NCLEX-RN
NCLEX RN Practice Questions Free Questions
Extract:
Question 1 of 5
The nurse in the emergency room is caring for a client with multiple rib fractures and a pulmonary contusion. Assessment reveals a respiratory rate of 38, a heart rate of 136, and restlessness. Which associated assessment finding would require immediate intervention?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Subcutaneous air and absent breath sounds suggest pneumothorax, requiring immediate intervention (e.g., chest tube). Hemoptysis (
A), wheezing (
B), and pain/rales (
D) are concerning but less urgent.
Question 2 of 5
At 30 weeks' gestation, a client is admitted to the unit in premature labor. Her contractions are every 5 minutes and last 60 seconds, her cervix is closed, and the suture placed around her cervix during her 16th week of gestation, when she had the MacDonald procedure, can still be felt by the physician. The amniotic sac is still intact. She is very concerned about delivering prematurely. She asks the RN, 'What is the greatest risk to my baby if it is born prematurely?' The RN's answer should be:
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Any infant would be at risk for hyperglycemia because the infant's liver is missing the islets of Langerhans, which secrete insulin to break down glucose for cellular use. Prematurity is not an added risk for hyperglycemia. Both premature and mature infants can be at risk for hypoglycemia if their mother had gestational diabetes during pregnancy or entered the pregnancy with diabetes mellitus. These infants are exposed to high levels of maternal glucose while in utero, which causes the islets of Langerhans in the infant's liver to produce insulin. After birth when the umbilical cord is severed, the generous amount of maternal blood glucose is eliminated; however, there is continued islet cell hyperactivity in the infant's liver, which can lead to excessive insulin levels and depleted blood glucose. Mature infants are born with an immature GI system. The nervous control of the stomach is incomplete at birth, salivary glands are immature at birth, and the intestinal tract is sterile. This is not the greatest risk to a premature infant. The greatest risk to a premature infant is the lack of development of the lungs, which can lead to respiratory distress syndrome due to insufficient surfactant production.
Question 3 of 5
The nurse is caring for a client in labor. The fetal heart rate is 80 bpm with moderate variability. The most appropriate initial action by the nurse is to:
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: A fetal heart rate of 80 bpm indicates bradycardia possibly due to cord compression or uteroplacental insufficiency. Repositioning the client to her left side improves placental perfusion and is the first action. Oxygen notifying the physician or increasing fluids are secondary.
Question 4 of 5
A mother calls the clinic to report that her otherwise healthy newborn has a rash on his forehead and face. The nurse should tell the mother:
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Many newborns develop erythema toxicum or milia benign rashes that resolve within a month. This is the most likely explanation for a healthy newborn’s facial rash. Immediate evaluation or family illness checks are unnecessary unless other symptoms are present.
Question 5 of 5
When administering phenytoin (Dilantin) to a child, the nurse should be aware that a toxic effect of phenytoin therapy is:
Correct Answer: A
Rationale:
Stephens-Johnson syndrome is a toxic effect of phenytoin. Folate deficiency is a side effect of phenytoin, but not a toxic effect. Leukopenic aplastic anemia is a toxic effect of carbamazepine (Tegretol). Granulocytosis and nephrosis are toxic effects of trimethadione (Tridione).