NCLEX-PN
NCLEX PN Test Questions with NGN Questions
Extract:
Nurses' Notes
Clinic Visit
0915:
The client reports substernal chest discomfort and intermittent palpitations that began this morning. Medical
history includes coronary artery disease and stable angina. Daily medications include aspirin, metoprolol,
atorvastatin, and lisinopril. The client has been traveling for the past week and ran out of one of the
medications.
Vital Signs 0915
T
98.2 F (36.8 C)
P
116
RR
16
BP
138/89
SpOz
98% on room air
Question 1 of 5
The nurse is caring for a 65-year-old client in the clinic. Complete the following sentence by choosing from the list of options.The nurse suspects that the clients condition is most likely related to the abrupt discontinuation of-----------------
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Beta-adrenergic antagonists, also known as beta blockers (eg, metoprolol, atenolol), are commonly used to treat
hypertension, heart failure, and anxiety. Beta blockers reduce cardiac workload by inhibiting the action of catecholamines (eg,
epinephrine, norepinephrine) on beta-adrenergic receptors in the heart. This slows electrical conduction through the heart,
which decreases heart rate and blood pressure.
Abrupt discontinuation of beta blockers can result in rebound hypertension, angina, palpitations, myocardial infarction,
arrhythmias (eg, tachycardia, ventricular tachycardia), or sudden death. These discontinuation-associated risks are caused
by increased beta-adrenergic receptor sensitivity to circulating catecholamines, resulting in an increased sympathetic
response. Withdrawal symptoms should resolve after resumption of the medication.
Extract:
The nurse is caring for a 34-year-old female client in the clinic.
Nurses' Notes
Initial Clinic Visit
The client is receiving a tuberculin skin test. The client works at a long-term care facility and has never been vaccinated for
tuberculosis. Medical history includes Crohn disease, major depression, and a blood transfusion following a motor vehicle collision 5
years ago. The client takes an immunosuppressant, oral contraceptive pills, and a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor daily.
The client is currently providing housing for a family member who periodically experiences homelessness. The client has a pet dog.
Clinic Visit 2 Days Later
The client returns to the clinic for inspection of the tuberculin skin test injection site. There is a palpable, raised, hardened area around
the injection site that is 16 mm in diameter.
The client reports no cough, fever, fatigue, anorexia, weight loss, or nocturnal diaphoresis. Lung sounds are clear throughout all lobes
on auscultation.
Vital signs are T 98.5 F (36.9 C), P 72, RR 17, BP 118/72, and SpO 98% on room air.
Clinic Visit 6 Months Later
The client reports fatigue; intermittent fevers; decreased appetite; a 6-Ib (2.7-kg) weight loss; and a productive, chronic cough that
began 5 weeks ago. The client has not started the antibiotic regimen for latent tuberculosis.
Diagnostic Results
Chest x-ray
Lungs appear normal. There are no infiltrates, cavitation, or effusions.
Question 2 of 5
The nurse is reinforcing teaching on the plan of care for active tuberculosis. For each of the statements made by the nurse, click to specify if the statement is appropriate or not appropriate to include in the teaching.
| Nurse Statement | Appropriate | Not Appropriate |
|---|---|---|
| A nurse will need to watch you take your medications | ||
| You should notify anyone that has frequently been in close contact with you | ||
| Weekly complete blood counts will track whether your antibiotics are effective | ||
| Alcohol use while taking these medications can increase your risk for liver damage |
Correct Answer:
Rationale: The duration of standard treatment of active tuberculosis (T
B) is long, typically over the course of months, which makes it difficult for many
clients to adhere to the medication regimen. Proper client teaching increases medication adherence and helps minimize transmission of the
infection to others
The nurse should reinforce the following teaching:
• Direct observational therapy, which is the process of directly handing the medications to clients and watching them swallow the
medications. This has been shown to increase medication adherence in clients with active TB.
• Notifying close contacts of clients with recent active TB infection to reduce transmission to others. The nurse should teach the client
to reduce contact with family members and keep living spaces well ventilated.
• Alcohol use increases the risk for liver damage while taking antibiotics for active TB (rifampin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide, ethambutol).
Monitoring antibiotic effectiveness with weekly blood counts is not appropriate because antibiotic effectiveness is evaluated with month
sputum tests until there are two consecutive negative results.
Extract:
History
Labor and Delivery Unit
Admission: The client, gravida 1 para 0, at 16 weeks gestation with a twin pregnancy reports nausea and vomiting for the past
several weeks. The client also reports dry heaving, increasing weakness, light-headedness, and an inability to tolerate
oral intake for the past 24 hours. In addition, the client has had occasional right-sided, shooting pain from the abdomen
to the groin that occurs with sudden position changes. The pain quickly resolves without intervention per the client's
report. She has had no contractions or vaginal bleeding and has felt no fetal movement during this pregnancy. The
client has a history of childhood asthma and is currently taking no asthma medications. The client reports no other
pregnancy complications.
