HESI COMPASS COMPREHENSIVE EXIT EXAM
SCRIPT 2026 TEST PAPER QUESTIONS AND
SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
◉ The nurse assesses a woman in the emergency room who is in her
third trimester of pregnancy. Which finding(s) is(are) indicative of
abruptio placentae? (Select all that apply.)
A.Dark red vaginal bleeding
B.Rigid boardlike abdomen
C.Soft abdomen on palpation
D.Complaints of severe abdominal pain
E.Painless bright red vaginal bleeding. Answer: A,B,D
Rationale:
These are all signs of abruptio placentae (A, B, and D). The others
are signs of placenta previa (C and E).
◉ Which vital sign in a pediatric client is most important to report to
the primary health care provider?
A.Newborn with a heart rate of 140 beats/min
B.Three-year-old with a respiratory rate of 28 breaths/min
C.Six-year-old with a heart rate of 130 beats/min
,D.Twelve-year-old with a respiratory rate of 16 breaths/min.
Answer: C
Rationale:
The normal heart rate for a 6- to 10-year-old is 70 to 110 beats/min
(C). The others are all within normal range for those ages (A, B, and
D).
◉ Which finding should be reported to the primary health care
provider when caring for a client who has a continuous bladder
irrigation after a transurethral resection of the prostate gland
(TURP)?
A.The client reports a continuous feeling of needing to void.
B.Urinary drainage is pink 24 hours after surgery.
C.The hemoglobin level is 8.4 g/dL 3 days postoperatively.
D.Sterile saline is being used for bladder irrigation.. Answer: C
Rationale:
A hemoglobin level of 8.4 g/dL is abnormally low and may indicate
hemorrhage (C). The others are all expected findings after a TURP
(A, B, and D).
◉ Which of the following cardiac rhythms is represented in the
image?
A.Normal sinus rhythm
B.Sinus tachycardia
,C.Ventricular fibrillation
D.Atrial fibrillation. Answer: C
Rationale:
Ventricular fibrillation (C) is a life-threatening arrhythmia
characterized by irregular undulations of varying amplitudes. (A, B,
and D) are not represented in the image.
◉ An adult client with a medical diagnosis of substance abuse and
schizophrenia was recently switched from oral fluphenazine HCl
(Prolixin) to IM fluphenazine decanoate (Prolixin Decanoate)
because of medication noncompliance. What should the nurse teach
the client and family about this change in medication regimen?
A.Long-acting medication is more effective than daily medication.
B.A client with substance abuse must not take any oral medications.
C.There will continue to be a risk of alcohol and drug interaction.
D.Support groups are only helpful for substance abuse treatment..
Answer: C
Rationale:
Alcohol enhances the side effects of Prolixin. The half-life of Prolixin
PO is 8 hours, whereas the half-life of the Prolixin Decanoate IM is 2
to 4 weeks. Therefore, the side effects of drinking alcohol are far
more severe when the client drinks alcohol after taking the long-
acting Prolixin Decanoate IM (C). (A, B, and D) provide incorrect
information.
, ◉ A client comes to the obstetric clinic for her first prenatal visit and
complains of feeling nauseated every morning. The client tells the
nurse, "I'm having second thoughts about wanting to have this baby."
Which response is best for the nurse to make?
A."It's normal to feel ambivalent about a pregnancy when you are
not feeling well."
B."I think you should discuss these feelings with your health care
provider."
C."How does the father of your child feel about your having this
baby?"
D."Tell me about these second thoughts you are having about this
pregnancy.". Answer: D
Rationale:
Although ambivalence is normal during the first trimester, (D) is the
best nursing response at this time. It is reflective and keeps the lines
of communication open. (A) is not the best response because it
offers false reassurance. (B) dismisses the client's feelings. The
nurse should use communication skills that encourage this type of
discussion, not shift responsibility to the care provider. (C) may
eventually be discussed, but it is not the most important information
to obtain at this time.
◉ A nurse performs an initial admission assessment of a 56-year-old
client. Which factor(s) would indicate that the client is at risk for
metabolic syndrome? (Select all that apply.)
