1. A mother complains to the clinic nurse that her 2 year-old son is not yet toilet trained.

She is particularly concerned that, although he reliably uses the potty seat for bowel movements, he isn't able to hold his urine for long periods. Which of the following statements by the nurse is correct? A. The child should have been trained by age 2 and may have a psychological problem that is responsible for his "accidents." B. Bladder control is usually achieved before bowel control, and the child should be required to sit on the potty seat until he passes urine. C. Bowel control is usually achieved before bladder control, and the average age for completion of toilet training varies widely from 24 to 36 months. D. The child should be told "no" each time he wets so that he learns the behavior is unacceptable. 2. The mother of a 14-month-old child reports to the nurse that her child will not fall asleep at night without a bottle of milk in the crib and often wakes during the night asking for another. Which of the following instructions by the nurse is correct? A. Allow the child to have the bottle at bedtime, but withhold the one later in the night. B. Put juice in the bottle instead of milk. C. Give only a bottle of water at bedtime. D. Do not allow bottles in the crib. 3. Which of the following actions is NOT appropriate in the care of a 2-month-old infant? A. Place the infant on her back for naps and bedtime. B. Allow the infant to cry for 5 minutes before responding if she wakes during the night as she may fall back asleep. C. Talk to the infant frequently and make eye contact to encourage language development. D. Wait until at least 4 months to add infant cereals and strained fruits to the diet. 4. An older patient asks a nurse to recommend strategies to prevent constipation. Which of the following suggestions would be helpful? Note: More than one answer may be correct. A. Get moderate exercise for at least 30 minutes each day. B. Drink 6-8 glasses of water each day. C. Eat a diet high in fiber. D. Take a mild laxative if you don't have a bowel movement every day.

5. A child is admitted to the hospital with suspected rheumatic fever. Which of the following observations is NOT confirming of the diagnosis? A. A reddened rash visible over the trunk and extremities. B. A history of sore throat that was self-limited in the past month. C. A negative antistreptolysin O titer. D. An unexplained fever. 6. An infant with congestive heart failure is receiving diuretic therapy at home. Which of the following symptoms would indicate that the dosage may need to be increased? A. Sudden weight gain. B. Decreased blood pressure. D. Bradycardia. C. Slow, shallow breathing.

7. A patient taking Dilantin (phenytoin) for a seizure disorder is experiencing breakthrough seizures. A blood sample is taken to determine the serum drug level. Which of the following would indicate a sub-therapeutic level? A. 15 mcg/mL. C. 10 mcg/dL. B. 4 mcg/mL. D. 5 mcg/dL.

8. A patient arrives at the emergency department complaining of back pain. He reports taking at least 3 acetaminophen tablets every three hours for the past week without relief. Which of the following symptoms suggests acetaminophen toxicity? A. Tinnitus. C. Hypertension. B. Diarrhea. D. Hepatic damage.

9. A nurse is caring for a cancer patient receiving subcutaneous morphine sulfate for pain. Which of the following nursing actions is most important in the care of this patient? A. Monitor urine output. rate. C. Monitor heart rate. temperature. 10. A patient arrives at the emergency department with severe lower leg pain after a fall in a touch football game. Following routine triage, which of the following is the appropriate next step in assessment and treatment? A. Apply heat to the painful area. B. Apply an elastic bandage to the leg. C. X-ray the leg. D. Give pain medication. 11. A nurse is evaluating a post-operative patient and notes a moderate amount of serous drainage on the dressing 24 hours after surgery. Which of the following is the appropriate nursing action? D. Monitor B. Monitor respiratory

