CPNRE COMPREHENSIVE EXAM 2026 QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔The nurse is assessing the urinary history of a middle-aged married woman. The
nurse asks her if she gets up to go to the bathroom at night. She replies, "Yes." What
other question should the nurse ask?
A) "Why do you get up at night?"
B) "How long have you been getting up at night?"
C) "How many times do you get up at night?"
D) "How easily do you go back to sleep after you get up?" - ✔✔A) "Why do you get up
at night?"
Response Feedback:
Perhaps the client's husband is getting up in the middle of the night because of a
prostate problem, and this is why she is awakened. The nurse should not assume
nocturia without further assessment questions.
✔✔The nurse is providing teaching regarding drug therapy to the husband of a woman
with Alzheimer disease. The patient was diagnosed 3 months ago and has mild memory
loss. She will be receiving donepezil (Aricept). Which of the following statements
accurately describes the drug's actions?
A) It prevents memory loss in later stages
B) It will reverse the course of Alzheimer disease
C) It provides sedation to prevent agitation and restlessness
D) It may help to improve the symptoms of Alzheimer disease by improving the
functioning of the person. - ✔✔D) It may help to improve the symptoms of Alzheimer
disease by improving the functioning of the person.
✔✔The client has an order for an anxiolytic agent, lorazepam (Ativan). Which of the
following statements by the client indicates that client education about this medication
has been effective?
A) "My anxiety will be eliminated if I take this medication as prescribed."
B) "This medication presents no risk of addiction or dependence."
C) "I will probably always need to take this medication for my anxiety."
D) "This medication will relax me so I can focus on problem solving." - ✔✔D) "This
medication will relax me so I can focus on problem solving."
✔✔A female client tells the nurse that she takes one "coated baby aspirin" every day.
Which of the following effects would be of greatest concern to the nurse?
A) Urinary calculi
B) Atrophy of the liver
,C) Prolonged bleeding time
D) Premature erythrocyte destruction - ✔✔C) Prolonged bleeding time
✔✔The most common side effects of SSRI's are:
A) Insomnia, weight gain, dry mouth
B) Convulsions, respiratory difficulties
C) Diarrhea, weight gain
D) Jaundice, agranulocytosis - ✔✔A) Insomnia, weight gain, dry mouth
✔✔A medication that is harmful to the developing fetus is termed:
A) Teratogenic
B) Mutagenic
C) Pyrogenic
D) Anaphylactic - ✔✔A) Teratogenic
✔✔A patient taking an inhaled steroid should be instructed to rinse her mouth after
administration of the drug to avoid development of which of the following conditions?
A) Infection
B) Anorexia
C) Gingival hyperplasia
D) Thrush - ✔✔D) Thrush
✔✔A patient with cancer has been on high doses of morphine for several days. During
an assessment, the side effect that the nurse would be likely to see is:
A) Constipation
B) Respiratory depression
C) Pain relief
D) Diarrhea - ✔✔A) Constipation
✔✔A 2-year old patient must receive an injection. The nurse knows that the IM site of
choice for this patient would be:
A) Dorsogluteal
B) Ventrogluteal
C) Vastus lateralis
D) Deltoid - ✔✔C) Vastus lateralis
✔✔To instill eardrops in the adult patient, the ear canal is opened by pulling the ear:
A) Up and back
B) Down and back
,C) Up and forward
D) Back and forward - ✔✔A) Up and back
✔✔A patient is being started on warfarin (Coumadin) in preparing for cardiac tests.
Which of the following medications should the patient be instructed to omit while he is
on this medication?
A) Enalapril (Vasotec)
B) Metformin (Glucophage)
C) Ibuprophen (Motrin)
D) Digoxin (Lanoxin) - ✔✔C) Ibuprophen (Motrin)
✔✔The antidote for heparin (Heparin) is:
A) Protamine sulphate
B) Potassium
C) Vitamin K
D) Zinc - ✔✔A) Protamine sulphate
✔✔What trimester of pregnancy is the period of greatest danger for drug-induced
developmental defects in the fetus?
