NUR 283 COMPREHENSIVE EXAM REVIEW GALEN COLLEGE OF
NURSING MED-SURG, PHARMACOLOGY, MATERNITY,
PEDIATRICS & NCLEX-STYLE PRACTICE QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT DETAILED ANSWERS A+ VERIFIED LATEST VERSION
SECTION 1: PRIORITY & CLINICAL JUDGMENT
1. A nurse receives report on four clients. Which client should be assessed first?
A. COPD client with oxygen saturation 90% on 2 L NC
B. Post-op thyroidectomy client with stridor
C. Diabetic client with blood glucose 240 mg/dL
D. Client with pneumonia reporting fatigue
Answer: B
Rationale: Stridor after thyroidectomy may indicate airway obstruction from swelling or hemorrhage.
2. A client with asthma suddenly stops wheezing and becomes restless. What is the nurse’s priority
action?
A. Encourage fluids
B. Administer cough suppressant
C. Prepare for emergency airway support
D. Place client in Trendelenburg position
Answer: C
Rationale: Sudden absence of wheezing can indicate severe airway obstruction and impending
respiratory failure.
3. Which task can the RN delegate to the UAP?
A. Assess pain after medication administration
B. Teach incentive spirometer use
C. Obtain routine vital signs on stable client
D. Evaluate wound healing
Answer: C
4. A nurse notes a postpartum pad saturated in 1 hour. What is the priority action?
A. Reassess in 4 hours
B. Massage fundus
, C. Encourage ambulation
D. Increase IV potassium
Answer: B
Rationale: Excessive bleeding postpartum suggests uterine atony.
SECTION 2: MEDICAL-SURGICAL NURSING
5. A client with Addison’s disease is at risk for:
A. Hypernatremia
B. Hypertension
C. Hypoglycemia
D. Fluid overload
Answer: C
Rationale: Addison’s disease causes decreased cortisol leading to hypoglycemia and hypotension.
6. Which assessment finding requires immediate intervention in a client with chest tube drainage?
A. Tidaling in chamber
B. Continuous bubbling in water seal chamber
C. Serosanguineous drainage
D. Mild discomfort at insertion site
Answer: B
Rationale: Continuous bubbling indicates an air leak.
7. A client with left-sided heart failure is most likely to exhibit:
A. Peripheral edema
B. Jugular vein distention
C. Crackles in lungs
D. Hepatomegaly
Answer: C
8. Which electrolyte imbalance places the client at greatest risk for cardiac dysrhythmias?
A. Calcium 9.2 mg/dL
B. Potassium 2.9 mEq/L
C. Sodium 140 mEq/L
D. Magnesium 2.0 mg/dL
NURSING MED-SURG, PHARMACOLOGY, MATERNITY,
PEDIATRICS & NCLEX-STYLE PRACTICE QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT DETAILED ANSWERS A+ VERIFIED LATEST VERSION
SECTION 1: PRIORITY & CLINICAL JUDGMENT
1. A nurse receives report on four clients. Which client should be assessed first?
A. COPD client with oxygen saturation 90% on 2 L NC
B. Post-op thyroidectomy client with stridor
C. Diabetic client with blood glucose 240 mg/dL
D. Client with pneumonia reporting fatigue
Answer: B
Rationale: Stridor after thyroidectomy may indicate airway obstruction from swelling or hemorrhage.
2. A client with asthma suddenly stops wheezing and becomes restless. What is the nurse’s priority
action?
A. Encourage fluids
B. Administer cough suppressant
C. Prepare for emergency airway support
D. Place client in Trendelenburg position
Answer: C
Rationale: Sudden absence of wheezing can indicate severe airway obstruction and impending
respiratory failure.
3. Which task can the RN delegate to the UAP?
A. Assess pain after medication administration
B. Teach incentive spirometer use
C. Obtain routine vital signs on stable client
D. Evaluate wound healing
Answer: C
4. A nurse notes a postpartum pad saturated in 1 hour. What is the priority action?
A. Reassess in 4 hours
B. Massage fundus
, C. Encourage ambulation
D. Increase IV potassium
Answer: B
Rationale: Excessive bleeding postpartum suggests uterine atony.
SECTION 2: MEDICAL-SURGICAL NURSING
5. A client with Addison’s disease is at risk for:
A. Hypernatremia
B. Hypertension
C. Hypoglycemia
D. Fluid overload
Answer: C
Rationale: Addison’s disease causes decreased cortisol leading to hypoglycemia and hypotension.
6. Which assessment finding requires immediate intervention in a client with chest tube drainage?
A. Tidaling in chamber
B. Continuous bubbling in water seal chamber
C. Serosanguineous drainage
D. Mild discomfort at insertion site
Answer: B
Rationale: Continuous bubbling indicates an air leak.
7. A client with left-sided heart failure is most likely to exhibit:
A. Peripheral edema
B. Jugular vein distention
C. Crackles in lungs
D. Hepatomegaly
Answer: C
8. Which electrolyte imbalance places the client at greatest risk for cardiac dysrhythmias?
A. Calcium 9.2 mg/dL
B. Potassium 2.9 mEq/L
C. Sodium 140 mEq/L
D. Magnesium 2.0 mg/dL
