,DaVita Final Exam (RN) | Comprehensive Study Guide |
Questions and Answers + Expert Rationales | 2026/27 Updated |
100% Pass Guarantee
1. When dialyzing a patient with acute kidney injury, one task of the patient
care teammates is to monitor blood pressure and weight closely. Why is it
important?
A. To ensure the patient is comfortable during treatment
B. To prevent infection at the access site
C. Hypovolemia and hypotensive episodes can cause renal ischemia and can
further damage the kidneys (✔ Correct Answer)
D. To determine when the patient can be discharged
Expert Rationale: In acute kidney injury (AKI), the kidneys are already compromised.
Hypotension and hypovolemia reduce renal perfusion, leading to ischemia and
potentially irreversible damage. Monitoring BP and weight helps prevent further
injury by guiding fluid management and early intervention.
2. CKD can have its origin pre-renal, intra-renal, or post-renal. Which of the
following conditions is an intra-renal cause of CKD?
A. Renal artery stenosis
B. Hypertension (✔ Correct Answer)
C. Kidney stones
D. Benign prostatic hyperplasia
Expert Rationale: Intra-renal causes originate within the kidney tissue itself.
Hypertension causes damage to the glomeruli and small blood vessels within the
kidney, leading to nephrosclerosis. Renal artery stenosis is pre-renal, while stones
and BPH are post-renal.
3. Knowing what caused your patient's CKD:
A. Is not relevant to dialysis treatment
,B. Is important only for legal documentation
C. Is important because the underlying disease could cause health
complications that can impact the dialysis treatment (✔ Correct Answer)
D. Only matters for the patient's family history
Expert Rationale: The underlying etiology of CKD (e.g., diabetes, hypertension,
glomerulonephritis) directly affects the patient's overall health and can influence
dialysis management. For example, diabetic patients may have autonomic
neuropathy affecting BP response, and cardiac disease increases intradialytic risk.
4. When a PCT documents the extent of a patient's edema, for example as "+3":
A. The PCT is performing an assessment which is not allowed legally (✔ Correct
Answer)
B. The PCT is correctly documenting objective findings
C. The PCT is following DaVita policy
D. The PCT is assisting the nurse appropriately
Expert Rationale: In most states and under DaVita policy, PCTs are not legally
permitted to perform independent assessments. Documenting edema severity (e.g.,
+3) involves clinical judgment and interpretation, which falls under the scope of
licensed nursing practice. PCTs may report observations but should not assign
grades.
5. When a patient has an irregular heartbeat:
A. The automatic BP reading is more accurate
B. The automatic BP reading may not be accurate (✔ Correct Answer)
C. The automatic BP reading should be ignored completely
D. The automatic BP reading is always accurate
Expert Rationale: Automated oscillometric BP devices assume a regular cardiac
rhythm for accurate readings. Arrhythmias (e.g., atrial fibrillation) cause beat-to-beat
variability, leading to inaccurate or error readings. Manual auscultation is preferred in
these patients.
, 6. Which of the following is a data collection?
A. The patient appears pale
B. The patient reports feeling dizzy
C. HR 72 (✔ Correct Answer)
D. The patient is anxious
Expert Rationale: Data collection in the clinical setting refers to measurable,
objective information. "HR 72" is a quantifiable vital sign. The other options are
subjective complaints or observations requiring interpretation, which constitute
assessment rather than raw data.
7. At what time should the post-treatment data collection be completed?
A. 15 minutes before treatment ends
B. At the beginning of treatment
C. After the treatment has been completed (✔ Correct Answer)
D. During the middle of treatment
Expert Rationale: Post-treatment data collection (e.g., post-BUN, final vital signs,
weight) must be performed after the treatment has fully concluded to accurately
reflect the patient's response to dialysis and to guide subsequent treatments.
8. The "A" in SMART communication stands for:
A. Accurate
B. Actual – just report the facts (✔ Correct Answer)
C. Actionable
D. Appropriate
Expert Rationale: In the SMART communication framework (used in healthcare
handoffs), "A" stands for "Actual" – meaning the communicator should report only
factual, observable information without interpretation, opinion, or assumption. This
reduces miscommunication and errors.
