PROGRESSIVE CARE RN A FINAL EXAM 2026/2027
QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS RATED A+
✔✔You receive a patient from the emergency department with a fever, cough for 3
weeks, night chills, and fatigue. During the admission assessment the patient reports
recent travel out of the country. What should be your FIRST action? - ✔✔Notify the
provider, apply a mask to the patient, and transfer to a negative pressure room
✔✔Unstable angina is characterized by which of the following? - ✔✔Chest pain, usually
while at rest
✔✔The patient's lab test results indicate a BNP of 2,000 upon arrival to the ED. The
patient has been transferred to PCU. What treatment plan would you anticipate from the
attending provider? - ✔✔Furosemide 40 mg IV BID
✔✔Which of the following has been found to be linked to a diagnosis of endocarditis? -
✔✔Recent invasive dental procedures
✔✔Your patient is post-op day 3 after triple bypass surgery. Chest tubes have been
removed. The patient suddenly complains of palpitations. His blood pressure is 130/76
and heart rate is 140 bpm. What would you do NEXT? - ✔✔Immediately perform a
bedside EKG
✔✔What abnormal heart sound would you expect to hear in a patient with mitral
stenosis? - ✔✔Diastolic murmur
✔✔You are performing auscultation on your patient and note an absence of breath
sounds in the right lower lobe. Which of the following would you suspect? -
✔✔Pneumothorax
✔✔Which of the following are primary goals in diabetic ketoacidosis therapy? -
✔✔Correct fluid deficit and replace potassium
✔✔You receive an 84 year old patient from the ED with pneumonia. Antibiotics and
steroids have already been initiated by the provider. The patient complains of abdominal
pain and has a large, loose bowel movement and notifies you this is the third one. What
should you do FIRST? - ✔✔Initiate contact isolation precautions for possible C. difficile
✔✔You have completed a blood transfusion and are unsure of how to dispose of the
empty bag. What should you do? - ✔✔Locate the MSDS book to find policy and
procedures
✔✔Which of the following is an early indication of a stroke? - ✔✔Ptosis
, ✔✔Which of the following are clinical manifestations typically seen in a patient with left
ventricular failure? - ✔✔Dyspnea/distant heart sounds/bilateral crackles???
✔✔A patient is admitted to the PCU with COPD exacerbation. Which of the following
assessment findings would you expect to find knowing that the patient has been taking
prednisone 40 mg PO once daily for 18 years? - ✔✔Hyperglycemia
✔✔A 16 year old patient was admitted to the unit for asthma exacerbation. The patient
has a suicide attempt the previous shift and states "I want to die because I am being
bullied at school." Which of the following is the MOST important action? - ✔✔Place the
patient on suicide precautions to prevent a second suicide attempt
✔✔The provider has written an order for diltiazem 125 mg in 100 mL D5W at 10
mg/hour. The vial of diltiazem contains 5mg/mL. Which of the following is the correct
volume to add to the bag of D5W? - ✔✔25 mL
✔✔The provider has ordered a 24-hour urine collection for your patient. The patient
voids 275 cc, 2 hours after the order is given. This specimen should be: - ✔✔Discarded,
then begin collection with the next void
✔✔What acid-base imbalance would you expect to see in a patient with an acute kidney
injury? - ✔✔Metabolic acidosis
✔✔Your 28 year old patient is being discharged on warfarin 5 mg every evening after
being diagnosed with atrial fibrillation. Which of the following statements indicates a
need for further teaching? - ✔✔"I cant wait to get back to riding on my horse."
✔✔You are caring for an 80 year old male with advanced COPD with an oxygen
saturation level of 80%. Which of the following would you do to promote adequate
oxygen exchange? - ✔✔Use a high-flow venturi mask to deliver oxygen as ordered
✔✔You are caring for a patient that has returned from the cath lab post angioplasty.
