1
HESI PN Pediatrics (PEDS) EXAM
PRACTICE QUESTIONS WITH
SOLUTIONS 2026/2027
A 3-year-old client with sickle cell anemia is admitted to the Emergency
Department with abdominal pain. The nurse palpates an enlarged liver, an x-ray
reveals an enlarged spleen, and a CBC reveals anemia. These findings indicate
which type of crisis?
A. Aplastic.
B. Sequestration.
C. Hyperhemolytic.
D. Vaso-occlusive. - correct-answer - B. Sequestration.
To assess the effectiveness of an analgesic administered to a 4-year-old, what
intervention is best for the nurse to implement?
A. Use a happy-face/sad-face pain scale.
B. Ask the mother if she thinks the analgesic is working.
C. Assess for changes in the child's vital signs.
D. Teach the child to point to a numeric pain scale. - correct-answer - A. Use a
happy-face/sad-face pain scale.
In developing a teaching plan for a 5-year-old child with diabetes, which
component of diabetic management should the nurse plan for the child to
manage first?
A. Food planning and selection.
, 2
B. Administering insulin injections.
C. Process of glucose testing.
D. Drawing up the correct insulin dose. - correct-answer - C. Process of glucose
testing.
A 17-year-old male student reports to the school clinic one morning for a
scheduled health exam. He tells the nurse that he just finished football practice
and is on his way to class. The nurse assesses his vital signs: temperature 100 F,
pulse 80, respirations 20, and blood pressure 122/82. What is the best action for
the nurse to take?
A. Tell the student to proceed directly to his regularly scheduled class.
B. Call the parent and suggest re-taking the student's temperature at home.
C. Give the student a glass of cool fluids, then retake his temperature.
D. Send the student to class, but re-verify his temperature after lunch. - correct-
answer - A. Tell the student to proceed directly to his regularly scheduled class.
The vital signs of a 4-year-old child with polyuria are: BP 80/40, Pulse 118, and
Respirations 24. The child's pedal pulses are present with a volume of +1, and no
edema is observed. What action should the nurse implement first?
A. Insert an indwelling urinary catheter.
B. Start an IV infusion of normal saline.
C. Send a specimen to the lab for urinalysis.
D. Document the child's vital signs and pulses. - correct-answer - B. Start an IV
infusion of normal saline.
A 3-week-old newborn is brought to the clinic for follow-up after a home birth.
The mother reports that her child bottle feeds for 5 minutes only and then falls
asleep. The nurse auscultates a loud murmur characteristic of a ventricular septal
defect (VSD), and finds the newborn is acyanotic with a respiratory rate of 64
breaths per minute. What instruction should the nurse provide the mother to
ensure the infant is receiving adequate intake? (Select all that apply.)
, 3
A. Monitor the the infant's weight and number of wet diapers per day.
B. Increase the infant's intake per feeding by 1 to 2 ounces per week.
C. Mix the dose of prophylactic antibiotic in a full bottle of formula.
D. Allow the infant to rest and refeed on demand or every 2 hours.
E. Use a softer nipple or increase the size of the nipple opening. - correct-answer -
A. Monitor the the infant's weight and number of wet diapers per day.
B. Increase the infant's intake per feeding by 1 to 2 ounces per week.
D. Allow the infant to rest and refeed on demand or every 2 hours.
E. Use a softer nipple or increase the size of the nipple opening.
When discussing discipline with the mother of a 4-year-old child, the nurse should
include which guideline?
A. Parental control should be consistent.
B. Children as young as 4 years rarely need reprimand or punishment.
C. Withdrawal of approval is effective.
D. Parents should enforce rigid rules to be followed without question. - correct-
answer - A. Parental control should be consistent.
Which action by the nurse is most helpful in communicating with a preschool-
aged child?
A. Speak clearly and directly to the child.
B. Use a doll to play and communicate.
C. Approach when a parent is not present.
D. Play a board game with the child. - correct-answer - B. Use a doll to play and
communicate.
The nurse is having difficulty communicating with a hospitalized 6-year-old child.
Which approach by the nurse is most helpful in establishing communication?
