NCLEX-RN
Med Surg RN NCLEX Questions Questions
Extract:
Question 1 of 5
The nurse is assessing a client with cirrhosis who has developed hepatic encephalopathy. The nurse should notify the physician of a decrease in which lab serum that is a potential precipitating factor for hepatic encephalopathy?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Hypokalemia (
C) can precipitate hepatic encephalopathy by increasing ammonia production. Aldosterone (
A), creatinine (
B), and protein (
D) are less directly related.
Question 2 of 5
A client with Cushing's disease tells the nurse that the physician said the morning serum cortisol level was within normal limits. The client asks, 'How can that be? I'm not imagining all these symptoms!' The nurse's response will be based on which of the following?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Cushing's disease disrupts the normal diurnal cortisol rhythm, leading to consistently high levels, which may not be captured in a single morning test.
Question 3 of 5
A nurse is caring for a client 24 hours after he has undergone an abdominal-perineal resection for a bowel tumor. The client's wife asks if she can bring him some of his favorite home-cooked Italian minestrone soup. What would be an appropriate action by the nurse?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Auscultating for bowel sounds assesses whether the client's bowel function has returned post-surgery, which determines if oral intake like soup is safe.
Question 4 of 5
The nurse teaches a client with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease for signs and symptoms of right-sided heart failure. Which of the following signs and symptoms should be included in the teaching plan?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Right-sided heart failure (cor pulmonale) in COPD causes peripheral edema due to increased venous pressure. Clubbing reflects chronic hypoxia, not heart failure. Hypertension and increased appetite are unrelated.
Question 5 of 5
The nurse interprets which of the following as an early sign of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in a client at risk?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Hypoxia unresponsive to oxygen therapy is an early ARDS sign due to impaired gas exchange. Elevated CO2, metabolic acidosis, and electrolyte imbalances occur later or are unrelated.