NCLEX-RN
NCLEX-RN Exam Questions
Extract:
Question 1 of 5
The nurse is caring for a client post-appendectomy. Which finding requires immediate intervention?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: A temperature of 101.5°F post-appendectomy suggests infection (e.g., abscess), requiring immediate intervention. Pain (
A), serous drainage (
C), and absent bowel sounds (
D) are expected initially.
Question 2 of 5
A 14-year-old boy has a head injury with laceration of his scalp over his ear. The nurse should call the physician to report:
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: This change in blood pressure may not be significant and does not indicate a widening pulse pressure, a late sign of increased ICP. It is important to continue to monitor for change in blood pressure. Acetaminophen may be ineffective in relieving headache after head injury. Stronger analgesics are contraindicated because they mask neurological signs and may depress the CNS. Pulse rates between 68 bpm and 76 bpm are within normal limits for a 14-year-old child. It is important to monitor for a consistent drop in pulse rate, which is a late sign of increasing ICP. An elevated temperature is abnormal and requires further assessment and medical intervention. The temperature may be unrelated to the head injury, but CNS infection is serious and difficult to control.
Question 3 of 5
Two weeks after a client's admission for depression, the physician orders a consult for electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Which of the following conditions, if present, would be a contraindication for ECT?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: A contraindication for ECT is a space-occupying lesion such as a brain tumor. During ECT, intracranial pressure increases.
Therefore, ECT would not be prescribed for a client whose intracranial pressure is already elevated.
Question 4 of 5
A 19-month-old child is admitted to the hospital for surgical repair of patent ductus arteriosus. The child is being given digoxin. Prior to administering the medication, the nurse should:
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Digoxin should not be given to adults with an apical pulse <60 bpm. Digoxin should be given to children with an apical pulse >100 bpm. With a pulse <100 bpm, the medication should be withheld and the physician notified. Prior to digoxin administration in both children and adults, an apical pulse should be taken for 1 full minute. Aside from the rate per minute, the nurse should note any sudden increase or decrease in heart rate, irregular rhythm, or regularization of a chronic irregular heart rhythm. Early indications of digoxin toxicity, such as visual disturbances, occur rarely as initial signs in children.
Question 5 of 5
A type I diabetic client delivers a male newborn. The newborn is 45 minutes old. What is the primary nursing goal in the nursery during the first hours for this newborn?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The infant will be at risk for hypoglycemia because of excess insulin production.