NUR 419 – Exam 3 Practice Questions, Nursing Course, Comprehensive Review and Test
Preparation Material
1. A patient in the ICU has a malignant brain tumor. Based on knowledge of the cellular units
that make up the nervous system, the nurse understands that which cell type is the least likely
to be the origin of this patient's tumor?
A) Neuron
B) Astrocyte
C) Ependymal cell
D) Oligodendroglia - correct answer ✔✔a
2. A patient was involved in a car accident and is in hypovolemic shock, with severe
hypotension. Due to damage to the glossopharyngeal nerve, the baroreceptor reflex is inhibited
in the patient. What effect of this impaired reflex should the nurse expect to see in this patient?
A) Rapid increase in blood pressure
B) Lack of immediate withdrawal from painful stimuli
C) Lack of compensatory increase in heart rate
D) Continuance of motor activity in the intestines - correct answer ✔✔c
3. A patient in the ICU, in addition to his critical illness, suffers from clinical depression and is
receiving medication for it. The nurse understands that this patient's antidepression
medications are most likely to inhibit the reuptake of which of the following neurotransmitters?
Select all that apply.
A) Acetylcholine
B) Endorphin
C) Enkephalin
D) Serotonin
E) Norepinephrine
F) Substance P - correct answer ✔✔d, e
,4. A patient in the ICU is receiving an experimental drug to treat a brain tumor. The nurse
understands that which of the following characteristics would be important in such a drug?
Select all that apply.
A) Protein based
B) Lipid soluble
C) Small molecule
D) Water soluble - correct answer ✔✔b, c
5. A patient in the ICU has suffered severe head trauma as the result of a diving accident.
Damage was sustained only in the frontal lobes of the brain. Which function is most likely to be
impaired with this injury?
A) Breathing
B) Maintain steady posture when standing
C) Sneezing
D) Writing with a pen - correct answer ✔✔d
6. After having a stroke, an elderly patient is unsteady on his feet and cannot walk across the
room without assistance. The nurse recognizes that which sensation is most likely impaired in
this patient? A) Visceral
B) Proprioceptive
C) Exteroceptive
D) Visual - correct answer ✔✔b
7. A neurologist is testing a patient's responsiveness to various stimuli. He pricks the patient's
foot with the point of a safety pin, and the patient jerks her foot back immediately. The nurse
recognizes that the integrative central nervous system component involved in this reflex is
which of the following?
A) Spinal cord interneuron
,B) Medulla oblongata
C) Midbrain
D) Cerebrum - correct answer ✔✔a
8. A patient who experienced severe trauma in a multiple car accident on the freeway explained
that he didn't even notice the pain of his injuries as he was helping his daughters escape from
their burning car. He asked the nurse what kept him from feeling the pain immediately. What
would be the nurse's best response?
A) The accident occurred when it was cold outside.
B) The patient has fewer nociceptors than normal.
C) The patient has an impaired thalamus.
D) Endogenous opioid peptides blocked transmission of the pain message to the brain. - correct
answer ✔✔d
9. A nurse witnesses a patient having a panic attack in the ICU after learning that he has
terminal lung cancer. Recognizing that he is in the alarm phase of the general adaptation
syndrome, what physiological adaptations should the nurse expect?
A) Drop in blood pressure
B) Release of cortisol
C) A shock state
D) Heart rate drops from its peak but remains elevated - correct answer ✔✔b
10. A patient was recently admitted to the ICU with a knife wound to his chest that punctured
his lung following a fight with his brother. He has undergone surgery and is stable, but is afraid
of the possibility of infection. He will have to miss work for at least 6 weeks while he recovers.
Which stressor will likely have the most long term negative impact on this patient?
A) His relationship with his brother
B) The pain from his wound
C) The financial hardship of missing 6 weeks of work
, D) Fear of infection - correct answer ✔✔a
11. A patient is receiving a medication that has difficulty crossing the blood brain barrier. What
type of healthy neuroglia does an intact blood brain barrier indicate?
A) Microglia
B) Astrocytes
C) Neurons
D) Oligodendroglia - correct answer ✔✔b
12. A patient has a disease resulting in a deficit of acetylcholinesterase. What effects will the
patient experience?
A) Increased rapidity of neural transmission
B) Reversed direction of neural transmission
C) Rapid resetting of postsynaptic membrane receptors
D) Delayed resetting of postsynaptic membrane receptors - correct answer ✔✔d
13. A patient has experienced a traumatic and significant loss of cerebrospinal fluid. To prevent
further injury, what is the highest nursing priority?
A) Institute seizure precautions.
B) Prevent blows to the head.
C) Keep on strict bed rest.
D) Pharmacologic paralysis. - correct answer ✔✔b
14. A patient has a ruptured aneurysm on a vessel that joins the circle of Willis. If this results in
significant neurologic deficit, what additional factor would the nurse expect?
