PEDS HESI TEST PAPER QUESTIONS AND
SOLUTIONS VERIFIED ANSWERS GRADED
A+
●● To take the vital signs of a 4-month-old child, which order will give
the most accurate results?
A. Respiratory rate, heart rate, then rectal temperature.
B. Heart rate, rectal temperature, then respiratory rate.
C. Rectal temperature, heart rate, then respiratory rate.
D. Rectal temperature, respiratory rate, then heart rate.
Answer: A. Respiratory rate, heart rate, then rectal temperature.
●● During routine screening at a school clinic, an otoscope examination
of a child's ear reveals a tympanic membrane that is pearly gray, slightly
bulging, and not movable. What action should the nurse take next?
A. No action required, as this is an expected finding for a school-aged
child.
B. Ask the child if he/she has had a cold, runny nose, or any ear pain
lately.
C. Send a note home advising the parents to have the child evaluated by
a healthcare provider as soon as possible.
D. Call the parents and have them take the child home from school for
the rest of the day.
,Answer: B. Ask the child if he/she has had a cold, runny nose, or any ear
pain lately.
●● Which restraint should be used for a toddler after a cleft palate
repair?
A. Clove hitch.
B. Mummy.
C. Elbow.
D. Jacket.
Answer: C. Elbow.
●● What preoperative nursing intervention should be included in the
plan of care for an infant with pyloric stenosis?
A. Monitor for signs of metabolic acidosis.
B. Estimate the quantity of diarrhea stools.
C. Place in a supine position after feeding.
D. Observe for projectile vomiting.
Answer: D. Observe for projectile vomiting.
●● A six-month-old returns from surgery with elbow restraints in place.
What nursing care should be included when caring for any restrained
child?
A. Keep restraints on at all times.
,B. Remove restraints one at a time and provide range of motion
exercises.
C. Remove all restraints simultaneously and provide play activities.
D. Renew the healthcare provider's prescription for restraints every 72
hours.
Answer: B. Remove restraints one at a time and provide range of motion
exercises.
●● A 2-year-old child with Down syndrome is brought to the clinic for
his regular physical examination. The nurse knows which problem is
frequently associated with Down syndrome?
A. Congenital heart disease.
B. Fragile X chromosome.
C. Trisomy 13.
D. Pyloric stenosis.
Answer: A. Congenital heart disease.
●● When assessing a child with asthma, the nurse should expect
intercostal retractions during
A. Inspiration.
B. Coughing.
C. Apneic episodes.
D. Expiration.
Answer: A. Inspiration.
, ●● When planning the care for a child who has had a cleft lip repair, the
nurse knows that crying should be minimized because it
A. Increases salivation.
B. Increases the respiratory rate.
C. Leads to vomiting.
D. Stresses the suture line.
Answer: D. Stresses the suture line.
●● A full-term infant is admitted to the newborn nursery. After careful
assessment, the nurse suspects that the infant may have an esophageal
atresia. Which symptoms is this newborn likely to have exhibited?
A. Choking, coughing, and cyanosis.
B. Projectile vomiting and cyanosis.
C. Apneic spells and grunting.
D. Scaphoid abdomen and anorexia.
Answer: A. Choking, coughing, and cyanosis.
●● Which behavior would the nurse expect a two-year-old child to
exhibit?
A. Build a house with blocks.
B. Ride a tricycle.
C. Display possessiveness of toys.
SOLUTIONS VERIFIED ANSWERS GRADED
A+
●● To take the vital signs of a 4-month-old child, which order will give
the most accurate results?
A. Respiratory rate, heart rate, then rectal temperature.
B. Heart rate, rectal temperature, then respiratory rate.
C. Rectal temperature, heart rate, then respiratory rate.
D. Rectal temperature, respiratory rate, then heart rate.
Answer: A. Respiratory rate, heart rate, then rectal temperature.
●● During routine screening at a school clinic, an otoscope examination
of a child's ear reveals a tympanic membrane that is pearly gray, slightly
bulging, and not movable. What action should the nurse take next?
A. No action required, as this is an expected finding for a school-aged
child.
B. Ask the child if he/she has had a cold, runny nose, or any ear pain
lately.
C. Send a note home advising the parents to have the child evaluated by
a healthcare provider as soon as possible.
D. Call the parents and have them take the child home from school for
the rest of the day.
,Answer: B. Ask the child if he/she has had a cold, runny nose, or any ear
pain lately.
●● Which restraint should be used for a toddler after a cleft palate
repair?
A. Clove hitch.
B. Mummy.
C. Elbow.
D. Jacket.
Answer: C. Elbow.
●● What preoperative nursing intervention should be included in the
plan of care for an infant with pyloric stenosis?
A. Monitor for signs of metabolic acidosis.
B. Estimate the quantity of diarrhea stools.
C. Place in a supine position after feeding.
D. Observe for projectile vomiting.
Answer: D. Observe for projectile vomiting.
●● A six-month-old returns from surgery with elbow restraints in place.
What nursing care should be included when caring for any restrained
child?
A. Keep restraints on at all times.
,B. Remove restraints one at a time and provide range of motion
exercises.
C. Remove all restraints simultaneously and provide play activities.
D. Renew the healthcare provider's prescription for restraints every 72
hours.
Answer: B. Remove restraints one at a time and provide range of motion
exercises.
●● A 2-year-old child with Down syndrome is brought to the clinic for
his regular physical examination. The nurse knows which problem is
frequently associated with Down syndrome?
A. Congenital heart disease.
B. Fragile X chromosome.
C. Trisomy 13.
D. Pyloric stenosis.
Answer: A. Congenital heart disease.
●● When assessing a child with asthma, the nurse should expect
intercostal retractions during
A. Inspiration.
B. Coughing.
C. Apneic episodes.
D. Expiration.
Answer: A. Inspiration.
, ●● When planning the care for a child who has had a cleft lip repair, the
nurse knows that crying should be minimized because it
A. Increases salivation.
B. Increases the respiratory rate.
C. Leads to vomiting.
D. Stresses the suture line.
Answer: D. Stresses the suture line.
●● A full-term infant is admitted to the newborn nursery. After careful
assessment, the nurse suspects that the infant may have an esophageal
atresia. Which symptoms is this newborn likely to have exhibited?
A. Choking, coughing, and cyanosis.
B. Projectile vomiting and cyanosis.
C. Apneic spells and grunting.
D. Scaphoid abdomen and anorexia.
Answer: A. Choking, coughing, and cyanosis.
●● Which behavior would the nurse expect a two-year-old child to
exhibit?
A. Build a house with blocks.
B. Ride a tricycle.
C. Display possessiveness of toys.