Physical
Prepregnancy,12 Weeks Gestation 16 Weeks Gestation(Prenatal Visit),(Labor and Delivery Admission)
Height ,5 ft 5 in (165.1 cm),5 ft 5 in (165.1 cm)|, 5 ft 5 in (165.1 cm)
Weight, 145 lb (65.8 kg),148 lb (67.1 kg),138 lb (62.6 kg)
BMI, 24.1 kg/m2, 24.6 kg/m2,23.0 kg/m2
Vital Signs
12 Weeks Gestation(Prenatal Visit),16 Weeks Gestation(Labor and Delivery Admission)
T,98.7 F (37.1 C),99.8 F (37.7 C)
P,70,101
RR,14,18
BP,122/78,90/55
SpO2,99% on room air,96% on room air
Laboratory Results
Laboratory Test and Reference Range, 16 Weeks Gestation
Blood Chemistry.
Sodium
136-145 mEq/L
(136-145 mmol/L)|,
136 mEq/L
(136 mmol/L)
Potassium
3.5-5.0 mEq/L
(3.5-5.0 mmol/L),
2.7 mEq/L
(2.7 mmol/L)
TSH
0.3-5.0 uU/mL
(0.3-5.0 mU/L),
0.4 pu/mL
(0.4 mU/L)
Hematology.
Hemoglobin (pregnant)
>11 g/dL
(>110 g/L),
16 g/dL
(160 g/L)
Hematocrit (pregnant)
>33%
(>0.33),
49%
(0.49)
Urinalysis
Specific gravity
1.005-1.030
1.030,
Ketones
Not present,
Present
Giucose
Not present,
Not present
Nitrites
Not present,
Not present
Question 3 of 5
Drag words from the choices below to fill in the blanks.The nurse recognizes that the client likely has hyperemesis gravidarum and should monitor for the following maternal complications:---------,------------------, AND -------------
Correct Answer: A,B,F
Rationale: Without appropriate treatment, clients with hyperemesis gravidarum are at risk for multiple complications, including:
• Insufficient gestational weight gain, which may be associated with fetal/newborn complications such as preterm birth and a small-for-
gestational-age infant
• Fluid and electrolyte imbalances (eg, hypokalemia) resulting from excessive vomiting and decreased fluid and nutritional intake, whic
could cause life-threatening complications (eg, cardiac dyshythmias) if not corrected
• Nutritional deficiencies (eg, protein, vitamin) resulting from decreased oral intake, which may lead to rare but serious complications
(eg, Wernicke encephalopathy from thiamine [vitamin B1] deficiency)
Extract:
History,
Labor and Delivery Unit
Admission: The client, gravida 1 para 0, at 16 weeks gestation with a twin pregnancy reports nausea and vomiting for the past
several weeks. The client also reports dry heaving, increasing weakness, light-headedness, and an inability to tolerate
oral intake for the past 24 hours. In addition, the client has had occasional right-sided, shooting pain from the abdomen
to the groin that occurs with sudden position changes. The pain quickly resolves without intervention per the client's
report. She has had no contractions or vaginal bleeding and has felt no fetal movement during this pregnancy. The
client has a history of childhood asthma and is currently taking no asthma medications. The client reports no other
pregnancy complications.
Physical,
Prepregnancy,12 Weeks Gestation 16 Weeks Gestation(Prenatal Visit),(Labor and Delivery Admission)
Height ,5 ft 5 in (165.1 cm),5 ft 5 in (165.1 cm)|, 5 ft 5 in (165.1 cm)
Weight, 145 lb (65.8 kg),148 lb (67.1 kg),138 lb (62.6 kg)
BMI, 24.1 kg/m2, 24.6 kg/m2,23.0 kg/m2
Vital Signs,
12 Weeks Gestation(Prenatal Visit),16 Weeks Gestation(Labor and Delivery Admission)
T,98.7 F (37.1 C),99.8 F (37.7 C)
P,70,101
RR,14,18
BP,122/78,90/55
SpO2,99% on room air,96% on room air
Laboratory Results,
Laboratory Test and Reference Range, 16 Weeks Gestation
Blood Chemistry.
Sodium
136-145 mEq/L
(136-145 mmol/L)|,
136 mEq/L
(136 mmol/L)
Potassium
3.5-5.0 mEq/L
(3.5-5.0 mmol/L),
2.7 mEq/L
(2.7 mmol/L)
TSH
0.3-5.0 uU/mL
(0.3-5.0 mU/L),
0.4 pu/mL
(0.4 mU/L)
Hematology.