A) First
B) Second
C) Third
D) Fourth - ✔✔A) First
✔✔Ototoxicity is a major side effect involving which of the following?
A) Hearing
B) Liver
C) Fetus
D) Kidney - ✔✔A) Hearing
✔✔A medication used to treat Parkinson's disease is:
A) Methylphenidate (Ritaline)
B) Carbamazepine (Tegretol)
C) Benztropine mesylate (Cogentin)
D) Theophylline (Accurbron) - ✔✔C) Benztropine mesylate (Cogentin)
✔✔Which type of insulin is the only one that may be given intravenously?
A) Regular
B) Lente
, C) NPH
D) Ultralente - ✔✔A) Regular
✔✔A nurse has made an entry in the hard copy of the wrong client's health record.
What should be the corrective action?
A) Remove the entry from the wrong chart
B) Draw a line through the entry, write "error," and initial it
C) Use whiteout to eliminate the entry
D) Complete an incident report and place a copy in both client charts - ✔✔B) Draw a
line through the entry, write "error," and initial it
✔✔A physician writing orders for a new patient, states to the nurse, "I would like this
medicine to work as quickly as possible." To obtain fastest absorption and action from a
medication, the nurse knows that it should be administered:
A) By mouth
B) Intramuscularly
C) Subcutaneously
D) Intravenously - ✔✔D) Intravenously
✔✔Combining white wine with an analgesic is dangerous. The effect on the CNS when
given is called:
A) Antagonist
B) Synergistic
C) Cumulative
D) Tolerance - ✔✔B) Synergistic
✔✔Patients who are placed on spironolactone (Aldactone) should be assessed
continuously for which of the following?
A) Hypokalemia
B) Hyperkalemia
C) Hyponatremia
D) Hypercalcemia - ✔✔B) Hyperkalemia
✔✔A patient asks the nurse how amlodipine (Norvasc) works to reduce the blood
pressure. Which response will the nurse provide?
A) "It causes blood vessel dilation."
B) "It helps you get rid of fluid."
C) "It helps your heart beat stronger."
D) "It slows your heart rate." - ✔✔A) "It causes blood vessel dilation."
ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔The nurse is assessing the urinary history of a middle-aged married woman. The
nurse asks her if she gets up to go to the bathroom at night. She replies, "Yes." What
other question should the nurse ask?
A) "Why do you get up at night?"
B) "How long have you been getting up at night?"
C) "How many times do you get up at night?"
D) "How easily do you go back to sleep after you get up?" - ✔✔A) "Why do you get up
at night?"
Response Feedback:
Perhaps the client's husband is getting up in the middle of the night because of a
prostate problem, and this is why she is awakened. The nurse should not assume
nocturia without further assessment questions.
✔✔The nurse is providing teaching regarding drug therapy to the husband of a woman
with Alzheimer disease. The patient was diagnosed 3 months ago and has mild memory
loss. She will be receiving donepezil (Aricept). Which of the following statements
accurately describes the drug's actions?
A) It prevents memory loss in later stages
B) It will reverse the course of Alzheimer disease
C) It provides sedation to prevent agitation and restlessness
D) It may help to improve the symptoms of Alzheimer disease by improving the
functioning of the person. - ✔✔D) It may help to improve the symptoms of Alzheimer
disease by improving the functioning of the person.
✔✔The client has an order for an anxiolytic agent, lorazepam (Ativan). Which of the
following statements by the client indicates that client education about this medication
has been effective?
A) "My anxiety will be eliminated if I take this medication as prescribed."
B) "This medication presents no risk of addiction or dependence."
C) "I will probably always need to take this medication for my anxiety."
D) "This medication will relax me so I can focus on problem solving." - ✔✔D) "This
medication will relax me so I can focus on problem solving."
✔✔A female client tells the nurse that she takes one "coated baby aspirin" every day.
Which of the following effects would be of greatest concern to the nurse?