A.Abdominal obesity
SCRIPT 2026 TEST PAPER QUESTIONS AND
SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
◉ The nurse assesses a woman in the emergency room who is in her
third trimester of pregnancy. Which finding(s) is(are) indicative of
abruptio placentae? (Select all that apply.)
A.Dark red vaginal bleeding
B.Rigid boardlike abdomen
C.Soft abdomen on palpation
D.Complaints of severe abdominal pain
E.Painless bright red vaginal bleeding. Answer: A,B,D
Rationale:
These are all signs of abruptio placentae (A, B, and D). The others
are signs of placenta previa (C and E).
◉ Which vital sign in a pediatric client is most important to report to
the primary health care provider?
A.Newborn with a heart rate of 140 beats/min
B.Three-year-old with a respiratory rate of 28 breaths/min
C.Six-year-old with a heart rate of 130 beats/min
,D.Twelve-year-old with a respiratory rate of 16 breaths/min.
Answer: C
Rationale:
The normal heart rate for a 6- to 10-year-old is 70 to 110 beats/min
(C). The others are all within normal range for those ages (A, B, and
D).
◉ Which finding should be reported to the primary health care
provider when caring for a client who has a continuous bladder
irrigation after a transurethral resection of the prostate gland
(TURP)?
A.The client reports a continuous feeling of needing to void.
B.Urinary drainage is pink 24 hours after surgery.
C.The hemoglobin level is 8.4 g/dL 3 days postoperatively.
D.Sterile saline is being used for bladder irrigation.. Answer: C
Rationale:
A hemoglobin level of 8.4 g/dL is abnormally low and may indicate
hemorrhage (C). The others are all expected findings after a TURP
(A, B, and D).
◉ Which of the following cardiac rhythms is represented in the
image?
A.Normal sinus rhythm
B.Sinus tachycardia
,C.Ventricular fibrillation
D.Atrial fibrillation. Answer: C
Rationale:
Ventricular fibrillation (C) is a life-threatening arrhythmia
characterized by irregular undulations of varying amplitudes. (A, B,
and D) are not represented in the image.
◉ An adult client with a medical diagnosis of substance abuse and
schizophrenia was recently switched from oral fluphenazine HCl
(Prolixin) to IM fluphenazine decanoate (Prolixin Decanoate)
because of medication noncompliance. What should the nurse teach
the client and family about this change in medication regimen?
A.Long-acting medication is more effective than daily medication.
B.A client with substance abuse must not take any oral medications.
C.There will continue to be a risk of alcohol and drug interaction.
D.Support groups are only helpful for substance abuse treatment..
Answer: C
Rationale:
Alcohol enhances the side effects of Prolixin. The half-life of Prolixin
PO is 8 hours, whereas the half-life of the Prolixin Decanoate IM is 2
to 4 weeks. Therefore, the side effects of drinking alcohol are far
more severe when the client drinks alcohol after taking the long-
acting Prolixin Decanoate IM (C). (A, B, and D) provide incorrect
information.
, ◉ A client comes to the obstetric clinic for her first prenatal visit and
complains of feeling nauseated every morning. The client tells the
nurse, "I'm having second thoughts about wanting to have this baby."
Which response is best for the nurse to make?
A."It's normal to feel ambivalent about a pregnancy when you are
not feeling well."
B."I think you should discuss these feelings with your health care
provider."
C."How does the father of your child feel about your having this
baby?"
D."Tell me about these second thoughts you are having about this
pregnancy.". Answer: D
Rationale:
Although ambivalence is normal during the first trimester, (D) is the
best nursing response at this time. It is reflective and keeps the lines
of communication open. (A) is not the best response because it
offers false reassurance. (B) dismisses the client's feelings. The
nurse should use communication skills that encourage this type of
discussion, not shift responsibility to the care provider. (C) may
eventually be discussed, but it is not the most important information
to obtain at this time.
◉ A nurse performs an initial admission assessment of a 56-year-old
client. Which factor(s) would indicate that the client is at risk for
metabolic syndrome? (Select all that apply.)
A.Abdominal obesity
