NSG Exam 3 – Nursing Review Questions and Study Guide for Medical-
Surgical Concepts
What phase of the nursing process is the nurse in when he determines a medication is effective
and documents this in the patient's record?
A) Analysis
B) Evaluation
C) Assessment
D) Data collection - ✔✔B
11. A patient admitted with right leg thrombophlebitis is to be discharged from an acute-care
facility. The nurse notes that the patient's leg is pain-free, without redness or edema. Which
step of the nursing process does this reflect?
A) Assessment
B) Analysis
C) Implementation
D) Evaluation - ✔✔D
. The nurse, in collaboration with the patient's family, is assigning priorities related to the care of
the patient. The nurse explains that when setting priorities it is important to look at the urgency
of specific problems. What provides the best framework for prioritizing patient problems?
A) Availability of hospital resources
B) Family member statements
C) Maslow's hierarchy of needs
D) Nursing skill - ✔✔C
Before making a nursing diagnosis, what must a nurse do?
C) Collect and analyze data - ✔✔C
,1. An understanding of the pathophysiologic rationale behind shock is something every nurse
needs to have. Which of the following statements best describes the pathophysiology for
shock?
A) Blood is shunted from vital organs to peripheral areas of the body.
B) Cells lack an adequate blood supply and are deprived of oxygen and nutrients.
C) Circulating blood volume is decreased.
D) Hemorrhage occurs as a result of trauma. - ✔✔B
2. You are assessing your patient. When prioritizing the patient's care, you recognize that your
patient is at risk for hypovolemic shock when
A) fluid circulating in the blood vessels decreases.
B) cardiac output is increased.
C) blood pressure increases.
D)pulse is fast and bounding - ✔✔A
3. You are admitting a patient with a diagnosis of a gastrointestinal bleed who is in the
compensatory stage of shock. You know that an early sign that accompanies initial shock is
what?
A) Increased urine output
B) Decreased heart rate
C) Hyperactive bowel sounds
D) Cool, clammy skin - ✔✔D
4. You are caring for a patient in liver failure who is exhibiting signs and symptoms of
hypovolemic shock. You anticipate that the physician will order the administration of a
crystalloid for the management of this patient. Which crystalloid fluid is most commonly used to
treat hypovolemic shock?
A) Lactated Ringer's
,B) Albumin
C) Dextran
D) 3% NaCl - ✔✔A
5. A patient is receiving dopamine, a vasoactive drug used for shock, to increase her stroke
volume. What should the nurse be aware of when monitoring a vasoactive drug?
A) The drug should be discontinued immediately after blood pressure increases.
B) The drug dose should be weaned down prior to discontinuing.
C) The drug may cause respiratory alkalosis.
D) The drug reduces oxygen demands of the heart. - ✔✔B
6. A nurse in the ICU receives report from the nurse in the emergency department about a new
patient being admitted with a neck injury he received while diving into a lake. The emergency-
department nurse reports that his blood pressure is 85/54, heart rate is 53 beats per minute,
and his skin is warm and dry. What does the ICU nurse recognize that that patient is probably
experiencing?
A) Anaphylactic shock
B) Neurogenic shock
C) Septic shock
D) Hypovolemic shock - ✔✔B
8. You are transferring a patient who is in the progressive stage of shock into ICU from your
medical-surgical unit. You are aware that the shock affects many organ systems and that nursing
management of the patient will focus on what?
A) Reviewing the cause of shock and trying to limit the progression
B) Assessing and understanding shock and the significant changes in assessment data to guide
the plan of care
C) Giving the prescribed treatment but shifting focus to providing family time as the patient is
unlikely to survive
, D) Giving progressive care to the patient and family using critical pathways for shock therapy -
✔✔B
9. When caring for a patient in shock, one of the major nursing goals is to reduce the risk that
the patient will develop complications from shock. What does this require the nurse to do?
A) Provide an accurate diagnosis, plan of care, and appropriate interventions to allow the
patient the best chance for survival
B) Keep the physician updated with the most accurate information; in shock the nurse is often
powerless to help.
C) Monitor for significant changes and evaluate patient outcomes on a scheduled basis focusing
on blood pressure and skin temperature
D) Understand the underlying mechanisms of shock, recognize the subtle and more obvious
signs, and then provide rapid assessment and response - ✔✔D
10. You are caring for a patient in the ICU who is suffering from multiple organ dysfunction
syndrome (MODS). What should your plan of care focus on?
A) Encouraging the family to stay hopeful and educating the family to the fact that, in most
cases, the prognosis is good
B) Encouraging the family to leave the hospital and to take time for themselves as care of MODS
patients may last for years
C) Promoting communication with the patient and family along with addressing end-of-life
issues
D) Discussing organ donation on a number of different occasions to allow the family time to
adjust to the idea - ✔✔C
11. Your patient is in hypovolemic shock. You know that antidiuretic hormone (ADH) plays a role
during hypovolemic shock. What assessment finding will you likely observe related to the role of
the antidiuretic hormone (ADH) during hypovolemic shock?
