Medical-Surgical Nursing Exam 1
1. The nurse is caring for a client who has as a son with a streptococcus throat infection. Which nurse recommendation
would be best to advise the client to do in order to prevent acquiring the infection?: Frequently wash her hands and surfaces
of the home.
2. The nurse is caring for a client infected with Rocky Mountain spotted fever. The nurse should ask if the client has
experienced which of the following?: Was bitten by a tick
3. The nurse is caring for a client with a protozoa infection. Which is the most likely mode of transmission?: Ingestion of
contaminated food or water
4. The nurse is caring for a client who is recovering from an allergic reaction. Which leukocyte level would the nurse expect
to be the most elevated?: Eosinophils
5. The nurse is caring for a client who has an infected wound on the great toe that is red with a purulent exudate. The nurse
expects that this client has which type of infection?: Localized
6. The client experienced a fall. Nursing assessment reveals that the client is experiencing tachycardia, hypotension,
confusion, tachypnea, and flat jugular veins. What should be the nurse's first response?: Administer oxygen.
7. The family wants to know why the nurse is putting a urinary catheter in a client experiencing shock. What is the nurse's
best response?: "It will help monitor how much urine the kidneys are able to produce."
8. A client experiencing shock has had a urinary output of 250 mL in the last 10 hours. What is the nurse's most appropriate
response?: Notify the physician.
9. Which client is most likely to be experiencing hypovolemic shock?: A client who had surgery 24 hours ago and who
also has a nasogastric tube
10. The physician has ordered arterial blood gases for a client experiencing shock. The nurse knows that which value indicates
shock?: pH 7.32
11. A 63-year-old Arab American male states his left leg is "hot." What is the nurse's best first response?: Assess for pain
12. The client is complaining of excruciating pain in a foot that has been amputated. The family tells the nurse that the client
is just addicted to pain medications. What is the nurse's best response?: "He is experiencing phantom limb pain."
13. A client has had abdominal surgery and has orders to be ambulated three times a day. Oral pain medication has been
ordered for the client. What should the nurse do to facilitate ambulation?: Mediate 1 hour prior to ambulating the client.
14. The client reports frequent use of acetaminophen. How should the nurse best respond?: "Do you drink alcohol?"
15. A client with chronic pain has been admitted with a fever. The nursing assessment reveals that the client has a decreased
level of consciousness. What should the nurse ask the family about?: What medications the client has taken
16. The practical nurse is reviewing the social history from a client diagnosed with small cell carcinoma of the lung. Which
information is significant for this disease?: The client has smoked two (2) packs of cigarettes a day for 20 years 17. The
practical nurse and an unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) are caring for a group of clients on a medical unit. Which information
provided by the UAP warrants immediate intervention by the practical nurse?: The client receiving
Procrit (epoetin alfa) has a T 99.2ÚF, P 68, R 24, and BP of 198/102
, Medical-Surgical Nursing Exam 1
18. The client diagnosed with lung cancer has been told the cancer has metastasized to the brain. Which intervention should
the practical nurse expect to implement?: Discuss implementing an advance directive
19. The client diagnosed with lung cancer is being discharged. Which statement made by the client indicates a reiteration of
information is required?: "It doesn't matter if I smoke now. I already have cancer."
20. The practical nurse is interviewing clients at the clinic. Which information provided by a client warrants further
investigation?: The client has been coughing up blood in the mornings
21. The male client had abdominal surgery and the practical nurse suspects the client has peritonitis. Which information
support the diagnosis of peritonitis?: Hard, rigid abdomen and white blood cell count 22,000/mm3
22. The client who had abdominal surgery tells the practical nurse, "I felt something give way in my stomach." Which
intervention should the practical nurse implement first?: Inspect the abdominal wound incision
23. The client is one (1) day postoperative major abdominal surgery. Which client problem is a priority?: Fluid and
electrolyte imbalance
24. The client has an eviscerated abdominal wound. Which intervention should the practical nurse implement?: Apply sterile
normal saline dressing
25. The client is diagnosed with peritonitis. Which information indicates to the practical nurse the client's condition is
improving?: The client has a decrease in temperature and a soft abdomen
26. A patient is being released from the hospital with a prescription for tetracycline. What should the nurse include in patient
teaching?
Select all that apply.: Advise limiting exposure to the sun.
Inform patient of the possibility of gastrointestinal upset.
Suggest eating crackers and some juice when taking this medicine.
27. The nurse wants to determine if a patient not fully awake from anesthesia for a surgical procedure is experiencing pain.
What findings should the nurse use to make this determination?
Select all that apply.: Moaning
Restlessness
Pulling at a body area
Elevated blood pressure
28. A patient is diagnosed with an infection that has spread to the blood stream. Which term should the nurse use to
document this patient's health problem?: Sepsis
29. The nurse learns that a patient is being admitted with an infectious disease that is transmited through the air. For which
health problems should the nurse prepare to provide care?
