PRIORITIZATION, DELEGATION AND
ASSIGNMENT ACTUAL EXAM SCRIPT 2026
QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
◉Which topics will the nurse plan to include in discharge teaching
for a client who has been admitted with heart failure? *Select all that
apply.*
•How to monitor and record daily weight
•Importance of stopping exercise if heart rate increases
•Symptoms of worsening heart failure
•Purpose of chronic antibiotic therapy
•How to read food labels for sodium content
•Date and time for follow-up appointments. Answer: •How to
monitor and record daily weight
•Symptoms of worsening heart failure
•How to read food labels for sodium content
•Date and time for follow-up appointments
•To avoid rehospitalization, topics that should be included when
discharging a client with heart failure include low-sodium diet,
,purpose and common side effects of medications such as
angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and beta-blockers, what
to do if symptoms of worsening heart failure occur, and follow-up
appointments. The nurse will teach the client that a moderate
increase in heart rate and respiratory effort is normal with exercise.
Antibiotics are not included in the treatment regimen for heart
failure, which is not an infectious process.
◉The nurse is reviewing the laboratory results for a client with an
elevated cholesterol level who is taking atorvastatin. Which result is
*most* important to discuss with the health care provider?
•Serum potassium is 3.4 mEq/L (3.4 mmol/L)
•Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) is 9 mg/dL (3.2 mmol/L)
•Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) is 30 units/L (0.5 μkat/L)
•Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is 170 mg/dL (4.4
mmol/L). Answer: •Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is
170 mg/dL (4.4 mmol/L)
•The client's low-density lipoprotein level continues to be elevated
and indicates a need for further assessment (e.g., the client may not
be taking the atorvastatin), a change in medication, or both.
Although statin medications may cause rhabdomyolysis, which could
increase BUN and potassium, the client's BUN and potassium are not
elevated. Although ongoing monitoring of liver function is
recommended when statins are used, this client's AST is normal.
,◉Which finding in a client with aortic stenosis will be *most*
important for the nurse to report to the health care provider?
•Temperature of 102.1°F (38.9°C)
•Loud systolic murmur over sternum
•Blood pressure of 110/88 mm Hg
•Weak radial and pedal pulses to palpation. Answer: •Temperature
of 102.1°F (38.9°C)
•Because endocarditis is a concern with valvular disease, an
elevated temperature indicates a need for further assessment and
diagnostic testing (e.g., an echocardiogram and blood cultures). A
systolic murmur, decreased pulse pressure, and weak pulses would
be expected in a client with aortic stenosis and do not indicate an
immediate need for further evaluation or treatment.
◉A client who has just arrived in the emergency department reports
substernal and left arm discomfort that has been going on for about
3 hours. Which laboratory test will be *most* useful in determining
whether the nurse should anticipate implementing the acute
coronary syndrome standard protocol?
•Creatine kinase MB level
•Troponin I level
, •Myoglobin level
•C-reactive protein level. Answer: •Troponin I level
•Cardiac troponin levels are elevated 3 hours after the onset of
myocardial infarction (MI) and are very specific to cardiac muscle
injury or infarction. Creatine kinase MB and myoglobin levels also
increase with MI, but creatine kinase levels take at least 6 hours to
increase and myoglobin is nonspecific. Elevated C-reactive protein
levels are a risk factor for coronary artery disease but are not useful
in detecting acute injury or infarction.
◉When the nurse is monitoring a 53-year-old client who is
undergoing a treadmill stress test, which finding will require the
*most* immediate action?
