ATI Fundamentals practice questions

A nurse is caring for a client who is dehydrated. The nurse should expect that insensible fluid loss of approximately 500 to 600 mL occurs each day through which of the following organs?

Skin

A nurse is reviewing the laboratory data of a client who has a fever and watery diarrhea. Which of the following results should the nurse report to the provider?

Sodium 150 mEq/L

A nurse is teaching a client with lower extremity weakness how to use a 4-point crutch gait. Which of the following instructions should the nurse include in the teaching?

"Bear weight on both of your legs."

A nurse is teaching a client who has asthma about the proper use of an albuterol inhaler. Which of the following client statements indicates an understanding of the teaching?

"I will shake the inhaler well right before I use it."

A nurse is providing teaching about crutches to a client who has a fracture of the right foot. Which of the following instructions should the nurse include?

"Keep the rubber crutch tips securely in place."

A client has 1 L of dextrose 5% in 0.45% sodium chloride infusing IV at 125 mL/hr. How many hours will it take for the liter to infuse? (Fill in the blank with the numeric value only and round to the nearest whole number.)

1 L = 1,000 mL Volume (mL)/Time (hr) = X mL/hr 1,000 mL/X hr = 125 mL/hr X = 8 hr

A nurse is caring for a client who is receiving dextrose 5% in water IV at 150 mL/hr and has ingested 4 oz of water and ½ pint of milk. What is the total 8-hr fluid intake in milliliters that the nurse should document for this client? (Round the answer to the nearest whole number and fill in the blank with the numeric value only.)

1 oz / 30 mL = 4 oz / X mL X = 120 150 mL x 8 hr = 1200 mL + 120 mL + 240 mL = 1560

A nurse is assessing the pH of a client's gastric fluid to confirm the placement of an NG tube in the stomach. Which of the following pH values should the nurse expect?

2

A nurse is planning care for a group of clients receiving oxygen therapy. Which of the following clients should the nurse plan to see first?

A client who has heart failure and is receiving 100% oxygen via partial rebreather mask

A nurse is preparing to administer eye drops for a client who has glaucoma. When instilling the medication, which of the following actions should the nurse take?

Apply pressure to the puncta after instilling the medication

A nurse is caring for a group of clients in a long-term care facility. One of the clients is walking along the hallway and bumping into walls and does not respond to his name. Which of the following actions should the nurse take first?

Accompany the client back to his room

A nurse is assisting a client who has dysphagia at mealtimes. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?

Advise the client to tuck his chin downward

A nurse is teaching a client who is postoperative following a knee arthroplasty about the muscles he will need to strengthen in physical therapy. Which of the following muscle groups is responsible for movement at the knee joint?

Antagonistic

A nurse is using a portable ultrasound bladder scanner to measure a client's post-void residual volume. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?

Apply light pressure to the scanner head once it is in position

A nurse is supervising a newly licensed nurse who is administering a controlled substance. Which of the following actions by the newly licensed nurse indicates an understanding of the procedure?

Asking another nurse to observe the disposal of an unused portion of the medication

A nurse in a provider's clinic is taking a client's age, height, weight, and vital signs. The nurse should identify this action as part of which of the following components of the nursing process?

Assessment

A nurse is beginning a therapeutic relationship with a client. Which of the following actions should the nurse take to convey empathy when using the therapeutic communication technique of active listening?

Assume an open position

A nurse is assessing a client who is undergoing a physical examination. Following the inspection, which of the following techniques should the nurse use next when assessing the client's abdomen?

Auscultation

A nurse is performing a focused assessment of a client's peripheral vascular system. In which of the following locations should the nurse palpate the posterior tibial pulse?

Below the medial malleolus

After assessing a client's radial pulses, the nurse documents "radial pulses 4+ bilaterally." The nurse should document this finding when a client's pulses have which of the following qualities?

Bounding

A nurse is caring for a client who requires ventilatory assistance with breathing following a motor vehicle crash. The nurse should suspect an injury to which of the following parts of the brain?

Brainstem

A nurse is caring for a client who is having difficulty with muscle coordination following a head injury. The nurse should suspect injury to which of the following areas of the brain?

Cerebellum

A nurse is implementing cold therapy for a client who has an ankle sprain. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?

Check capillary refill before applying an ice pack to the affected area

A nurse is caring for a client who was transferred to the surgical unit by stretcher from the PACU. Which of the following actions should the nurse perform immediately following the transfer?

Check the client's vital signs

A nurse is collecting a specimen for culture from a client's infected wound. Which of the following actions should the nurse perform?

