DURHAM COLLEGE
NURS 2528 - Medical-Surgical Nursing
QUIZ 1: QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
2026 UPDATE | SOLVED 100% CORRECT
Fluid, Electrolyte & Acid-Base Balance
Perioperative Nursing & Pain Management
Infection Control, Asepsis & Wound Care
Oxygenation, Clinical Judgment & 2026 Updates
40 Questions | Complete Answer Key | Grading Rubric
Aligned with CNO Standards & Durham College NURS 2528 Curriculum
,NURS 2528 Quiz 1 | Durham College | 2026 Update SOLVED 100% CORRECT
PART 1: EXAMINATION QUESTIONS
Section 1: Fluid, Electrolyte, & Acid-Base Balance
Q1: A 68-year-old patient is admitted with dehydration. Assessment reveals dry mucous
membranes, decreased skin turgor, and orthostatic hypotension. The patient's serum sodium is 150
mEq/L. Which fluid imbalance does this presentation most likely indicate?
A. Fluid volume deficit with hypernatremia
B. Fluid volume excess with hyponatremia
C. Fluid volume deficit with hyponatremia
D. Fluid volume excess with hypernatremia
Q2: A patient with heart failure is receiving furosemide (Lasix) IV. Which electrolyte imbalance
should the nurse anticipate and monitor for as a priority?
A. Hypercalcemia
B. Hyperkalemia
C. Hypokalemia
D. Hypermagnesemia
Q3: The nurse reviews the following arterial blood gas (ABG) results: pH 7.32, PaCO2 48 mmHg,
HCO3- 24 mEq/L. Which acid-base imbalance do these values indicate?
A. Respiratory alkalosis
B. Metabolic acidosis
C. Respiratory acidosis
D. Metabolic alkalosis
Q4: A 55-year-old patient with severe vomiting has the following lab values: Na+ 138 mEq/L, K+ 2.8
mEq/L, Cl- 92 mEq/L. Which nursing intervention is the highest priority based on these findings?
A. Initiate seizure precautions
B. Assess for cardiac dysrhythmias and obtain an ECG
C. Restrict fluid intake to 500 mL per shift
D. Administer hypertonic saline intravenously
Q5: A patient receives IV fluids at 125 mL/hr. The IV bag contains 500 mL of normal saline. How
long will it take for this bag to infuse completely?
A. 6 hours
B. 4 hours
C. 3 hours
D. 8 hours
Q6: The nurse is assessing a patient with suspected fluid volume excess (FVE). Which clinical
manifestation is most consistent with this condition?
A. Flat neck veins when sitting at 45 degrees
B. Decreased blood pressure and weak, thready pulse
Durham College - NURS 2528 Medical-Surgical Nursing Page 2
, NURS 2528 Quiz 1 | Durham College | 2026 Update SOLVED 100% CORRECT
C. Crackles in the lungs on auscultation and bounding pulse
D. Dry, cracked skin and sunken eyeballs
Q7: A patient's ABG results are: pH 7.48, PaCO2 42 mmHg, HCO3- 32 mEq/L. The nurse
interprets these results as which condition?
A. Partially compensated respiratory acidosis
B. Partially compensated metabolic alkalosis
C. Uncompensated metabolic acidosis
D. Fully compensated respiratory alkalosis
Q8: A patient with chronic kidney disease presents with muscle weakness, paresthesias, and a serum
potassium of 6.5 mEq/L. Which medication should the nurse prepare to administer as a priority?
A. Potassium chloride IV infusion
B. Regular insulin and 50% dextrose IV push
C. Calcium gluconate IV
D. Sodium bicarbonate IV
Q9: The nurse is caring for a postoperative patient who has a nasogastric tube connected to suction.
The nurse should monitor the patient for which electrolyte imbalance as a result of this therapy?
A. Hypernatremia
B. Hypocalcemia
C. Hypokalemia and metabolic alkalosis
D. Hypermagnesemia
Q10: According to 2026 smart-pump IV safety standards, which feature is most critical for
preventing adverse IV events in fluid and electrolyte management?
