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Medical-Surgical Nursing Final Exam
2026 | Verified Practice Questions &
Answers | Med-Surg Real Exam Prep
A nurse is caring for a client who has a fractured hip and was placed in
Buck's traction 4 hr ago. Which of the following actions should the
nurse take?
a. Inspect the client's skin underneath the boot every 12 hr
b. Encourage the client to perform dorsiflexion of the affected extremity
every 2 hr
c. Remove the weights from the traction while repositioning the client in
bed
d. Loosen the ropes if the client reports muscle spasms in the affected
extremity -- Verified--Solution----B. Encourage the client to perform
dorsiflexion of the affected extremity every 2 hr ---The nurse should
encourage the client to perform dorsiflexion of the affected extremity
every 2 hours to assess if the client is experiencing nerve damage.
Weakness of dorsiflexion can indicate peroneal nerve damage. If this
occurs, the nurse should notify the provider immediately.
Incorrect Answers:
A. The nurse should inspect the client's skin underneath the boot for
irritation, increased swelling, and skin breakdown every 8 hours.
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C. The weights should never be removed without a prescription from the
provider. The purpose of the weights is to decrease muscle spasms as a
result of the hip fracture.
D. The ropes of the traction should never be loosened. This can affect
the traction and increase the client's muscle spasms.
A nurse is caring for a client who has a fractured right hip. Which of the
following types of traction should the nurse expect the client to have
prior to hip arthroplasty surgery?
a. Balanced skeletal traction
b. Pelvic belt
c. Pelvic sling
d. Buck's traction -- Verified--Solution----D. Buck's traction---Buck's
traction is used prior to hip arthroplasty to maintain alignment and
prevent muscle spasms prior to surgery.
Incorrect Answers:
A. Balanced skeletal traction is used to stabilize fractures of the femur or
pelvis, not the hip. Skeletal traction involves the surgical insertion of
pins, tongs, wires, or screws; this is sometimes used to stabilize long
bone and vertebral fractures. B. A pelvic belt is used to treat back pain
and does not provide traction prior to hip arthroplasty.
C. A pelvic sling is used to stabilize pelvic fractures, not hip fractures.
A nurse is caring for a client with a hip fracture who has Buck's
extension traction in place. Which of the following pieces of information
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should the nurse give the client about this type of traction? (Select all
that apply.)
a. "You'll have considerably less pain with the traction in place."
b. "You'll have the traction in place for a week or so."
c. "The traction will help decrease muscle spasms."
d. "The weights act as a pulling force to keep your leg and hip still."
e. "We have to make sure the weights are just barely touching the floor."
-- Verified--Solution----A. "You'll have considerably less pain with the
traction in place."
C. "The traction will help decrease muscle spasms."
D. "The weights act as a pulling force to keep your leg and hip still."
Pain is usually more severe without the traction. Buck's extension
traction uses weights to help decrease muscle spasms. Typically, 2.3 to
5.5 kg (5 to 10 lb) of force helps stabilize the hip and leg preoperatively.
A nurse is caring for a client who is scheduled to undergo surgery to
repair an open hip fracture. In which of the following positions should
the nurse plan to place the client postoperatively?
a. With the leg on the affected side adducted
b. With the hip externally rotated on the affected side
c. With the leg on the affected side abducted
d. With the hip flexed to 90° on the affected side -- Verified--Solution---
-C. With the leg on the affected side abducted---The nurse should plan to
place the client with the leg abducted on the affected side
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postoperatively. Adduction or external rotation of the leg will cause the
hip to dislocate.
A nurse is assessing a client who has a fractured left femur and is in
skeletal traction. Which of the following findings should the nurse report
to the provider?
a. Ecchymosis of the thigh
b. Serous drainage at the pin site
c. Chest petechiae
d. Muscle spasms in the left leg -- Verified--Solution----C. Chest
petechiae--- The nurse should identify chest petechiae as an indication of
fat embolism syndrome. Clients who have fractures of the long bones
such as the femur are at increased risk of fat emboli. Fat emboli typically
occur 12 to 48 hours after the injury when fat droplets from the marrow
enter into the systemic circulation and are deposited in the lungs. The
nurse should immediately notify the provider because the client could
progress to acute respiratory failure.
