Critical Care Nursing Exam 2026
COMPLETE REVISION QUESTIONS
AND CORRECT DETAILED ANSWERS
(VERIFIED ANSWERS) ALREADY
GRADED A+
1. In which decade did critical care units first emerge, leading to the development of
nursing specialties?
[Answer]: The 1970s.
2. Which professional organization is specifically for critical care nurses?
[Answer]: American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN).
3. What is the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) and who is it for?
[Answer]: A professional organization for doctors, respiratory therapists, nurses, and
other healthcare professionals involved in critical care.
4. According to national patient safety goals, how many patient identifiers are required?
[Answer]: Two identifiers.
5. Under JACO requirements, within what time frame must critical lab values or patient
status changes be communicated?
[Answer]: Within 1 hour.
6. What are the key medication safety practices in the ICU?
[Answer]: Follow the lines at the beginning of the shift, label bags, etc.
7. Why are medication pumps often loud in the ICU?
, [Answer]: Because medications are life-saving drugs (LOUD = Life-saving drugs On
Unfailing Delivery), so high sound alerts are necessary.
8. What healthcare-associated infections are targeted for reduction in the ICU?
[Answer]: CAUTI (catheter-associated urinary tract infection) and CLABSI (central line-
associated bloodstream infection).
9. What safety risk does JACO require nurses to ask about on admission?
[Answer]: Suicide risk.
10. What procedure is performed to prevent complications associated with procedures?
[Answer]: "Time outs."
11. What are "bundles" in critical care?
[Answer]: A list of evidence-based guidelines to prevent something from occurring.
12. What are the two main components of a healthy work environment in the ICU?
[Answer]: Communication and collaboration.
13. How do communication and collaboration differ in the ICU setting?
[Answer]: Communication involves nurses, doctors, patients, and family talking with each
other; collaboration involves working with a multitude of different teams and workers.
14. List three trends and issues currently affecting the ICU.
[Answer]: Burnout is common; nurses are getting older; new technology; moving
patients off ICU sooner; more inexperienced nurses coming onto the floor. (Any three.)
15. What should a nurse do when a patient has many lines/devices and the family wants to
see them?
[Answer]: Provide education by explaining what is happening, what to expect, and what
things do, to help eliminate fear.
16. What type of sensory environment is common in the ICU?
, [Answer]: Sensory overload.
17. What are the three environmental factors mentioned in critical care?
[Answer]: Sensory overload, lighting, design.
18. What ICU environmental factor creates a high risk for delirium?
[Answer]: Sensory overload (pumps going off, ventilators dinging, constant monitoring
beeps).
19. What is the problem with lighting in the ICU, and what is the recommendation?
[Answer]: Lighting is artificial and poor; use natural lighting when possible.
20. Describe the ideal design of an ICU room.
[Answer]: Huge rooms to accommodate equipment and family, with large windows that
can be opened during the day.
21. What is a key patient stressor in the critically ill patient?
[Answer]: Pain is a big stressor; also being disoriented upon waking.
22. What should you do to reorient a patient waking up in the ICU?
[Answer]: Say, "Hi, my name is [name], I'm your nurse. You are at [hospital name]."
23. Why is discharge from the ICU scary for patients?
[Answer]: Because they no longer have the same one-on-one continuous monitoring.
24. What lifespan consideration applies to patients over 65 in the ICU?
[Answer]: One-third of all patients over 65 in the ICU will die within 6 months.
25. True or false: A large portion of patients in the ICU leave with PTSD.
[Answer]: True.
26. List the five family needs when a member is in the ICU.
, [Answer]: Receiving assurance, remaining near the patient, receiving information, being
comfortable, having support available.
27. What does "receiving assurance" mean for families?
[Answer]: Assurance that the healthcare team is doing everything possible, based on the
patient's wishes, to help them get better or be discharged.
28. How does family presence near the patient benefit the patient?
[Answer]: It reduces delirium for the patient.
29. What should you offer a family member to make them comfortable in the ICU?
[Answer]: Coffee, water, blankets, etc.
30. How can you provide support to a family who expresses financial concerns?
[Answer]: Get a social worker, chaplain, or other appropriate support.
31. List four family interventions for the critically ill patient.
[Answer]: Facilitate visitation, provide information, encourage family involvement in
patient care, allow presence during procedures.
32. When should family NOT be present during a procedure?
[Answer]: During sterile procedures. They should go to the waiting room and be called
back when done.
33. During a code, should family be allowed to stay if they wish?
[Answer]: Yes.
34. Which two groups are generally advised not to visit ICU patients?
[Answer]: Children (due to germs/infections) and immunocompromised individuals.
35. What does the VALUE mnemonic stand for?
[Answer]: Value what the family tells you; Acknowledge family emotions; Listen to family
members; Understand the patient as a person; Elicit questions from family members.