A. Engage the child through drawing pictures.
B. Suggest that the parent read a book to the child.
C. Provide paper and pencil for the child to keep a diary.
HESI PN Pediatrics (PEDS) EXAM
PRACTICE QUESTIONS WITH
SOLUTIONS 2026/2027
A 3-year-old client with sickle cell anemia is admitted to the Emergency
Department with abdominal pain. The nurse palpates an enlarged liver, an x-ray
reveals an enlarged spleen, and a CBC reveals anemia. These findings indicate
which type of crisis?
A. Aplastic.
B. Sequestration.
C. Hyperhemolytic.
D. Vaso-occlusive. - correct-answer - B. Sequestration.
To assess the effectiveness of an analgesic administered to a 4-year-old, what
intervention is best for the nurse to implement?
A. Use a happy-face/sad-face pain scale.
B. Ask the mother if she thinks the analgesic is working.
C. Assess for changes in the child's vital signs.
D. Teach the child to point to a numeric pain scale. - correct-answer - A. Use a
happy-face/sad-face pain scale.
In developing a teaching plan for a 5-year-old child with diabetes, which
component of diabetic management should the nurse plan for the child to
manage first?
A. Food planning and selection.
, 2
B. Administering insulin injections.
C. Process of glucose testing.
D. Drawing up the correct insulin dose. - correct-answer - C. Process of glucose
testing.
A 17-year-old male student reports to the school clinic one morning for a
scheduled health exam. He tells the nurse that he just finished football practice
and is on his way to class. The nurse assesses his vital signs: temperature 100 F,
pulse 80, respirations 20, and blood pressure 122/82. What is the best action for
the nurse to take?
A. Tell the student to proceed directly to his regularly scheduled class.
B. Call the parent and suggest re-taking the student's temperature at home.
C. Give the student a glass of cool fluids, then retake his temperature.
D. Send the student to class, but re-verify his temperature after lunch. - correct-
answer - A. Tell the student to proceed directly to his regularly scheduled class.
The vital signs of a 4-year-old child with polyuria are: BP 80/40, Pulse 118, and
Respirations 24. The child's pedal pulses are present with a volume of +1, and no
edema is observed. What action should the nurse implement first?
A. Insert an indwelling urinary catheter.
B. Start an IV infusion of normal saline.
C. Send a specimen to the lab for urinalysis.
D. Document the child's vital signs and pulses. - correct-answer - B. Start an IV
infusion of normal saline.
A 3-week-old newborn is brought to the clinic for follow-up after a home birth.
The mother reports that her child bottle feeds for 5 minutes only and then falls
asleep. The nurse auscultates a loud murmur characteristic of a ventricular septal
defect (VSD), and finds the newborn is acyanotic with a respiratory rate of 64
breaths per minute. What instruction should the nurse provide the mother to
ensure the infant is receiving adequate intake? (Select all that apply.)
, 3
A. Monitor the the infant's weight and number of wet diapers per day.
B. Increase the infant's intake per feeding by 1 to 2 ounces per week.
C. Mix the dose of prophylactic antibiotic in a full bottle of formula.
D. Allow the infant to rest and refeed on demand or every 2 hours.
E. Use a softer nipple or increase the size of the nipple opening. - correct-answer -
A. Monitor the the infant's weight and number of wet diapers per day.
B. Increase the infant's intake per feeding by 1 to 2 ounces per week.
D. Allow the infant to rest and refeed on demand or every 2 hours.
E. Use a softer nipple or increase the size of the nipple opening.
When discussing discipline with the mother of a 4-year-old child, the nurse should
include which guideline?
A. Parental control should be consistent.
B. Children as young as 4 years rarely need reprimand or punishment.
C. Withdrawal of approval is effective.
D. Parents should enforce rigid rules to be followed without question. - correct-
answer - A. Parental control should be consistent.
Which action by the nurse is most helpful in communicating with a preschool-
aged child?
A. Speak clearly and directly to the child.
B. Use a doll to play and communicate.
C. Approach when a parent is not present.
D. Play a board game with the child. - correct-answer - B. Use a doll to play and
communicate.
The nurse is having difficulty communicating with a hospitalized 6-year-old child.
Which approach by the nurse is most helpful in establishing communication?
A. Engage the child through drawing pictures.
B. Suggest that the parent read a book to the child.
C. Provide paper and pencil for the child to keep a diary.