9. Which of the following events is defined as a near miss?
A. A patient falls during treatment
B. A patient receives the wrong medication
Questions and Answers + Expert Rationales | 2026/27 Updated |
100% Pass Guarantee
1. When dialyzing a patient with acute kidney injury, one task of the patient
care teammates is to monitor blood pressure and weight closely. Why is it
important?
A. To ensure the patient is comfortable during treatment
B. To prevent infection at the access site
C. Hypovolemia and hypotensive episodes can cause renal ischemia and can
further damage the kidneys (✔ Correct Answer)
D. To determine when the patient can be discharged
Expert Rationale: In acute kidney injury (AKI), the kidneys are already compromised.
Hypotension and hypovolemia reduce renal perfusion, leading to ischemia and
potentially irreversible damage. Monitoring BP and weight helps prevent further
injury by guiding fluid management and early intervention.
2. CKD can have its origin pre-renal, intra-renal, or post-renal. Which of the
following conditions is an intra-renal cause of CKD?
A. Renal artery stenosis
B. Hypertension (✔ Correct Answer)
C. Kidney stones
D. Benign prostatic hyperplasia
Expert Rationale: Intra-renal causes originate within the kidney tissue itself.
Hypertension causes damage to the glomeruli and small blood vessels within the
kidney, leading to nephrosclerosis. Renal artery stenosis is pre-renal, while stones
and BPH are post-renal.
3. Knowing what caused your patient's CKD:
A. Is not relevant to dialysis treatment
,B. Is important only for legal documentation
C. Is important because the underlying disease could cause health
complications that can impact the dialysis treatment (✔ Correct Answer)
D. Only matters for the patient's family history
Expert Rationale: The underlying etiology of CKD (e.g., diabetes, hypertension,
glomerulonephritis) directly affects the patient's overall health and can influence
dialysis management. For example, diabetic patients may have autonomic
neuropathy affecting BP response, and cardiac disease increases intradialytic risk.
4. When a PCT documents the extent of a patient's edema, for example as "+3":
A. The PCT is performing an assessment which is not allowed legally (✔ Correct
Answer)
B. The PCT is correctly documenting objective findings
C. The PCT is following DaVita policy
D. The PCT is assisting the nurse appropriately
Expert Rationale: In most states and under DaVita policy, PCTs are not legally
permitted to perform independent assessments. Documenting edema severity (e.g.,
+3) involves clinical judgment and interpretation, which falls under the scope of
licensed nursing practice. PCTs may report observations but should not assign
grades.
5. When a patient has an irregular heartbeat:
A. The automatic BP reading is more accurate
B. The automatic BP reading may not be accurate (✔ Correct Answer)
C. The automatic BP reading should be ignored completely
D. The automatic BP reading is always accurate
Expert Rationale: Automated oscillometric BP devices assume a regular cardiac
rhythm for accurate readings. Arrhythmias (e.g., atrial fibrillation) cause beat-to-beat
variability, leading to inaccurate or error readings. Manual auscultation is preferred in
these patients.
, 6. Which of the following is a data collection?
A. The patient appears pale
B. The patient reports feeling dizzy
C. HR 72 (✔ Correct Answer)
D. The patient is anxious
Expert Rationale: Data collection in the clinical setting refers to measurable,
objective information. "HR 72" is a quantifiable vital sign. The other options are
subjective complaints or observations requiring interpretation, which constitute
assessment rather than raw data.
7. At what time should the post-treatment data collection be completed?
A. 15 minutes before treatment ends
B. At the beginning of treatment
C. After the treatment has been completed (✔ Correct Answer)
D. During the middle of treatment
Expert Rationale: Post-treatment data collection (e.g., post-BUN, final vital signs,
weight) must be performed after the treatment has fully concluded to accurately
reflect the patient's response to dialysis and to guide subsequent treatments.
8. The "A" in SMART communication stands for:
A. Accurate
B. Actual – just report the facts (✔ Correct Answer)
C. Actionable
D. Appropriate
Expert Rationale: In the SMART communication framework (used in healthcare
handoffs), "A" stands for "Actual" – meaning the communicator should report only
factual, observable information without interpretation, opinion, or assumption. This
reduces miscommunication and errors.
9. Which of the following events is defined as a near miss?
A. A patient falls during treatment
B. A patient receives the wrong medication
