PCCN EXAM PROGRESSIVE CARE CERTIFIED NURSE
EXAM LATEST ACTUAL EXAM 2025 | QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT ANSWERS WITH RATIONALES | GRADED A+ |
PROFESSOR VERIFIED
There are _____ layer of the heart.
A. 6 layers
B. 5 layers
C. 4 layers
D. 3 layers
B. 5 layers
The 5 layers of the heart from the outside in are the pericardium, epicardium, myocardium,
endocardium and the cardiac skeleton.
Mr. Key has a regular heart rate of 80 beats per minute. The pacemaker of the heart is likely the:
A. AV node
B. Bundle of HIS
C. endocardium
D. SA node
D. SA node
The SA node generates impulses of 60-100 bpm. The AV node generates impulses of 40-60 bpm.
The HIS bundle and Purkinje system generates impulses of 20-40 bpm. The endocardium
supports blood flow, not conduction
On Mr. Key's ECG, the T wave represents:
A. Atrial depolarization
B. Atrial repolarization
C. Ventricular depolarization
D. Ventricular repolarization
D. Ventricular repolarization
P wave represents atrial depolarization
,QRS represents ventricular depolarization
T wave represents ventricular repolarization
A 65 year old male patient is admitted to your step down unit from his physician's office where
he experienced transient chest pain (less than 10 minutes) at a pain level 6/10. He was provided
with nitroglycerin and transferred by ambulance to your hospital with an oxygen saturation of
95%. What type of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is he demonstrating?
A. NSTEMI
B. Stable angina
C. STEMI
D. Unstable angina
B. Stable angina
Stable angina is the result of a myocardial ischemia supply and demand mismatch. The defining
factors of stable angina are chest pain lasting less than 15 minutes, relieved by NTG and rest,
with atypical symptoms
A 48 year old make is admitted to your unit with shortness of breath and chest pain relieved by
3 sublingual nitroglycerin tabs and 2 mg IV morphine. The ECG has ST segment elevation in
leads 2, 3, and AVF. The patient has elevated troponin and creatine phosphate kinase
myocardial bands (CPK-MB). This patient is most likely experiencing a(n)?
A. NSTEMI
B. Stable angina
C. STEMI
D. Unstable angina
C. STEMI
An ST segment elevation MI (STEMI) is a severe occlusion or complete occlusion of a coronary
artery leading to infarction of cardiac tissue. This results in ST segment elevation, a new left
bundle branch block (LBBB), elevated cardiac markers, and often cardiac arrhythmias
Patients with variant or Printzmetal's angina experience which of the following?
A. a warning sensation of impending doom
B. Prolongation of the QT interval
C. ST segment depression on 2 mm or more
D. T wave elevation of 3 mm or more
,C. ST segment depression of 2 mm or more
Variant or Printzmetal's angina is caused by coronary vasoaspasm and resents with transient ST
segment elevation, ST segment depression or 2 mm or more, and T wave inversion in 2 or more
leads
Initial management of a patient with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) includes all of the
following except:
A. aspirin 162-325 mg
B. 12 lead EEG
C. Obtaining IV access
D. Oxygen therapy
D. 12 lead EEG
Management of ACS includes stopping all patient activity, chewing aspirin 162-325 mg,
supplemental oxygen, preliminary history and physical, 12 lead ECG, telemetry, and IV access
A 55 year old woman one week post myocardial infarction (MI) is suddenly experiencing
hypotension, tachycardia, weakened peripheral pulses, anxiety, restlessness, low urine output,
and jugular vein distention (JVD). Your concerns include which possibilities?
A. Anaphylactic shock
B. Cardiogenic shock
C. Distributive shock
D. Hypovolemic shock
B. Cardiogenic shock
Cardiogenic shock can result from an MI with 50% damage to the left ventricle. The symptoms
include hypotension, tachycardia, weak peripheral pulses, rales in the bases of the lungs, jugular
vein distention, elevated central venous pressure, low urine output, and anxiety and
restlessness.
The other types of shock do not result in jugular vein distention or elevated central venous
pressure
When a patient is in a junctional rhythm, the heart rate will be:
A. 20-40 bpm
B. 40-60 bpm
, C. 60-80 bpm
D. 60-100 bpm
B. 40-60 bpm
junctional rhythm is a HR of 40-60 bpm with P waves located in one of three positions. QRS is
normal
Your patient is on a cardiac monitor. When you assess the rhythm strips the PR interval is 0.26
and the QRS is normal. This patient has this rhythm:
A. Bradycardia
B. Junctional rhythm
C. 1st degree AV block
D. 2nd degree AV block type 2
C. 1st degree AV block
1st degree AV block is a regular rhythm where the PR interval is > 0.2 seconds and the QRS is
normal. 1st degree AV block is a benign rhythm
What is the "gold standard" of aneurysm assessment?
A. Angiography
B. CT scan
C. Magnetic resonance angiogram (MRA)
D. Transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE)
A. Angiography
Left heart failure include the following symptoms except:
A. Ascites
B. Dyspnea
C. Elevated neck veins
D. Murmurs
A. Ascites
Left heart failure includes symptoms of dyspnea, tachycardia, elevated neck veins, cool clammy
skin, abnormal heart sounds, murmurs, and crackles in the lung fields.