A) Urinary calculi
B) Atrophy of the liver
,C) Prolonged bleeding time
D) Premature erythrocyte destruction - ✔✔C) Prolonged bleeding time
✔✔The most common side effects of SSRI's are:
A) Insomnia, weight gain, dry mouth
B) Convulsions, respiratory difficulties
C) Diarrhea, weight gain
D) Jaundice, agranulocytosis - ✔✔A) Insomnia, weight gain, dry mouth
✔✔A medication that is harmful to the developing fetus is termed:
A) Teratogenic
B) Mutagenic
C) Pyrogenic
D) Anaphylactic - ✔✔A) Teratogenic
✔✔A patient taking an inhaled steroid should be instructed to rinse her mouth after
administration of the drug to avoid development of which of the following conditions?
A) Infection
B) Anorexia
C) Gingival hyperplasia
D) Thrush - ✔✔D) Thrush
✔✔A patient with cancer has been on high doses of morphine for several days. During
an assessment, the side effect that the nurse would be likely to see is:
A) Constipation
B) Respiratory depression
C) Pain relief
D) Diarrhea - ✔✔A) Constipation
✔✔A 2-year old patient must receive an injection. The nurse knows that the IM site of
choice for this patient would be:
A) Dorsogluteal
B) Ventrogluteal
C) Vastus lateralis
D) Deltoid - ✔✔C) Vastus lateralis
✔✔To instill eardrops in the adult patient, the ear canal is opened by pulling the ear:
A) Up and back
B) Down and back
,C) Up and forward
D) Back and forward - ✔✔A) Up and back
✔✔A patient is being started on warfarin (Coumadin) in preparing for cardiac tests.
Which of the following medications should the patient be instructed to omit while he is
on this medication?
A) Enalapril (Vasotec)
B) Metformin (Glucophage)
C) Ibuprophen (Motrin)
D) Digoxin (Lanoxin) - ✔✔C) Ibuprophen (Motrin)
✔✔The antidote for heparin (Heparin) is:
A) Protamine sulphate
B) Potassium
C) Vitamin K
D) Zinc - ✔✔A) Protamine sulphate
✔✔What trimester of pregnancy is the period of greatest danger for drug-induced
developmental defects in the fetus?
A) First
B) Second
C) Third
D) Fourth - ✔✔A) First
✔✔Ototoxicity is a major side effect involving which of the following?
A) Hearing
B) Liver
C) Fetus
D) Kidney - ✔✔A) Hearing
✔✔A medication used to treat Parkinson's disease is:
A) Methylphenidate (Ritaline)
B) Carbamazepine (Tegretol)
C) Benztropine mesylate (Cogentin)
D) Theophylline (Accurbron) - ✔✔C) Benztropine mesylate (Cogentin)
✔✔Which type of insulin is the only one that may be given intravenously?
A) Regular
B) Lente
, C) NPH
D) Ultralente - ✔✔A) Regular
✔✔A nurse has made an entry in the hard copy of the wrong client's health record.
What should be the corrective action?
A) Remove the entry from the wrong chart
B) Draw a line through the entry, write "error," and initial it
C) Use whiteout to eliminate the entry
D) Complete an incident report and place a copy in both client charts - ✔✔B) Draw a
line through the entry, write "error," and initial it
✔✔A physician writing orders for a new patient, states to the nurse, "I would like this
medicine to work as quickly as possible." To obtain fastest absorption and action from a
medication, the nurse knows that it should be administered:
A) By mouth
B) Intramuscularly
C) Subcutaneously
D) Intravenously - ✔✔D) Intravenously
✔✔Combining white wine with an analgesic is dangerous. The effect on the CNS when
given is called:
A) Antagonist
B) Synergistic
C) Cumulative
D) Tolerance - ✔✔B) Synergistic
✔✔Patients who are placed on spironolactone (Aldactone) should be assessed
continuously for which of the following?
A) Hypokalemia
B) Hyperkalemia
C) Hyponatremia
D) Hypercalcemia - ✔✔B) Hyperkalemia
✔✔A patient asks the nurse how amlodipine (Norvasc) works to reduce the blood
pressure. Which response will the nurse provide?
A) "It causes blood vessel dilation."
B) "It helps you get rid of fluid."
C) "It helps your heart beat stronger."
D) "It slows your heart rate." - ✔✔A) "It causes blood vessel dilation."