Cleanse the wound with 0.9% sodium chloride irrigation

A nurse is planning care for a client who has a prescription for collection of a sputum specimen for culture and sensitivity. Which of the following actions should the nurse take when obtaining the specimen?

Collect the specimen when the client rises in the morning

A nurse is teaching a client who is postoperative how to use a flow-oriented incentive spirometer. Which of the following instructions should the nurse include?

Cough deeply after each use

A nurse is caring for a client who is postoperative following abdominal surgery. Which of the following actions should the nurse perform first after discovering that the client's wound has eviscerated?

Cover the incision

A nurse is teaching a middle-aged adult client about health promotion and disease prevention. The nurse should inform the client that which of the following changes could occur?

Decreased estrogen and testosterone production

A nurse is caring for a client who has terminal cancer. The client is proceeding with plans to build a new home. The nurse should identify that this behavior typically indicates which of the following stages of grief?

Denial

A nurse is assessing a client who has a total calcium level of 12.7 mg/dL. Which of the following findings should the nurse expect?

Depressed deep-tendon reflexes

A nurse is assisting a client who is eating at mealtime. Suddenly, the client grabs her neck with both hands and appears frightened. Which of the following actions should the nurse take first?

Determine whether the client is able to breathe

A nurse is caring for a client who is unstable and has vital signs measured every 15 minutes by an electronic blood pressure machine. The nurse notices the machine begins to measure the blood pressure at varied intervals, and the readings are inconsistent. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?

Disconnect the machine and measure the blood pressure manually every 15 min.

A nurse is performing an otoscopic examination of a client's right ear. The light reflex is visible in the right lower quadrant of the tympanic membrane. Which of the following actions should the nurse take in response to this finding?

Document this as an expected finding

A nurse is teaching an assistive personnel (AP) how to obtain a capillary finger-stick blood sample. Which of the following actions by the AP requires the nurse to intervene?

Elevating the finger above heart level

A nurse is caring for a client who has a terminal illness. The client asks several questions about the nurse's religious beliefs related to death and dying. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?

Encourage the client to express thoughts about death and dying

A nurse is changing the dressings for a client recovering from an appendectomy following a ruptured appendix. The client's surgical wound is healing by secondary intention. Which of the following observations should the nurse report to the provider?

Halo of erythema on the surrounding skin

A nurse is caring for a client with dehydration who has developed hypovolemic shock. Which of the following laboratory values should the nurse expect for this client?

Hct 55%

A nurse in a same-day procedure unit is caring for several clients who are undergoing different types of procedures. The nurse should anticipate that the client who has which of the following devices can safely undergo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)?

Hearing aids

A nurse is teaching a client who is recovering from gallbladder surgery how to use an incentive spirometer. Which of the following pieces of information should the nurse include in the teaching?

Hold the breath for 5 sec after goal volume is reached

A nurse is teaching a group of young adults. Which of the following should the nurse identify as an expected developmental task for this age group?

Independent moral development

A client who has glaucoma of the right eye self-administers timolol eye drops by looking at the ceiling, instilling a drop onto the center of the conjunctival sac, and applying gentle pressure to the lower lid with a facial tissue. After observing this process, which of the following actions should the nurse take?

Instruct the client to apply pressure to the inside corner of the eye after instillation.

A nurse in an acute care facility is planning care for a client who is alert but temporarily immobile due to a total hip arthroplasty. Which of the following interventions should the nurse plan to take to prevent a complication of immobility?

Instruct the client to perform foot and leg exercises every 1-2 hr while awake to help prevent thrombophlebitis

A nurse in a long-term care facility is admitting a client who is incontinent and smells strongly of urine. His partner, who has been caring for him at home, is embarrassed and apologizes for the smell. Which of the following responses should the nurse make?

It must be difficult to care for someone who is confined to bed."

A nurse is planning care for a client who has anorexia and nausea due to cancer treatment. Which of the following interventions should the nurse include?

Limit drinking liquids with food

A nurse in a provider's office is collecting information from an older adult client who reports taking acetaminophen 500 mg/day for severe joint pain. The nurse should instruct the client that large doses of acetaminophen could cause which of the following adverse effects?

Liver damage

A nurse is caring for a client who begins having a tonic-clonic seizure while sitting in a chair at the bedside. Which of the following actions should the nurse take first?

Lower the client to the floor

A nurse is preparing a client who is scheduled for a hysterectomy for transport to the operating room. The client states she no longer wants to have the surgery. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?

Notify the provider of the client's decision

A nurse is caring for a client who has a dysrhythmia. Which of the following techniques should the nurse to use to assess for a pulse deficit?