EXAM LATEST ACTUAL EXAM 2025 | QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT ANSWERS WITH RATIONALES | GRADED A+ |
PROFESSOR VERIFIED
There are _____ layer of the heart.
A. 6 layers
B. 5 layers
C. 4 layers
D. 3 layers
B. 5 layers
The 5 layers of the heart from the outside in are the pericardium, epicardium, myocardium,
endocardium and the cardiac skeleton.
Mr. Key has a regular heart rate of 80 beats per minute. The pacemaker of the heart is likely the:
A. AV node
B. Bundle of HIS
C. endocardium
D. SA node
D. SA node
The SA node generates impulses of 60-100 bpm. The AV node generates impulses of 40-60 bpm.
The HIS bundle and Purkinje system generates impulses of 20-40 bpm. The endocardium
supports blood flow, not conduction
On Mr. Key's ECG, the T wave represents:
A. Atrial depolarization
B. Atrial repolarization
C. Ventricular depolarization
D. Ventricular repolarization
D. Ventricular repolarization
P wave represents atrial depolarization
,QRS represents ventricular depolarization
T wave represents ventricular repolarization
A 65 year old male patient is admitted to your step down unit from his physician's office where
he experienced transient chest pain (less than 10 minutes) at a pain level 6/10. He was provided
with nitroglycerin and transferred by ambulance to your hospital with an oxygen saturation of
95%. What type of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is he demonstrating?
A. NSTEMI
B. Stable angina
C. STEMI
D. Unstable angina
B. Stable angina
Stable angina is the result of a myocardial ischemia supply and demand mismatch. The defining
factors of stable angina are chest pain lasting less than 15 minutes, relieved by NTG and rest,
with atypical symptoms
A 48 year old make is admitted to your unit with shortness of breath and chest pain relieved by
3 sublingual nitroglycerin tabs and 2 mg IV morphine. The ECG has ST segment elevation in
leads 2, 3, and AVF. The patient has elevated troponin and creatine phosphate kinase
myocardial bands (CPK-MB). This patient is most likely experiencing a(n)?
A. NSTEMI
B. Stable angina
C. STEMI
D. Unstable angina
C. STEMI
An ST segment elevation MI (STEMI) is a severe occlusion or complete occlusion of a coronary
artery leading to infarction of cardiac tissue. This results in ST segment elevation, a new left
bundle branch block (LBBB), elevated cardiac markers, and often cardiac arrhythmias
Patients with variant or Printzmetal's angina experience which of the following?
A. a warning sensation of impending doom
B. Prolongation of the QT interval
C. ST segment depression on 2 mm or more
D. T wave elevation of 3 mm or more
,C. ST segment depression of 2 mm or more
Variant or Printzmetal's angina is caused by coronary vasoaspasm and resents with transient ST
segment elevation, ST segment depression or 2 mm or more, and T wave inversion in 2 or more
leads
Initial management of a patient with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) includes all of the
following except:
A. aspirin 162-325 mg
B. 12 lead EEG
C. Obtaining IV access
D. Oxygen therapy
D. 12 lead EEG
Management of ACS includes stopping all patient activity, chewing aspirin 162-325 mg,
supplemental oxygen, preliminary history and physical, 12 lead ECG, telemetry, and IV access
A 55 year old woman one week post myocardial infarction (MI) is suddenly experiencing
hypotension, tachycardia, weakened peripheral pulses, anxiety, restlessness, low urine output,
and jugular vein distention (JVD). Your concerns include which possibilities?
A. Anaphylactic shock
B. Cardiogenic shock
C. Distributive shock
D. Hypovolemic shock
B. Cardiogenic shock
Cardiogenic shock can result from an MI with 50% damage to the left ventricle. The symptoms
include hypotension, tachycardia, weak peripheral pulses, rales in the bases of the lungs, jugular
vein distention, elevated central venous pressure, low urine output, and anxiety and
restlessness.
The other types of shock do not result in jugular vein distention or elevated central venous
pressure
When a patient is in a junctional rhythm, the heart rate will be:
A. 20-40 bpm
B. 40-60 bpm
, C. 60-80 bpm
D. 60-100 bpm
B. 40-60 bpm
junctional rhythm is a HR of 40-60 bpm with P waves located in one of three positions. QRS is
normal
Your patient is on a cardiac monitor. When you assess the rhythm strips the PR interval is 0.26
and the QRS is normal. This patient has this rhythm:
A. Bradycardia
B. Junctional rhythm
C. 1st degree AV block
D. 2nd degree AV block type 2
C. 1st degree AV block
1st degree AV block is a regular rhythm where the PR interval is > 0.2 seconds and the QRS is
normal. 1st degree AV block is a benign rhythm
What is the "gold standard" of aneurysm assessment?
A. Angiography
B. CT scan
C. Magnetic resonance angiogram (MRA)
D. Transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE)
A. Angiography
Left heart failure include the following symptoms except:
A. Ascites
B. Dyspnea
C. Elevated neck veins
D. Murmurs
A. Ascites
Left heart failure includes symptoms of dyspnea, tachycardia, elevated neck veins, cool clammy
skin, abnormal heart sounds, murmurs, and crackles in the lung fields.
