HESI A2 Critical Thinking Questions
l. The Patient: A 65-year- old male.
The Situation: The family brings the patient to the emergency room because he just
took an entire bottle of pills.
The Ouestion: What action should the nurse take first?
.. '
Answer - Determine the patient 's level of consciousness.
2. The Patient: An 80 year-old male who has used continuous oxygen for the past three
years.
The Situation: While making a home visit, the wife tells the nurse that her husband
was doing well on 2 litres of oxygen per minute until late last night when he
developed severe shortness of breath on the way to the bathroom.
The Question: What action should the nurse take first?
Answer - Assess the patient's oxygen satura ti on by pu lse oximeter.
3. The Patient: A 41-year-old male.
The Situation: The patient is complaining of severe stomach pain and states that he
has been "vomiting all the time."
The Question: What should the nurse do first?
Answer - Administer a prescribed pa in medication .
4. The Patient: The wife of a wealthy owner of the town's bank.
The Situation: The patient and her husband arrive on the unit. While orienting the
patient to the hospital room, the nurse notices that the patient has placed a large
amount of cash and some expensive earrings in the drawer of the bedside table.
The Question: What is the best action for the nurse to take?
Answer - Advise th e pati ent to have her husband take th e items home when he leav es.
5. The Patient: A 45-year-old female who is 5' 2" tall, weighs 200 pounds, and has
smoked since age 21 .
The Situation: The patient comes to the clinic with a complaint of "leg pain."
The Question : It is most important fo r the nurst'. to obtain information about which
prev ious occu rrence?
Answer -- A prev ious blood clot in th e leg .
This study source was downloaded by 100000835004878 from CourseHero.com on 07-10-2022 04:03:29 GMT -05:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/142065298/Hesi-A2-CTTpdf/
, 6. The Patient: A 61-year-old female.
The Situation: The patient has a fever of unknown origin. The nurse administered a
fever-reducing med·1cat·ion 30 mmutes
· • tune
ago. At tl11s • there has been no decrease m.
the patient's fever.
The Question: What action would be best for the nurse to take?
Answer - Sponge the patient with cool water.
7. The Patient: A 70-year-old male who is relatively healthy.
The Situation: A liquid mediation is prescribed for this patient.
The Question: Prior to administering the prescribed medication, what intervention has
the highest priority?
Answer -- Determine if the patien t is allergic to the medication.
8. The Patient: A fifty-eight-year-old female.
The Situation: While the nurse is offering the patient her morning medications, she
tells the nurse that she does not recall ever taking a pill that was pink-colored.
The Question: What should the nurse do in response to this patient's comment?
Answer -- Withhold the mediation until the patient's prescription is verified.
9. The Patients:
1. A 63-year-old with a bum on the left lower leg who is complaining of pain.
2. A 45-year-old with pneumonia, complaining of shortness of breath.
3. A 31-year-old with abdominal pain who has just vomited blood.
4. An 88-year-old who has right-sided paralysis and wants to be helped to the
bathroom immediately.
The Situation: The nurse is caring for these patients.
The Question: Who should th e nurse sec first?
Ansv,;er -- The 45-years old with pn eumonia and shortness of breath.
I 0. The Patients:
1. A 13-year-old female with a kidney infection who reports that there is "lots of
blood" in her urine.
2. An 18-year-old male with acute alcohol poisoning who is seeing "bugs on the
walls."
3. A 21-year-old female with inflammatory bowel disease who has soaked a dressing
three hours after surgery.
4. A 25-year old male who is sobbing in his room after being told that he has
testicular cancer.
The Situation: The nurse is caring for these four patients.
This study source was downloaded by 100000835004878 from CourseHero.com on 07-10-2022 04:03:29 GMT -05:00
The Question: Who should lhe nurse see first?
https://www.coursehero.com/file/142065298/Hesi-A2-CTTpdf/
l. The Patient: A 65-year- old male.
The Situation: The family brings the patient to the emergency room because he just
took an entire bottle of pills.
The Ouestion: What action should the nurse take first?
.. '
Answer - Determine the patient 's level of consciousness.
2. The Patient: An 80 year-old male who has used continuous oxygen for the past three
years.
The Situation: While making a home visit, the wife tells the nurse that her husband
was doing well on 2 litres of oxygen per minute until late last night when he
developed severe shortness of breath on the way to the bathroom.
The Question: What action should the nurse take first?
Answer - Assess the patient's oxygen satura ti on by pu lse oximeter.
3. The Patient: A 41-year-old male.
The Situation: The patient is complaining of severe stomach pain and states that he
has been "vomiting all the time."
The Question: What should the nurse do first?
Answer - Administer a prescribed pa in medication .
4. The Patient: The wife of a wealthy owner of the town's bank.
The Situation: The patient and her husband arrive on the unit. While orienting the
patient to the hospital room, the nurse notices that the patient has placed a large
amount of cash and some expensive earrings in the drawer of the bedside table.
The Question: What is the best action for the nurse to take?
Answer - Advise th e pati ent to have her husband take th e items home when he leav es.
5. The Patient: A 45-year-old female who is 5' 2" tall, weighs 200 pounds, and has
smoked since age 21 .
The Situation: The patient comes to the clinic with a complaint of "leg pain."
The Question : It is most important fo r the nurst'. to obtain information about which
prev ious occu rrence?
Answer -- A prev ious blood clot in th e leg .
This study source was downloaded by 100000835004878 from CourseHero.com on 07-10-2022 04:03:29 GMT -05:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/142065298/Hesi-A2-CTTpdf/
, 6. The Patient: A 61-year-old female.
The Situation: The patient has a fever of unknown origin. The nurse administered a
fever-reducing med·1cat·ion 30 mmutes
· • tune
ago. At tl11s • there has been no decrease m.
the patient's fever.
The Question: What action would be best for the nurse to take?
Answer - Sponge the patient with cool water.
7. The Patient: A 70-year-old male who is relatively healthy.
The Situation: A liquid mediation is prescribed for this patient.
The Question: Prior to administering the prescribed medication, what intervention has
the highest priority?
Answer -- Determine if the patien t is allergic to the medication.
8. The Patient: A fifty-eight-year-old female.
The Situation: While the nurse is offering the patient her morning medications, she
tells the nurse that she does not recall ever taking a pill that was pink-colored.
The Question: What should the nurse do in response to this patient's comment?
Answer -- Withhold the mediation until the patient's prescription is verified.
9. The Patients:
1. A 63-year-old with a bum on the left lower leg who is complaining of pain.
2. A 45-year-old with pneumonia, complaining of shortness of breath.
3. A 31-year-old with abdominal pain who has just vomited blood.
4. An 88-year-old who has right-sided paralysis and wants to be helped to the
bathroom immediately.
The Situation: The nurse is caring for these patients.
The Question: Who should th e nurse sec first?
Ansv,;er -- The 45-years old with pn eumonia and shortness of breath.
I 0. The Patients:
1. A 13-year-old female with a kidney infection who reports that there is "lots of
blood" in her urine.
2. An 18-year-old male with acute alcohol poisoning who is seeing "bugs on the
walls."
3. A 21-year-old female with inflammatory bowel disease who has soaked a dressing
three hours after surgery.
4. A 25-year old male who is sobbing in his room after being told that he has
testicular cancer.
The Situation: The nurse is caring for these four patients.
This study source was downloaded by 100000835004878 from CourseHero.com on 07-10-2022 04:03:29 GMT -05:00
The Question: Who should lhe nurse see first?
https://www.coursehero.com/file/142065298/Hesi-A2-CTTpdf/