A nurse is preparing to care for a client who is in balanced skeletal
traction to stabilize a femur fracture. Which of the following actions
should the nurse include in the client's plan of care?
a. Offering the client a diet high in fluid and fiber
b. Encouraging active range of motion of the affected leg
c. Removing the weights prior to repositioning the client
Medical-Surgical Nursing Final Exam
2026 | Verified Practice Questions &
Answers | Med-Surg Real Exam Prep
A nurse is caring for a client who has a fractured hip and was placed in
Buck's traction 4 hr ago. Which of the following actions should the
nurse take?
a. Inspect the client's skin underneath the boot every 12 hr
b. Encourage the client to perform dorsiflexion of the affected extremity
every 2 hr
c. Remove the weights from the traction while repositioning the client in
bed
d. Loosen the ropes if the client reports muscle spasms in the affected
extremity -- Verified--Solution----B. Encourage the client to perform
dorsiflexion of the affected extremity every 2 hr ---The nurse should
encourage the client to perform dorsiflexion of the affected extremity
every 2 hours to assess if the client is experiencing nerve damage.
Weakness of dorsiflexion can indicate peroneal nerve damage. If this
occurs, the nurse should notify the provider immediately.
Incorrect Answers:
A. The nurse should inspect the client's skin underneath the boot for
irritation, increased swelling, and skin breakdown every 8 hours.
,2 | Page
C. The weights should never be removed without a prescription from the
provider. The purpose of the weights is to decrease muscle spasms as a
result of the hip fracture.
D. The ropes of the traction should never be loosened. This can affect
the traction and increase the client's muscle spasms.
A nurse is caring for a client who has a fractured right hip. Which of the
following types of traction should the nurse expect the client to have
prior to hip arthroplasty surgery?
a. Balanced skeletal traction
b. Pelvic belt
c. Pelvic sling
d. Buck's traction -- Verified--Solution----D. Buck's traction---Buck's
traction is used prior to hip arthroplasty to maintain alignment and
prevent muscle spasms prior to surgery.
Incorrect Answers:
A. Balanced skeletal traction is used to stabilize fractures of the femur or
pelvis, not the hip. Skeletal traction involves the surgical insertion of
pins, tongs, wires, or screws; this is sometimes used to stabilize long
bone and vertebral fractures. B. A pelvic belt is used to treat back pain
and does not provide traction prior to hip arthroplasty.
C. A pelvic sling is used to stabilize pelvic fractures, not hip fractures.
A nurse is caring for a client with a hip fracture who has Buck's
extension traction in place. Which of the following pieces of information
,3 | Page
should the nurse give the client about this type of traction? (Select all
that apply.)
a. "You'll have considerably less pain with the traction in place."
b. "You'll have the traction in place for a week or so."
c. "The traction will help decrease muscle spasms."
d. "The weights act as a pulling force to keep your leg and hip still."
e. "We have to make sure the weights are just barely touching the floor."
-- Verified--Solution----A. "You'll have considerably less pain with the
traction in place."
C. "The traction will help decrease muscle spasms."
D. "The weights act as a pulling force to keep your leg and hip still."
Pain is usually more severe without the traction. Buck's extension
traction uses weights to help decrease muscle spasms. Typically, 2.3 to
5.5 kg (5 to 10 lb) of force helps stabilize the hip and leg preoperatively.
A nurse is caring for a client who is scheduled to undergo surgery to
repair an open hip fracture. In which of the following positions should
the nurse plan to place the client postoperatively?
a. With the leg on the affected side adducted
b. With the hip externally rotated on the affected side
c. With the leg on the affected side abducted
d. With the hip flexed to 90° on the affected side -- Verified--Solution---
-C. With the leg on the affected side abducted---The nurse should plan to
place the client with the leg abducted on the affected side
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postoperatively. Adduction or external rotation of the leg will cause the
hip to dislocate.
A nurse is assessing a client who has a fractured left femur and is in
skeletal traction. Which of the following findings should the nurse report
to the provider?
a. Ecchymosis of the thigh
b. Serous drainage at the pin site
c. Chest petechiae
d. Muscle spasms in the left leg -- Verified--Solution----C. Chest
petechiae--- The nurse should identify chest petechiae as an indication of
fat embolism syndrome. Clients who have fractures of the long bones
such as the femur are at increased risk of fat emboli. Fat emboli typically
occur 12 to 48 hours after the injury when fat droplets from the marrow
enter into the systemic circulation and are deposited in the lungs. The
nurse should immediately notify the provider because the client could
progress to acute respiratory failure.
A nurse is preparing to care for a client who is in balanced skeletal
traction to stabilize a femur fracture. Which of the following actions
should the nurse include in the client's plan of care?
a. Offering the client a diet high in fluid and fiber
b. Encouraging active range of motion of the affected leg
c. Removing the weights prior to repositioning the client
