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# ATI RN ADULT MED SURG PREDICTOR EXAM
FORM A## COMPLETE QUESTION BANK WITH
RATIONALES – 2026 EDITION
**Table of Contents**
| Section | Topic Area | Question Numbers |
|---------|------------|------------------|
| 1 | Management of Care / Priority Setting | 1–20 |
| 2 | Safety & Infection Control | 21–35 |
| 3 | Cardiovascular Disorders | 36–55 |
| 4 | Respiratory Disorders | 56–70 |
| 5 | Endocrine Disorders | 71–85 |
| 6 | Gastrointestinal & Renal Disorders | 86–100 |
| 7 | Neurological & Musculoskeletal Disorders | 101–115 |
| 8 | Pharmacology & Medication Administration | 116–135 |
| 9 | Hematological & Oncological Disorders | 136–145 |
| 10 | High-Yield Exam Review | 146–180 |
,2|Page
## Section 1: Management of Care / Priority Setting (1–20)
**1. A nurse is caring for four clients. Which client should the nurse
assess first?**
A) A client with pneumonia who has a fever of 38.3°C (101°F)
B) A client with a new tracheostomy who has thick, yellow secretions
C) A client who is 1-day post-operative and reports pain of 6 on a 0-10
scale
D) A client with type 1 diabetes mellitus who has a blood glucose of 180
mg/dL
**Answer: B**
*Rationale:* Airway is always the priority in the ABCs of client
assessment. Thick, yellow secretions can obstruct a new tracheostomy,
leading to respiratory arrest. Fever (A) is expected with pneumonia. Pain
(C) is moderate but not life-threatening. A blood glucose of 180 mg/dL
(D) is hyperglycemic but not critical and does not require immediate
intervention .
**2. A nurse receives a telephone prescription from a provider for a
client. Which of the following actions should the nurse take first?**
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A) Ask the provider to spell the medication name
B) Read back the prescription to the provider
C) Inform another nurse of the prescription
D) Obtain a copy of the facility’s do-not-use abbreviation list
**Answer: B**
*Rationale:* The "read back" is a critical safety step to prevent
medication errors. The nurse must verify the prescription by reading it
back verbatim to the provider before documenting. Spelling the
medication name (A) may be necessary but is not the first step.
Informing another nurse (C) does not ensure accuracy. Obtaining a do-
not-use abbreviation list (D) is not the immediate priority .
**3. A nurse in an emergency department is triaging clients after a mass
casualty event. Which client should the nurse tag as "expectant" (black
tag)?**
A) Client with a partial-thickness burn to 20% of body surface area
B) Client with a penetrating head injury and no respirations
C) Client with an open femur fracture and weak pulses
D) Client with a sucking chest wound and tachycardia
, 4|Page
**Answer: B**
*Rationale:* Expectant (black tag) indicates unlikely survival. No
respirations with a catastrophic head injury is non-survivable. The burn
client (A) is urgent (red). The femur fracture (C) is urgent. The sucking
chest wound (D) is life-threatening but survivable with intervention (red)
.
**4. A charge nurse is assigning rooms for new admissions. Which
client should be assigned to a private room?**
A) A client with Clostridioides difficile infection
B) A client with diabetic ketoacidosis
C) A client with a fractured femur
D) A client with angina pectoris
**Answer: A**
*Rationale:* *C. diff* requires contact precautions and a private room to
prevent transmission. The other conditions (DKA, fractured femur,
angina) do not require isolation .
# ATI RN ADULT MED SURG PREDICTOR EXAM
FORM A## COMPLETE QUESTION BANK WITH
RATIONALES – 2026 EDITION
**Table of Contents**
| Section | Topic Area | Question Numbers |
|---------|------------|------------------|
| 1 | Management of Care / Priority Setting | 1–20 |
| 2 | Safety & Infection Control | 21–35 |
| 3 | Cardiovascular Disorders | 36–55 |
| 4 | Respiratory Disorders | 56–70 |
| 5 | Endocrine Disorders | 71–85 |
| 6 | Gastrointestinal & Renal Disorders | 86–100 |
| 7 | Neurological & Musculoskeletal Disorders | 101–115 |
| 8 | Pharmacology & Medication Administration | 116–135 |
| 9 | Hematological & Oncological Disorders | 136–145 |
| 10 | High-Yield Exam Review | 146–180 |
,2|Page
## Section 1: Management of Care / Priority Setting (1–20)
**1. A nurse is caring for four clients. Which client should the nurse
assess first?**
A) A client with pneumonia who has a fever of 38.3°C (101°F)
B) A client with a new tracheostomy who has thick, yellow secretions
C) A client who is 1-day post-operative and reports pain of 6 on a 0-10
scale
D) A client with type 1 diabetes mellitus who has a blood glucose of 180
mg/dL
**Answer: B**
*Rationale:* Airway is always the priority in the ABCs of client
assessment. Thick, yellow secretions can obstruct a new tracheostomy,
leading to respiratory arrest. Fever (A) is expected with pneumonia. Pain
(C) is moderate but not life-threatening. A blood glucose of 180 mg/dL
(D) is hyperglycemic but not critical and does not require immediate
intervention .
**2. A nurse receives a telephone prescription from a provider for a
client. Which of the following actions should the nurse take first?**
,3|Page
A) Ask the provider to spell the medication name
B) Read back the prescription to the provider
C) Inform another nurse of the prescription
D) Obtain a copy of the facility’s do-not-use abbreviation list
**Answer: B**
*Rationale:* The "read back" is a critical safety step to prevent
medication errors. The nurse must verify the prescription by reading it
back verbatim to the provider before documenting. Spelling the
medication name (A) may be necessary but is not the first step.
Informing another nurse (C) does not ensure accuracy. Obtaining a do-
not-use abbreviation list (D) is not the immediate priority .
**3. A nurse in an emergency department is triaging clients after a mass
casualty event. Which client should the nurse tag as "expectant" (black
tag)?**
A) Client with a partial-thickness burn to 20% of body surface area
B) Client with a penetrating head injury and no respirations
C) Client with an open femur fracture and weak pulses
D) Client with a sucking chest wound and tachycardia
, 4|Page
**Answer: B**
*Rationale:* Expectant (black tag) indicates unlikely survival. No
respirations with a catastrophic head injury is non-survivable. The burn
client (A) is urgent (red). The femur fracture (C) is urgent. The sucking
chest wound (D) is life-threatening but survivable with intervention (red)
.
**4. A charge nurse is assigning rooms for new admissions. Which
client should be assigned to a private room?**
A) A client with Clostridioides difficile infection
B) A client with diabetic ketoacidosis
C) A client with a fractured femur
D) A client with angina pectoris
**Answer: A**
*Rationale:* *C. diff* requires contact precautions and a private room to
prevent transmission. The other conditions (DKA, fractured femur,
angina) do not require isolation .
