CARDIOVASCULAR NCLEX PRACTICE 2026/2027
QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS RATED A+
✔✔A nurse observes a cardiologist multiplying the heart rate by stroke volume. What is
the cardiologist measuring?
a. Vascular resistance
b. Preload
c. Cardiac output
d. Ejection fraction - ✔✔c. Cardiac output
✔✔A patient researches baroreceptors online. Which information indicates a good
understanding? Baroreceptors are located in the:
a. Renal artery
b. Superior vena cava
c. Carotid sinus
d. Circle of Willis - ✔✔c. Carotid sinus
✔✔A nurse is evaluating the direct end effect of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone
system. Which principle should the nurse remember?
a. Angiotensin II causes systemic vasoconstriction.
b. Renin promotes the excretion of sodium and water in the renal tubules.
c. Aldosterone increases renal retention of water only.
d. Angiotensin I promotes sodium and water reabsorption by the kidneys. - ✔✔a.
Angiotensin II causes systemic vasoconstriction.
✔✔When a patient wants to know about the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system,
what is the nurse's best response? Conversion of angiotensin I to angiotensin II
happens in the:
a. Lungs
b. Liver
c. Kidneys
d. Heart - ✔✔a. Lungs
✔✔A nurse is discussing the different types of regulation. Which regulation is the nurse
describing? Local myogenic regulation of blood vessel diameter and thus blood flow
through a vessel is an example of:
a. Autonomic regulation
b. Somatic regulation
c. Autoregulation
d. Metabolic regulation - ✔✔c. Autoregulation
,✔✔The pulmonologist is presenting a workshop over the lungs. Which information
should be included? The lung receives parasympathetic innervation by the _____ nerve.
a. Vagus
b. Phrenic
c. Brachial
d. Pectoral - ✔✔a. Vagus
✔✔If an individual with respiratory difficulty were retaining too much carbon dioxide,
which of the following compensatory responses would the nurse expect to be initiated?
a. Increase in respiratory rate
b. Decrease in ventilation rate
c. Increase in tidal volume
d. Vasodilation of the pulmonary arterioles - ✔✔a. Increase in respiratory rate
✔✔A nurse remembers the majority of total airway resistance occurs in the:
a. Bronchi
b. Nose
c. Oral pharynx
d. Diaphragm - ✔✔b. Nose
✔✔An aide asks a nurse how surfactant works. How should the nurse respond?
Surfactant facilitates alveolar distention and ventilation by:
a. Decreasing thoracic compliance
b. Attracting water to the alveolar surface
c. Decreasing surface tension in alveoli
d. Increasing diffusion in alveoli - ✔✔c. Decreasing surface tension in alveoli
✔✔A patient asks how oxygen is transported in the body. What is the nurse's best
response? Most of the oxygen (O2) is transported
a. Dissolved in the plasma
b. Bound to hemoglobin
c. In the form of carbon dioxide (CO2)
d. As a free-floating molecule - ✔✔b. Bound to hemoglobin
✔✔A consequence of alveolar hypoxia is:
a. Reactive vasodilation
b. Local bronchoconstriction
c. Decreased respiratory rate
, d. Pulmonary artery vasoconstriction - ✔✔d. Pulmonary artery vasoconstriction
✔✔A patient is taking enalapril (Vasotec) an ACE inhibitor. The nurse understands that
patients taking this type of drug for heart failure need to be monitored carefully for:
a. hypernatremia.
b. hypertension.
c. hyperkalemia.
d. hypokalemia. - ✔✔c. hyperkalemia
✔✔A nurse is discussing heart failure with a group of nursing students. Which
statement by a student reflects an understanding of how compensatory mechanisms
can compound existing problems in patients with heart failure?
a. "An increase in arteriolar tone to improve tissue perfusion can decrease resistance."
b. "An increase in contractility to increase cardiac output can cause pulmonary edema."
c. "When the heart rate increases to increase cardiac output, it can prevent adequate
filling of the ventricles."
d. "When venous tone increases to increase ventricular filling, an increase in arterial
pressure occurs." - ✔✔c. When the heart rate increases to increase cardiac output, it
can prevent adequate filling of the ventricles."
✔✔A patient with chronic hypertension is admitted to the hospital. During the admission
assessment, the nurse notes a heart rate of 96 beats per minute, a blood pressure of
150/90 mm Hg, bibasilar crackles, 2+ pitting edema of the ankles, and distension of the
jugular veins. The nurse will contact the provider to request an order for which
medication?
a. ACE inhibitor
b. Digoxin (Lanoxin)
c. Furosemide (Lasix)
d. Spironolactone (Aldactone) - ✔✔c. Furosemide (Lasix)
✔✔A diabetic patient is recovering from a myocardial infarction but does not have
symptoms of heart failure. The nurse will expect to teach this patient about:
a. ACE inhibitors and beta blockers.
b. biventricular pacemakers.
c. dietary supplements and exercise.
d. diuretics and digoxin. - ✔✔a. ACE inhibitors and beta blockers
✔✔A patient with heart failure who has been taking an ACE inhibitor, a thiazide diuretic,
and a beta blocker for several months comes to the clinic for evaluation. As part of the
ongoing assessment of this patient, the nurse will expect the provider to evaluate:
QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS RATED A+
✔✔A nurse observes a cardiologist multiplying the heart rate by stroke volume. What is
the cardiologist measuring?
