NUR 254 Emergency Nursing Study Guide 2026
– Updated Practice & Exam Prep Resource
The ER nurse sees that the following patients are en route to the hospital via EMS. Who will be
seen first?
1. 45 year old with SOB, chest pain, states that he woke up feeling like this
2. 3 year old who fell off monkey bars at daycare, refuses to put weight on her right leg
3. 78 year old who is confused and was found wandering in a local park
4. 56 year old who was found unresponsive at home, estimated down time is 20 minutes and
paramedics have been unable to resuscitate - 4
Which of the following patients could wait for treatment in the ER?
1. patient with left sided paralysis who is unable to speak
2. patient with SOB and severe chest pain, satting 92%RA
3. patient with gunshot wound to lower abdomen, bleeding is controlled
4. patient with COPD exacerbation following an asthma attack, O2 is 88%RA - 4
The ER nurse hears a doctor refer to a patient as a "triage level 2" and knows that:
1. this patient should be seen Q15 minutes
2. this patient will likely be discharged within a few hours
3. this patient needs to be admitted
4. this patient can wait an hour for treatment - 1
The nurse sees that a patient is coming in via EMS as a level 1 triage. Which of the following
situations could the nurse expect?
1. ambulatory patient who is having trouble breathing
2. patient could have driven themselves to the ED
3. patient has a head wound but is able to answer questions
4. patient was found unconscious after a suspected drug overdose and CPR is being performed
in the ambulance - 4
Which level of triage would be able to have treatment delayed for several hours?
1. resuscitation
2. emergent
3. level 5
4. level 1 - 3
, What is the goal of treatment in the ER?
1. assess the patient's ABCs and get them admitted or discharged
2. determine whether the patient needs additional treatment for chronic illnesses
3. perform a head to toe assessment and make a detailed history in the patient chart
4. determine whether the medical complaint is severe enough to warrant an assessment - 1
The ER nurse gets a new admit who was brought by ambulance following a car accident. The
patient's airbags did not deploy, but the patient was wearing a seatbelt that caused a deep
laceration across the left shoulder. There is bruising across the chest from the seat belt, and the
abdomen feels tight and tender. Patient denies losing consciousness. Which S/S is most
concerning?
1. laceration
2. seat belt bruising across the chest
3. tight and tender abdomen
4. denying loss of consciousness - 3
The ER nurse is preparing to admit a patient who was involved in a warehouse explosion. The
patient had a large bruise forming on the back of the head, but no visible injuries. The patient's
labs were normal on arrival and repeat labs have just arrived: H/H 5/16, WBC 10K, BUN 15, Cr
1.2. Current vitals are HR 120, BP 90/70, O2 92% on 2 L/min NC, T 99. What does the nurse
realize is happening?
1. The patient is developing an infection from injuries sustained in the explosion
2. The patient has a collapsed lung
3. The patient needs to be taken to CT to determine if there has been a head injury
4. The patient is bleeding internally - 4
A nurse is on vacation in a national park when he finds a hiker who has just been attacked by a
bear and is bleeding profusely from the lower leg. The nurse removes the hiker's belt and
applies it to the leg as a tourniquet. The nurse knows that the belt could cause enough damage
to require amputation in which timeframe?
1. 1 hour
2. 2 hours
3. 4 hours
4. 6 hours - 2
The ER nurse is assisting with the surgical closure of a gunshot wound. The surgeon removes a
bullet that was lodged in the patient's stomach. What should the nurse do with the bullet?
SATA
1. dispose of the bullet in the surgical waste bin
2. document where the bullet was found in the body
3. collect the bullet in a specimen container for handoff to the police
– Updated Practice & Exam Prep Resource
The ER nurse sees that the following patients are en route to the hospital via EMS. Who will be
seen first?
1. 45 year old with SOB, chest pain, states that he woke up feeling like this
2. 3 year old who fell off monkey bars at daycare, refuses to put weight on her right leg
3. 78 year old who is confused and was found wandering in a local park
4. 56 year old who was found unresponsive at home, estimated down time is 20 minutes and
paramedics have been unable to resuscitate - 4
Which of the following patients could wait for treatment in the ER?
1. patient with left sided paralysis who is unable to speak
2. patient with SOB and severe chest pain, satting 92%RA
3. patient with gunshot wound to lower abdomen, bleeding is controlled
4. patient with COPD exacerbation following an asthma attack, O2 is 88%RA - 4
The ER nurse hears a doctor refer to a patient as a "triage level 2" and knows that:
1. this patient should be seen Q15 minutes
2. this patient will likely be discharged within a few hours
3. this patient needs to be admitted
4. this patient can wait an hour for treatment - 1
The nurse sees that a patient is coming in via EMS as a level 1 triage. Which of the following
situations could the nurse expect?
1. ambulatory patient who is having trouble breathing
2. patient could have driven themselves to the ED
3. patient has a head wound but is able to answer questions
4. patient was found unconscious after a suspected drug overdose and CPR is being performed
in the ambulance - 4
Which level of triage would be able to have treatment delayed for several hours?
1. resuscitation
2. emergent
3. level 5
4. level 1 - 3
, What is the goal of treatment in the ER?
1. assess the patient's ABCs and get them admitted or discharged
2. determine whether the patient needs additional treatment for chronic illnesses
3. perform a head to toe assessment and make a detailed history in the patient chart
4. determine whether the medical complaint is severe enough to warrant an assessment - 1
The ER nurse gets a new admit who was brought by ambulance following a car accident. The
patient's airbags did not deploy, but the patient was wearing a seatbelt that caused a deep
laceration across the left shoulder. There is bruising across the chest from the seat belt, and the
abdomen feels tight and tender. Patient denies losing consciousness. Which S/S is most
concerning?
1. laceration
2. seat belt bruising across the chest
3. tight and tender abdomen
4. denying loss of consciousness - 3
The ER nurse is preparing to admit a patient who was involved in a warehouse explosion. The
patient had a large bruise forming on the back of the head, but no visible injuries. The patient's
labs were normal on arrival and repeat labs have just arrived: H/H 5/16, WBC 10K, BUN 15, Cr
1.2. Current vitals are HR 120, BP 90/70, O2 92% on 2 L/min NC, T 99. What does the nurse
realize is happening?
1. The patient is developing an infection from injuries sustained in the explosion
2. The patient has a collapsed lung
3. The patient needs to be taken to CT to determine if there has been a head injury
4. The patient is bleeding internally - 4
A nurse is on vacation in a national park when he finds a hiker who has just been attacked by a
bear and is bleeding profusely from the lower leg. The nurse removes the hiker's belt and
applies it to the leg as a tourniquet. The nurse knows that the belt could cause enough damage
to require amputation in which timeframe?
1. 1 hour
2. 2 hours
3. 4 hours
4. 6 hours - 2
The ER nurse is assisting with the surgical closure of a gunshot wound. The surgeon removes a
bullet that was lodged in the patient's stomach. What should the nurse do with the bullet?
SATA
1. dispose of the bullet in the surgical waste bin
2. document where the bullet was found in the body
3. collect the bullet in a specimen container for handoff to the police
