HESI Medical-Surgical Practice Test Correct and Verified Answers Graded A

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HESI Medical-Surgical Practice Test Correct and Verified Answers Graded A

• The practical nurse (PN) receives shift report about a client whose chest x-ray

reveals "free air under the right diaphragm." What action should the PN take?

• Maintain the client NPO.
• Position the client on the left side.
• Encourage ambulation to expel flatus.
• Administer a PRN antacid.

Correct Answer: A) Maintain the client NPO.

• The practical nurse (PN) is monitoring a client with a comminuted fracture of the left

femur. Which finding should the PN report to the healthcare provider immediately?

• Rising creatine phosphokinase (CPK).
• Elevated white blood count (WBC).
• Leg pain of "10" unrelieved by opioids.
• Weak left pedal pulses palpated.

Correct Answer: C) Leg pain of "10" unrelieved by opioids.

• When making morning assessments, the practical nurse finds a client who is

exhibiting a new finding of right-sided facial drooping. Which assessment is most important for the PN to implement first?

• Instruct to squeeze the eyes shut and check for complete closure.
• Test all four extremities for movement and strength.
• Ask the client to smile, frown, and puff out cheeks.
• Use a wisp of cotton to check for corneal reflex.

Correct Answer: B) Test all four extremities for movement and strength.

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• A client with chronic kidney disease (CKD) has a serum potassium level of 7.0

mEq/L. Which prescription should the practical nurse administer?

• Diuretics and IV fluids at keep open rate.
• Oral phosphate binders with meals.
• 50?xtrose and regular insulin IV.
• Synthetic erythropoietin subcutaneously.

Correct Answer: C) 50?xtrose and regular insulin IV.

• A client who is one-day post-thyroidectomy begins to develop a stridor. Which

priority action should the practical nurse implement?

• Prepare for emergency tracheotomy at the bedside.
• Insert a large bore needle for IV access.
• Give the client oxygen per face mask.
• Assess the client for signs of hypocalcemia.

Correct Answer: A) Prepare for emergency tracheotomy at the bedside.

• A male client who arrives at the clinic for an eye examination tells the practical

nurse (PN) that he has recently experienced blurred vision. Which finding is most important for the PN to report to the healthcare provider?

• Inability to identify the colors of numbers on an eye chart.
• Left pupil consensual response to pen light exposure in right eye.
• Small rapid, rhythmic, oscillating movements of eyeballs.
• Pupils constrict when focusing on a distant object that moves to the face.

Correct Answer: C) Small rapid, rhythmic, oscillating movements of eyeballs.

• Which information should the practical nurse (PN) reinforce with a female client

who has a history of frequent urinary tract infections (UTI)?

• Drink a glass of cranberry juice daily.
• Use unscented soap for a bubble bath.
• Void every 8 hours while awake.

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• Empty bladder before showering.

Correct Answer: A) Drink a glass of cranberry juice daily.

• The practical nurse (PN) is caring for a client with trigeminal neuralgia associated

with Cranial Nerve V pathology. While reinforcing the discharge teaching instructions, the PN should include which information?

• Encourage a soft diet to minimize chewing.
• Instruct the client to thicken all oral liquids.
• Take deep breaths to minimize respiratory effort.
• Ambulate with a walker to reduce the risk of falling.

Correct Answer: A) Encourage a soft diet to minimize chewing.

• An older client who is at a health fair goes to the First Aid station and reports feeling

tired after a recent screening test revealed a hemoglobin of 10.1 grams. The client asks the practical nurse (PN) what could he do to feel better. What information should the PN offer?

• Eat food high in iron, for example red meat.
• Take an over-the-counter iron supplement.
• Practice daily stress-relieving measures.
• Make appointment with healthcare provider.

Correct Answer: D) Make appointment with healthcare provider.

• An older client is seen in the clinic for an annual physical exam. Which finding

should the practical nurse report to the healthcare provider for follow-up?

• Hemoglobin 9.1 grams/dl with positive occult blood in stool.
• Serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level is low.
• Bowel sounds auscultated with occasional borborygmi.
• Abdominal tympany with negative rebound tenderness.

Correct Answer: A) Hemoglobin 9.1 grams/dl with positive occult blood in stool.

• A male client with pancreatic cancer who received morphine and midazalom

(Versed) during an endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) returns to

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the unit. His vital signs are pulse 80 beats/minute, 16 breaths/minute, blood pressure 120/80, and pulse oximeter 98%. Which action should the practical nurse (PN) implement?

• Give naloxone (Narcan) and flumazenil (Ramazicon) per protocol.
• Arouse the client to give warm oral fluids to sooth a sore throat.
• Determine client's fingerstick glucose level.
• Administer a 500-ml intravenous fluid bolus.

Correct Answer: C) Determine client's fingerstick glucose level.

• An older female client with heart failure (HF) calls the clinic and tells the practical

nurse (PN) that she has been coughing after starting the prescription, captopril (Capoten). Which information by the client requires further investigation by the PN?

• Feels tired after a shopping trip.
• Complains her shoes are too snug to wear.
• Sees floaters in her visual fields at times.
• Takes an over-the-counter cough syrup.

Correct Answer: B) Complains her shoes are too snug to wear.

• What action should the practical nurse (PN) implement for a client who has a

banana allergy?

• Wear an isolation gown.
• Give a mask to the client.
• Move the client to a negative airflow room.
• Place a box of latex-free gloves in the room.

Correct Answer: D) Place a box of latex-free gloves in the room.

• The practical nurse (PN) is caring for an elderly client with a history of heart failure

(HF) who suddenly wakes up in the middle of the night complaining of being unable to breathe. What action should the (PN) implement?

• Provide a bedside fan.
• Give an antianxiety medication.