Practice Test 12

1. A patient is admitted to the hospital with a diagnosis of primary hyperparathyroidism. A

nurse checking the patients lab results would expect which of the following changes in
laboratory findings?
A. Elevated serum calcium.
B. Low serum parathyroid hormone (PTH).
C. Elevated serum vitamin D.
D. Low urine calcium.
2. A patient with Addisons disease asks a nurse for nutrition and diet advice. Which of the
following diet modifications is NOT recommended?
A. A diet high in grains.
B. A diet with adequate caloric intake.
C. A high protein diet.
D. A restricted sodium diet.
3. A patient with a history of diabetes mellitus is in the second post-operative day following
cholecystectomy. She has complained of nausea and isnt able to eat solid foods. The nurse
enters the room to find the patient confused and shaky. Which of the following is the most
likely explanation for the patients symptoms?
A. Anesthesia reaction.
B. Hyperglycemia.
C. Hypoglycemia.
D. Diabetic ketoacidosis.
4. A nurse assigned to the emergency department evaluates a patient who underwent fiber
optic colonoscopy 18 hours previously. The patient reports increasing abdominal pain,
fever, and chills. Which of the following conditions poses the most immediate concern?
A. Bowel perforation.
B. Viral gastroenteritis.
C. Colon cancer.
D. Diverticulitis.
5. A patient is admitted to the same day surgery unit for liver biopsy. Which of the
following laboratory tests assesses coagulation? Select all that apply.
A. Partial thromboplastin time.
B. Prothrombin time.
C. Platelet count.
D. Hemoglobin
E. Complete Blood Count
F. White Blood Cell Count

6. A patient on the cardiac telemetry unit unexpectedly goes into ventricular fibrillation.
The advanced cardiac life support team prepares to defibrillate. Which of the following
choices indicates the correct placement of the conductive gel pads?
A. The left clavicle and right lower sternum.
B. Right of midline below the bottom rib and the left shoulder.
C. The upper and lower halves of the sternum.
D. The right side of the sternum just below the clavicle and left of the precordium.
7. The nurse performs an initial abdominal assessment on a patient newly admitted for
abdominal pain. The nurse hears what she describes as clicks and gurgles in all four
quadrants as well as swishing or buzzing sound heard in one or two quadrants. Which
of the following statements is correct?
A. The frequency and intensity of bowel sounds varies depending on the phase of digestion.
B. In the presence of intestinal obstruction, bowel sounds will be louder and higher pitched.
C. A swishing or buzzing sound may represent the turbulent blood flow of a bruit and is not
normal.
D. All of the above.
8. A patient arrives in the emergency department and reports splashing concentrated
household cleaner in his eye. Which of the following nursing actions is a priority?
A. Irrigate the eye repeatedly with normal saline solution.
B. Place fluorescein drops in the eye.
C. Patch the eye.
D. Test visual acuity.
9. A nurse is caring for a patient who has had hip replacement. The nurse should be most
concerned about which of the following findings?
A. Complaints of pain during repositioning.
B. Scant bloody discharge on the surgical dressing.
C. Complaints of pain following physical therapy.
D. Temperature of 101.8 F (38.7 C).
10. A child is admitted to the hospital with an uncontrolled seizure disorder. The admitting
physician writes orders for actions to be taken in the event of a seizure. Which of the
following actions would NOT be included?
A. Notify the physician.
B. Restrain the patients limbs.
C. Position the patient on his/her side with the head flexed forward.
D. Administer rectal diazepam.
11. A patient who has received chemotherapy for cancer treatment is given an injection of
Epoetin. Which of the following should reflect the findings in a complete blood count
(CBC) drawn several days later?
A. An increase in neutrophil count.
B. An increase in hematocrit.
C. An increase in platelet count.
D. An increase in serum iron.

12. A patient is admitted to the hospital with suspected polycythemia vera. Which of the
following symptoms is consistent with the diagnosis? Select all that apply.
A. Weight loss.
B. Increased clotting time.
C. Hypertension.
D. Headaches.
13. A nurse is caring for a patient with a platelet count of 20,000/microliter. Which of the
following is an important intervention?
A. Observe for evidence of spontaneous bleeding.
B. Limit visitors to family only.
C. Give aspirin in case of headaches.
D. Impose immune precautions.
14. A nurse in the emergency department assesses a patient who has been taking long-term
corticosteroids to treat renal disease. Which of the following is a typical side effect of
corticosteroid treatment? Note: More than one answer may be correct.
A. Hypertension.
B. Cushingoid features.
C. Hyponatremia.
D. Low serum albumin.
15. A nurse is caring for patients in the oncology unit. Which of the following is the most
important nursing action when caring for a neutropenic patient?
A. Change the disposable mask immediately after use.
B. Change gloves immediately after use.
C. Minimize patient contact.
D. Minimize conversation with the patient.
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.
B. Insomnia.
C. Sleepiness.
D. Agitation.
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.
B. Psychotic hallucinations.
C. Negative symptoms of schizophrenia.
D. Tardive 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.