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ATI RN Comprehensive Predictor Practice | Exam Practice Questions
And Correct Answers (Verified Answers) Plus Rationale 2026 Q&A |
Instant Download Pdf
Fundamentals of Nursing
1. A nurse is preparing to administer medications to a client. Which of the following
is the most important action to ensure client safety?
A. Check the medication administration record (MAR) against the provider's original order.
B. Verify the client's identity using two identifiers.
C. Explain the purpose of each medication to the client.
D. Assess the client's vital signs before administration.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: According to The Joint Commission National Patient Safety Goals, verifying the
client's identity using two identifiers (e.g., name and date of birth) is a critical first step
before any medication administration to prevent errors and "right patient" mistakes. While
all options are important nursing actions, this is the foundational safety check.
2. A nurse is inserting an indwelling urinary catheter into a female client. After
inserting the catheter 2 to 3 inches, the nurse notes urine flow. The next action is to:
A. Inflate the balloon with the entire volume of sterile water.
B. Advance the catheter an additional 1 to 2 inches before inflating the balloon.
C. Gently pull back on the catheter until resistance is felt.
D. Tape the catheter to the client's inner thigh immediately.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: In the female client, the urethra is approximately 1.5 to 2.5 inches long.
Advancing the catheter an additional 1 to 2 inches after seeing urine ensures that the
balloon is fully within the bladder and not in the urethra, preventing urethral trauma during
balloon inflation.
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3. A client with chronic lung disease is receiving oxygen at 2 L/min via nasal cannula.
The nurse notes the SpO2 is 89%. Which action should the nurse take first?
A. Increase the oxygen flow rate to 4 L/min.
B. Place the client in high-Fowler's position.
C. Assess the client's respiratory rate and lung sounds.
D. Notify the healthcare provider immediately.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Using the nursing process, assessment comes first. Before intervening or
notifying the provider, the nurse must gather more data about the client's respiratory status
(rate, effort, breath sounds) to determine the cause of the desaturation and guide
appropriate interventions.
4. A nurse is caring for a client who is 2 days postoperative following an abdominal
surgery. The client reports, "I felt something pop in my incision." The nurse
assesses the wound and notes the edges are separated with a small loop of bowel
protruding. Which action should the nurse take first?
A. Notify the surgeon immediately.
B. Apply a sterile, saline-moistened dressing to the wound.
C. Place the client in a supine position with knees bent.
D. Push the protruding bowel back inside the wound.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: This is wound evisceration, a surgical emergency. The immediate priority is to
protect the exposed viscera. Covering the bowel with sterile, saline-moistened dressings
prevents tissue drying and contamination. The client should be positioned supine with
knees bent (to reduce abdominal tension), and the surgeon is notified, but the dressing is
the first direct action.
,© Academic_Excellence
5. A nurse is providing perineal care to a female client who has an indwelling
catheter. The nurse should clean the perineal area using which direction?
A. Back and forth from rectum to meatus.
B. In a circular motion starting at the anus.
C. From the urinary meatus outward toward the rectum.
D. Side to side across the labia majora.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Cleaning from "clean to dirty," or from the urinary meatus outward toward the
rectum, prevents introducing microorganisms from the perianal area into the urinary tract,
reducing the risk of catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI).
Medical-Surgical Nursing
6. A nurse is caring for a client receiving a blood transfusion. Fifteen minutes after
initiation of the transfusion, the client develops a fever, chills, and low back pain.
Which type of transfusion reaction does the nurse suspect?
A. Allergic reaction.
B. Febrile non-hemolytic reaction.
C. Acute hemolytic reaction.
D. Circulatory overload.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Fever, chills, and low back/flank pain within the first 15-50 mL of a transfusion
are classic signs of an acute hemolytic reaction, most commonly caused by ABO
incompatibility. The back pain is due to hemolysis and agglutination in the kidneys. The
nurse must stop the transfusion immediately.
7. A nurse is providing discharge teaching to a client who has heart failure and a new
prescription for furosemide. Which of the following client statements indicates an
, © Academic_Excellence
understanding of the teaching?
A. "I will take this medication at bedtime to help me sleep."
B. "I should weigh myself at the same time each day wearing the same type of clothing."
C. "I will limit my fluid intake to 3 liters per day."
D. "I can use a salt substitute instead of table salt."
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Daily weight is the most sensitive indicator of fluid volume status in heart failure.
Consistent timing (morning after voiding) and clothing ensures accuracy. Furosemide
should be taken in the morning to prevent nocturia. Salt substitutes often contain
potassium, which can be dangerous with other HF medications and renal impairment.
8. A client is admitted with acute pancreatitis. The nurse knows that which laboratory
value is the most specific early indicator of this condition?
A. Elevated amylase.
B. Elevated lipase.
C. Decreased calcium.
D. Elevated blood glucose.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: While both amylase and lipase are elevated in pancreatitis, serum lipase is
more specific to the pancreas, rises within 4 to 8 hours, and remains elevated longer (up to
14 days). Amylase can be elevated in other conditions (parotitis, cholecystitis) and returns
to normal more quickly.
9. A nurse is caring for a client with a chest tube connected to a three-chamber
water-seal drainage system. Which finding requires immediate nursing intervention?
