Pediatric HESI Practice Questions 2026–2027 |
Comprehensive RN Pediatric Nursing Exam Prep |
NCLEX-Style Questions, Rationales & HESI Success
Review Guide
THIS EXAM CONTAINS:
• Pediatric medication administration, dosage calculations, and medication safety principles
• Pediatric assessment techniques, vital signs, and age-appropriate nursing care
• High-yield pediatric nursing concepts commonly tested on HESI and NCLEX-RN exams
• Comprehensive HESI Pediatric nursing practice questions for 2026–2027 exam preparation
• NCLEX-style pediatric RN questions with verified correct answers
,Pediatric HESI Practice Questions 2026–2027 | Comprehensive RN Pediatric
Nursing Exam Prep
1. The nurse is preparing a child with an intussusception for a prescribed barium
enema. What is the main purpose of conducting this procedure prior to surgical
intervention?
• A. Evacuate the bowel of impacted feces.
• B. Reduce the invaginated bowel segment.
• C. Locate the presence of diverticula.
• D. Identify the area of esophageal atresia.
Correct Answer: B. The hydrostatic pressure from a barium enema can often
reduce the telescoped (invaginated) bowel segment, potentially avoiding surgery.
2. The nurse is teaching an adolescent girl with scoliosis about a Milwaukee brace
that her health care provider has prescribed. Which instruction should the nurse
provide to this client?
• A. Remove the brace 1 hour each day for bathing only.
• B. Remove the brace only for back range-of-motion exercises.
• C. Wear the brace against the bare skin to ensure a good fit.
• D. Wearing the brace will cure the spinal curvature.
Correct Answer: A. The Milwaukee brace is worn 23 hours a day and removed
for 1 hour daily for hygiene.
3. The nurse should teach the parents of a child with a cyanotic heart defect to
perform which action when a hypercyanotic spell occurs?
• A. Place the child's head flat, with the knees on pillows above the level of
the heart.
• B. Have the child lie on the right side, with the head elevated on one pillow.
, • C. Allow the child to assume a knee-chest position, with the head and chest
slightly elevated.
• D. Encourage the child to sit up at a 45-degree angle, drink cold water, and
take deep breaths.
Correct Answer: C. The knee-chest position increases systemic vascular
resistance and decreases right-to-left shunting, helping to restore hemodynamic
balance.
4. 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. Based on these findings, what action should the nurse take?
• A. No action is required, because this is an expected finding for a school-
aged child.
• B. Ask if the child has had a cold, runny nose, or any ear pain lately.
• C. Send a note home advising parents to have the child evaluated by a
health care provider.
• D. Call the parents and have them take the child home from school for the
rest of the day.
Correct Answer: B. The findings are not completely normal; further assessment of
symptoms is needed to interpret them.
5. A newborn female whose mother is HIV-positive is scheduled for the first
follow-up assessment. If the child is HIV-positive, which initial symptom is she
most likely to exhibit?
• A. Shortness of breath
• B. Joint pain
• C. Persistent cold
• D. Organomegaly
Comprehensive RN Pediatric Nursing Exam Prep |
NCLEX-Style Questions, Rationales & HESI Success
Review Guide
THIS EXAM CONTAINS:
• Pediatric medication administration, dosage calculations, and medication safety principles
• Pediatric assessment techniques, vital signs, and age-appropriate nursing care
• High-yield pediatric nursing concepts commonly tested on HESI and NCLEX-RN exams
• Comprehensive HESI Pediatric nursing practice questions for 2026–2027 exam preparation
• NCLEX-style pediatric RN questions with verified correct answers
,Pediatric HESI Practice Questions 2026–2027 | Comprehensive RN Pediatric
Nursing Exam Prep
1. The nurse is preparing a child with an intussusception for a prescribed barium
enema. What is the main purpose of conducting this procedure prior to surgical
intervention?
• A. Evacuate the bowel of impacted feces.
• B. Reduce the invaginated bowel segment.
• C. Locate the presence of diverticula.
• D. Identify the area of esophageal atresia.
Correct Answer: B. The hydrostatic pressure from a barium enema can often
reduce the telescoped (invaginated) bowel segment, potentially avoiding surgery.
2. The nurse is teaching an adolescent girl with scoliosis about a Milwaukee brace
that her health care provider has prescribed. Which instruction should the nurse
provide to this client?
• A. Remove the brace 1 hour each day for bathing only.
• B. Remove the brace only for back range-of-motion exercises.
• C. Wear the brace against the bare skin to ensure a good fit.
• D. Wearing the brace will cure the spinal curvature.
Correct Answer: A. The Milwaukee brace is worn 23 hours a day and removed
for 1 hour daily for hygiene.
3. The nurse should teach the parents of a child with a cyanotic heart defect to
perform which action when a hypercyanotic spell occurs?
• A. Place the child's head flat, with the knees on pillows above the level of
the heart.
• B. Have the child lie on the right side, with the head elevated on one pillow.
, • C. Allow the child to assume a knee-chest position, with the head and chest
slightly elevated.
• D. Encourage the child to sit up at a 45-degree angle, drink cold water, and
take deep breaths.
Correct Answer: C. The knee-chest position increases systemic vascular
resistance and decreases right-to-left shunting, helping to restore hemodynamic
balance.
4. 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. Based on these findings, what action should the nurse take?
• A. No action is required, because this is an expected finding for a school-
aged child.
• B. Ask if the child has had a cold, runny nose, or any ear pain lately.
• C. Send a note home advising parents to have the child evaluated by a
health care provider.
• D. Call the parents and have them take the child home from school for the
rest of the day.
Correct Answer: B. The findings are not completely normal; further assessment of
symptoms is needed to interpret them.
5. A newborn female whose mother is HIV-positive is scheduled for the first
follow-up assessment. If the child is HIV-positive, which initial symptom is she
most likely to exhibit?
• A. Shortness of breath
• B. Joint pain
• C. Persistent cold
• D. Organomegaly
