ATI LPN
LPN Nursing Fundamentals Questions
Question 1 of 5
The nurse manager is conducting an educational session for the nurses on non-selective beta-adrenergic blockers ( $\beta$ blockers). How should the nurse manager accurately describe the mechanism of action of these medications? List the options in order from first to last.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Non-selective beta-adrenergic blockers (e.g., propranolol) inhibit the sympathetic nervous system's effects on betaâ‚ (heart) and betaâ‚‚ (lungs, vessels) receptors. The mechanism sequence is: (1) Betaâ‚ and betaâ‚‚ receptor sites are blocked (C), (2) Epinephrine and norepinephrine actions are blocked (B), (3) Heart rate and blood pressure are decreased (A), (4) Cardiac workload and oxygen demand decreases (D). Blocking beta receptors (C) is the initial step, preventing catecholamines (B) from binding, which reduces heart rate and vasoconstriction (A), ultimately lowering myocardial oxygen demand (D). Incorrect sequencing, like starting with heart rate reduction, skips the pharmacological basis. The CSV requires one answer, so C is chosen as the foundational step. Rationale: Beta blockade directly inhibits receptor activation, a primary action taught in pharmacology education, leading to downstream effects critical for conditions like hypertension or angina, ensuring nurses understand the drug's systemic impact.
Question 2 of 5
The nurse is suctioning a client through a tracheal tube. During the procedure, the nurse notes on the cardiac monitor that the heart rate has dropped 10 beats. Which should be the nurse's next action?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: A 10-beat heart rate drop during suctioning suggests vagal stimulation or hypoxia; stopping the procedure and oxygenating (B) is the next action to reverse this. Notifying the RN (A) or limiting time (D) follows. Continuing (C) risks worsening. B is correct. Rationale: Suctioning can trigger bradycardia via vagal nerve activation or oxygen depletion; halting and oxygenating restores stability, a critical step per airway management guidelines, preventing further cardiac compromise.
Question 3 of 5
A client is admitted with posttraumatic brain injury and multiple fractures. The client's eyes remain closed, and there is no evidence of verbalization or movement when the nurse changes the client's position. What score on the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) should the nurse document?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: GCS assesses eye opening (1-4), verbal (1-5), and motor (1-6). No response (eyes closed, no verbalization, no movement) scores 1+1+1=3 (A). Higher scores (B, C, D) require responses. A is correct. Rationale: A score of 3 is the lowest GCS, indicating deep coma, critical for documenting severe brain injury and guiding urgent care, per trauma assessment standards.
Question 4 of 5
A client's wife has been informed by the physician that her spouse has a permanent C2-C3 spinal injury, which has resulted in permanent quadriplegia. The wife states that she does not want the physician or nursing staff to tell the client about his injury. The client is awake, alert, and oriented when he asks his nurse to tell him what has happened. The nurse has conflicting emotions about how to handle the situation and is experiencing:
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The nurse's conflict between truth-telling and the wife's request is moral distress (B), feeling unable to act ethically. Autonomy (A) is patient rights. Doubt (C) is uncertainty. Courage (D) is acting despite fear. B is correct. Rationale: Moral distress arises from ethical dilemmas, common in nursing when values clash, per ethics frameworks, requiring resolution.
Question 5 of 5
A client with a traumatic brain injury has an intracranial pressure (ICP) of $15 \mathrm{mmHg}$ and a mean arterial pressure (MAP) of $90 \mathrm{mmHg}$. What is the cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP)?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: CPP = MAP - ICP; 90 - 15 = 75 mmHg (B). Other options (A, C, D) miscalculate. B is correct. Rationale: CPP of 75 mmHg is within normal (60-100), ensuring brain perfusion, per neurocritical care, critical for TBI outcomes.