NURS 121L-B Medical-Surgical Nursing Practicum - Week 1 Mastery
Quiz 2026 |WCU
1. A nurse is caring for a postoperative client who has become restless and
confused. What is the priority nursing action?
A. Apply soft wrist restraints for safety.
B. Administer the prescribed PRN sedative.
C. Notify the healthcare provider immediately.
D. Check the client’s oxygen saturation levels.
Answer: D
Rationale: Restlessness and confusion are early signs of hypoxia. Using the ABC (Airway,
Breathing, Circulation) framework, the nurse must assess the client’s respiratory status
first.
2. A patient is admitted with a serum potassium level of 6.2 mEq/L. Which ECG
change should the nurse expect to observe?
A. Prominent U waves
B. Tall, peaked T waves
C. ST-segment depression
D. Prolonged QT interval
Answer: B
Rationale: Hyperkalemia (potassium > 5.0 mEq/L) commonly causes tall, peaked T waves,
widened QRS complexes, and potentially cardiac arrest.
,3. Which clinical manifestation is a late sign of hypovolemic shock?
A. Tachycardia
B. Cool, clammy skin
C. Hypotension
D. Decreased urine output
Answer: C
Rationale: The body compensates for fluid loss initially through tachycardia and
vasoconstriction; hypotension occurs only when compensatory mechanisms fail, marking a
late stage of shock.
4. The nurse is preparing to administer a medication to a patient. Which action
represents the most accurate method of patient identification?
A. Ask the patient to state their name and date of birth.
B. Check the room number against the medication record.
C. Call the patient by name to see if they respond.
D. Verify the patient’s identity with a family member.
Answer: A
Rationale: Standard safety protocol requires two independent identifiers, such as name
and date of birth, verified against the MAR and the client’s wristband.
5. A patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is receiving
oxygen. Why is it critical for the nurse to avoid high concentrations of oxygen in
this patient?
A. High oxygen levels can suppress the hypoxic drive to breathe.
B. Oxygen toxicity can lead to immediate blindness.
C. High oxygen levels cause excessive metabolic acidosis.
D. Oxygen acts as a sedative in chronic respiratory failure.
Answer: A
, Rationale: In some COPD patients with chronic hypercapnia, the stimulus to breathe is low
oxygen rather than high CO2. Providing too much oxygen can decrease the respiratory rate.
6. When assessing a client for Trousseau’s sign, the nurse should observe for
which of the following?
A. Facial twitching when the cheek is tapped.
B. Muscle cramps in the lower extremities.
C. Numbness and tingling around the mouth.
D. Carpal spasm after inflating a blood pressure cuff.
Answer: D
Rationale: Trousseau’s sign is a carpal spasm induced by inflating a BP cuff above systolic
pressure for a few minutes, indicating hypocalcemia.
7. A client is 24 hours post-abdominal surgery. Which assessment finding
requires immediate intervention?
A. Absence of bowel sounds
B. Serosanguinous drainage on the dressing
C. A ‘popping’ sensation during a cough
D. Urine output of 120 mL over 4 hours
Answer: C
Rationale: A ‘popping’ sensation often indicates wound dehiscence or evisceration, which
is a surgical emergency.
8. What is the primary purpose of using an incentive spirometer in the
postoperative period?
A. To increase thoracic muscle strength.
B. To prevent the development of atelectasis.
C. To measure the client’s forced expiratory volume.
D. To decrease the need for supplemental oxygen.
Answer: B
Quiz 2026 |WCU
1. A nurse is caring for a postoperative client who has become restless and
confused. What is the priority nursing action?
A. Apply soft wrist restraints for safety.
B. Administer the prescribed PRN sedative.
C. Notify the healthcare provider immediately.
D. Check the client’s oxygen saturation levels.
Answer: D
Rationale: Restlessness and confusion are early signs of hypoxia. Using the ABC (Airway,
Breathing, Circulation) framework, the nurse must assess the client’s respiratory status
first.
2. A patient is admitted with a serum potassium level of 6.2 mEq/L. Which ECG
change should the nurse expect to observe?
A. Prominent U waves
B. Tall, peaked T waves
C. ST-segment depression
D. Prolonged QT interval
Answer: B
Rationale: Hyperkalemia (potassium > 5.0 mEq/L) commonly causes tall, peaked T waves,
widened QRS complexes, and potentially cardiac arrest.
,3. Which clinical manifestation is a late sign of hypovolemic shock?
A. Tachycardia
B. Cool, clammy skin
C. Hypotension
D. Decreased urine output
Answer: C
Rationale: The body compensates for fluid loss initially through tachycardia and
vasoconstriction; hypotension occurs only when compensatory mechanisms fail, marking a
late stage of shock.
4. The nurse is preparing to administer a medication to a patient. Which action
represents the most accurate method of patient identification?
A. Ask the patient to state their name and date of birth.
B. Check the room number against the medication record.
C. Call the patient by name to see if they respond.
D. Verify the patient’s identity with a family member.
Answer: A
Rationale: Standard safety protocol requires two independent identifiers, such as name
and date of birth, verified against the MAR and the client’s wristband.
5. A patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is receiving
oxygen. Why is it critical for the nurse to avoid high concentrations of oxygen in
this patient?
A. High oxygen levels can suppress the hypoxic drive to breathe.
B. Oxygen toxicity can lead to immediate blindness.
C. High oxygen levels cause excessive metabolic acidosis.
D. Oxygen acts as a sedative in chronic respiratory failure.
Answer: A
, Rationale: In some COPD patients with chronic hypercapnia, the stimulus to breathe is low
oxygen rather than high CO2. Providing too much oxygen can decrease the respiratory rate.
6. When assessing a client for Trousseau’s sign, the nurse should observe for
which of the following?
A. Facial twitching when the cheek is tapped.
B. Muscle cramps in the lower extremities.
C. Numbness and tingling around the mouth.
D. Carpal spasm after inflating a blood pressure cuff.
Answer: D
Rationale: Trousseau’s sign is a carpal spasm induced by inflating a BP cuff above systolic
pressure for a few minutes, indicating hypocalcemia.
7. A client is 24 hours post-abdominal surgery. Which assessment finding
requires immediate intervention?
A. Absence of bowel sounds
B. Serosanguinous drainage on the dressing
C. A ‘popping’ sensation during a cough
D. Urine output of 120 mL over 4 hours
Answer: C
Rationale: A ‘popping’ sensation often indicates wound dehiscence or evisceration, which
is a surgical emergency.
8. What is the primary purpose of using an incentive spirometer in the
postoperative period?
A. To increase thoracic muscle strength.
B. To prevent the development of atelectasis.
C. To measure the client’s forced expiratory volume.
D. To decrease the need for supplemental oxygen.
Answer: B
