ATI PHARMACOLOGY PROCTORED
Exam Study Guide: GRADED A+.
Questions and Verified Answers
with Rationales. Latest 2026
Update
1. The nurse is caring for a preoperative patient. The nurse teaches the
principles and demonstrates leg exercises for the patient. The patient is
unable to perform leg exercises correctly. What is the nurse’s best next step?
a. Encourage the patient to practice at a later date.
b. Assess for the presence of anxiety, pain, or fatigue.
c. Ask the patient why exercises are not being done.
d. Evaluate the educational methods used to educate the patient.
- ANSWER-B
If the patient is unable to perform leg exercises, the nurse should look for
circumstances that may be impacting the patient’s ability to learn. In this case,
the patient can be anticipating the upcoming surgery and may be experiencing
anxiety. The patient may also be in pain or may be fatigued; both of these can
affect the ability to learn. Evaluation of educational methods may be needed, but
in this case, principles and demonstrations are being utilized. Asking anyone
“why” can cause defensiveness and may not help in attaining the answer. The
nurse is aware that the patient is unable to do the exercises. Moving forward
without ascertaining that learning has occurred will not help the patient in
meeting goals.
2. Which nursing assessment will indicate the patient is performing
diaphragmatic breathing correctly?
Hands placed on the border of the rib cage with fingers extended will
a. touch as the chest wall contracts.
Hands placed on the chest wall with fingers extended will separate as
, b. the chest wall contracts.
The patient will feel upward movement of the diaphragm during
c. inspiration.
The patient will feel downward movement of the diaphragm during
d. expiration.
- ANSWER-A
Positioning the hands along the borders of the rib cage allows the patient to feel
movement of the chest and abdomen as the diaphragm descends and the lungs
expand. As the patient takes a deep breath and slowly exhales, the middle fingers
will touch while the chest wall contracts. The fingers will separate as the chest
wall expands. The patient will feel normal downward movement of the diaphragm
during inspiration and normal upward movement during expiration.
3. The nurse is caring for a postoperative patient with an abdominal incision. The
nurse provides a pillow to use during coughing. Which activity is the nurse
promoting?
- ANSWER-B
Deep breathing and coughing exercises place additional stress on the suture line
and cause discomfort. Splinting incisions with hands and a pillow provides firm
support and reduces incisional pull. Providing a pillow during coughing does not
provide distraction or reduce anxiety. Providing a pillow does not provide pain
relief. Coughing can increase anxiety because it can cause pain. Analgesics provide
pain relief.
4. The nurse is encouraging a reluctant postoperative patient to deep breathe and
cough. Which explanation can the nurse provide that may encourage the patient
to comply?
This study source was downloaded by 100000863148171 from CourseHero.com on 03-
30-2023 14:28:40 GMT -05:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/98592832/ATI-PHARMACOLOGY-PROCTORED-
EXAMdocx/
a. “If you don’t deep breathe and cough, you will get pneumonia.”
Exam Study Guide: GRADED A+.
Questions and Verified Answers
with Rationales. Latest 2026
Update
1. The nurse is caring for a preoperative patient. The nurse teaches the
principles and demonstrates leg exercises for the patient. The patient is
unable to perform leg exercises correctly. What is the nurse’s best next step?
a. Encourage the patient to practice at a later date.
b. Assess for the presence of anxiety, pain, or fatigue.
c. Ask the patient why exercises are not being done.
d. Evaluate the educational methods used to educate the patient.
- ANSWER-B
If the patient is unable to perform leg exercises, the nurse should look for
circumstances that may be impacting the patient’s ability to learn. In this case,
the patient can be anticipating the upcoming surgery and may be experiencing
anxiety. The patient may also be in pain or may be fatigued; both of these can
affect the ability to learn. Evaluation of educational methods may be needed, but
in this case, principles and demonstrations are being utilized. Asking anyone
“why” can cause defensiveness and may not help in attaining the answer. The
nurse is aware that the patient is unable to do the exercises. Moving forward
without ascertaining that learning has occurred will not help the patient in
meeting goals.
2. Which nursing assessment will indicate the patient is performing
diaphragmatic breathing correctly?
Hands placed on the border of the rib cage with fingers extended will
a. touch as the chest wall contracts.
Hands placed on the chest wall with fingers extended will separate as
, b. the chest wall contracts.
The patient will feel upward movement of the diaphragm during
c. inspiration.
The patient will feel downward movement of the diaphragm during
d. expiration.
- ANSWER-A
Positioning the hands along the borders of the rib cage allows the patient to feel
movement of the chest and abdomen as the diaphragm descends and the lungs
expand. As the patient takes a deep breath and slowly exhales, the middle fingers
will touch while the chest wall contracts. The fingers will separate as the chest
wall expands. The patient will feel normal downward movement of the diaphragm
during inspiration and normal upward movement during expiration.
3. The nurse is caring for a postoperative patient with an abdominal incision. The
nurse provides a pillow to use during coughing. Which activity is the nurse
promoting?
- ANSWER-B
Deep breathing and coughing exercises place additional stress on the suture line
and cause discomfort. Splinting incisions with hands and a pillow provides firm
support and reduces incisional pull. Providing a pillow during coughing does not
provide distraction or reduce anxiety. Providing a pillow does not provide pain
relief. Coughing can increase anxiety because it can cause pain. Analgesics provide
pain relief.
4. The nurse is encouraging a reluctant postoperative patient to deep breathe and
cough. Which explanation can the nurse provide that may encourage the patient
to comply?
This study source was downloaded by 100000863148171 from CourseHero.com on 03-
30-2023 14:28:40 GMT -05:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/98592832/ATI-PHARMACOLOGY-PROCTORED-
EXAMdocx/
a. “If you don’t deep breathe and cough, you will get pneumonia.”
