Critical Care Nursing (CCRN) Practice Test
Exam Questions and Answers with Rationales
– Complete Exam Preparation Material
Introduction:
This document contains a comprehensive collection of CCRN
practice exam questions with detailed answers and rationales
covering critical care topics. It includes key areas such as
cardiovascular, respiratory, neurological, endocrine, and trauma
nursing scenarios.
The material is designed to simulate real exam conditions and
reinforce clinical decision-making, making it highly suitable for
CCRN exam preparation and revision.
Exam Questions and Answers with Rationales:
A patient was admitted status post motor vehicle crash. The patient
sustained an intracranial bleed and is hypotensive and tachycardic.
This patient's clinical status is most likely due to which of the
following?
(A) intracranial hemorrhage
(B) neurogenic shock
(C) shock from multiple trauma
,(D) brain herniation ---Correct precise answer---(C) shock from
multiple trauma
A 19-year-old male patient was admitted with DKA for the third
time in the past 4 months. The patient told the nurse that he is
considering dropping out of college, that he cannot concentrate on
his studies, that he has had insomnia, and that he is just "sick of it
all." Which of the following would be the nurse's best response?
(A) Consult with the physician regarding the initiation of an
antidepressant.
(B) Consult with an endocrinologist regarding the patient's
symptoms.
(C) Consult with the physician regarding a psychiatric consult.
(D) Provide emotional support and encourage the patient to be
positive. ---Correct precise answer---(C) Consult with the physician
regarding a psychiatric consult.
Twelve hours after admission for a traumatic injury, a patient's
arterial blood gas showed the following results:
pH 7.48
pCO2 28 mmHg
p02 68 mmHg
HCO3 25 mmol/L
,Which of the following interventions is most appropriate at this
time?
(A) Consider intubation and assess the blood pressure.
(B) Increase the FiO2 and assess the electrolytes.
(C) Consider sedation and assess the blood sugar.
(D) Increase the FiO2 and assess for pain. ---Correct precise
answer---(D) Increase the FiO2 and assess for pain.
A patient is admitted postoperatively after surgery for a crush
injury of the lower left leg that was sustained in a motor vehicle
crash. Which of the following is indicated for the prevention of
deep vein thrombosis?
(A) compression stockings
(B) a pneumatic compression device on the right extremity
(C) daily low-molecular-weight heparin
(D) daily warfarin ---Correct precise answer---(C) daily low-
molecular-weight heparin
Abdominal auscultation of a patient with early mechanical bowel
obstruction would likely reveal which of the following?
(A) normal bowel sounds
(B) hyperactive bowel sounds
(C) hypoactive bowel sounds
, (D) absent bowel sounds ---Correct precise answer---(B)
hyperactive bowel sounds
A patient was admitted with an acute anterior wall myocardial
infarction and suddenly develops a loud holosystolic murmur (that
is loudest at the left sternal border, 5th intercostal space),
tachypnea, and bibasilar crackles. Which of the following would
provide the most definitive diagnosis for this problem?
(A) decreased cardiac output
(B) increased oxygen saturation in the pulmonary artery and the
right ventricle
(C) the central venous pressure is less than the pulmonary artery
diastolic pressure
(D) decreased arterial oxygen saturation ---Correct precise answer-
--(B) increased oxygen saturation in the pulmonary artery and the
right ventricle
A patient who is receiving mechanical ventilation is also receiving a
propofol drip at 50 mcg/kg/min in order to maintain a RASS score
of -1 to -2. The patient becomes agitated with a RASS score of +3
and a behavioral pain scale (BPS) score of 10 (the range is 3-12).
The SpO2 and breath sounds are unchanged. The blood pressure and
the heart rate are somewhat high. Which of the following
interventions would be appropriate?
(A) Increase the propofol infusion to 60 mcg/kg/min.
Exam Questions and Answers with Rationales
– Complete Exam Preparation Material
Introduction:
This document contains a comprehensive collection of CCRN
practice exam questions with detailed answers and rationales
covering critical care topics. It includes key areas such as
cardiovascular, respiratory, neurological, endocrine, and trauma
nursing scenarios.
The material is designed to simulate real exam conditions and
reinforce clinical decision-making, making it highly suitable for
CCRN exam preparation and revision.
Exam Questions and Answers with Rationales:
A patient was admitted status post motor vehicle crash. The patient
sustained an intracranial bleed and is hypotensive and tachycardic.
This patient's clinical status is most likely due to which of the
following?
(A) intracranial hemorrhage
(B) neurogenic shock
(C) shock from multiple trauma
,(D) brain herniation ---Correct precise answer---(C) shock from
multiple trauma
A 19-year-old male patient was admitted with DKA for the third
time in the past 4 months. The patient told the nurse that he is
considering dropping out of college, that he cannot concentrate on
his studies, that he has had insomnia, and that he is just "sick of it
all." Which of the following would be the nurse's best response?
(A) Consult with the physician regarding the initiation of an
antidepressant.
(B) Consult with an endocrinologist regarding the patient's
symptoms.
(C) Consult with the physician regarding a psychiatric consult.
(D) Provide emotional support and encourage the patient to be
positive. ---Correct precise answer---(C) Consult with the physician
regarding a psychiatric consult.
Twelve hours after admission for a traumatic injury, a patient's
arterial blood gas showed the following results:
pH 7.48
pCO2 28 mmHg
p02 68 mmHg
HCO3 25 mmol/L
,Which of the following interventions is most appropriate at this
time?
(A) Consider intubation and assess the blood pressure.
(B) Increase the FiO2 and assess the electrolytes.
(C) Consider sedation and assess the blood sugar.
(D) Increase the FiO2 and assess for pain. ---Correct precise
answer---(D) Increase the FiO2 and assess for pain.
A patient is admitted postoperatively after surgery for a crush
injury of the lower left leg that was sustained in a motor vehicle
crash. Which of the following is indicated for the prevention of
deep vein thrombosis?
(A) compression stockings
(B) a pneumatic compression device on the right extremity
(C) daily low-molecular-weight heparin
(D) daily warfarin ---Correct precise answer---(C) daily low-
molecular-weight heparin
Abdominal auscultation of a patient with early mechanical bowel
obstruction would likely reveal which of the following?
(A) normal bowel sounds
(B) hyperactive bowel sounds
(C) hypoactive bowel sounds
, (D) absent bowel sounds ---Correct precise answer---(B)
hyperactive bowel sounds
A patient was admitted with an acute anterior wall myocardial
infarction and suddenly develops a loud holosystolic murmur (that
is loudest at the left sternal border, 5th intercostal space),
tachypnea, and bibasilar crackles. Which of the following would
provide the most definitive diagnosis for this problem?
(A) decreased cardiac output
(B) increased oxygen saturation in the pulmonary artery and the
right ventricle
(C) the central venous pressure is less than the pulmonary artery
diastolic pressure
(D) decreased arterial oxygen saturation ---Correct precise answer-
--(B) increased oxygen saturation in the pulmonary artery and the
right ventricle
A patient who is receiving mechanical ventilation is also receiving a
propofol drip at 50 mcg/kg/min in order to maintain a RASS score
of -1 to -2. The patient becomes agitated with a RASS score of +3
and a behavioral pain scale (BPS) score of 10 (the range is 3-12).
The SpO2 and breath sounds are unchanged. The blood pressure and
the heart rate are somewhat high. Which of the following
interventions would be appropriate?
(A) Increase the propofol infusion to 60 mcg/kg/min.