Upon assessment, you note a large hematoma at the sheath site. Which of the following
would you do immediateley? - ✔✔Apply manual pressure to the site and call for help
✔✔Which of the following findings assist in the diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis? -
✔✔Positive D-dimer
✔✔The patient is presenting with a blood pressure of 90/60, a creatinine of 3.0 and
decreased urinary output. What is a possible cause for these findings? - ✔✔Acute
kidney injury
QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS RATED A+
✔✔You receive a patient from the emergency department with a fever, cough for 3
weeks, night chills, and fatigue. During the admission assessment the patient reports
recent travel out of the country. What should be your FIRST action? - ✔✔Notify the
provider, apply a mask to the patient, and transfer to a negative pressure room
✔✔Unstable angina is characterized by which of the following? - ✔✔Chest pain, usually
while at rest
✔✔The patient's lab test results indicate a BNP of 2,000 upon arrival to the ED. The
patient has been transferred to PCU. What treatment plan would you anticipate from the
attending provider? - ✔✔Furosemide 40 mg IV BID
✔✔Which of the following has been found to be linked to a diagnosis of endocarditis? -
✔✔Recent invasive dental procedures
✔✔Your patient is post-op day 3 after triple bypass surgery. Chest tubes have been
removed. The patient suddenly complains of palpitations. His blood pressure is 130/76
and heart rate is 140 bpm. What would you do NEXT? - ✔✔Immediately perform a
bedside EKG
✔✔What abnormal heart sound would you expect to hear in a patient with mitral
stenosis? - ✔✔Diastolic murmur
✔✔You are performing auscultation on your patient and note an absence of breath
sounds in the right lower lobe. Which of the following would you suspect? -
✔✔Pneumothorax
✔✔Which of the following are primary goals in diabetic ketoacidosis therapy? -
✔✔Correct fluid deficit and replace potassium
✔✔You receive an 84 year old patient from the ED with pneumonia. Antibiotics and
steroids have already been initiated by the provider. The patient complains of abdominal
pain and has a large, loose bowel movement and notifies you this is the third one. What
should you do FIRST? - ✔✔Initiate contact isolation precautions for possible C. difficile
✔✔You have completed a blood transfusion and are unsure of how to dispose of the
empty bag. What should you do? - ✔✔Locate the MSDS book to find policy and
procedures
✔✔Which of the following is an early indication of a stroke? - ✔✔Ptosis
, ✔✔Which of the following are clinical manifestations typically seen in a patient with left
ventricular failure? - ✔✔Dyspnea/distant heart sounds/bilateral crackles???
✔✔A patient is admitted to the PCU with COPD exacerbation. Which of the following
assessment findings would you expect to find knowing that the patient has been taking
prednisone 40 mg PO once daily for 18 years? - ✔✔Hyperglycemia
✔✔A 16 year old patient was admitted to the unit for asthma exacerbation. The patient
has a suicide attempt the previous shift and states "I want to die because I am being
bullied at school." Which of the following is the MOST important action? - ✔✔Place the
patient on suicide precautions to prevent a second suicide attempt
✔✔The provider has written an order for diltiazem 125 mg in 100 mL D5W at 10
mg/hour. The vial of diltiazem contains 5mg/mL. Which of the following is the correct
volume to add to the bag of D5W? - ✔✔25 mL
✔✔The provider has ordered a 24-hour urine collection for your patient. The patient
voids 275 cc, 2 hours after the order is given. This specimen should be: - ✔✔Discarded,
then begin collection with the next void
✔✔What acid-base imbalance would you expect to see in a patient with an acute kidney
injury? - ✔✔Metabolic acidosis
✔✔Your 28 year old patient is being discharged on warfarin 5 mg every evening after
being diagnosed with atrial fibrillation. Which of the following statements indicates a
need for further teaching? - ✔✔"I cant wait to get back to riding on my horse."
✔✔You are caring for an 80 year old male with advanced COPD with an oxygen
saturation level of 80%. Which of the following would you do to promote adequate
oxygen exchange? - ✔✔Use a high-flow venturi mask to deliver oxygen as ordered
✔✔You are caring for a patient that has returned from the cath lab post angioplasty.
Upon assessment, you note a large hematoma at the sheath site. Which of the following
would you do immediateley? - ✔✔Apply manual pressure to the site and call for help
✔✔Which of the following findings assist in the diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis? -
✔✔Positive D-dimer
✔✔The patient is presenting with a blood pressure of 90/60, a creatinine of 3.0 and
decreased urinary output. What is a possible cause for these findings? - ✔✔Acute
kidney injury
