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HESI PEDIATRIC EXAM (2026/2027) LATEST
|COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED
ANSWERS (GRADED A+) DETAILED
ANSWERS!!
- Question: A full-term infant is admitted to the newborn nursery. After careful
assessment, the nurse suspects that the infant may have an esophageal atresia.Which sx's is this newborn likely to have exhibited?
o Correct Answer: Choking, coughing, and cyanosis (this answer includes the
- "C"s of esophageal atresia caused by the overflow of secretions to the
- Question: A 16 yr old is brought to the ER w/ a crushed leg after falling off a horse.
trachea)
The adolescent's last tetanus toxoid booster was received eight yrs ago. What action should the nurse take?
o Correct Answer: Administer tetanus toxoid booster (After the completion of
the initial completion of the initial tetanus immunization schedule, the recommended booster for an adolescent or adult is every 10 yrs or less if a traumatic injury occurs that is contaminated by dirt, feces, soil, or saliva, such as puncture or crushing injuries, avulsions, wounds from missiles, burns, or frostbite. the adolescent's injury is considered a contaminated wound requiring prophylactic therapy, so the tetanus toxoid booster should be administered)
- Question: The nurse is giving pre-op instructions to a 14 yr old female scheduled for
- Correct Answer: "I understand that I will be in a body cast and I will show
surgery to correct a spinal curvature. Which stmt best demonstrates that learning has taken place?
you how you taught me to turn"
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4. Question: The nurse receives a lab report stating a child w/ asthma has a
theophylline level of 15mcg/dL. What action will the nurse take?
o Correct Answer: Pass the info on in the report (therapeutic level is 10-20)
- Question: When assessing a child w/ asthma, the nurse should expect intercostal
retractions during
o Correct Answer: Inspiration
- Question: A 2 yr old w/ Down syndrome is brought to the clinic for his regular
physical exam. The nurse knows which problem is frequently associated w/ Downs?
o Correct Answer: Congenital heart disease (CHD is the most common
associated defect w/ Downs. - also, remember Professor Moore said that heart and ear problems go hand in hand)
7. Question: To take the v/s of a 4 month old, which ordered will give the most
accurate results?
o Correct Answer: RR - HR - rectal temp
- Question: A 6 month old returns from surgery w/ elbow restraints in place. What nsg
care should be included when caring for any restrained child?
o Correct Answer: Remove the restraints one at a time and provide ROM
exercises (Removing them 1 at a time is safer than all at once)
- Question: What pre-op nsg intervention should be included in the POC for an infant
w/ pyloric stenosis?
o Correct Answer: Observe for projectile vomiting (remember that projectile
vomiting leads to metabolic alkalosis)
- Question: During routine screening at a school clinic, an otoscope exam reveals a
tympanic mb that is pearly gray, slightly bulging, and not movable. What action should the nurse take next?
o Correct Answer: Ask the child if they have had a cold, runny nose, or any ear
pain lately
- Question: Which restraint should be used for a toddler after a cleft palate repair?
o Correct Answer: Elbow
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- Question: When planning the care for a child who has had a cleft lip repair, the
nurse know that crying should be minimized because it
o Correct Answer: Stresses the suture line
13. Question: Which behavior would the nurse expect a 2 yr old to exhibit?
o Correct Answer: Display possessiveness of toys (they are egocentric and
unable to share w/ others)
- Question: The mother of a preschool-aged child asks the nurse if it is all right to
administer Pepto Bismol to her son when he has a tummy ache. After reminding her to check the label of all OTC meds for the presence of ASA, which instruction should the nurse include when replying to the mom's question?
o Correct Answer: Do not give if they have chicken pox, the flu, or any other
viral illness (ASA can cause Reye's syndrome)
- Question: The nurse observes a 4 yr old boy in a daycare. Which behavior should
the nurse consider normal for this child?
o Correct Answer: Demonstrates aggressiveness by boasting when telling a
story
- Question: A burned child is brought to the ER. In estimating the % of body burned,
the nurse uses a modified "Rule of Nines." Which part of the body is calculated as a larger % of total body surface than an adult?
o Correct Answer: Head and neck (a child's head and neck are proportionately
larger to their body than an adult's)
- Question: A 12 month old is admitted w/ a respiratory infection and possible
pneumonia. He is placed in a mist tent w/ O2. Which nsg intervention has the greatest priority?
o Correct Answer: Have a bulb syringe readily available to remove secretions
(patent airway has the highest priority. Humidification will liquefy the nasal secretions - thereby increasing the amt of secretions and making that a priority)
- Question: All of the following interventions can be used to eval the effectiveness of
nsg and medical interventions used to tx diarrhea. Which intervention is the least useful in the nurse's eval of a 20 month old child?
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o Correct Answer: Assessing the fontanels (Weighing diapers, checking skin
turgor, and observing mucous mb's for moisture evaluate fluid status in infants. But how old is this child? Posterior fontanel closes at 2 months and anterior closes by 18 months)
- Question: A 5 month old is admitted to the hospital w/ vomiting and diarrhea. The
dr. prescribes dextrose 5% and 0.25% NS w/ 2 mEq KCl/ 100ml to be infused at 25mL/hr. Prior to initiating the infusion, the nurse should obtain which assessment finding?
o Correct Answer: Serum BUN and creatinine levels (Regardless of the age,
adequate renal fxn must be present b/f adding K+ IVF)
- Question: The nurse is assigning care for a 4 yr old w/ otitis media and is concerned
about the child's increasing temp over the last 24 hrs. When planning care for this child, it is important for the nurse to consider that
o Correct Answer: A tympanic measurement of temp will provide the most
accurate reading (A tympanic mb sensor is an excellent site because both the eardrum and hypothalamus (temp regulating center) are perfused by the same circulation. the sensor is unaffected by the cerumen and the presence of suppurative or unsuppurative otitis media does not effect measurement.
RULE OF THUMB: for mgmt -sterile procedures should be assigned to
licensed personnel. Mgmg skills be be tested on the NCLEX. An RN is not required)
- Question: The nurse is assessing an 8 month old who has a medical dx of Tetrology
of Fallot. Which sx is this client likely to exhibit?
o Correct Answer: Clubbed fingers (TOF is a cyanotic defect, it causes
clubbing of fingers and toes)
- Question: As part of the physical assessment of children, the nurse observes and
palpates the fontanels. Which child's fontanel finding should be reported to the HCP?
o Correct Answer: A 6 month old w/ FTT that has a closed anterior fontanel (At
- months of age, the anterior fontanel should be open, and it should not be
- Question: A preschool child who is hospitalized for hypospadias repair is most
closed until about 18 months old)
strongly influenced by which behavior?
