NCLEX-PN
NCLEX PN Test Questions with NGN Questions
Extract:
History and Physical
Body System
Findings
General
Client reports a 1-week history of general malaise, fever and chills, night sweats, fatigue, and
poor appetite. Client has poorly controlled hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and mitral
valve prolapse and regurgitation.
Eye, Ear, Nose, and
Throat (EENT)
Poor dental hygiene. Client reports having 2 teeth extracted 3 weeks ago.
Pulmonary
Vital signs are RR 18 and SpO, 96% on room air. Lungs are clear to auscultation bilaterally.
Cardiovascular
Vital signs are T 100.4 F (38 C), P 105, and BP 140/82. Sinus tachycardia with occasional
premature ventricular contractions on cardiac monitor. S1 and S2 heard on auscultation with
loud systolic murmur at the apex. Peripheral pulses 2+; no edema noted.
Integumentary
Small, erythematous macular lesions on both palms. Thin, brown longitudinal lines on several
nail beds.
Question 1 of 5
For each finding below, click to specify if the finding is consistent with the disease process of infective endocarditis, pericarditis, or pneumonia. Each finding may support more than one disease process.
Correct Answer:
Rationale: Infective endocarditis occurs when an infectious organism forms a vegetation on a heart valve (interior of the heart). Clients
often have nonspecific symptoms of infection such as fever, flu-like symptoms (myalgia, arthralgia), and malaise.
Vegetation on a heart valve makes the valve dysfunctional, creating a new or worsening cardiac murmur. Pieces of
endocardial vegetation can break off, forming microemboli that travel through the arteries to end-capillaries and block blood
flow (eg, splinter hemorrhages on the nail beds), and cause erythematous macular lesions on the palms or soles (Janeway
lesions).
Acute pericarditis is inflammation of the membranous sac surrounding the exterior of the heart (pericardium), which often
causes an increased fluid in the pericardial cavity (ie, pericardial effusion). If pericardial effusions accumulate rapidly or are
very large, they may compress the heart, altering the mechanics of the cardiac cycle (ie, cardiac tamponade). Clinical
manifestations of pericarditis include muffled heart sounds on auscultation, presence of flu-like symptoms and fever, and
substernal pain that is aggravated by inspiration (ie, pleuritic chest pain). Pericardial friction rub, a superficial scratching or
squeaky sound, may be present, but cardiac murmurs are not present (no valve involvement) and embolic phenomena are
uncommon.
Pneumonia is an infection in the lungs that results in the production of cellular debris and purulent secretions that obstruct the
alveoli and prevent adequate oxygenation. Clinical manifestations include the presence of flu-like symptoms and fever,
pleuritic chest pain, tachycardia, low capillary oxygen saturation (SpO2), crackles, and productive cough with purulent
sputum.
Extract:
The nurse is caring for a 20-year-old female client.
Nurses' Notes
Urgent Care Clinic
0845: The parent brought the client to the clinic due to vomiting and weakness. The parent states that the client has experienced
sore throat and nasal congestion for the past week. The client has had 4 episodes of emesis during the past 24 hours and
diffuse, constant abdominal pain. The parent also reports that the client has had increased thirst and urine output over the
past 2 months.
The client's last menstrual period ended approximately 6 weeks ago with no abnormalities. Pregnancy status is unknown. The
client does not take any medications and does not use tobacco, alcohol, or recreational substances. Family history includes
hypertension and diabetes mellitus.
The client appears drowsy and is oriented to person and time only. The abdomen is soft without rigidity or rebound
tenderness, and bowel sounds are normal. No blood is present in emesis. Respirations are rapid and deep. Breath sounds
are clear.
Vital signs are T 98.8 F (37.1 C), P 128, RR 30, and BP 88/60 mm Hg.
Finger-stick blood glucose level is 600 mg/dL (33.3 mmol/L).
Question 2 of 5
Select 5 findings that require immediate follow-up.
Correct Answer: B,D,E,F
Rationale: This client has findings of chronic hyperglycemia, including polydipsia (increased thirst) and polyuria (increased urination) which may indicate
untreated diabetes mellitus. Recent findings also indicate potential upper respiratory infection, hypovolemia, and an acute abdominal
condition. For this client, the following findings are the priority for follow-up:
• Delayed menstruation (time since last menstruation exceeds typical cycle length) could indicate that the client is pregnant, which
presents a risk for pregnancy-related complications (eg, ruptured ectopic pregnancy) and affects care provided to the client (eg, avoid x-
rays and teratogenic medications).