Hemoglobin (pregnant)
>11 g/dL
(>110 g/L),
16 g/dL
(160 g/L)
Hematocrit (pregnant)
>33%
(>0.33),
49%
(0.49)
Urinalysis
Specific gravity
1.005-1.030
1.030,
Ketones
Not present,
Present
Giucose
Not present,
Not present
Nitrites
Not present,
Not present
Prescriptions,
10 mEq/hr potassium chloride in dextrose 5% and sodium chloride 0.45% IV continuously
• 1000 mg calcium carbonate q6h
• 10 mL multivitamin and 0.6 mg folic acid once daily
• 12.5 mg promethazine q6h
Question 4 of 5
The nurse has reviewed the information from the Prescriptions. The client received 2 L of lactated Ringer solution IV, 100 mg thiamine IV, and vitamin B, plus doxylamine IV shortly after arrival due to reports of severe nausea and vomiting. Click to highlight below the prescription that the nurse should anticipate completing next when planning care with the registered nurse.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Clients with hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) may require hospitalization if experiencing hypovolemia and electrolyte abnormalities. On
admission, clients with HG usually receive fluid replacement (eg, lactated Ringer solution) and antiemetics (eg, doxylamine and vitamin Bg).
Thiamine (vitamin B,) is often administered in initial fluids to prevent Wernicke encephalopathy.
For clients with HG experiencing hypokalemia (potassium <3.5 mEq/L [3.5 mmol/L]) due to vomiting, it is critical to administer potassium
chloride promptly. Hypokalemia can have multiple potentially serious effects that, without intervention, put the client at immediate risk for
death; such effects include cardiac dyshythmia, respiratory muscle weakness causing respiratory failure, and impaired gastrointestinal
motility causing constipation and ileus
Extract:
History and Physical
Body System,Findings
General
Client has history of coronary artery disease, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diverticulosis, and
osteoarthritis; Helicobacter pylori infection 2 years ago; client reports taking over-the-counter
ibuprofen every 8 hours for left knee pain for the past 2 weeks; daily medications include aspirin,
carvedilol, lisinopril, and atorvastatin
Neurological
Alert and oriented to person, place, time, and situation
Pulmonary
Vital signs: RR 20, SpO 96% on room air, lung sounds clear bilaterally; no shortness of breath;
client smokes 1 pack of cigarettes per day and smokes marijuana 1 or 2 times weekly
Cardiovascular
Vital signs: P 110, BP 90/62; no chest pain; S1 and S2 heard on auscultation; peripheral pulses
2+; client states feeling lightheaded and reports passing out about 1 hour ago
Gastrointestinal
Abdominal pain rated as 4 on a scale of 0-10; one episode of hematemesis; two episodes of
large, black, liquid stools in the morning
Musculoskeletal
Examination of the knees shows crepitus that is worse on the left; no swelling, warmth, or
erythema; range of motion is normal
Psychosocial
Client reports drinking 1 or 2 glasses of wine per day
Question 5 of 5
The nurse has reviewed the information from the Laboratory Results. The health care provider suspects the client is experiencing upper gastrointestinal bleeding. For each potential prescription, click to specify whether the prescription is anticipated or unanticipated for the care of the client.
| Potential Prescription | Anticipated |
|---|---|
| Place the client on NPO status | |
| Administer isotonic IV fluid bolus | |
| Administer proton pump inhibitor IV | |
| Collect blood samples for type and crossmatch | |
| Administer heparin for deep venous thrombosis prophylaxis |
Correct Answer:
Rationale: Anticipated prescriptions for a client with upper gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding include:
• Placing the client on NPO status to reduce the risk of continued bleeding and vomiting. NPO status is important to
initiate prior to esophagogastroduodenoscopy to reduce aspiration risk.
• Administering an isotonic IV fluid bolus to restore circulating fluid volume and maintain perfusion of vital organs.
• Administering a proton pump inhibitor IV (eg, pantoprazole) to reduce gastric acid secretion and prevent further
irritation and breakdown of suspected peptic ulcers.
• Collecting blood samples for type and crossmatch to ensure blood type compatibility before initiating a blood
transfusion. This client's hemoglobin and hematocrit levels are low, and the client continues to have active bleeding.
Therefore, a blood transfusion should be anticipated to increase blood volume and improve oxygenation and perfusion.
Administering heparin for deep venous thrombosis prophylaxis is not anticipated. Anticoagulation will prolong bleeding
and increase risk for hemorrhagic shock. Anticoagulation is contraindicated for clients with active GI bleeding.