DAVITA (RN) 2026 FINAL UPDATE |ACTUAL EXAM SET QUESTIONS AND
VERIFIED ANSWERS (CORRECT SOLUTIONS) | GET IT 100% ACCURATE!!
Question 1
When dialyzing a patient with Acute Kidney Injury (AKI), why is it a critical task for the patient
care team to monitor blood pressure and weight with extreme precision?
A) To ensure the patient is not eating during treatment
B) Hypovolemia and hypotensive episodes can cause renal ischemia and further damage the
kidneys
C) To determine if the patient is eligible for a kidney transplant that day
D) To document the success of the nurse’s shift
E) To prevent the development of chronic hypertension
Correct Answer: B) hypovolemia and hypotensive episodes can cause renal ischemia and can
further damage the kidneys
Rationale: In AKI, the kidneys are already compromised and vulnerable. Maintaining
hemodynamic stability is vital because drops in blood pressure (hypotension) reduce blood
flow (perfusion) to the kidneys, leading to ischemic injury that can prevent the recovery of
kidney function.
Question 2
Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is categorized by its origin as pre-renal, intra-renal, or post-
renal. Which of the following conditions is considered an intra-renal cause of CKD?
A) Kidney stones
B) Severe dehydration
C) Hypertension (HTN)
D) Prostate enlargement
E) Congestive heart failure
Correct Answer: C) HTN
Rationale: Intra-renal causes involve direct damage to the kidney tissue itself. Hypertension
causes damage to the small blood vessels and nephrons within the kidney. Pre-renal causes
relate to blood flow to the kidney (dehydration/heart failure), and post-renal causes relate
to obstructions after the kidney (stones/prostate).
Question 3
Why is it important for the dialysis technician and nurse to know the specific underlying cause of
a patient's CKD?
A) It is required for billing purposes only
B) It helps the nurse decide what time the patient should leave
C) The underlying disease could cause health complications that impact the dialysis treatment
D) It determines the color of the blood lines used
E) It allows the teammate to predict the patient’s personality
Correct Answer: C) is important because the underlying disease could cause health
complications that impact the dialysis treatment
Rationale: Diseases like diabetes or systemic lupus erythematosus have systemic effects.
, 2
Knowing the cause allows the team to anticipate complications, such as cardiovascular
instability in diabetic patients or clotting issues in patients with certain autoimmune
disorders.
Question 4
If a Patient Care Technician (PCT) documents a patient's edema in the medical record using a
scale such as "+3," which of the following is true?
A) The PCT is performing a legally required task
B) The PCT is performing a data collection, which is allowed
C) The PCT is performing an assessment, which is not legally allowed for a non-licensed
teammate
D) The PCT must wait until the end of the treatment to document this
E) The PCT should use a scale of 1-10 instead
Correct Answer: C) the PCT is preforming an assessment which is not allowed legally
Rationale: In dialysis, "data collection" is the reporting of objective facts (e.g., BP 120/80),
while "assessment" involves clinical judgment and interpretation (e.g., grading edema).
Legally, assessment is the sole responsibility of the licensed nurse.
Question 5
When a patient has an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia), how does this affect the use of an
automated blood pressure cuff?
A) The reading will be more accurate than a manual one
B) The automatic BP reading may not be accurate
C) The machine will automatically correct the reading
D) The machine will stop the treatment immediately
E) It has no effect on the accuracy of the reading
Correct Answer: B) the automatic BP reading may not be accurate
Rationale: Automated BP cuffs rely on consistent pressure oscillations to calculate a
reading. Irregular heartbeats interfere with these patterns, often resulting in incorrect
values. In these cases, a manual blood pressure should be obtained.
Question 6
Which of the following findings is categorized as a "data collection" rather than an assessment?
A) Patient appears "distressed"
B) Lung sounds are "crackly"
C) Heart rate (HR) of 72
D) Edema is "+2"
E) Patient's skin is "clammy"
Correct Answer: C) HR 72
Rationale: Data collection refers to the gathering of objective, measurable parameters. A
, 3
heart rate of 72 is a clear, numeric fact. The other options require interpretation or clinical
grading, which falls under the scope of nursing assessment.
Question 7
At what specific time should the post-treatment data collection be completed?
A) 15 minutes before the treatment ends
B) While the patient is still being rinsed back
C) After the treatment has been completely finished
D) Before the patient is weighed
E) When the nurse begins the next shift
Correct Answer: C) after the treatment has been completed
Rationale: Post-treatment data collection must reflect the patient’s status after the entire
dialysis process is over. Completing it early would not accurately capture the patient's final
vitals and physiological response to the fluid removal.
Question 8
In the "SMART" communication model used at DaVita, what does the "A" represent?