A. Notify the surgeon about evidence of infection immediately. B. Leave the dressing intact to avoid disturbing the wound site. C. Remove the dressing and leave the wound site open to air. D. Change the dressing and document the clean appearance of the wound site. 12. A patient returns to the emergency department less than 24 hours after having a fiberglass cast applied for a fractured right radius. Which of the following patient complaints would cause the nurse to be concerned about impaired perfusion to the limb? A. Severe itching under the cast. B. Severe pain in the right shoulder. C. Severe pain in the right lower arm. D. Increased warmth in the fingers. 13. An older patient with osteoarthritis is preparing for discharge. Which of the following information is correct. A. Increased physical activity and daily exercise will help decrease discomfort associated with the condition. B. Joint pain will diminish after a full night of rest. C. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications should be taken on an empty stomach. D. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is a more effective antiinflammatory than ibuprofen (Motrin). 14. Which patient should NOT be prescribed alendronate (Fosamax) for osteoporosis? A. A female patient being treated for high blood pressure with an ACE inhibitor. B. A patient who is allergic to iodine/shellfish. C. A patient on a calorie restricted diet. D. A patient on bed rest who must maintain a supine position. 15. Which of the following strategies is NOT effective for prevention of Lyme disease? A. Insect repellant on the skin and clothes when in a Lyme endemic area. B. Long sleeved shirts and long pants. C. Prophylactic antibiotic therapy prior to anticipated exposure to ticks. D. Careful examination of skin and hair for ticks following anticipated exposure. 16. A nurse is counseling patients at a health clinic on the importance of immunizations. Which of the following

information is the most accurate regarding immunizations? A. All infectious diseases can be prevented with proper immunization. B. Immunizations provide natural immunity from disease. C. Immunizations are risk-free and should be universally administered. D. Immunization provides acquired immunity from some specific diseases. 17. A patient is brought to the emergency department after a bee sting. The family reports a history of severe allergic reaction, and the patient appears to have some oral swelling. Which of the following is the most urgent nursing action? A. Consult a physician. B. Maintain a patent airway. C. Administer epinephrine subcutaneously. D. Administer diphenhydramine (Benadryl) orally. 18. A mother calls the clinic to report that her son has recently started medication to treat attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The mother fears her son is experiencing side effects of the medicine. Which of the following side effects are typically related to medications used for ADHD? Note: More than one answer may be correct: A. Poor appetite. Sleepiness. B. Insomnia. D. Agitation. C.

19. A patient at a mental health clinic is taking Haldol (haloperidol) for treatment of schizophrenia. She calls the clinic to report abnormal movements of her face and tongue. The nurse concludes that the patient is experiencing which of the following symptoms: A. Co-morbid depression. hallucinations. C. Negative symptoms of schizophrenia. dyskinesia. 20. A patient with newly diagnosed diabetes mellitus is learning to recognize the symptoms of hypoglycemia. Which of the following symptoms is indicative of hypoglycemia? A. Polydipsia. B. Confusion. C. Blurred vision. D. Polyphagia. 1. Answer: C Toddlers typically learn bowel control before bladder control, with boys often taking longer to complete toilet training D. Tardive B. Psychotic

than girls. Many children are not trained until 36 months and this should not cause concern. Later training is rarely caused by psychological factors and is much more commonly related to individual developmental maturity. Reprimanding the child will not speed the process and may be confusing. 2. Answer: C Babies and toddlers should not fall asleep with bottles containing liquid other than plain water due to the risk of dental decay. Sugars in milk or juice remain in the mouth during sleep and cause caries, even in teeth that have not yet erupted. When water is substituted for milk or juice, babies will often lose interest in the bottle at night. 3. Answer: B Infants under 6 months may not be able to sleep for long periods because their stomachs are too small to hold adequate nourishment to take them through the night. After 6 months, it may be helpful to let babies put themselves back to sleep after waking during the night, but not prior to 6 months. Infants should always be placed on their backs to sleep. Research has shown a dramatic decrease in sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) with back sleeping. Eye contact and verbal engagement with infants are important to language development. The best diet for infants under 4 months of age is breast milk or infant formula. 4. Answer: A, B, and C A daily bowel movement is not necessary if the patient is comfortable and the bowels move regularly. Moderate exercise, such as walking, encourages bowel health, as does generous water intake. A diet high in fiber is also helpful. ). Laxatives should be used as a last resort and should not be taken regularly. Over time, laxatives can desensitize the bowel and worsen constipation. 5. Answer: C Rheumatic fever is caused by an untreated group A B hemolytic Streptococcus infection in the previous 2-6 weeks, confirmed by a positive antistreptolysin O titer. Rheumatic fever is characterized by a red rash over the trunk and extremities as well as fever and other symptoms. 6. Answer: A Weight gain is an early symptom of congestive heart failure due to accumulation of fluid. When diuretic therapy is inadequate, one would expect an increase in blood pressure, tachypnea, and tachycardia to result. 7. Answer: B