a. Vascular resistance
b. Preload
c. Cardiac output
d. Ejection fraction - ✔✔c. Cardiac output
✔✔A patient researches baroreceptors online. Which information indicates a good
understanding? Baroreceptors are located in the:
a. Renal artery
b. Superior vena cava
c. Carotid sinus
d. Circle of Willis - ✔✔c. Carotid sinus
✔✔A nurse is evaluating the direct end effect of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone
system. Which principle should the nurse remember?
a. Angiotensin II causes systemic vasoconstriction.
b. Renin promotes the excretion of sodium and water in the renal tubules.
c. Aldosterone increases renal retention of water only.
d. Angiotensin I promotes sodium and water reabsorption by the kidneys. - ✔✔a.
Angiotensin II causes systemic vasoconstriction.
✔✔When a patient wants to know about the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system,
what is the nurse's best response? Conversion of angiotensin I to angiotensin II
happens in the:
a. Lungs
b. Liver
c. Kidneys
d. Heart - ✔✔a. Lungs
✔✔A nurse is discussing the different types of regulation. Which regulation is the nurse
describing? Local myogenic regulation of blood vessel diameter and thus blood flow
through a vessel is an example of:
a. Autonomic regulation
b. Somatic regulation
c. Autoregulation
d. Metabolic regulation - ✔✔c. Autoregulation
,✔✔The pulmonologist is presenting a workshop over the lungs. Which information
should be included? The lung receives parasympathetic innervation by the _____ nerve.
a. Vagus
b. Phrenic
c. Brachial
d. Pectoral - ✔✔a. Vagus
✔✔If an individual with respiratory difficulty were retaining too much carbon dioxide,
which of the following compensatory responses would the nurse expect to be initiated?
a. Increase in respiratory rate
b. Decrease in ventilation rate
c. Increase in tidal volume
d. Vasodilation of the pulmonary arterioles - ✔✔a. Increase in respiratory rate
✔✔A nurse remembers the majority of total airway resistance occurs in the:
a. Bronchi
b. Nose
c. Oral pharynx
d. Diaphragm - ✔✔b. Nose
✔✔An aide asks a nurse how surfactant works. How should the nurse respond?
Surfactant facilitates alveolar distention and ventilation by:
a. Decreasing thoracic compliance
b. Attracting water to the alveolar surface
c. Decreasing surface tension in alveoli
d. Increasing diffusion in alveoli - ✔✔c. Decreasing surface tension in alveoli
✔✔A patient asks how oxygen is transported in the body. What is the nurse's best
response? Most of the oxygen (O2) is transported
a. Dissolved in the plasma
b. Bound to hemoglobin
c. In the form of carbon dioxide (CO2)
d. As a free-floating molecule - ✔✔b. Bound to hemoglobin
✔✔A consequence of alveolar hypoxia is:
a. Reactive vasodilation
b. Local bronchoconstriction
c. Decreased respiratory rate
, d. Pulmonary artery vasoconstriction - ✔✔d. Pulmonary artery vasoconstriction
✔✔A patient is taking enalapril (Vasotec) an ACE inhibitor. The nurse understands that
patients taking this type of drug for heart failure need to be monitored carefully for:
a. hypernatremia.
b. hypertension.
c. hyperkalemia.
d. hypokalemia. - ✔✔c. hyperkalemia
✔✔A nurse is discussing heart failure with a group of nursing students. Which
statement by a student reflects an understanding of how compensatory mechanisms
can compound existing problems in patients with heart failure?
a. "An increase in arteriolar tone to improve tissue perfusion can decrease resistance."
b. "An increase in contractility to increase cardiac output can cause pulmonary edema."
c. "When the heart rate increases to increase cardiac output, it can prevent adequate
filling of the ventricles."
d. "When venous tone increases to increase ventricular filling, an increase in arterial
pressure occurs." - ✔✔c. When the heart rate increases to increase cardiac output, it
can prevent adequate filling of the ventricles."
✔✔A patient with chronic hypertension is admitted to the hospital. During the admission
assessment, the nurse notes a heart rate of 96 beats per minute, a blood pressure of
150/90 mm Hg, bibasilar crackles, 2+ pitting edema of the ankles, and distension of the
jugular veins. The nurse will contact the provider to request an order for which
medication?
a. ACE inhibitor
b. Digoxin (Lanoxin)
c. Furosemide (Lasix)
d. Spironolactone (Aldactone) - ✔✔c. Furosemide (Lasix)
✔✔A diabetic patient is recovering from a myocardial infarction but does not have
symptoms of heart failure. The nurse will expect to teach this patient about:
a. ACE inhibitors and beta blockers.
b. biventricular pacemakers.
c. dietary supplements and exercise.
d. diuretics and digoxin. - ✔✔a. ACE inhibitors and beta blockers
✔✔A patient with heart failure who has been taking an ACE inhibitor, a thiazide diuretic,
and a beta blocker for several months comes to the clinic for evaluation. As part of the
ongoing assessment of this patient, the nurse will expect the provider to evaluate:
