BSN 225 HESI RN SPECIALTY FUNDAMENTALS OF NURSING EXAM V1 – QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS | VERIFIED
AND WELL DETAILED ANSWERS | PLUS RATIONALES | GUARANTEED PASS | LATEST EXAM UPDATE
Core Domains:
Foundational Nursing Theories & Concepts
Patient Safety & Infection Control
Pharmacology & Medication Administration
Legal, Ethical, & Professional Standards
Physiological Integrity & Basic Care
Psychosocial Integrity & Therapeutic Communication
Health Promotion & Disease Prevention
Critical Thinking, Clinical Judgment, & Decision-Making
Fluid, Electrolyte, & Acid-Base Balance
Perioperative & Wound Care
Introduction
This comprehensive examination is meticulously designed to assess the fundamental knowledge, critical thinking, and
clinical judgment essential for success on the BSN 225 HESI RN Specialty Exam. The questions cover a broad spectrum
of core nursing domains, from foundational theory and pharmacological principles to legal-ethical standards and real-
world patient care scenarios. Each item challenges the student to apply theoretical knowledge to practical situations,
emphasizing safe, patient-centered care and evidence-based decision-making. The exam utilizes a multiple-choice,
scenario-based format to evaluate the student's readiness for professional nursing practice and to guarantee a
thorough preparation for the licensure examination.
,Section One: Questions 1 – 100
1. A nurse is preparing to administer a medication that is supplied in a multidose vial. Which action is most
appropriate to maintain patient safety?
A. Use the vial for multiple patients to reduce waste.
B. Clean the rubber stopper with an alcohol swab before each entry.
C. Discard the vial 48 hours after it is first opened.
D. Recap the needle after each use to prevent contamination.
🟢B
🔴 Explanation: The rubber stopper of a multidose vial must be cleansed with an alcohol swab prior to each entry to
reduce the risk of contaminating the vial's contents. Using a vial for multiple patients (A) is unsafe and can transmit
infection. A vial is typically discarded 24 hours after opening, not 48 (C). Recapping a needle (D) is an unsafe practice
that can lead to needlestick injuries.
2. A patient is postoperative day 1 following a total hip arthroplasty. Which nursing intervention is most
important to prevent a pulmonary embolism?
A. Administer prescribed anticoagulants as ordered.
B. Encourage deep breathing and coughing exercises every hour.
C. Apply sequential compression devices (SCDs) to the lower extremities.
D. Encourage the patient to perform ankle pumps and foot exercises.
🟢C
🔴 Explanation: While all options are important, the application of sequential compression devices (SCDs) is a
mechanical prophylaxis that is highly effective in preventing venous stasis and thus reducing the risk of deep vein
thrombosis (DVT) and subsequent pulmonary embolism in a postoperative, immobile patient. Anticoagulants (A) are
,chemical prophylaxis, but mechanical measures are a priority in the immediate postoperative period. Breathing
exercises (B) prevent atelectasis, not DVT. Ankle pumps (D) are active exercises, but the patient may be unable or
unwilling to perform them effectively, making SCDs a more reliable measure.
3. Which ethical principle is primarily upheld when a nurse respects a patient's right to refuse a life-saving blood
transfusion based on their religious beliefs?
A. Beneficence
B. Nonmaleficence
C. Autonomy
D. Justice
🟢C
🔴 Explanation: Autonomy is the ethical principle that respects a patient's right to self-determination and to make
their own decisions regarding their healthcare, even if those decisions may not be in their best medical interest.
Beneficence (A) is the duty to do good, which is overridden by autonomy in this case. Nonmaleficence (B) is the duty
to do no harm. Justice (D) refers to fairness in the distribution of resources.
4. A nurse is assessing a patient's level of consciousness using the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS). The patient opens
eyes to a painful stimulus, makes incomprehensible sounds, and withdraws from pain. What is the patient's GCS
score?
A. 7
B. 8
C. 9
D. 10
🟢C
🔴 Explanation: The GCS score is calculated by adding the best eye, verbal, and motor responses. Eye opening to
pain = 2. Incomprehensible sounds = 2. Withdrawal from pain = 4. The total score is 2+2+4 = 8.
, 5. A patient with heart failure is prescribed furosemide. Which laboratory value should the nurse monitor most
closely?
A. Serum sodium
B. Serum calcium
C. Serum potassium
D. Serum glucose
🟢C
🔴 Explanation: Furosemide is a loop diuretic that inhibits the reabsorption of sodium and potassium in the loop of
Henle, leading to increased potassium excretion in the urine. Hypokalemia is a significant and common adverse
effect that can lead to cardiac arrhythmias. While serum sodium (A) and calcium (B) can be affected, they are not the
primary concern. Serum glucose (D) is more relevant when monitoring corticosteroid or insulin therapy.
