CEN Exam Review Questions
A 3-year-old is brought in by caregivers with a history of intermittent episodes of abdominal pain where
the child screams, vomits, and flexes their knees up to the chest. On exam, there is no tenderness or
guarding in the abdomen, but a sausage-shaped mass is palpated in the right abdomen. Blood is noted
in the stool. The nurse should prepare for which intervention?
A: oil-retention enema
B: plain radiographs of the abdomen
C: CT of the abdomen
D: barium enema - Answer-Answer: D, barium enema
Rationale:
This patient is exhibiting signs of intussusception, which include episodes of acute, colicky abdominal
pain in which the child screams and flexes knees up towards the chest. The child usually vomits, and you
may feel a "sausage-shaped" mass in the right upper quadrant. Rectal blood or "currant jelly" stools
(blood and mucus in the stools) may be present. The appropriate intervention for a child with a probable
intussusception and no signs of bowel perforation/peritonitis is a contrast or air enema, which usually
reduces the mass
What is the best way to promote a successful family presence practice?
A: ensure that social services leads the practice
B: allow only immediate family to be present
C: secure administrative support
D: make it a facility requirement - Answer-Answer: C, secure administrative support
Rationale:
Once a clear and concise policy, procedure, or standard of care has been approved, administrative
support is recommended to ensure that the practice is a success. Monitoring of the practice and its
outcomes will provide evidence of its effectiveness
,Which of the following interventions would be appropriate for a patient who has just been diagnosed
with renal calculi?
A: apply ice to the flank area
B: surgical intervention
C: administer antiemetics
D: limit fluid intake - Answer-Answer: C, administer antiemetics
Rationale:
Patients with renal calculi tend to present with nausea and vomiting. Antiemetics affects the vomiting
center in the brain to decrease nausea and vomiting
A child presents complaining of difficulty urinating. During triage, the mother begins speaking in Spanish
and the adolescent sibling begins to translate for the mother. Which of the following is the most
appropriate nursing intervention to complete the patient assessment?
A: ask a spanish-speaking bilingual nurse to translate
B: allow the sibling to continue translating
C: access an internet translation service to type in questions
D: use the hospital phone translation service - Answer-Answer: D, use the hospital phone translation
services
Rationale:
A professional resource, such as a language phone line or hospital-approved interpreter is the best
method for achieving effective and accurate communication. Professional interpreters have been
evaluated for skill and fluency and have received additional training in the techniques involved in
accurate and culturally appropriate intepretation. Even though the interaction will be on the phone, not
in person, the medical interpretation will be more accurate
A patient brought by emergency medical services presents with aggression, making clear homicidal
threats. Which immediate intervention would be the priority for the staff?
A: administer antipsychotics to patient
B: place patient in one-to-one observation
, C: place patient in a seclusion room
D: place patient on restraints - Answer-Answer: C, place patient in a seclusion room
Rationale:
For violent and homicidal patients, it is prudent to remove them from the waiting room, from other
patients, and place them in a safe environment in order to decrease external stimuli. Once in this
seclusion room, the patient can then be undressed and searched for contraband and other dangerous
items. Once the patient is deemed safe, the nurse may begin the assessment process with therapeutic
interventions, which will include de-escalation techniques as needed
An adult patient complains of a papular, scaly, itchy rash that is most prominent in the webbing of the
fingers, groin, and axilla. Permethrin cream has been prescribed. How will the nurse instruct the patient
to apply the cream?
A: to affected areas once per day for three days
B: from head-to-toe only if the rash persists beyond a week
C: from head-to-toe, with a second application one week later
D: to affected areas as needed for itching - Answer-Answer: C, from head-to-toe, with a second
application one week later
Rationale:
This presentation is consistent with scabies, for which permethrin cream should be applied from head-
to-toe with two applications, one week apart
A patient presents following an incident with an acid splash to the eye. They report severe eye pain,
being unable to open their eye, with constant tearing. What is the nurse's first priority?
A: patch the affected eye
B: irrigation
C: visual acuity testing
D: test the eye for pH - Answer-Answer: B, irrigation
Rationale:
A 3-year-old is brought in by caregivers with a history of intermittent episodes of abdominal pain where
the child screams, vomits, and flexes their knees up to the chest. On exam, there is no tenderness or
guarding in the abdomen, but a sausage-shaped mass is palpated in the right abdomen. Blood is noted
in the stool. The nurse should prepare for which intervention?
A: oil-retention enema
B: plain radiographs of the abdomen
C: CT of the abdomen
D: barium enema - Answer-Answer: D, barium enema
Rationale:
This patient is exhibiting signs of intussusception, which include episodes of acute, colicky abdominal
pain in which the child screams and flexes knees up towards the chest. The child usually vomits, and you
may feel a "sausage-shaped" mass in the right upper quadrant. Rectal blood or "currant jelly" stools
(blood and mucus in the stools) may be present. The appropriate intervention for a child with a probable
intussusception and no signs of bowel perforation/peritonitis is a contrast or air enema, which usually
reduces the mass
What is the best way to promote a successful family presence practice?
A: ensure that social services leads the practice
B: allow only immediate family to be present
C: secure administrative support
D: make it a facility requirement - Answer-Answer: C, secure administrative support
Rationale:
Once a clear and concise policy, procedure, or standard of care has been approved, administrative
support is recommended to ensure that the practice is a success. Monitoring of the practice and its
outcomes will provide evidence of its effectiveness
,Which of the following interventions would be appropriate for a patient who has just been diagnosed
with renal calculi?
A: apply ice to the flank area
B: surgical intervention
C: administer antiemetics
D: limit fluid intake - Answer-Answer: C, administer antiemetics
Rationale:
Patients with renal calculi tend to present with nausea and vomiting. Antiemetics affects the vomiting
center in the brain to decrease nausea and vomiting
A child presents complaining of difficulty urinating. During triage, the mother begins speaking in Spanish
and the adolescent sibling begins to translate for the mother. Which of the following is the most
appropriate nursing intervention to complete the patient assessment?
A: ask a spanish-speaking bilingual nurse to translate
B: allow the sibling to continue translating
C: access an internet translation service to type in questions
D: use the hospital phone translation service - Answer-Answer: D, use the hospital phone translation
services
Rationale:
A professional resource, such as a language phone line or hospital-approved interpreter is the best
method for achieving effective and accurate communication. Professional interpreters have been
evaluated for skill and fluency and have received additional training in the techniques involved in
accurate and culturally appropriate intepretation. Even though the interaction will be on the phone, not
in person, the medical interpretation will be more accurate
A patient brought by emergency medical services presents with aggression, making clear homicidal
threats. Which immediate intervention would be the priority for the staff?
A: administer antipsychotics to patient
B: place patient in one-to-one observation
, C: place patient in a seclusion room
D: place patient on restraints - Answer-Answer: C, place patient in a seclusion room
Rationale:
For violent and homicidal patients, it is prudent to remove them from the waiting room, from other
patients, and place them in a safe environment in order to decrease external stimuli. Once in this
seclusion room, the patient can then be undressed and searched for contraband and other dangerous
items. Once the patient is deemed safe, the nurse may begin the assessment process with therapeutic
interventions, which will include de-escalation techniques as needed
An adult patient complains of a papular, scaly, itchy rash that is most prominent in the webbing of the
fingers, groin, and axilla. Permethrin cream has been prescribed. How will the nurse instruct the patient
to apply the cream?
A: to affected areas once per day for three days
B: from head-to-toe only if the rash persists beyond a week
C: from head-to-toe, with a second application one week later
D: to affected areas as needed for itching - Answer-Answer: C, from head-to-toe, with a second
application one week later
Rationale:
This presentation is consistent with scabies, for which permethrin cream should be applied from head-
to-toe with two applications, one week apart
A patient presents following an incident with an acid splash to the eye. They report severe eye pain,
being unable to open their eye, with constant tearing. What is the nurse's first priority?
A: patch the affected eye
B: irrigation
C: visual acuity testing
D: test the eye for pH - Answer-Answer: B, irrigation
Rationale:
