HESI A2 V1- CRITICAL THINKING
EXAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
The Patient: A 65-year-old man.
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The Situation- zv
The family brings the patient to the emergency room because he just took an entir
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e bottle of pills.
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The Question: What action should the nurse take first? - ANSWERS--
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Determine the patient's level of consciousness.
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The Patient: An 80-year-
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old male who has used continuous oxygen for the past three years.
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The Situation: While making a home visit, the wife tells the nurse that her husband
zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv
was doing well on 2 liters of oxygen per minute until late night when he developed
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severe shortness of breath on the way to the bathroom.
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The Question: What action should the nurse take first? - ANSWERS--
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Assess the patient's oxygen saturation by pulse oximeter.
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The Patient: A 41-year-old male.
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The Situation: The patient is complaining of severe stomach pain and states that h
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e has been "vomiting all the time."
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The Question: What should the nurse do first? - ANSWERS--
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Administer a prescribed pain medication. zv zv zv zv
The Patient: The wife of a wealthy owner of the town's bank.
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The Situation: The patient and her husband arrive on the unit. While orienting the p
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atient to the hospital room, the nurse notices that the patient has placed a large am
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ount of cash and some expensive earrings in the drawer of the bedside table.
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The Question: What is the best action for the nurse to take? - ANSWERS--
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Advise the patient to have her husband take the items home when he leaves.
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The Patient: A 45-year-
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old female who is 5'2" tall, weighs 200 pounds, and has smoked since age 21.
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The Situation: The patient comes to the clinic with a complaint of "leg pain."
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The Question: It is most important for the nurse do obtain information about which
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previous occurrence? - ANSWERS--A previous blood clot in the leg.
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The Patient: A 61-year-old female.
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The Situation: The patient has a fever of unknown origin. The nurse administered a
zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv z
vfever-
reducing medication 30 minutes ago. At this time there has been no decrease in th
zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv
e patient's fever.
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The Question: What action would be best for the nurse to take? - ANSWERS--
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Sponge the patient with cool water.
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The Patient: A 70-year-old male who is relatively healthy.
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The Situation: A liquid medication is prescribed for this patient.
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, The Question: Prior to administering the prescribed medication, what intervention h
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as the highest priority? - ANSWERS--
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Determine if the patient is allergic to the medication.
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The Patient: A 50-year-old female.
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The Situation: While the nurse is offering the patient her morning medications, she
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tells the nurse that she does not recall ever taking a pill that was pink-colored.
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The Question: What should the nurse do in response to this patient's comment? -
zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv
ANSWERS--Withhold the medication until the patient's prescription if verified.
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The Patients: zv zv
1. A 63-year-old with a burn on the left lower leg who is complaining of pain.
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2. A 45-year-old with pneumonia, complaining of shortness of breath.
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3. A 31-year-old with abdominal pain who has just vomited blood.
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4. A 88-year-old who has right-
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sided paralysis and wants to be helped to the bathroom immediately.
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The Situation: The nurse is caring for these patients.
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The Question: Who should the nurse see first? - ANSWERS--The 45-year-
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old with pneumonia and shortness of breath
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The Patients: zv zv
1. A 13-year-
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old female with a kidney infection who reports that there is "lots of blood" in her uri
zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv
ne.
2. An 18-year-
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old male with acute alcohol poisoning who is seeing "bugs on the walls."
zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv
3. A 21-year-
zv zv
old female with inflammatory bowel disease who has soaked a dressing three hour
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s after surgery.
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4. A 25-year-
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old male who is sobbing in his room after being told that he has testicular cancer.
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The Situation: The nurse is caring for these four patients.
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The Question: Who should the nurse see first? - ANSWERS--The 21-year-
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old who is three hours postoperative and has a soaked dressing.
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The Patient: zv zv
1. A 42-year-
zv zv
old with diabetes who is blind and is asking to get up and moved to a chair.
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2. An 88-year-old with lower body paralysis who wants to be turned in bed.
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3. A 17-year-
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old with asthma who smokes and has been in the bathroom for 30 minutes.
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4. A 55-year-
zv zv
old with cardiac disease who tells the nurse, "Get the TV fixed or I am leaving this
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place."
The Situation: The nurse is caring for these four patients.
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The Question: Which patient should the nurse see first? - ANSWERS--The 17-year-
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old with asthma who may be smoking in the bathroom.
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The Patient: An elderly female accompanied by her middle-aged son.
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EXAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
The Patient: A 65-year-old man.
zv zv zv zv zv
The Situation- zv
The family brings the patient to the emergency room because he just took an entir
zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv
e bottle of pills.
zv zv zv zv
The Question: What action should the nurse take first? - ANSWERS--
zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv
Determine the patient's level of consciousness.
zv zv zv zv zv
The Patient: An 80-year-
zv zv zv
old male who has used continuous oxygen for the past three years.
zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv
The Situation: While making a home visit, the wife tells the nurse that her husband
zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv
was doing well on 2 liters of oxygen per minute until late night when he developed
zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv
severe shortness of breath on the way to the bathroom.
zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv
The Question: What action should the nurse take first? - ANSWERS--
zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv
Assess the patient's oxygen saturation by pulse oximeter.
zv zv zv zv zv zv zv
The Patient: A 41-year-old male.
zv zv zv zv
The Situation: The patient is complaining of severe stomach pain and states that h
zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv
e has been "vomiting all the time."
zv zv zv zv zv zv
The Question: What should the nurse do first? - ANSWERS--
zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv
Administer a prescribed pain medication. zv zv zv zv
The Patient: The wife of a wealthy owner of the town's bank.
zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv
The Situation: The patient and her husband arrive on the unit. While orienting the p
zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv
atient to the hospital room, the nurse notices that the patient has placed a large am
zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv
ount of cash and some expensive earrings in the drawer of the bedside table.
zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv
The Question: What is the best action for the nurse to take? - ANSWERS--
zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv
Advise the patient to have her husband take the items home when he leaves.
zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv
The Patient: A 45-year-
zv zv zv
old female who is 5'2" tall, weighs 200 pounds, and has smoked since age 21.
zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv
The Situation: The patient comes to the clinic with a complaint of "leg pain."
zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv
The Question: It is most important for the nurse do obtain information about which
zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv
previous occurrence? - ANSWERS--A previous blood clot in the leg.
zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv
The Patient: A 61-year-old female.
zv zv zv zv zv
The Situation: The patient has a fever of unknown origin. The nurse administered a
zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv z
vfever-
reducing medication 30 minutes ago. At this time there has been no decrease in th
zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv
e patient's fever.
zv zv zv
The Question: What action would be best for the nurse to take? - ANSWERS--
zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv
Sponge the patient with cool water.
zv zv zv zv zv
The Patient: A 70-year-old male who is relatively healthy.
zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv
The Situation: A liquid medication is prescribed for this patient.
zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv
, The Question: Prior to administering the prescribed medication, what intervention h
zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv
as the highest priority? - ANSWERS--
zv zv zv zv zv
Determine if the patient is allergic to the medication.
zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv
The Patient: A 50-year-old female.
zv zv zv zv zv
The Situation: While the nurse is offering the patient her morning medications, she
zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv
tells the nurse that she does not recall ever taking a pill that was pink-colored.
zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv
The Question: What should the nurse do in response to this patient's comment? -
zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv
ANSWERS--Withhold the medication until the patient's prescription if verified.
zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv
The Patients: zv zv
1. A 63-year-old with a burn on the left lower leg who is complaining of pain.
zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv
2. A 45-year-old with pneumonia, complaining of shortness of breath.
zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv
3. A 31-year-old with abdominal pain who has just vomited blood.
zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv
4. A 88-year-old who has right-
zv zv zv zv zv
sided paralysis and wants to be helped to the bathroom immediately.
zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv
The Situation: The nurse is caring for these patients.
zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv
The Question: Who should the nurse see first? - ANSWERS--The 45-year-
zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv
old with pneumonia and shortness of breath
zv zv zv zv zv zv
The Patients: zv zv
1. A 13-year-
zv zv
old female with a kidney infection who reports that there is "lots of blood" in her uri
zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv
ne.
2. An 18-year-
zv zv
old male with acute alcohol poisoning who is seeing "bugs on the walls."
zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv
3. A 21-year-
zv zv
old female with inflammatory bowel disease who has soaked a dressing three hour
zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv
s after surgery.
zv zv
4. A 25-year-
zv zv
old male who is sobbing in his room after being told that he has testicular cancer.
zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv
The Situation: The nurse is caring for these four patients.
zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv
The Question: Who should the nurse see first? - ANSWERS--The 21-year-
zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv
old who is three hours postoperative and has a soaked dressing.
zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv
The Patient: zv zv
1. A 42-year-
zv zv
old with diabetes who is blind and is asking to get up and moved to a chair.
zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv
2. An 88-year-old with lower body paralysis who wants to be turned in bed.
zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv
3. A 17-year-
zv zv
old with asthma who smokes and has been in the bathroom for 30 minutes.
zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv
4. A 55-year-
zv zv
old with cardiac disease who tells the nurse, "Get the TV fixed or I am leaving this
zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv
place."
The Situation: The nurse is caring for these four patients.
zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv
The Question: Which patient should the nurse see first? - ANSWERS--The 17-year-
zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv zv
old with asthma who may be smoking in the bathroom.
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The Patient: An elderly female accompanied by her middle-aged son.
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