A) Accuracy
B) Assessment
C) Actual (reporting just the facts)
D) Action
E) Always
Correct Answer: C) actual- just report the facts
Rationale: Effective communication in a healthcare setting relies on objective reporting. The
"Actual" component reminds teammates to report exactly what was seen or measured
without adding bias or assumptions.
Question 9
Which of the following events is the best definition of a "near miss"?
A) A patient fell but was not injured
B) The wrong dialyzer was set up and primed, but it was caught and replaced before the patient
was connected
C) A patient missed their treatment by 10 minutes
D) The RO water machine failed during the night
E) A staff member almost tripped on a cord
Correct Answer: B) the wrong dialyzer was set up and primed for a patient, but it was
caught before dialysis was initiated and the dialyzer was replaced
Rationale: A near miss is an error that could have caused harm but was intercepted before
it reached the patient. Reporting near misses is vital for identifying system weaknesses and
preventing future actual errors.
, 4
Question 10
Which clinical approach is recommended when completing a Risk Event Management (REM)
report?
A) SMART
B) SBAR
C) SOAP
D) DAR
E) ADPIE
Correct Answer: B) SBAR
Rationale: SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation) provides a
structured, concise way to communicate the details of a risk event, ensuring all critical
information is documented clearly for review.
Question 11
What is the primary priority when returning a patient's blood using the hand crank during a total
power outage?
A) Completing the treatment time
B) Being vigilant in watching for air in the blood lines
C) Counting the number of rotations per minute
D) Ensuring the dialysate is still flowing
E) Documenting the event in the chart first
Correct Answer: B) you must be vigilant in watching for air in the blood lines
Rationale: During a power outage, the air detector on the machine will not function. The
teammate must manually monitor the blood lines to prevent a life-threatening air embolism
while using the hand crank to return the patient's blood.
Question 12
Which of the following mechanical problems will cause a sudden increase in the patient's
Venous Pressure (VP)?
A) A leak in the arterial line
B) A needle dislodgement
C) A clot in the venous drip chamber
D) A decrease in the blood pump speed
E) Severely low blood pressure
Correct Answer: C) a clot in the venous drip chamber
Rationale: Venous pressure measures the resistance to blood flow returning to the patient. A
clot in the drip chamber creates a physical obstruction, causing the pressure to build up
behind the clot, which registers as an increase in VP.
Question 13
Which blood test must be performed at regular intervals on patients who are susceptible to
VERIFIED ANSWERS (CORRECT SOLUTIONS) | GET IT 100% ACCURATE!!
Question 1
When dialyzing a patient with Acute Kidney Injury (AKI), why is it a critical task for the patient
care team to monitor blood pressure and weight with extreme precision?
A) To ensure the patient is not eating during treatment
B) Hypovolemia and hypotensive episodes can cause renal ischemia and further damage the
kidneys
C) To determine if the patient is eligible for a kidney transplant that day
D) To document the success of the nurse’s shift
E) To prevent the development of chronic hypertension
Correct Answer: B) hypovolemia and hypotensive episodes can cause renal ischemia and can
further damage the kidneys
Rationale: In AKI, the kidneys are already compromised and vulnerable. Maintaining
hemodynamic stability is vital because drops in blood pressure (hypotension) reduce blood
flow (perfusion) to the kidneys, leading to ischemic injury that can prevent the recovery of
kidney function.
Question 2
Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is categorized by its origin as pre-renal, intra-renal, or post-
renal. Which of the following conditions is considered an intra-renal cause of CKD?
A) Kidney stones
B) Severe dehydration
C) Hypertension (HTN)
D) Prostate enlargement
E) Congestive heart failure
Correct Answer: C) HTN
Rationale: Intra-renal causes involve direct damage to the kidney tissue itself. Hypertension
causes damage to the small blood vessels and nephrons within the kidney. Pre-renal causes
relate to blood flow to the kidney (dehydration/heart failure), and post-renal causes relate
to obstructions after the kidney (stones/prostate).
Question 3
Why is it important for the dialysis technician and nurse to know the specific underlying cause of
a patient's CKD?
A) It is required for billing purposes only
B) It helps the nurse decide what time the patient should leave
C) The underlying disease could cause health complications that impact the dialysis treatment
D) It determines the color of the blood lines used
E) It allows the teammate to predict the patient’s personality
Correct Answer: C) is important because the underlying disease could cause health
complications that impact the dialysis treatment
Rationale: Diseases like diabetes or systemic lupus erythematosus have systemic effects.
, 2
Knowing the cause allows the team to anticipate complications, such as cardiovascular
instability in diabetic patients or clotting issues in patients with certain autoimmune
disorders.