• Decreased level of consciousness (eg, drowsiness, disorientation) places the client at increased risk for injury and aspiration and
may indicate impaired brain perfusion. This may be due to hypotension or hyperglycemia-induced cerebral edema.
• Hypotension causes impaired organ perfusion that could be life threatening without immediate intervention.
• Tachycardia occurs to compensate for hypotension or can be the cause of hypotension and requires prompt attention to prevent
cardiovascular collapse.
• Tachypnea is concerning, particularly when associated with rapid, deep respirations (ie, Kussmaul breathing), because it may indicate a
compensatory response to an underlying metabolic acidosis (eg, ketoacidosis, hypotension-induced lactic acidosis).
• Severe hyperglycemia may indicate diabetic ketoacidosis (DK
A), a life-threatening complication of diabetes mellitus. In addition,
hyperglycemia has a diuretic effect leading to fluid loss that worsens cardiovascular compromise.
Extract:
Nurses' Notes
Outpatient Clinic
Initial
visit
The child recently started attending a new preschool and hit a teacher during lunch. The parent says, "My
child has never been aggressive before but has always been particular about food."
The client was born at full term without complications and has no significant medical history. The child
started babbling at age 6 months, and the parent reports that the first words were spoken around age 12
months. The client then became quiet and "obsessed" with stacking blocks and organizing toys by color.
The child can kick a ball, draw a circle, pedal a tricycle, and now says two-word phrases. Vitals signs are
normal, and the client is tracking adequately on growth curves.
During the evaluation, the child sits in the corner of the room playing with blocks. The client does not follow
the parents gaze when the parent points to toys in the office. The child begins screaming and rocking back
and forth when the health care provider comes near.
Question 3 of 5
The client is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The nurse recognizes that clients with ASD are at risk for which of the following complications? Select all that apply.
Correct Answer: A,BC,D,E
Rationale: Autism spectrum disorder (AS
D) begins in the developmental period, and symptoms tend to persist throughout the lifespan.
Clients with ASD are more prone to medical, psychiatric, and psychosocial impairments. These impairments include the
following:
• Impaired interpersonal relationships: Clients with ASD may be disinterested in social interaction and have difficulty
showing affection and interpreting conversation
• Learning difficulties: Clients with ASD may have trouble focusing on tasks and have a limited range of learning
interests (eg, preferring only math), making it challenging to engage them in other areas of learning (Option 2).
• Malnutrition: Clients with ASD can have a narrowed interest in foods, resulting in insufficient intake of necessary
nutrients. In addition, clients with ASD often experience gastrointestinal disturbances, including constipation and
diarrhea, due to narrowed food intake
• Self-harm behaviors: Changes in routine and environment can trigger repetitive or harmful behaviors (eg, head-
banging, hand-biting). When self-harm behaviors persist into adulthood, they may be preceded by suicide attempts
related to coexisting psychiatric comorbidities (eg, depression, anxiety)
• Sleep disturbances: Clients with ASD often experience difficulty falling and staying asleep. Hyperresponsiveness to
sensory stimulation (eg, lights, noises, sensations) can also contribute to disruptive sleeping patterns
Extract:
Nurses' Notes
Outpatient Clinic
Initial
visit
The child recently started attending a new preschool and hit a teacher during lunch. The parent says, "My
child has never been aggressive before but has always been particular about food."
The client was born at full term without complications and has no significant medical history. The child
started babbling at age 6 months, and the parent reports that the first words were spoken around age 12
months. The client then became quiet and "obsessed" with stacking blocks and organizing toys by color.
The child can kick a ball, draw a circle, pedal a tricycle, and now says 2-word phrases. Vitals signs are
normal, and the client is tracking adequately on growth curves.
During the evaluation, the child sits in the corner of the room playing with blocks. The client does not follow
the parent's gaze when the parent points to toys in the office. The child begins screaming and rocking back
and forth when the health care provider comes near.
Emergency Department
3 years The client is brought to the emergency department by the parents, who report that the child became upset
later
and started banging the head against the wall several times. The parents report that the client has had
these episodes frequently; however, this time, the child was injured. The client has a laceration on the
forehead and is admitted for 24-hour observation.
