1
NUR 212 FOUNDATIONS OF NURSING PRACTICE EXAM 2
2026/2027 | Updated Actual Questions | Verified Answers |
Pass Guaranteed - A+ Graded
Section 1: Oxygenation: Respiratory Assessment & Interventions (Q1-15)
Question 1
A nurse auscultates a patient's lungs and hears high-pitched, musical sounds during
expiration that are continuous and wheezing in quality. Which breath sound is
documented?
A. Crackles
B. Wheezes
C. Rhonchi
D. Stridor
Correct Answer: B. Wheezes [CORRECT]
Rationale: Wheezes are high-pitched, musical, continuous sounds produced by
narrowed airways (bronchospasm, mucus edema) and are most commonly heard
during expiration; the description matches wheezes exactly. Crackles are
discontinuous, popping sounds from alveolar opening. Rhonchi are low-pitched,
snoring sounds from secretions in larger airways. Stridor is a high-pitched inspiratory
sound from upper airway obstruction.
Question 2
A nurse assesses a patient with heart failure and hears discontinuous, popping
sounds at the lung bases that do not clear with coughing. Which breath sound is
present?
,2
A. Wheezes
B. Crackles
C. Pleural friction rub
D. Stridor
Correct Answer: B. Crackles [CORRECT]
Rationale: Crackles (rales) are discontinuous, popping or bubbling sounds caused by
air moving through fluid-filled alveoli or collapsed alveoli opening during inspiration;
they are common in heart failure (pulmonary edema) and do not clear with
coughing. Wheezes are continuous and musical. Pleural friction rubs are grating
sounds from inflamed pleural surfaces. Stridor is an upper airway sound.
Question 3
A patient with pneumonia has low-pitched, snoring-like breath sounds that change
after coughing. Which sound is the nurse documenting?
A. Wheezes
B. Crackles
C. Rhonchi
D. Pleural friction rub
Correct Answer: C. Rhonchi [CORRECT]
Rationale: Rhonchi are low-pitched, continuous, snoring or gurgling sounds caused
by secretions in large airways (trachea, bronchi); they often change or clear with
coughing because the cough mobilizes secretions. Wheezes are higher-pitched and
musical. Crackles are discontinuous and do not typically clear with coughing in
conditions like edema. Pleural friction rubs are grating and unrelated to secretions.
Question 4
,3
A patient post-thoracic surgery has a grating, rubbing sound heard during both
inspiration and expiration that does not change with coughing. Which sound
requires immediate notification of the provider?
A. Rhonchi
B. Crackles
C. Pleural friction rub
D. Wheezes
Correct Answer: C. Pleural friction rub [CORRECT]
Rationale: A pleural friction rub is a coarse, grating, leathery sound caused by
inflamed pleural surfaces rubbing together during respiration; it is heard during both
inspiration and expiration, does not clear with coughing, and indicates pleuritis or
pleural inflammation requiring provider notification. Rhonchi clear with coughing.
Crackles are from alveolar fluid. Wheezes are musical and from bronchospasm.
Question 5
A patient with anaphylaxis presents with a high-pitched, harsh sound heard on
inspiration. Which sound indicates upper airway obstruction?
A. Wheezes
B. Stridor
C. Crackles
D. Rhonchi
Correct Answer: B. Stridor [CORRECT]
Rationale: Stridor is a high-pitched, harsh, crowing sound heard during inspiration
caused by upper airway obstruction (laryngeal edema, foreign body, epiglottitis); it is
a medical emergency requiring immediate intervention. Wheezes are lower-pitched
and typically expiratory from lower airway narrowing. Crackles and rhonchi are not
characteristic of upper airway obstruction.
, 4
Question 6
A nurse observes a patient with diabetic ketoacidosis breathing deeply and rapidly.
Which respiratory pattern is documented?
A. Cheyne-Stokes respiration
B. Kussmaul respiration
C. Biot respiration
D. Apneustic breathing
Correct Answer: B. Kussmaul respiration [CORRECT]
Rationale: Kussmaul respiration is deep, rapid, labored breathing that compensates
for metabolic acidosis by blowing off CO₂; it is characteristic of DKA and other severe
metabolic acidoses. Cheyne-Stokes is cyclical waxing and waning of depth with
periods of apnea, seen in heart failure and brain injury. Biot respiration has irregular
periods of apnea with variable depth, indicating medullary damage. Apneustic
breathing involves prolonged inspiration with pauses, indicating pontine injury.
Question 7
A patient with end-stage heart failure has respirations that gradually increase in
depth and rate, then decrease, followed by a period of apnea lasting 20 seconds.
Which pattern is described?
A. Kussmaul respiration
B. Cheyne-Stokes respiration
C. Biot respiration
D. Tachypnea
Correct Answer: B. Cheyne-Stokes respiration [CORRECT]
Rationale: Cheyne-Stokes respiration is characterized by cyclical phases of
progressively deepening and quickening respirations followed by gradual shallowing
and slowing, ending in apnea; it results from delayed feedback in respiratory control
due to prolonged circulation time (heart failure) or CNS dysfunction. Kussmaul is
sustained deep rapid breathing without apnea cycles. Biot has irregular apneic
NUR 212 FOUNDATIONS OF NURSING PRACTICE EXAM 2
2026/2027 | Updated Actual Questions | Verified Answers |
Pass Guaranteed - A+ Graded
Section 1: Oxygenation: Respiratory Assessment & Interventions (Q1-15)
Question 1
A nurse auscultates a patient's lungs and hears high-pitched, musical sounds during
expiration that are continuous and wheezing in quality. Which breath sound is
documented?
