CRITICAL CARE HESI PRACTICE
QUESTIONS &
ANSWERS
(43 Q&A)
1. What assessment findings should he nurse document in the
electronic medical record for a client who is experiencing autonomic
dysreflexia after a TANSWER-4 spinal cord injury
ANSWER-Severe hypertension, diaphroresis, and flushing above the
lesion
2. As the nurse is turning a client with a chest tube, the chest tube
becomes dislodged from the pleural space. What action should the
nurse take first?
ANSWER-Have the client exhale forcefully and tape 3 sides of a
sterile gauze over the insertion site
3. The nurse plans to administer a low dose prescription for
dopamine(Intropin) to a client who is in septic shock. Which
physiological parameter should the nurse use to evaluate a
therapeutic response to dopamine?
ANSWER-Urinary Output
4. The nurse assesses a male client postoperatively who has an
arterialline in the radial artery. Assessment findings include pallor,
, parastesia, and slow capillary refill in the client’s right hand fingers.
What action should the nurse plan?
ANSWER-Notify the HCP
5. A male client is admitted to the cardiac intensive unit with
chest pain that began twelve hours ago. The nurse recognizes
increased ventricular ectopy? Based on this assessment finding, what
actions is most important for the nurse to implement?
ANSWER-Initiate the unit’s antiarrhythmic protocol if symptomatic.
6. The nurse is assessing a client who was admitted 24 hours ago
to the critical care unit following a motorcycle collision. Which client
finding requires intervention by the nurse to reduce the risk for
complication related to increased intracranial pressure?
ANSWER-Change of PaCo2 to 55 mm Hg following ventilator setting
adjustments
7. A client is receiving cardiopulmonary resuscitation. After
asystole is confirmed in two leads and sending for the
transcutaneous pacemaker, which intravenous medication should be
administered?
ANSWER-Epinephrine
8. The nurse performs a prescribed neurological check at the
beginning of the shift on a client who was admitted to the hospital
QUESTIONS &
ANSWERS
(43 Q&A)
1. What assessment findings should he nurse document in the
electronic medical record for a client who is experiencing autonomic
dysreflexia after a TANSWER-4 spinal cord injury
ANSWER-Severe hypertension, diaphroresis, and flushing above the
lesion
2. As the nurse is turning a client with a chest tube, the chest tube
becomes dislodged from the pleural space. What action should the
nurse take first?
ANSWER-Have the client exhale forcefully and tape 3 sides of a
sterile gauze over the insertion site
3. The nurse plans to administer a low dose prescription for
dopamine(Intropin) to a client who is in septic shock. Which
physiological parameter should the nurse use to evaluate a
therapeutic response to dopamine?
ANSWER-Urinary Output
4. The nurse assesses a male client postoperatively who has an
arterialline in the radial artery. Assessment findings include pallor,
, parastesia, and slow capillary refill in the client’s right hand fingers.
What action should the nurse plan?
ANSWER-Notify the HCP
5. A male client is admitted to the cardiac intensive unit with
chest pain that began twelve hours ago. The nurse recognizes
increased ventricular ectopy? Based on this assessment finding, what
actions is most important for the nurse to implement?
ANSWER-Initiate the unit’s antiarrhythmic protocol if symptomatic.
6. The nurse is assessing a client who was admitted 24 hours ago
to the critical care unit following a motorcycle collision. Which client
finding requires intervention by the nurse to reduce the risk for
complication related to increased intracranial pressure?
ANSWER-Change of PaCo2 to 55 mm Hg following ventilator setting
adjustments
7. A client is receiving cardiopulmonary resuscitation. After
asystole is confirmed in two leads and sending for the
transcutaneous pacemaker, which intravenous medication should be
administered?
ANSWER-Epinephrine
8. The nurse performs a prescribed neurological check at the
beginning of the shift on a client who was admitted to the hospital