Question 4 of 5
The nurse has reviewed the information from the Nurses' Notes. For each potential intervention, click to specify if the intervention is anticipated or not anticipated for the care of the client.
| Potential Intervention | Anticipated |
|---|---|
| Encourage the client to play with others in the playroom | |
| Follow a structured routine and schedule for providing care | |
| Consistently assign the same nursing staff to the client when possible | |
| Assign the client to a shared room with another client who has autism | |
| Use direct eve contact and therapeutic touch when talking to the client |
Correct Answer:
Rationale: Clients with autism spectrum disorder (AS
D) are often hesitant about changes and have a heightened behavioral response
when placed in an unfamiliar environment (eg, hospital). The nurse should consider the client's unique needs when planning
care. Anticipated interventions for decreasing anxiety and enhancing cooperation when caring for clients with ASD include:
• Following a structured routine and schedule for providing care to reduce distress and promote normalcy
• Consistently assigning the same nursing staff to the client when possible to facilitate trust and communication
because clients with ASD often have difficulties adjusting to changes in their surroundings
• Establishing a method for communication that is brief, concrete, and developmentally appropriate (eg, picture boards) to
decrease frustration due to impaired verbal and nonverbal communication
Clients with ASD are hypersensitive to environmental factors and may become distressed and overstimulated by noise and
activity.
Therefore, encouraging the client to play with others in the playroom and assigning the client to a shared room
with another client who has autism are not anticipated
Clients with ASD may be fearful of, or hypersensitive to, touch and direct eye contact. The nurse should use other means of
developing trust (eg, being consistent, conveying acceptance, using positive reinforcement).
Extract:
The nurse is caring for a 64-year-old client.
History and Physical
Body System, Findings
General ,
The client reports a 24-hour history of blurred vision and redness in the left eye with a left-sided headache.
This evening, the client developed acute, severe pain in the left eye accompanied by occasional nausea and
vomiting. The client reports no use of systemic or topical eye medications. Medical history includes
osteoarthritis and hypercholesterolemia.
Eye, Ear, Nose, and Throat (EENT),
The client wears eyeglasses to correct farsighted vision. Right eye: pupil 2 mm and reactive to light,
conjunctiva clear. Left eye: pupil 4 mm and nonreactive to light with red conjunctiva. Bilateral lens opacity is noted.
Pulmonary,
Vital signs are RR 20 and SpO, 96% on room air. The lungs are clear to auscultation bilaterally.
Cardiovascular,
Vital signs are T 99 F (37.2 C), P 88, and BP 140/82.
Psychosocial,
The client reports a great deal of emotional stress following the recent death of the client's spouse that is accompanied by lack of sleep, poor appetite, and a 7.9-lb (3.6-kg) weight loss within the past month. The client takes diphenhydramine for sleep.
Question 5 of 5
For each finding below, click to specify if the finding is consistent with the disease process of acute angle-closure glaucoma, cataracts, or macular degeneration. Each finding may support more than one disease process.
| Finding | Acute Angle-Closure Glaucoma | Cataracts | Macular Degeneration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blind spots | |||
| Opaque lens | |||
| Blurred vision | |||
| Unilateral headache | |||
| Conjunctival redness | |||
| Nausea and vomiting | |||
| Increased intraocular pressure |
Correct Answer:
Rationale: Acute angle-closure glaucoma (ACG) is the sudden onset of increased intraocular pressure (IOP) due to impaired aqueous humor drainag
through the angle of the anterior chamber. Acute ACG typically occurs spontaneously but may be triggered by impaired aqueous outflow frol
pupillary dilation (eg, emotional excitement, medications (decongestants, anticholinergics, antihistamines], darkness). As IOP increases,
clients report seeing halos around lights and/or develop blurry vision, unilateral headache, conjunctival redness, and nausea and
vomiting. Increased IOP damages the optic nerve, and the cornea becomes edematous; therefore, light cannot travel effectively from the
cornea to the optic nerve, causing halos to be seen.
Cataracts are a slowly progressive pacification of the lens that results from oxidative damage. Refractive changes in the lens cause clients
to initially develop difficulty reading fine print because of the opaque lens. As the cataract progresses, clients develop painless, blurry visio
and have difficulty with nighttime driving because they see a glare and halos around lights. Halos and glare occur because light cannot
travel through the opacified lens effectively and instead disperses in various angles.
Age-related macular degeneration (AM
D) is a progressive, incurable disease of the eye characterized by deterioration of the macula, the
central portion of the retina. This deterioration causes visual disturbances (wavy or blurred vision), blind spots, or loss of the central field
vision; peripheral vision remains intact. AMD has a vascular pathogenesis that is unrelated to increased IOP. Clients with AMD have a norm
cornea, lens, and optic nerve; therefore, halos are not seen.