COMPLETE REVISION QUESTIONS
AND CORRECT DETAILED ANSWERS
(VERIFIED ANSWERS) ALREADY
GRADED A+
1. In which decade did critical care units first emerge, leading to the development of
nursing specialties?
[Answer]: The 1970s.
2. Which professional organization is specifically for critical care nurses?
[Answer]: American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN).
3. What is the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) and who is it for?
[Answer]: A professional organization for doctors, respiratory therapists, nurses, and
other healthcare professionals involved in critical care.
4. According to national patient safety goals, how many patient identifiers are required?
[Answer]: Two identifiers.
5. Under JACO requirements, within what time frame must critical lab values or patient
status changes be communicated?
[Answer]: Within 1 hour.
6. What are the key medication safety practices in the ICU?
[Answer]: Follow the lines at the beginning of the shift, label bags, etc.
7. Why are medication pumps often loud in the ICU?
, [Answer]: Because medications are life-saving drugs (LOUD = Life-saving drugs On
Unfailing Delivery), so high sound alerts are necessary.
8. What healthcare-associated infections are targeted for reduction in the ICU?
[Answer]: CAUTI (catheter-associated urinary tract infection) and CLABSI (central line-
associated bloodstream infection).
9. What safety risk does JACO require nurses to ask about on admission?
[Answer]: Suicide risk.
10. What procedure is performed to prevent complications associated with procedures?
[Answer]: "Time outs."
11. What are "bundles" in critical care?
[Answer]: A list of evidence-based guidelines to prevent something from occurring.
12. What are the two main components of a healthy work environment in the ICU?
[Answer]: Communication and collaboration.
13. How do communication and collaboration differ in the ICU setting?
[Answer]: Communication involves nurses, doctors, patients, and family talking with each
other; collaboration involves working with a multitude of different teams and workers.
14. List three trends and issues currently affecting the ICU.
[Answer]: Burnout is common; nurses are getting older; new technology; moving
patients off ICU sooner; more inexperienced nurses coming onto the floor. (Any three.)
15. What should a nurse do when a patient has many lines/devices and the family wants to
see them?
[Answer]: Provide education by explaining what is happening, what to expect, and what
things do, to help eliminate fear.
16. What type of sensory environment is common in the ICU?
, [Answer]: Sensory overload.
17. What are the three environmental factors mentioned in critical care?
[Answer]: Sensory overload, lighting, design.
18. What ICU environmental factor creates a high risk for delirium?
[Answer]: Sensory overload (pumps going off, ventilators dinging, constant monitoring
beeps).
19. What is the problem with lighting in the ICU, and what is the recommendation?
[Answer]: Lighting is artificial and poor; use natural lighting when possible.
20. Describe the ideal design of an ICU room.
[Answer]: Huge rooms to accommodate equipment and family, with large windows that
can be opened during the day.
21. What is a key patient stressor in the critically ill patient?
[Answer]: Pain is a big stressor; also being disoriented upon waking.
22. What should you do to reorient a patient waking up in the ICU?
[Answer]: Say, "Hi, my name is [name], I'm your nurse. You are at [hospital name]."
23. Why is discharge from the ICU scary for patients?
[Answer]: Because they no longer have the same one-on-one continuous monitoring.
24. What lifespan consideration applies to patients over 65 in the ICU?
[Answer]: One-third of all patients over 65 in the ICU will die within 6 months.
25. True or false: A large portion of patients in the ICU leave with PTSD.
[Answer]: True.
26. List the five family needs when a member is in the ICU.
, [Answer]: Receiving assurance, remaining near the patient, receiving information, being
comfortable, having support available.
27. What does "receiving assurance" mean for families?
[Answer]: Assurance that the healthcare team is doing everything possible, based on the
patient's wishes, to help them get better or be discharged.
28. How does family presence near the patient benefit the patient?
[Answer]: It reduces delirium for the patient.
29. What should you offer a family member to make them comfortable in the ICU?
[Answer]: Coffee, water, blankets, etc.
30. How can you provide support to a family who expresses financial concerns?
[Answer]: Get a social worker, chaplain, or other appropriate support.
31. List four family interventions for the critically ill patient.
[Answer]: Facilitate visitation, provide information, encourage family involvement in
patient care, allow presence during procedures.
32. When should family NOT be present during a procedure?
[Answer]: During sterile procedures. They should go to the waiting room and be called
back when done.
33. During a code, should family be allowed to stay if they wish?
[Answer]: Yes.
34. Which two groups are generally advised not to visit ICU patients?
[Answer]: Children (due to germs/infections) and immunocompromised individuals.
35. What does the VALUE mnemonic stand for?
[Answer]: Value what the family tells you; Acknowledge family emotions; Listen to family
members; Understand the patient as a person; Elicit questions from family members.