Obtain the apical and radial rates simultaneously

A nurse is preparing to administer a partial dose of a prefilled opioid analgesic parenterally to a client. Which of the following actions should the nurse plan to take?

Record the amount of medication wasted on the controlled substance inventory record

A nurse is providing discharge teaching to a client who does not speak the same language as the nurse. The client's neighbor, who speaks both the client's native language and the nurse's, arrives to drive the client home. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?

Obtain the services of an interpreter.

A nurse in a provider's office is measuring a client and notes a loss in height from the previous year. The nurse should identify this finding as a manifestation of which of the following musculoskeletal system disorders?

Osteoporosis

A nurse is performing a physical assessment of a client. Which of the following actions should the nurse take to assess the client's tissue perfusion?

Perform a blanch test

A nurse is assessing the heart sounds of a client who has developed chest pain that worsens with inspiration. The nurse auscultates a high-pitched scratching sound during both systole and diastole with the diaphragm of the stethoscope positioned at the left sternal border. Which of the following heart sounds should the nurse document?

Pericardial friction rub

A nurse is leading an education session about disposing of biohazardous materials. Which of the following instructions should the nurse include in the teaching?

Place soiled linen in a single linen bag.

A nurse is preparing to provide chest physiotherapy for a client who has left lower lobe atelectasis. Which of the following actions should the nurse plan to take?

Place the client in the Trendelenburg position

A nurse is planning to collect a stool specimen for ova and parasites from a client who has diarrhea. Which of the following actions should the nurse take when collecting the specimen?

Place the stool specimen collection container in a biohazard bag

A nurse is monitoring a client's laboratory results. Which of the following results should the nurse report to the provider?

Potassium 3.0 mEq/L

A nurse is planning care for a client who is postoperative and has a history of poor nutritional intake. Which of the following actions should the nurse include in the plan of care to promote wound healing?

Provide a protein intake of 1.5 g/kg of body weight per day

A nurse is caring for a group of clients. Which of the following tasks should the nurse assign to an assistive personnel (AP)?

Provide oral care to a client who cannot take oral fluids

A nurse is inserting an NG tube into a client who begins to cough and gag. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?

Pull the NG tube back slightly

A nurse is caring for a client in a long-term care facility. Which of the following findings should alert the nurse to the possibility that the client has developed delirium?

Reduced level of consciousness

A nurse is caring for a client who is receiving a fluid infusion through a peripheral IV catheter. The nurse notes that the area of the arm immediately surrounding the insertion site is red and feels warm. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?

Remove the IV catheter

A nurse is helping a client change his hospital gown. The client has an IV infusion via an infusion pump. Which of the following actions should the nurse take first?

Remove the sleeve of the gown from the arm without the IV line

A nurse is preparing to administer a unit of packed RBCs to a client when she discovers that the IV line is no longer patent. The IV team informs her that someone can come to initiate a new line in 30 min. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?

Return the blood to the laboratory

A nurse is performing a neurological assessment of a client. To promote safety during the examination, the nurse stands nearby as the client follows the instructions for which of the following tests?

Romberg

A nurse is caring for a client who has a history of dysrhythmias. Upon entering the room, the nurse discovers the client is unresponsive to verbal or painful stimuli, has no respirations, and is pulseless. Which of the following actions should the nurse take first?

Start chest compressions

A nurse on a medical-surgical unit is caring for a client who is at risk of experiencing seizures. Which of the following pieces of equipment must be available at the client's bedside at all times?

Suction equipment

A nurse is measuring a client's vital signs. The client's heart rate is 105/min. The nurse should document this finding as which of the following alterations?

Tachycardia

An adolescent client in an outpatient mental health facility tells the nurse that he struggles to follow his treatment plans because his friends discourage him. Which of the following statements should the nurse make?

Tell me more about how your friends discourage you."

A nurse is teaching a client about the use of a straight-legged cane. Which of the following client actions indicates an understanding of the teaching?

The client holds the cane on the unaffected side.

A nurse is preparing to administer an afternoon dose of ampicillin to a client. The client appears upset and refuses to take the medication before throwing the pill on the floor. Which of the following entries should the nurse enter into the client's medical record?

The client threw the medication on the floor

nstruct the client to apply pressure to the inside corner of the eye after instillation.

The client's basal metabolic rate could decrease.

A nurse is developing a plan of care for a client. Which of the following pieces of information should the nurse consider when planning care that is culturally congruent?

The meaning of disease can vary widely across cultures.