A) Fully patent circle of Willis
B) Additional atrophic vessel on the circle
Preparation Material
1. A patient in the ICU has a malignant brain tumor. Based on knowledge of the cellular units
that make up the nervous system, the nurse understands that which cell type is the least likely
to be the origin of this patient's tumor?
A) Neuron
B) Astrocyte
C) Ependymal cell
D) Oligodendroglia - correct answer ✔✔a
2. A patient was involved in a car accident and is in hypovolemic shock, with severe
hypotension. Due to damage to the glossopharyngeal nerve, the baroreceptor reflex is inhibited
in the patient. What effect of this impaired reflex should the nurse expect to see in this patient?
A) Rapid increase in blood pressure
B) Lack of immediate withdrawal from painful stimuli
C) Lack of compensatory increase in heart rate
D) Continuance of motor activity in the intestines - correct answer ✔✔c
3. A patient in the ICU, in addition to his critical illness, suffers from clinical depression and is
receiving medication for it. The nurse understands that this patient's antidepression
medications are most likely to inhibit the reuptake of which of the following neurotransmitters?
Select all that apply.
A) Acetylcholine
B) Endorphin
C) Enkephalin
D) Serotonin
E) Norepinephrine
F) Substance P - correct answer ✔✔d, e
,4. A patient in the ICU is receiving an experimental drug to treat a brain tumor. The nurse
understands that which of the following characteristics would be important in such a drug?
Select all that apply.
A) Protein based
B) Lipid soluble
C) Small molecule
D) Water soluble - correct answer ✔✔b, c
5. A patient in the ICU has suffered severe head trauma as the result of a diving accident.
Damage was sustained only in the frontal lobes of the brain. Which function is most likely to be
impaired with this injury?
A) Breathing
B) Maintain steady posture when standing
C) Sneezing
D) Writing with a pen - correct answer ✔✔d
6. After having a stroke, an elderly patient is unsteady on his feet and cannot walk across the
room without assistance. The nurse recognizes that which sensation is most likely impaired in
this patient? A) Visceral
B) Proprioceptive
C) Exteroceptive
D) Visual - correct answer ✔✔b
7. A neurologist is testing a patient's responsiveness to various stimuli. He pricks the patient's
foot with the point of a safety pin, and the patient jerks her foot back immediately. The nurse
recognizes that the integrative central nervous system component involved in this reflex is
which of the following?
A) Spinal cord interneuron
,B) Medulla oblongata
C) Midbrain
D) Cerebrum - correct answer ✔✔a
8. A patient who experienced severe trauma in a multiple car accident on the freeway explained
that he didn't even notice the pain of his injuries as he was helping his daughters escape from
their burning car. He asked the nurse what kept him from feeling the pain immediately. What
would be the nurse's best response?
A) The accident occurred when it was cold outside.
B) The patient has fewer nociceptors than normal.
C) The patient has an impaired thalamus.
D) Endogenous opioid peptides blocked transmission of the pain message to the brain. - correct
answer ✔✔d
9. A nurse witnesses a patient having a panic attack in the ICU after learning that he has
terminal lung cancer. Recognizing that he is in the alarm phase of the general adaptation
syndrome, what physiological adaptations should the nurse expect?
A) Drop in blood pressure
B) Release of cortisol
C) A shock state
D) Heart rate drops from its peak but remains elevated - correct answer ✔✔b
10. A patient was recently admitted to the ICU with a knife wound to his chest that punctured
his lung following a fight with his brother. He has undergone surgery and is stable, but is afraid
of the possibility of infection. He will have to miss work for at least 6 weeks while he recovers.
Which stressor will likely have the most long term negative impact on this patient?
A) His relationship with his brother
B) The pain from his wound
C) The financial hardship of missing 6 weeks of work
, D) Fear of infection - correct answer ✔✔a
11. A patient is receiving a medication that has difficulty crossing the blood brain barrier. What
type of healthy neuroglia does an intact blood brain barrier indicate?
A) Microglia
B) Astrocytes
C) Neurons
D) Oligodendroglia - correct answer ✔✔b
12. A patient has a disease resulting in a deficit of acetylcholinesterase. What effects will the
patient experience?
A) Increased rapidity of neural transmission
B) Reversed direction of neural transmission
C) Rapid resetting of postsynaptic membrane receptors
D) Delayed resetting of postsynaptic membrane receptors - correct answer ✔✔d
13. A patient has experienced a traumatic and significant loss of cerebrospinal fluid. To prevent
further injury, what is the highest nursing priority?
A) Institute seizure precautions.
B) Prevent blows to the head.
C) Keep on strict bed rest.
D) Pharmacologic paralysis. - correct answer ✔✔b
14. A patient has a ruptured aneurysm on a vessel that joins the circle of Willis. If this results in
significant neurologic deficit, what additional factor would the nurse expect?
A) Fully patent circle of Willis
B) Additional atrophic vessel on the circle
