ED) in
respiratory distress. The healthcare provider prescribes furosemide IV. Which
Answers
The nurse is completing the admission assessment of a 3-year old who is admitted
with bacterial meningitis and hydrocephalus. Which assessment finding is
evidence that the child is experiencing increased intracranial pressure (ICP)?
A. Tachycardia and tachypnea
B. Sluggish and unequal pupillary responses
C. Increased head circumference and bulging fontanels
D. Blood pressure fluctuations and syncope - ✅✅B. Sluggish and unequal
pupillary responses
A client with acute pancreatitis is admitted with severe, piercing abdominal pain
and an elevated serum amylase. Which additional information is the client most
likely to report to the nurse?
A. Abdominal pain decreases when lying supine
B. Pain lasts an hour and leaves the abdomen tender
C. Right upper quadrant pain refers to right scapula
D. Drinks alcohol until intoxicated at least twice weekly. - ✅✅A. Abdominal pain
decreases when lying supine
A child newly diagnosed with sickle cell anemia (SCA) is being discharged from the
hospital. Which information is most important for the nurse to provide the
parents prior to discharge?
A. Instructions about how much fluid the child should drink daily.
B. Signs of addiction to opioid pain medications
C. Information about non-pharmaceutical pain relief measures
,D. Referral for social services for the child and family - ✅✅A. Instructions about
how much fluid the child should drink daily
To auscultate for a carotid bruit, the nurse places the stethoscope at what
location. (Select the location on the image with a red dot). - ✅✅I placed the red
dot on the base of the neck on the right side
After receiving report on an inpatient acute care unit, which client should the
nurse assess first?
A. The client with an obstruction of the large intestine who is experiencing
abdominal distention
B. The client who had surgery yesterday and is experiencing a paralytic ileus with
absent bowel sounds
C. The client with a small bowel obstruction who has a nasogastric tube that is
draining greenish fluid
D. The client with a bowel obstruction due to a volvulus who is experiencing
abdominal rigidity - ✅✅D. The client with a bowel obstruction due to a volvulus
who is experiencing abdominal rigidity
A teenager presents to the emergency department with palpitations after vaping
at a party. The client is anxious, fearful, and hyperventilating. The nurse
anticipates the client developing which acid base imbalance?
A. Respiratory acidosis
B. Metabolic alkalosis
C. Metabolic acidosis
D. Respiratory alkalosis - ✅✅D. Respiratory alkalosis
,A client with dyspnea is being admitted to the medical unit. To best prepare for
the client's arrival, the nurse should ensure that the client's bed is in which
position?
A. Supine
B. supine; feet elevated higher than head
C. supine; head elevated higher than feet
D. Fowlers - ✅✅Fowlers
The nurse is taking the blood pressure measurement of a client with Parkinson's
disease. Which information in the client's admission assessment is relevant to the
nurse's plan for taking the blood pressure reading? (Select all the apply)
A. Frequent syncope
B. Occasional nocturia
C. Flat affect
D. Blurred vision
E. Frequent drooling - ✅✅A. Frequent syncope
C. Flat affect
D. Blurred vision
While caring for a client's postoperative dressing, the nurse observes purulent
drainage at the wound. Before reporting this finding to the healthcare provider,
the nurse should review which of the client's laboratory values?
A. Serum albumin
B. Culture for sensitive organisms
C. Serum blood glucose level
D. Creatinine level - ✅✅B. Culture for sensitive organisms
, A preschool-aged boy is admitted to the pediatric unit following successful
resuscitation from a near-drowning incident. While providing care to the child, the
nurse begins talking with his preadolescent brother who rescued the child from
the swimming pool and initiated resuscitation. The nurse notices the older boy
becomes withdrawn when asked about what happened. Which action should the
nurse take?
A. Develop a water safety teaching plan for the family
B. Ask the older brother how he felt during the incident
C. Tell the older brother that he seems depressed
D. Commend the older brother for his heroic actions - ✅✅B. Ask the older
brother how he felt during the incident
A male client with cirrhosis has jaundice and pruritus. He tells the nurse that he
has been soaking in hot baths at night with no relief of his discomfort. Which
action should the nurse take?
A. Encourage the client to use cooler water and apply calamine lotion after
soaking
B. Obtain a PRN prescription for an analgesic that the client can use for symptom
relief
C. Suggest that the client take brief showers and apply oil-based lotion after
showering
D. Explain that the symptoms are caused by liver damage and cannot be relieved -
✅✅A. Encourage the client to use cooler water and apply calamine lotion after
soaking
An older client with a long history of coronary artery disease (CAD), hypertension
(HTN), and heart failure (HF) arrives in the Emergency Department (ED) in
respiratory distress. The healthcare provider prescribes furosemide IV. Which