•Blood pressure of 152/88 mm Hg
•Heart rate of 134 beats/min
•Oxygen saturation of 91%
•Chest pain level of 3 (on a scale of 0 to 10). Answer: •Chest pain
level of 3 (on a scale of 0 to 10)
•Chest pain in a client undergoing a stress test indicates myocardial
ischemia and is an indication to stop the testing to avoid ongoing
ischemia, injury, or infarction. Moderate elevations in blood pressure
ASSIGNMENT ACTUAL EXAM SCRIPT 2026
QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
◉Which topics will the nurse plan to include in discharge teaching
for a client who has been admitted with heart failure? *Select all that
apply.*
•How to monitor and record daily weight
•Importance of stopping exercise if heart rate increases
•Symptoms of worsening heart failure
•Purpose of chronic antibiotic therapy
•How to read food labels for sodium content
•Date and time for follow-up appointments. Answer: •How to
monitor and record daily weight
•Symptoms of worsening heart failure
•How to read food labels for sodium content
•Date and time for follow-up appointments
•To avoid rehospitalization, topics that should be included when
discharging a client with heart failure include low-sodium diet,
,purpose and common side effects of medications such as
angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and beta-blockers, what
to do if symptoms of worsening heart failure occur, and follow-up
appointments. The nurse will teach the client that a moderate
increase in heart rate and respiratory effort is normal with exercise.
Antibiotics are not included in the treatment regimen for heart
failure, which is not an infectious process.
◉The nurse is reviewing the laboratory results for a client with an
elevated cholesterol level who is taking atorvastatin. Which result is
*most* important to discuss with the health care provider?
•Serum potassium is 3.4 mEq/L (3.4 mmol/L)
•Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) is 9 mg/dL (3.2 mmol/L)
•Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) is 30 units/L (0.5 μkat/L)
•Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is 170 mg/dL (4.4
mmol/L). Answer: •Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is
170 mg/dL (4.4 mmol/L)
•The client's low-density lipoprotein level continues to be elevated
and indicates a need for further assessment (e.g., the client may not
be taking the atorvastatin), a change in medication, or both.
Although statin medications may cause rhabdomyolysis, which could
increase BUN and potassium, the client's BUN and potassium are not
elevated. Although ongoing monitoring of liver function is
recommended when statins are used, this client's AST is normal.
,◉Which finding in a client with aortic stenosis will be *most*
important for the nurse to report to the health care provider?
•Temperature of 102.1°F (38.9°C)
•Loud systolic murmur over sternum
•Blood pressure of 110/88 mm Hg
•Weak radial and pedal pulses to palpation. Answer: •Temperature
of 102.1°F (38.9°C)
•Because endocarditis is a concern with valvular disease, an
elevated temperature indicates a need for further assessment and
diagnostic testing (e.g., an echocardiogram and blood cultures). A
systolic murmur, decreased pulse pressure, and weak pulses would
be expected in a client with aortic stenosis and do not indicate an
immediate need for further evaluation or treatment.
◉A client who has just arrived in the emergency department reports
substernal and left arm discomfort that has been going on for about
3 hours. Which laboratory test will be *most* useful in determining
whether the nurse should anticipate implementing the acute
coronary syndrome standard protocol?
•Creatine kinase MB level
•Troponin I level
, •Myoglobin level
•C-reactive protein level. Answer: •Troponin I level
•Cardiac troponin levels are elevated 3 hours after the onset of
myocardial infarction (MI) and are very specific to cardiac muscle
injury or infarction. Creatine kinase MB and myoglobin levels also
increase with MI, but creatine kinase levels take at least 6 hours to
increase and myoglobin is nonspecific. Elevated C-reactive protein
levels are a risk factor for coronary artery disease but are not useful
in detecting acute injury or infarction.
◉When the nurse is monitoring a 53-year-old client who is
undergoing a treadmill stress test, which finding will require the
*most* immediate action?
•Blood pressure of 152/88 mm Hg
•Heart rate of 134 beats/min
•Oxygen saturation of 91%
•Chest pain level of 3 (on a scale of 0 to 10). Answer: •Chest pain
level of 3 (on a scale of 0 to 10)
•Chest pain in a client undergoing a stress test indicates myocardial
ischemia and is an indication to stop the testing to avoid ongoing
ischemia, injury, or infarction. Moderate elevations in blood pressure
