Critical Care Exam Study Guide
– Practice Questions with
Answers. GRADED A+. Latest
2026/2027 Update.
You have just received change of shift report. Which patient should you assess
first?
a. 62 -year-old man who is scheduled for a cardiac cath, and is ready to be
transported now
b. 58 -year-old woman with COPD with an O2 saturation of 92% on 2 liters of
O2, who is scheduled to be discharged home on O2
c. 36 -year-old man admitted with an exacerbation of asthma with RR 36 at
rest, and whose wheezing has diminished
d. 72 -year-old woman with history of asthma with HR 90 and is due for her
beta-blocker - Ans✔✔-C
RR 36 and diminished wheezing indicative of respiratory distress and needs
prompt attention
You are about to handover patient care to your on-coming nurse colleague.
Which patient requires the most immediate attention?
1.) 62 -year-old man with COPD who has just completed his scheduled
bronchodilator
,2.) 68 -year-old woman with type 2 diabetes who had CVA 2 days ago
3.) 72 -year-old woman with history of asthma with HR 90 and is due for her
beta-blocker
4.) 48 -year-old man admitted with cellulitis of his right hand after a
construction accident, currently on IV antibiotics, with a temperature of 101.8 -
Ans✔✔-4
Cellulitis is serious infection, involving swelling of subcutaneous tissue, fluid
displacement due to 3rd spacing. What else would you assess?
You are assigned to care for a 58 -year-old man who is scheduled for a cardiac
angiogram during your shift. What actions should you take? Check all that
apply.
1-Explain that the patient will receive short-acting anesthesia
2-Review the patient's allergies, specifically checking to see if he has an allergy
to contrast dye
3-Inform the patient that his wife should stay at home until the procedure is
finished, as family members often distract the team in the cath lab
4-Review and reconcile his medications. Confirm that he did not take his
warfarin
5-Check the patient's most recent labs paying particular attention to the PT INR
- Ans✔✔-2, 4, 5
Contrast dyes contain iodine and allergy could lead to anaphylactic response;
might receive light sedation but needs to be awake and able to follow
directions
A 62 -year-old man, who is s/p coronary artery bypass surgery, is about to be
transferred from the ICU to the cardiac stepdown unit. What is the most
effective way for the ICU (reporting) nurse and cardiac stepdown (receiving)
nurse to ensure that essential patient information is conveyed?
, 1- A face-to-face verbal report with both nurses present in a quiet room
2- The ICU nurse will provide an audio-recorded report for future reference and
documentation
3- The ICU nurse will document essential transfer information in the patient's
medical record
4- The ICU nurse will accompany the patient to the stepdown unit and provide
a face-to-face report, using a unit-approved, standardized guide - Ans✔✔-4
What is the most common outcome associated with poorly managed hospital
discharge? - Ans✔✔-Adverse Drug events
The nurse is tracking data on a group of patients with heart failure, who have
been discharged from the unit where you work and are now being followed in
clinic. What is the best indicator that the nursing interventions of monitoring
and teaching have been effective?
1- Eighty-five percent of patients have not gained weight
2- Seventy-five percent of family caregivers have reported watching an
educational DVD
3- Five percent of patients have been readmitted to the hospital in the last 90
days
4- Eighty percent report that they are taking their medications - Ans✔✔-3
All are important but lower resource utilization is best indicator and one used
by accrediting agencies, payors, etc.
You are the nurse preparing to discharge a 46 -year-old man with hypertension
who was started on chlorothiazide. You ask the patient to share with you his
understanding of his new medication. Which of the following statements
indicates your teaching has been effective? Select all that apply.
1- I will weigh myself every day at the same time.
– Practice Questions with
Answers. GRADED A+. Latest
2026/2027 Update.
You have just received change of shift report. Which patient should you assess
first?
a. 62 -year-old man who is scheduled for a cardiac cath, and is ready to be
transported now
b. 58 -year-old woman with COPD with an O2 saturation of 92% on 2 liters of
O2, who is scheduled to be discharged home on O2
c. 36 -year-old man admitted with an exacerbation of asthma with RR 36 at
rest, and whose wheezing has diminished
d. 72 -year-old woman with history of asthma with HR 90 and is due for her
beta-blocker - Ans✔✔-C
RR 36 and diminished wheezing indicative of respiratory distress and needs
prompt attention
You are about to handover patient care to your on-coming nurse colleague.
Which patient requires the most immediate attention?
1.) 62 -year-old man with COPD who has just completed his scheduled
bronchodilator
,2.) 68 -year-old woman with type 2 diabetes who had CVA 2 days ago
3.) 72 -year-old woman with history of asthma with HR 90 and is due for her
beta-blocker
4.) 48 -year-old man admitted with cellulitis of his right hand after a
construction accident, currently on IV antibiotics, with a temperature of 101.8 -
Ans✔✔-4
Cellulitis is serious infection, involving swelling of subcutaneous tissue, fluid
displacement due to 3rd spacing. What else would you assess?
You are assigned to care for a 58 -year-old man who is scheduled for a cardiac
angiogram during your shift. What actions should you take? Check all that
apply.
1-Explain that the patient will receive short-acting anesthesia
2-Review the patient's allergies, specifically checking to see if he has an allergy
to contrast dye
3-Inform the patient that his wife should stay at home until the procedure is
finished, as family members often distract the team in the cath lab
4-Review and reconcile his medications. Confirm that he did not take his
warfarin
5-Check the patient's most recent labs paying particular attention to the PT INR
- Ans✔✔-2, 4, 5
Contrast dyes contain iodine and allergy could lead to anaphylactic response;
might receive light sedation but needs to be awake and able to follow
directions
A 62 -year-old man, who is s/p coronary artery bypass surgery, is about to be
transferred from the ICU to the cardiac stepdown unit. What is the most
effective way for the ICU (reporting) nurse and cardiac stepdown (receiving)
nurse to ensure that essential patient information is conveyed?
, 1- A face-to-face verbal report with both nurses present in a quiet room
2- The ICU nurse will provide an audio-recorded report for future reference and
documentation
3- The ICU nurse will document essential transfer information in the patient's
medical record
4- The ICU nurse will accompany the patient to the stepdown unit and provide
a face-to-face report, using a unit-approved, standardized guide - Ans✔✔-4
What is the most common outcome associated with poorly managed hospital
discharge? - Ans✔✔-Adverse Drug events
The nurse is tracking data on a group of patients with heart failure, who have
been discharged from the unit where you work and are now being followed in
clinic. What is the best indicator that the nursing interventions of monitoring
and teaching have been effective?
1- Eighty-five percent of patients have not gained weight
2- Seventy-five percent of family caregivers have reported watching an
educational DVD
3- Five percent of patients have been readmitted to the hospital in the last 90
days
4- Eighty percent report that they are taking their medications - Ans✔✔-3
All are important but lower resource utilization is best indicator and one used
by accrediting agencies, payors, etc.
You are the nurse preparing to discharge a 46 -year-old man with hypertension
who was started on chlorothiazide. You ask the patient to share with you his
understanding of his new medication. Which of the following statements
indicates your teaching has been effective? Select all that apply.
1- I will weigh myself every day at the same time.