The therapeutic serum level for Dilantin is 10 - 20 mcg/mL. A level of 4 mcg/mL is sub-therapeutic and may be caused by patient non-compliance or increased metabolism of the drug. A leve of 15 mcg/mL is therapeutic. Choices C and D are expressed in mcg/dL, which is the incorrect unit of measurement. 8. Answer: D Acetaminophen in even modestly large doses can cause serious liver damage that may result in death. Immediate evaluation of liver function is indicated with consideration of N-acetylcysteine administration as an antidote. Tinnitus is associated Diarrhea with and aspirin overdose, are not not acetaminophen. associated with hypertension

acetaminophen. 9. Answer: B Morphine sulfate can suppress respiration and respiratory reflexes, such as cough. Patients should be monitored regularly for these effects to avoid respiratory compromise. Morphine sulfate does not significantly affect urine output, heart rate, or body temperature. 10. Answer: C Following triage, an x-ray should be performed to rule out fracture. Ice, not heat, should be applied to a recent sports injury. An elastic bandage may be applied and pain medication given once fracture has been excluded. 11. Answer: D A moderate amount of serous drainage from a recent surgical site is a sign of normal healing. Purulent drainage would indicate the presence of infection. A soiled dressing should be changed to avoid bacterial growth and to examine the appearance of the wound. The surgical site is typically covered by gauze dressings for a minimum of 4872 hours to ensure that initial healing has begun. 12. Answer: C Impaired perfusion to the right lower arm as a result of a closed cast may cause neurovascular compromise and severe pain, requiring immediate cast removal. Itching under the cast is common and fairly benign. Neurovascular compromise in the arm would not cause pain in the shoulder, as perfusion there would not be affected. Impaired perfusion would cause the fingers to be cool and pale. Increased warmth would indicate increased blood flow or infection. 13. Answer: A Physical activity and daily exercise can help to improve movement and decrease pain in osteoarthritis. Joint pain

and stiffness are often at their worst during the early morning after several hours of decreased movement. Acetaminophen is a pain reliever, but does not have antiinflammatory GI distress. 14. Answer: D Alendronate can cause significant gastrointestinal side effects, such as esophageal irritation, so it should not be taken if a patient must stay in supine position. It should be taken upon rising in the morning with 8 ounces of water on an empty stomach to increase absorption. The patient should not eat or drink for 30 minutes after administration and should not lie down. ACE inhibitors are not contraindicated with alendronate and there is no iodine allergy relationship. 15. Answer: C Prophylactic use of antibiotics is not indicated to prevent Lyme disease. Antibiotics are used only when symptoms develop following a tick bite. Insect repellant should be used on skin and clothing when exposure is anticipated. Clothing should be designed to cover as much exposed area as possible to provide an effective barrier. Close examination of skin and hair can reveal the presence of a tick before a bite occurs. 16. Answer: D Immunization is available for the prevention of some, but not all, specific diseases. This type of immunity is "acquired" by causing antibodies to form in response to a specific pathogen. Natural immunity is present at birth because the infant acquires maternal antibodies Immunization, like all medication, cannot be risk-free and should be considered based on the risk of the disease in question. 17. Answer: B The patient may be experiencing an anaphylactic reaction. The most urgent action is to maintain an airway, particularly with visible oral swelling, followed by the administration of epinephrine by subcutaneous injection. The physician will see the patient as soon as possible with the above actions underway. Oral diphenhydramine is indicated for mild allergic reactions and is not appropriate for anaphylaxis. 18. Answer: A, B, and D ADHD in children is frequently treated with CNS stimulant medications, which increase focus and improve concentration. Children often experience insomnia, agitation, activity. Ibuprofen is a strong antiinflammatory, but should always be taken with food to avoid

and decreased appetite. Sleepiness is not a side effect of stimulants. 19. Answer: D Abnormal facial movements and tongue protrusion in a patient taking haloperidol is most likely due to tardive dyskinesia, an adverse reaction to the antipsychotic. Depression may occur along with schizophrenia and would be characterized by such symptoms as loss of affect, appetite and/or sleep changes, and anhedonia. These depressive changes and lack of volition are part of the negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Psychotic hallucinations may be visual or auditory but do not include abnormal movements. 20. Answer: B Hypoglycemia in diabetes mellitus causes confusion, indicating the need for carbohydrates. Polydipsia, blurred vision, and polyphagia are symptoms of hyperglycemia.