A. Crackles
B. Wheezes
C. Rhonchi
D. Stridor
Correct Answer: B. Wheezes [CORRECT]
Rationale: Wheezes are high-pitched, musical, continuous sounds produced by
narrowed airways (bronchospasm, mucus edema) and are most commonly heard
during expiration; the description matches wheezes exactly. Crackles are
discontinuous, popping sounds from alveolar opening. Rhonchi are low-pitched,
snoring sounds from secretions in larger airways. Stridor is a high-pitched inspiratory
sound from upper airway obstruction.
Question 2
A nurse assesses a patient with heart failure and hears discontinuous, popping
sounds at the lung bases that do not clear with coughing. Which breath sound is
present?
,2
A. Wheezes
B. Crackles
C. Pleural friction rub
D. Stridor
Correct Answer: B. Crackles [CORRECT]
Rationale: Crackles (rales) are discontinuous, popping or bubbling sounds caused by
air moving through fluid-filled alveoli or collapsed alveoli opening during inspiration;
they are common in heart failure (pulmonary edema) and do not clear with
coughing. Wheezes are continuous and musical. Pleural friction rubs are grating
sounds from inflamed pleural surfaces. Stridor is an upper airway sound.
Question 3
A patient with pneumonia has low-pitched, snoring-like breath sounds that change
after coughing. Which sound is the nurse documenting?
A. Wheezes
B. Crackles
C. Rhonchi
D. Pleural friction rub
Correct Answer: C. Rhonchi [CORRECT]
Rationale: Rhonchi are low-pitched, continuous, snoring or gurgling sounds caused
by secretions in large airways (trachea, bronchi); they often change or clear with
coughing because the cough mobilizes secretions. Wheezes are higher-pitched and
musical. Crackles are discontinuous and do not typically clear with coughing in
conditions like edema. Pleural friction rubs are grating and unrelated to secretions.
Question 4
,3
A patient post-thoracic surgery has a grating, rubbing sound heard during both
inspiration and expiration that does not change with coughing. Which sound
requires immediate notification of the provider?
A. Rhonchi
B. Crackles
C. Pleural friction rub
D. Wheezes
Correct Answer: C. Pleural friction rub [CORRECT]
Rationale: A pleural friction rub is a coarse, grating, leathery sound caused by
inflamed pleural surfaces rubbing together during respiration; it is heard during both
inspiration and expiration, does not clear with coughing, and indicates pleuritis or
pleural inflammation requiring provider notification. Rhonchi clear with coughing.
Crackles are from alveolar fluid. Wheezes are musical and from bronchospasm.
Question 5
A patient with anaphylaxis presents with a high-pitched, harsh sound heard on
inspiration. Which sound indicates upper airway obstruction?
A. Wheezes
B. Stridor
C. Crackles
D. Rhonchi
Correct Answer: B. Stridor [CORRECT]
Rationale: Stridor is a high-pitched, harsh, crowing sound heard during inspiration
caused by upper airway obstruction (laryngeal edema, foreign body, epiglottitis); it is
a medical emergency requiring immediate intervention. Wheezes are lower-pitched
and typically expiratory from lower airway narrowing. Crackles and rhonchi are not
characteristic of upper airway obstruction.
, 4
Question 6
A nurse observes a patient with diabetic ketoacidosis breathing deeply and rapidly.
Which respiratory pattern is documented?
A. Cheyne-Stokes respiration
B. Kussmaul respiration
C. Biot respiration
D. Apneustic breathing
Correct Answer: B. Kussmaul respiration [CORRECT]
Rationale: Kussmaul respiration is deep, rapid, labored breathing that compensates
for metabolic acidosis by blowing off CO₂; it is characteristic of DKA and other severe
metabolic acidoses. Cheyne-Stokes is cyclical waxing and waning of depth with
periods of apnea, seen in heart failure and brain injury. Biot respiration has irregular
periods of apnea with variable depth, indicating medullary damage. Apneustic
breathing involves prolonged inspiration with pauses, indicating pontine injury.
Question 7
A patient with end-stage heart failure has respirations that gradually increase in
depth and rate, then decrease, followed by a period of apnea lasting 20 seconds.
Which pattern is described?
A. Kussmaul respiration
B. Cheyne-Stokes respiration
C. Biot respiration
D. Tachypnea
Correct Answer: B. Cheyne-Stokes respiration [CORRECT]
Rationale: Cheyne-Stokes respiration is characterized by cyclical phases of
progressively deepening and quickening respirations followed by gradual shallowing
and slowing, ending in apnea; it results from delayed feedback in respiratory control
due to prolonged circulation time (heart failure) or CNS dysfunction. Kussmaul is
sustained deep rapid breathing without apnea cycles. Biot has irregular apneic