A nurse is witnessing a client sign an informed consent form for surgery. What is the nurse affirming by this action?

The signature on the preoperative consent form is the client's

A nurse is caring for a client who has a prescription for a vest restraint. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?

Tie the restraint with a quick-release knot.

A nurse is preparing to assist an older adult client with ambulation following bed rest for 3 days. Which of the following actions should the nurse take to decrease the risk of a fall?

Use a gait belt during ambulation

A nurse is planning care for a client who has a wound infection following abdominal surgery. To promote healing and fight infection, which of the following vitamins and minerals should the nurse plan to increase in the client's diet?

Vitamin C and zinc

A nurse is caring for a client who has methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Which of the following precautions should the nurse implement?

Wear a gown when in the client's room

A nurse is assessing a client who has a sudden onset of severe back pain of unknown origin. Which of the following questions should the nurse ask to encourage discussion with the client?

What do you think caused the onset of your pain?"

A nurse is evaluating the development of a group of clients. According to Erikson, the developmental task of intimacy vs. isolation occurs during which of the following stages of development?

Young adulthood

During a physical examination of a client, the nurse suspects strabismus. Which of the following tests should the nurse use to collect additional data?

Corneal light reflex

A nurse is performing a physical assessment of a client. The nurse should recognize that which of the following findings places the client at risk of impaired skin integrity?

Faint pedal pulses

A nurse is teaching a client about how to remove a soiled dressing. Which of the following statements by the client indicates an understanding of the teaching?

I'll wear nonsterile gloves."

A nurse is caring for a client who has a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection. A dietary assistant asks the nurse what precautions are necessary for entering the client's room with the lunch tray. Which of the following instructions should the nurse give to the dietary assistant?

Don gloves when entering the room and use hand sanitizer when exiting.

A nurse in the emergency department is caring for an inmate who has a laceration and is bleeding. The client was brought to the facility by a guard who asks the nurse about the client's HIV infection status. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?

Instruct the guard to ask the inmate

A nurse at a screening clinic is assessing a client who reports a history of a heart murmur related to aortic valve stenosis. At which of the following anatomical areas should the nurse place the stethoscope to auscultate the aortic valve?

Second intercostal space to the right of the sternum

A nurse is replacing the surgical dressings on a client who had abdominal surgery. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?

Don clean gloves to remove the old dressing

A charge nurse is teaching adult cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to a group of newly licensed nurses. Which of the following actions should the charge nurse teach as the first response in CPR?

Confirm unresponsiveness.

A newly licensed nurse is preparing to administer medications to a client. The nurse notes that the provider has prescribed a medication that is unfamiliar to him. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?

Consult the medication reference book available on the unit

A nurse is assessing a client. Which of the following findings should the nurse identify as an indication of protein-calorie malnourishment? (Select all that apply.)

Dry, brittle hair Edem Poor wound healing

A nurse is admitting a client who will undergo a craniotomy. During the planning phase of the nursing process, which of the following actions should the nurse take?

Establish client outcomes.

A nurse is performing eye irrigation for a client who was exposed to smoke and ash. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?

Exert pressure on the bony prominences when holding the eyelids open

A nurse is caring for a client who has a hearing impairment. Which of the following interventions should the nurse use when speaking with the client?

Face the client when speaking

A nurse is called away for an emergency while conversing with a client who is concerned about his medical diagnosis. The nurse returns to the client promptly, as promised. Which of the following ethical principles is the nurse demonstrating?

Fidelity

A nurse is caring for a client who is postoperative following vascular surgery on the left femoral artery. The nurse should identify that the surgical wound should be cleansed in which of the following directions?

From the wound toward the surrounding skin

As a nurse is preparing to administer liquid medication from a bottle to a client. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?

Hold the medication bottle with the label against the palm of the hand when pouring

A nurse on a mental health unit is preparing to terminate the nurse-client relationship with a client who no longer requires care. Which of the following concepts should the nurse and client discuss in the termination phase of the relationship?

Loss

A nurse is examining a client for signs of costovertebral angle tenderness. The nurse should place the client in which of the following positions for evaluation?

Sitting

A nurse is preparing to change a dressing on a client who is receiving negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT). What sequence of actions should the nurse plan to take?

Turn off the vacuum on the NPWT device and administer the prescribed analgesic. Remove the soiled dressing and perform hand hygiene. Apply sterile or clean gloves and irrigate the wound. Apply a skin protectant or a barrier film to the skin around the wound. Place prepared foam into the wound bed and cover with a transparent dressing. Connect the tubing to transparent film and turn on the NPWT unit.