HEALTHSTREAM FINAL PAPER 2026 TEST
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
VERIFIED
●● The nurse is caring for a patient with severe sepsis and third-degree
heart block. The patient is hypotensive. The treatment for this life-
threatening rhythm change includes:
Answer: transcutaneous pacing.
●● A patient is admitted to the ICU with suspected cervical spinal cord
injury following a motor vehicle accident. The most important nursing
intervention for this patient is to:
Answer: immobilize his head.
●● The nurse assesses a patient's chest tube drainage 2 hours following
thoracic surgery. The total drainage in the system is 200 mL. The nurse
knows that:
Answer: this is an excessive amount of drainage
●● The patient being admitted requires CRRT therapy. The nurse
assigned to admit the patient has not been educated on this therapy. The
charge nurse adjusts the assignment so that a nurse with 3 years
experience in CRRT therapy is assigned to the patient. This type of
decision making is an example of:
,Answer: the synergy model for patient care.
●● The patient diagnosed with acute tubular necrosis (ATN) and
experiencing severe dehydration, sepsis, and pneumonia is now in the
polyureic stage of ATN. The most important nursing action is to:
Answer: monitor electrolyte levels and signs of fluid depletion.
●● A patient has an elevated central venous pressure (CVP)
measurement. The most likely reason is:
Answer: right heart failure.
●● Diabetes insipidus is usually treated with
Answer: vasopressin.
●● Which physiologic effect is produced by alpha-1 receptors?
Answer: Vasoconstriction
●● The patient experiencing an acute myocardial infarction (AMI)
arrived on the unit an hour ago with TPA infusing. Initially, the patient's
neurologic exam was normal. The nurse assesses the patient and finds
him now disoriented. The next nursing action should be to:
Answer: discontinue the TPA.
, ●● A patient has cardiomyopathy and is unstable. The nurse understands
that the treatment goal is to improve contractility, reduce preload and
reduce afterload. The nurse anticipates that medication management will
include:
Answer: dobutamine and nitroprusside infusions
●● A continuous drip of a medication is ordered at a rate of 2 mg/min.
The standard mixture of this medication to yield a final concentration of
2 mg/mL is 1 g of the medication in 500 mL of IV fluid. At what rate in
milliliters per hour should the IV pump be set?
Answer: 60 mL/hr
●● A practitioner has ordered 700 mg of an antibiotic. The medication
label states, "Add 5 mL sterile water to 1 g of this medication; 0.5 g = 2
mL." How many milliliters should be given?
Answer: 2.8 mL
●● A practitioner order is written for a continuous infusion of insulin at
3 units/hr; the premixed solution is composed of 100 units of regular U-
100 insulin in 100 mL normal saline. At which rate should the infusion
run?
Answer: 3 ml/hr
●● A dose of 35 mg of a corticosteroid is ordered to be given IM to treat
inflammation. The medication is available as 250 mg/10 mL. How many
milliliters should be administered?
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
VERIFIED
●● The nurse is caring for a patient with severe sepsis and third-degree
heart block. The patient is hypotensive. The treatment for this life-
threatening rhythm change includes:
Answer: transcutaneous pacing.
●● A patient is admitted to the ICU with suspected cervical spinal cord
injury following a motor vehicle accident. The most important nursing
intervention for this patient is to:
Answer: immobilize his head.
●● The nurse assesses a patient's chest tube drainage 2 hours following
thoracic surgery. The total drainage in the system is 200 mL. The nurse
knows that:
Answer: this is an excessive amount of drainage
●● The patient being admitted requires CRRT therapy. The nurse
assigned to admit the patient has not been educated on this therapy. The
charge nurse adjusts the assignment so that a nurse with 3 years
experience in CRRT therapy is assigned to the patient. This type of
decision making is an example of:
,Answer: the synergy model for patient care.
●● The patient diagnosed with acute tubular necrosis (ATN) and
experiencing severe dehydration, sepsis, and pneumonia is now in the
polyureic stage of ATN. The most important nursing action is to:
Answer: monitor electrolyte levels and signs of fluid depletion.
●● A patient has an elevated central venous pressure (CVP)
measurement. The most likely reason is:
Answer: right heart failure.
●● Diabetes insipidus is usually treated with
Answer: vasopressin.
●● Which physiologic effect is produced by alpha-1 receptors?
Answer: Vasoconstriction
●● The patient experiencing an acute myocardial infarction (AMI)
arrived on the unit an hour ago with TPA infusing. Initially, the patient's
neurologic exam was normal. The nurse assesses the patient and finds
him now disoriented. The next nursing action should be to:
Answer: discontinue the TPA.
, ●● A patient has cardiomyopathy and is unstable. The nurse understands
that the treatment goal is to improve contractility, reduce preload and
reduce afterload. The nurse anticipates that medication management will
include:
Answer: dobutamine and nitroprusside infusions
●● A continuous drip of a medication is ordered at a rate of 2 mg/min.
The standard mixture of this medication to yield a final concentration of
2 mg/mL is 1 g of the medication in 500 mL of IV fluid. At what rate in
milliliters per hour should the IV pump be set?
Answer: 60 mL/hr
●● A practitioner has ordered 700 mg of an antibiotic. The medication
label states, "Add 5 mL sterile water to 1 g of this medication; 0.5 g = 2
mL." How many milliliters should be given?
Answer: 2.8 mL
●● A practitioner order is written for a continuous infusion of insulin at
3 units/hr; the premixed solution is composed of 100 units of regular U-
100 insulin in 100 mL normal saline. At which rate should the infusion
run?
Answer: 3 ml/hr
●● A dose of 35 mg of a corticosteroid is ordered to be given IM to treat
inflammation. The medication is available as 250 mg/10 mL. How many
milliliters should be administered?