A) Increased hunger
B) Decreased thirst
Surgical Concepts
What phase of the nursing process is the nurse in when he determines a medication is effective
and documents this in the patient's record?
A) Analysis
B) Evaluation
C) Assessment
D) Data collection - ✔✔B
11. A patient admitted with right leg thrombophlebitis is to be discharged from an acute-care
facility. The nurse notes that the patient's leg is pain-free, without redness or edema. Which
step of the nursing process does this reflect?
A) Assessment
B) Analysis
C) Implementation
D) Evaluation - ✔✔D
. The nurse, in collaboration with the patient's family, is assigning priorities related to the care of
the patient. The nurse explains that when setting priorities it is important to look at the urgency
of specific problems. What provides the best framework for prioritizing patient problems?
A) Availability of hospital resources
B) Family member statements
C) Maslow's hierarchy of needs
D) Nursing skill - ✔✔C
Before making a nursing diagnosis, what must a nurse do?
C) Collect and analyze data - ✔✔C
,1. An understanding of the pathophysiologic rationale behind shock is something every nurse
needs to have. Which of the following statements best describes the pathophysiology for
shock?
A) Blood is shunted from vital organs to peripheral areas of the body.
B) Cells lack an adequate blood supply and are deprived of oxygen and nutrients.
C) Circulating blood volume is decreased.
D) Hemorrhage occurs as a result of trauma. - ✔✔B
2. You are assessing your patient. When prioritizing the patient's care, you recognize that your
patient is at risk for hypovolemic shock when
A) fluid circulating in the blood vessels decreases.
B) cardiac output is increased.
C) blood pressure increases.
D)pulse is fast and bounding - ✔✔A
3. You are admitting a patient with a diagnosis of a gastrointestinal bleed who is in the
compensatory stage of shock. You know that an early sign that accompanies initial shock is
what?
A) Increased urine output
B) Decreased heart rate
C) Hyperactive bowel sounds
D) Cool, clammy skin - ✔✔D
4. You are caring for a patient in liver failure who is exhibiting signs and symptoms of
hypovolemic shock. You anticipate that the physician will order the administration of a
crystalloid for the management of this patient. Which crystalloid fluid is most commonly used to
treat hypovolemic shock?
A) Lactated Ringer's
,B) Albumin
C) Dextran
D) 3% NaCl - ✔✔A
5. A patient is receiving dopamine, a vasoactive drug used for shock, to increase her stroke
volume. What should the nurse be aware of when monitoring a vasoactive drug?
A) The drug should be discontinued immediately after blood pressure increases.
B) The drug dose should be weaned down prior to discontinuing.
C) The drug may cause respiratory alkalosis.
D) The drug reduces oxygen demands of the heart. - ✔✔B
6. A nurse in the ICU receives report from the nurse in the emergency department about a new
patient being admitted with a neck injury he received while diving into a lake. The emergency-
department nurse reports that his blood pressure is 85/54, heart rate is 53 beats per minute,
and his skin is warm and dry. What does the ICU nurse recognize that that patient is probably
experiencing?
A) Anaphylactic shock
B) Neurogenic shock
C) Septic shock
D) Hypovolemic shock - ✔✔B
8. You are transferring a patient who is in the progressive stage of shock into ICU from your
medical-surgical unit. You are aware that the shock affects many organ systems and that nursing
management of the patient will focus on what?
A) Reviewing the cause of shock and trying to limit the progression
B) Assessing and understanding shock and the significant changes in assessment data to guide
the plan of care
C) Giving the prescribed treatment but shifting focus to providing family time as the patient is
unlikely to survive
, D) Giving progressive care to the patient and family using critical pathways for shock therapy -
✔✔B
9. When caring for a patient in shock, one of the major nursing goals is to reduce the risk that
the patient will develop complications from shock. What does this require the nurse to do?
A) Provide an accurate diagnosis, plan of care, and appropriate interventions to allow the
patient the best chance for survival
B) Keep the physician updated with the most accurate information; in shock the nurse is often
powerless to help.
C) Monitor for significant changes and evaluate patient outcomes on a scheduled basis focusing
on blood pressure and skin temperature
D) Understand the underlying mechanisms of shock, recognize the subtle and more obvious
signs, and then provide rapid assessment and response - ✔✔D
10. You are caring for a patient in the ICU who is suffering from multiple organ dysfunction
syndrome (MODS). What should your plan of care focus on?
A) Encouraging the family to stay hopeful and educating the family to the fact that, in most
cases, the prognosis is good
B) Encouraging the family to leave the hospital and to take time for themselves as care of MODS
patients may last for years
C) Promoting communication with the patient and family along with addressing end-of-life
issues
D) Discussing organ donation on a number of different occasions to allow the family time to
adjust to the idea - ✔✔C
11. Your patient is in hypovolemic shock. You know that antidiuretic hormone (ADH) plays a role
during hypovolemic shock. What assessment finding will you likely observe related to the role of
the antidiuretic hormone (ADH) during hypovolemic shock?
A) Increased hunger
B) Decreased thirst