Question 4
If a Patient Care Technician (PCT) documents a patient's edema in the medical record using a
scale such as "+3," which of the following is true?
A) The PCT is performing a legally required task
B) The PCT is performing a data collection, which is allowed
C) The PCT is performing an assessment, which is not legally allowed for a non-licensed
teammate
D) The PCT must wait until the end of the treatment to document this
E) The PCT should use a scale of 1-10 instead
Correct Answer: C) the PCT is preforming an assessment which is not allowed legally
Rationale: In dialysis, "data collection" is the reporting of objective facts (e.g., BP 120/80),
while "assessment" involves clinical judgment and interpretation (e.g., grading edema).
Legally, assessment is the sole responsibility of the licensed nurse.
Question 5
When a patient has an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia), how does this affect the use of an
automated blood pressure cuff?
A) The reading will be more accurate than a manual one
B) The automatic BP reading may not be accurate
C) The machine will automatically correct the reading
D) The machine will stop the treatment immediately
E) It has no effect on the accuracy of the reading
Correct Answer: B) the automatic BP reading may not be accurate
Rationale: Automated BP cuffs rely on consistent pressure oscillations to calculate a
reading. Irregular heartbeats interfere with these patterns, often resulting in incorrect
values. In these cases, a manual blood pressure should be obtained.
Question 6
Which of the following findings is categorized as a "data collection" rather than an assessment?
A) Patient appears "distressed"
B) Lung sounds are "crackly"
C) Heart rate (HR) of 72
D) Edema is "+2"
E) Patient's skin is "clammy"
Correct Answer: C) HR 72
Rationale: Data collection refers to the gathering of objective, measurable parameters. A
, 3
heart rate of 72 is a clear, numeric fact. The other options require interpretation or clinical
grading, which falls under the scope of nursing assessment.
Question 7
At what specific time should the post-treatment data collection be completed?
A) 15 minutes before the treatment ends
B) While the patient is still being rinsed back
C) After the treatment has been completely finished
D) Before the patient is weighed
E) When the nurse begins the next shift
Correct Answer: C) after the treatment has been completed
Rationale: Post-treatment data collection must reflect the patient’s status after the entire
dialysis process is over. Completing it early would not accurately capture the patient's final
vitals and physiological response to the fluid removal.
Question 8
In the "SMART" communication model used at DaVita, what does the "A" represent?
A) Accuracy
B) Assessment
C) Actual (reporting just the facts)
D) Action
E) Always
Correct Answer: C) actual- just report the facts
Rationale: Effective communication in a healthcare setting relies on objective reporting. The
"Actual" component reminds teammates to report exactly what was seen or measured
without adding bias or assumptions.
Question 9
Which of the following events is the best definition of a "near miss"?
A) A patient fell but was not injured
B) The wrong dialyzer was set up and primed, but it was caught and replaced before the patient
was connected
C) A patient missed their treatment by 10 minutes
D) The RO water machine failed during the night
E) A staff member almost tripped on a cord
Correct Answer: B) the wrong dialyzer was set up and primed for a patient, but it was
caught before dialysis was initiated and the dialyzer was replaced
Rationale: A near miss is an error that could have caused harm but was intercepted before
it reached the patient. Reporting near misses is vital for identifying system weaknesses and
preventing future actual errors.
, 4
Question 10
Which clinical approach is recommended when completing a Risk Event Management (REM)
report?
A) SMART
B) SBAR
C) SOAP
D) DAR
E) ADPIE
Correct Answer: B) SBAR
Rationale: SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation) provides a
structured, concise way to communicate the details of a risk event, ensuring all critical
information is documented clearly for review.
Question 11
What is the primary priority when returning a patient's blood using the hand crank during a total
power outage?
A) Completing the treatment time
B) Being vigilant in watching for air in the blood lines
C) Counting the number of rotations per minute
D) Ensuring the dialysate is still flowing
E) Documenting the event in the chart first
Correct Answer: B) you must be vigilant in watching for air in the blood lines
Rationale: During a power outage, the air detector on the machine will not function. The
teammate must manually monitor the blood lines to prevent a life-threatening air embolism
while using the hand crank to return the patient's blood.
Question 12
Which of the following mechanical problems will cause a sudden increase in the patient's
Venous Pressure (VP)?
A) A leak in the arterial line
B) A needle dislodgement
C) A clot in the venous drip chamber
D) A decrease in the blood pump speed
E) Severely low blood pressure
Correct Answer: C) a clot in the venous drip chamber
Rationale: Venous pressure measures the resistance to blood flow returning to the patient. A
clot in the drip chamber creates a physical obstruction, causing the pressure to build up
behind the clot, which registers as an increase in VP.
Question 13
Which blood test must be performed at regular intervals on patients who are susceptible to
