HESI RN PEDIATRICS CERTIFICATION
TEST 2026 FULL QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS GRADED A+
◉ The nurse is teaching an adolescent girl with scoliosis about a
Milwaukee brace that her health care provider has prescribed. Which
instruction should the nurse provide to this client?
A.Remove the brace 1 hour each day for bathing only.
B.Remove the brace only for back range-of-motion exercises.
C.Wear the brace against the bare skin to ensure a good fit.
D.Wearing the brace will cure the spinal curvature. ANS: A
The Milwaukee brace is designed to slow the progression in spinal
curvature while the adolescent is growing. The brace should be worn
23 hours a day and removed a total of 1 hour a day for hygiene (A).
There are no specific exercises for increasing the range of motion in
the back that should be performed (B). A T shirt should be worn next
to the body and the brace put on over the T shirt to protect the skin
(C). The brace will not cure the spinal curvature (D) but should slow
the progression of the scoliosis.
,◉ The nurse should teach the parents of a child with a cyanotic
heart defect to perform which action when a hypercyanotic spell
occurs?
A.Place the child's head flat, with the knees on pillows above the
level of the heart.
B.Have the child lie on the right side, with the head elevated on one
pillow.
C.Allow the child to assume a knee-chest position, with the head and
chest slightly elevated.
D.Encourage the child to sit up at a 45-degree angle, drink cold water,
and take deep breaths. ANS: C
Assuming a knee-chest position with the head and chest slightly
elevated (C) will help restore hemodynamic equilibrium. (A and B)
are incorrect positions and may hinder the child's condition. (D) may
cause chest pain or a vasovagal response, with resulting hypotension.
◉ During routine screening at a school clinic, an otoscope
examination of a child's ear reveals a tympanic membrane that is
pearly gray, slightly bulging, and not movable. Based on these
findings, what action should the nurse take?
,A.No action is required, because this is an expected finding for a
school-aged child.
B.Ask if the child has had a cold, runny nose, or any ear pain lately.
C.Send a note home advising parents to have the child evaluated by a
health care provider.
D.Call the parents and have them take the child home from school for
the rest of the day. ANS: B
More information is needed to interpret these findings (B). The
tympanic membrane is normally pearly gray, not bulging, and moves
when a client blows against resistance or when a small puff of air is
blown into the ear canal. Because these findings are not completely
normal, further assessment of history and related signs and
symptoms are needed to interpret the findings accurately. Based on
the data obtained from the otoscope examination, (A, C, and D) are
not indicated.
◉ A newborn female whose mother is HIV-positive is scheduled for
the first follow-up assessment with the nurse. If the child is HIV-
positive, which initial symptom is she most likely to exhibit?
A.Shortness of breath
, B.Joint pain
C.Persistent cold
D.Organomegaly ANS: C
Respiratory tract infections commonly occur in the pediatric
population, but the child with AIDS has a decreased ability to defend
the body against these common infections. Thus, the most typical
presenting symptom of a child who contracted AIDS through vertical
transmission (i.e., from the mother during delivery) is a persistent
cold or respiratory infection (C). (A, B, and D) are symptoms of AIDS
complications that may occur later as the disease progresses.
◉ A child breaks out with varicella infection (chickenpox) while
hospitalized for a minor surgical procedure. Which intervention
should the nurse implement first?
A.Place a mask on the child before transporting the child outside the
room.
B.Immunize exposed family members with the varicella vaccine.
C.Place the child in strict isolation to prevent an outbreak on the unit.
TEST 2026 FULL QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS GRADED A+
◉ The nurse is teaching an adolescent girl with scoliosis about a
Milwaukee brace that her health care provider has prescribed. Which
instruction should the nurse provide to this client?
A.Remove the brace 1 hour each day for bathing only.
B.Remove the brace only for back range-of-motion exercises.
C.Wear the brace against the bare skin to ensure a good fit.
D.Wearing the brace will cure the spinal curvature. ANS: A
The Milwaukee brace is designed to slow the progression in spinal
curvature while the adolescent is growing. The brace should be worn
23 hours a day and removed a total of 1 hour a day for hygiene (A).
There are no specific exercises for increasing the range of motion in
the back that should be performed (B). A T shirt should be worn next
to the body and the brace put on over the T shirt to protect the skin
(C). The brace will not cure the spinal curvature (D) but should slow
the progression of the scoliosis.
,◉ The nurse should teach the parents of a child with a cyanotic
heart defect to perform which action when a hypercyanotic spell
occurs?
A.Place the child's head flat, with the knees on pillows above the
level of the heart.
B.Have the child lie on the right side, with the head elevated on one
pillow.
C.Allow the child to assume a knee-chest position, with the head and
chest slightly elevated.
D.Encourage the child to sit up at a 45-degree angle, drink cold water,
and take deep breaths. ANS: C
Assuming a knee-chest position with the head and chest slightly
elevated (C) will help restore hemodynamic equilibrium. (A and B)
are incorrect positions and may hinder the child's condition. (D) may
cause chest pain or a vasovagal response, with resulting hypotension.
◉ During routine screening at a school clinic, an otoscope
examination of a child's ear reveals a tympanic membrane that is
pearly gray, slightly bulging, and not movable. Based on these
findings, what action should the nurse take?
,A.No action is required, because this is an expected finding for a
school-aged child.
B.Ask if the child has had a cold, runny nose, or any ear pain lately.
C.Send a note home advising parents to have the child evaluated by a
health care provider.
D.Call the parents and have them take the child home from school for
the rest of the day. ANS: B
More information is needed to interpret these findings (B). The
tympanic membrane is normally pearly gray, not bulging, and moves
when a client blows against resistance or when a small puff of air is
blown into the ear canal. Because these findings are not completely
normal, further assessment of history and related signs and
symptoms are needed to interpret the findings accurately. Based on
the data obtained from the otoscope examination, (A, C, and D) are
not indicated.
◉ A newborn female whose mother is HIV-positive is scheduled for
the first follow-up assessment with the nurse. If the child is HIV-
positive, which initial symptom is she most likely to exhibit?
A.Shortness of breath
, B.Joint pain
C.Persistent cold
D.Organomegaly ANS: C
Respiratory tract infections commonly occur in the pediatric
population, but the child with AIDS has a decreased ability to defend
the body against these common infections. Thus, the most typical
presenting symptom of a child who contracted AIDS through vertical
transmission (i.e., from the mother during delivery) is a persistent
cold or respiratory infection (C). (A, B, and D) are symptoms of AIDS
complications that may occur later as the disease progresses.
◉ A child breaks out with varicella infection (chickenpox) while
hospitalized for a minor surgical procedure. Which intervention
should the nurse implement first?
A.Place a mask on the child before transporting the child outside the
room.
B.Immunize exposed family members with the varicella vaccine.
C.Place the child in strict isolation to prevent an outbreak on the unit.