Select all that apply.: Measles
Tuberculosis Chickenpox
1. The nurse is caring for a client who has as a son with a streptococcus throat infection. Which nurse recommendation
would be best to advise the client to do in order to prevent acquiring the infection?: Frequently wash her hands and surfaces
of the home.
2. The nurse is caring for a client infected with Rocky Mountain spotted fever. The nurse should ask if the client has
experienced which of the following?: Was bitten by a tick
3. The nurse is caring for a client with a protozoa infection. Which is the most likely mode of transmission?: Ingestion of
contaminated food or water
4. The nurse is caring for a client who is recovering from an allergic reaction. Which leukocyte level would the nurse expect
to be the most elevated?: Eosinophils
5. The nurse is caring for a client who has an infected wound on the great toe that is red with a purulent exudate. The nurse
expects that this client has which type of infection?: Localized
6. The client experienced a fall. Nursing assessment reveals that the client is experiencing tachycardia, hypotension,
confusion, tachypnea, and flat jugular veins. What should be the nurse's first response?: Administer oxygen.
7. The family wants to know why the nurse is putting a urinary catheter in a client experiencing shock. What is the nurse's
best response?: "It will help monitor how much urine the kidneys are able to produce."
8. A client experiencing shock has had a urinary output of 250 mL in the last 10 hours. What is the nurse's most appropriate
response?: Notify the physician.
9. Which client is most likely to be experiencing hypovolemic shock?: A client who had surgery 24 hours ago and who
also has a nasogastric tube
10. The physician has ordered arterial blood gases for a client experiencing shock. The nurse knows that which value indicates
shock?: pH 7.32
11. A 63-year-old Arab American male states his left leg is "hot." What is the nurse's best first response?: Assess for pain
12. The client is complaining of excruciating pain in a foot that has been amputated. The family tells the nurse that the client
is just addicted to pain medications. What is the nurse's best response?: "He is experiencing phantom limb pain."
13. A client has had abdominal surgery and has orders to be ambulated three times a day. Oral pain medication has been
ordered for the client. What should the nurse do to facilitate ambulation?: Mediate 1 hour prior to ambulating the client.
14. The client reports frequent use of acetaminophen. How should the nurse best respond?: "Do you drink alcohol?"
15. A client with chronic pain has been admitted with a fever. The nursing assessment reveals that the client has a decreased
level of consciousness. What should the nurse ask the family about?: What medications the client has taken
16. The practical nurse is reviewing the social history from a client diagnosed with small cell carcinoma of the lung. Which
information is significant for this disease?: The client has smoked two (2) packs of cigarettes a day for 20 years 17. The
practical nurse and an unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) are caring for a group of clients on a medical unit. Which information
provided by the UAP warrants immediate intervention by the practical nurse?: The client receiving
Procrit (epoetin alfa) has a T 99.2ÚF, P 68, R 24, and BP of 198/102
, Medical-Surgical Nursing Exam 1
18. The client diagnosed with lung cancer has been told the cancer has metastasized to the brain. Which intervention should
the practical nurse expect to implement?: Discuss implementing an advance directive
19. The client diagnosed with lung cancer is being discharged. Which statement made by the client indicates a reiteration of
information is required?: "It doesn't matter if I smoke now. I already have cancer."
20. The practical nurse is interviewing clients at the clinic. Which information provided by a client warrants further
investigation?: The client has been coughing up blood in the mornings
21. The male client had abdominal surgery and the practical nurse suspects the client has peritonitis. Which information
support the diagnosis of peritonitis?: Hard, rigid abdomen and white blood cell count 22,000/mm3
22. The client who had abdominal surgery tells the practical nurse, "I felt something give way in my stomach." Which
intervention should the practical nurse implement first?: Inspect the abdominal wound incision
23. The client is one (1) day postoperative major abdominal surgery. Which client problem is a priority?: Fluid and
electrolyte imbalance
24. The client has an eviscerated abdominal wound. Which intervention should the practical nurse implement?: Apply sterile
normal saline dressing
25. The client is diagnosed with peritonitis. Which information indicates to the practical nurse the client's condition is
improving?: The client has a decrease in temperature and a soft abdomen
26. A patient is being released from the hospital with a prescription for tetracycline. What should the nurse include in patient
teaching?
Select all that apply.: Advise limiting exposure to the sun.
Inform patient of the possibility of gastrointestinal upset.
Suggest eating crackers and some juice when taking this medicine.
27. The nurse wants to determine if a patient not fully awake from anesthesia for a surgical procedure is experiencing pain.
What findings should the nurse use to make this determination?
Select all that apply.: Moaning
Restlessness
Pulling at a body area
Elevated blood pressure
28. A patient is diagnosed with an infection that has spread to the blood stream. Which term should the nurse use to
document this patient's health problem?: Sepsis
29. The nurse learns that a patient is being admitted with an infectious disease that is transmited through the air. For which
health problems should the nurse prepare to provide care?
Select all that apply.: Measles
Tuberculosis Chickenpox
