NCLEX-RN
RN NCLEX Practice Test Questions
Extract:
Question 1 of 5
A client has been taking lithium 300 mg po bid for the past two weeks. This morning her lithium level was 1 mEq/L. The nurse should:
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: There is no need to phone the physician because the lithium level is within therapeutic range and because there are no indications of toxicity present. There is no reason to withhold the lithium because the blood level is within therapeutic range. Also, it is necessary to give the medication as scheduled to maintain adequate blood levels. The lab results indicate that the client's lithium level is within therapeutic range (0.2-1.4 mEq/L), so the medication should be given as ordered. Benztropine is an antiparkinsonism drug frequently given to counteract extrapyramidal symptoms associated with the administration of antipsychotic drugs (not lithium).
Question 2 of 5
The client is prescribed warfarin (Coumadin). Which food should the nurse instruct the client to limit?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Spinach is high in vitamin K, which antagonizes warfarin’s anticoagulant effect, potentially reducing its efficacy. Apples, chicken, and rice have negligible vitamin K.
Question 3 of 5
The nurse is caring for a client post-thyroidectomy. Which assessment finding requires immediate intervention?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Tingling in the fingers suggests hypocalcemia due to parathyroid gland damage, risking tetany or seizures, requiring immediate intervention. Pain (
A), hoarseness (
C), and mild fever (
D) are expected post-op.
Question 4 of 5
The nurse knows that children are more susceptible to respiratory tract infections owing to physiological differences. These childhood differences, adverts an adult, include:
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Although a child has fewer alveoli than an adult, the child's respiratory rate is faster. Although a child may use diaphragmatic breathing, the adult exchanges a larger volume of air. The adult has a larger number of alveoli than a child. The child's chest is rounded whereas the adult chest is more of an oval shape, and the child does exchange a smaller volume of air than an adult.
Question 5 of 5
A 40-year-old client is admitted to the hospital for tests to diagnose cancer. Since his admission, he has become dependent and demanding to the nursing staff. The nurse identifies this behavior as which defense mechanism?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Regression involves reverting to an earlier developmental stage, such as dependency, in response to stress like a cancer diagnosis.