A. Intermittent bubbling in the water-seal chamber during client exhalation.
B. Gentle, continuous bubbling in the suction control chamber.
ATI RN Comprehensive Predictor Practice | Exam Practice Questions
And Correct Answers (Verified Answers) Plus Rationale 2026 Q&A |
Instant Download Pdf
Fundamentals of Nursing
1. A nurse is preparing to administer medications to a client. Which of the following
is the most important action to ensure client safety?
A. Check the medication administration record (MAR) against the provider's original order.
B. Verify the client's identity using two identifiers.
C. Explain the purpose of each medication to the client.
D. Assess the client's vital signs before administration.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: According to The Joint Commission National Patient Safety Goals, verifying the
client's identity using two identifiers (e.g., name and date of birth) is a critical first step
before any medication administration to prevent errors and "right patient" mistakes. While
all options are important nursing actions, this is the foundational safety check.
2. A nurse is inserting an indwelling urinary catheter into a female client. After
inserting the catheter 2 to 3 inches, the nurse notes urine flow. The next action is to:
A. Inflate the balloon with the entire volume of sterile water.
B. Advance the catheter an additional 1 to 2 inches before inflating the balloon.
C. Gently pull back on the catheter until resistance is felt.
D. Tape the catheter to the client's inner thigh immediately.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: In the female client, the urethra is approximately 1.5 to 2.5 inches long.
Advancing the catheter an additional 1 to 2 inches after seeing urine ensures that the
balloon is fully within the bladder and not in the urethra, preventing urethral trauma during
balloon inflation.
,© Academic_Excellence
3. A client with chronic lung disease is receiving oxygen at 2 L/min via nasal cannula.
The nurse notes the SpO2 is 89%. Which action should the nurse take first?
A. Increase the oxygen flow rate to 4 L/min.
B. Place the client in high-Fowler's position.
C. Assess the client's respiratory rate and lung sounds.
D. Notify the healthcare provider immediately.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Using the nursing process, assessment comes first. Before intervening or
notifying the provider, the nurse must gather more data about the client's respiratory status
(rate, effort, breath sounds) to determine the cause of the desaturation and guide
appropriate interventions.
4. A nurse is caring for a client who is 2 days postoperative following an abdominal
surgery. The client reports, "I felt something pop in my incision." The nurse
assesses the wound and notes the edges are separated with a small loop of bowel
protruding. Which action should the nurse take first?
A. Notify the surgeon immediately.
B. Apply a sterile, saline-moistened dressing to the wound.
C. Place the client in a supine position with knees bent.
D. Push the protruding bowel back inside the wound.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: This is wound evisceration, a surgical emergency. The immediate priority is to
protect the exposed viscera. Covering the bowel with sterile, saline-moistened dressings
prevents tissue drying and contamination. The client should be positioned supine with
knees bent (to reduce abdominal tension), and the surgeon is notified, but the dressing is
the first direct action.
,© Academic_Excellence
5. A nurse is providing perineal care to a female client who has an indwelling
catheter. The nurse should clean the perineal area using which direction?
A. Back and forth from rectum to meatus.
B. In a circular motion starting at the anus.
C. From the urinary meatus outward toward the rectum.
D. Side to side across the labia majora.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Cleaning from "clean to dirty," or from the urinary meatus outward toward the
rectum, prevents introducing microorganisms from the perianal area into the urinary tract,
reducing the risk of catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI).
Medical-Surgical Nursing
6. A nurse is caring for a client receiving a blood transfusion. Fifteen minutes after
initiation of the transfusion, the client develops a fever, chills, and low back pain.
Which type of transfusion reaction does the nurse suspect?
A. Allergic reaction.
B. Febrile non-hemolytic reaction.
C. Acute hemolytic reaction.
D. Circulatory overload.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Fever, chills, and low back/flank pain within the first 15-50 mL of a transfusion
are classic signs of an acute hemolytic reaction, most commonly caused by ABO
incompatibility. The back pain is due to hemolysis and agglutination in the kidneys. The
nurse must stop the transfusion immediately.
7. A nurse is providing discharge teaching to a client who has heart failure and a new
prescription for furosemide. Which of the following client statements indicates an
, © Academic_Excellence
understanding of the teaching?
A. "I will take this medication at bedtime to help me sleep."
B. "I should weigh myself at the same time each day wearing the same type of clothing."
C. "I will limit my fluid intake to 3 liters per day."
D. "I can use a salt substitute instead of table salt."
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Daily weight is the most sensitive indicator of fluid volume status in heart failure.
Consistent timing (morning after voiding) and clothing ensures accuracy. Furosemide
should be taken in the morning to prevent nocturia. Salt substitutes often contain
potassium, which can be dangerous with other HF medications and renal impairment.
8. A client is admitted with acute pancreatitis. The nurse knows that which laboratory
value is the most specific early indicator of this condition?
A. Elevated amylase.
B. Elevated lipase.
C. Decreased calcium.
D. Elevated blood glucose.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: While both amylase and lipase are elevated in pancreatitis, serum lipase is
more specific to the pancreas, rises within 4 to 8 hours, and remains elevated longer (up to
14 days). Amylase can be elevated in other conditions (parotitis, cholecystitis) and returns
to normal more quickly.
9. A nurse is caring for a client with a chest tube connected to a three-chamber
water-seal drainage system. Which finding requires immediate nursing intervention?
A. Intermittent bubbling in the water-seal chamber during client exhalation.
B. Gentle, continuous bubbling in the suction control chamber.