A. Manual calculation of drip rates by the nurse
B. Dose error reduction software (DERS) with hard and soft limits
C. Increasing the IV flow rate to compensate for delays
D. Using gravity-driven drip systems exclusively
Durham College - NURS 2528 Medical-Surgical Nursing Page 3
NURS 2528 - Medical-Surgical Nursing
QUIZ 1: QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
2026 UPDATE | SOLVED 100% CORRECT
Fluid, Electrolyte & Acid-Base Balance
Perioperative Nursing & Pain Management
Infection Control, Asepsis & Wound Care
Oxygenation, Clinical Judgment & 2026 Updates
40 Questions | Complete Answer Key | Grading Rubric
Aligned with CNO Standards & Durham College NURS 2528 Curriculum
,NURS 2528 Quiz 1 | Durham College | 2026 Update SOLVED 100% CORRECT
PART 1: EXAMINATION QUESTIONS
Section 1: Fluid, Electrolyte, & Acid-Base Balance
Q1: A 68-year-old patient is admitted with dehydration. Assessment reveals dry mucous
membranes, decreased skin turgor, and orthostatic hypotension. The patient's serum sodium is 150
mEq/L. Which fluid imbalance does this presentation most likely indicate?
A. Fluid volume deficit with hypernatremia
B. Fluid volume excess with hyponatremia
C. Fluid volume deficit with hyponatremia
D. Fluid volume excess with hypernatremia
Q2: A patient with heart failure is receiving furosemide (Lasix) IV. Which electrolyte imbalance
should the nurse anticipate and monitor for as a priority?
A. Hypercalcemia
B. Hyperkalemia
C. Hypokalemia
D. Hypermagnesemia
Q3: The nurse reviews the following arterial blood gas (ABG) results: pH 7.32, PaCO2 48 mmHg,
HCO3- 24 mEq/L. Which acid-base imbalance do these values indicate?
A. Respiratory alkalosis
B. Metabolic acidosis
C. Respiratory acidosis
D. Metabolic alkalosis
Q4: A 55-year-old patient with severe vomiting has the following lab values: Na+ 138 mEq/L, K+ 2.8
mEq/L, Cl- 92 mEq/L. Which nursing intervention is the highest priority based on these findings?
A. Initiate seizure precautions
B. Assess for cardiac dysrhythmias and obtain an ECG
C. Restrict fluid intake to 500 mL per shift
D. Administer hypertonic saline intravenously
Q5: A patient receives IV fluids at 125 mL/hr. The IV bag contains 500 mL of normal saline. How
long will it take for this bag to infuse completely?
A. 6 hours
B. 4 hours
C. 3 hours
D. 8 hours
Q6: The nurse is assessing a patient with suspected fluid volume excess (FVE). Which clinical
manifestation is most consistent with this condition?
A. Flat neck veins when sitting at 45 degrees
B. Decreased blood pressure and weak, thready pulse
Durham College - NURS 2528 Medical-Surgical Nursing Page 2
, NURS 2528 Quiz 1 | Durham College | 2026 Update SOLVED 100% CORRECT
C. Crackles in the lungs on auscultation and bounding pulse
D. Dry, cracked skin and sunken eyeballs
Q7: A patient's ABG results are: pH 7.48, PaCO2 42 mmHg, HCO3- 32 mEq/L. The nurse
interprets these results as which condition?
A. Partially compensated respiratory acidosis
B. Partially compensated metabolic alkalosis
C. Uncompensated metabolic acidosis
D. Fully compensated respiratory alkalosis
Q8: A patient with chronic kidney disease presents with muscle weakness, paresthesias, and a serum
potassium of 6.5 mEq/L. Which medication should the nurse prepare to administer as a priority?
A. Potassium chloride IV infusion
B. Regular insulin and 50% dextrose IV push
C. Calcium gluconate IV
D. Sodium bicarbonate IV
Q9: The nurse is caring for a postoperative patient who has a nasogastric tube connected to suction.
The nurse should monitor the patient for which electrolyte imbalance as a result of this therapy?
A. Hypernatremia
B. Hypocalcemia
C. Hypokalemia and metabolic alkalosis
D. Hypermagnesemia
Q10: According to 2026 smart-pump IV safety standards, which feature is most critical for
preventing adverse IV events in fluid and electrolyte management?
A. Manual calculation of drip rates by the nurse
B. Dose error reduction software (DERS) with hard and soft limits
C. Increasing the IV flow rate to compensate for delays
D. Using gravity-driven drip systems exclusively
Durham College - NURS 2528 Medical-Surgical Nursing Page 3