6. A nurse is preparing to change a patient's sterile wound dressing. After donning sterile gloves, the nurse
notices that the outer edge of the sterile field is damp. What is the most appropriate action?
A. Continue with the dressing change but avoid the damp area.
B. Place a sterile towel over the damp area to create a new field.
C. Open a new sterile field and start the procedure over.
D. Change only the sterile gloves and proceed.
🟢C
🔴 Explanation: A sterile field must be dry to maintain its sterility. Moisture can wick microorganisms from a non-
sterile surface into the sterile field through capillary action, contaminating it. Therefore, the only appropriate action
is to open a new sterile field and begin the procedure again. Continuing with the procedure (A), covering the area
(B), or only changing gloves (D) does not address the underlying contamination of the field.
7. A patient is experiencing acute pain following abdominal surgery. The nurse administers morphine sulfate 2
mg IV. Which assessment finding indicates the medication is therapeutically effective?
AND WELL DETAILED ANSWERS | PLUS RATIONALES | GUARANTEED PASS | LATEST EXAM UPDATE
Core Domains:
Foundational Nursing Theories & Concepts
Patient Safety & Infection Control
Pharmacology & Medication Administration
Legal, Ethical, & Professional Standards
Physiological Integrity & Basic Care
Psychosocial Integrity & Therapeutic Communication
Health Promotion & Disease Prevention
Critical Thinking, Clinical Judgment, & Decision-Making
Fluid, Electrolyte, & Acid-Base Balance
Perioperative & Wound Care
Introduction
This comprehensive examination is meticulously designed to assess the fundamental knowledge, critical thinking, and
clinical judgment essential for success on the BSN 225 HESI RN Specialty Exam. The questions cover a broad spectrum
of core nursing domains, from foundational theory and pharmacological principles to legal-ethical standards and real-
world patient care scenarios. Each item challenges the student to apply theoretical knowledge to practical situations,
emphasizing safe, patient-centered care and evidence-based decision-making. The exam utilizes a multiple-choice,
scenario-based format to evaluate the student's readiness for professional nursing practice and to guarantee a
thorough preparation for the licensure examination.
,Section One: Questions 1 – 100
1. A nurse is preparing to administer a medication that is supplied in a multidose vial. Which action is most
appropriate to maintain patient safety?
A. Use the vial for multiple patients to reduce waste.
B. Clean the rubber stopper with an alcohol swab before each entry.
C. Discard the vial 48 hours after it is first opened.
D. Recap the needle after each use to prevent contamination.
🟢B
🔴 Explanation: The rubber stopper of a multidose vial must be cleansed with an alcohol swab prior to each entry to
reduce the risk of contaminating the vial's contents. Using a vial for multiple patients (A) is unsafe and can transmit
infection. A vial is typically discarded 24 hours after opening, not 48 (C). Recapping a needle (D) is an unsafe practice
that can lead to needlestick injuries.
2. A patient is postoperative day 1 following a total hip arthroplasty. Which nursing intervention is most
important to prevent a pulmonary embolism?
A. Administer prescribed anticoagulants as ordered.
B. Encourage deep breathing and coughing exercises every hour.
C. Apply sequential compression devices (SCDs) to the lower extremities.
D. Encourage the patient to perform ankle pumps and foot exercises.
🟢C
🔴 Explanation: While all options are important, the application of sequential compression devices (SCDs) is a
mechanical prophylaxis that is highly effective in preventing venous stasis and thus reducing the risk of deep vein
thrombosis (DVT) and subsequent pulmonary embolism in a postoperative, immobile patient. Anticoagulants (A) are
,chemical prophylaxis, but mechanical measures are a priority in the immediate postoperative period. Breathing
exercises (B) prevent atelectasis, not DVT. Ankle pumps (D) are active exercises, but the patient may be unable or
unwilling to perform them effectively, making SCDs a more reliable measure.
3. Which ethical principle is primarily upheld when a nurse respects a patient's right to refuse a life-saving blood
transfusion based on their religious beliefs?
A. Beneficence
B. Nonmaleficence
C. Autonomy
D. Justice
🟢C
🔴 Explanation: Autonomy is the ethical principle that respects a patient's right to self-determination and to make
their own decisions regarding their healthcare, even if those decisions may not be in their best medical interest.
Beneficence (A) is the duty to do good, which is overridden by autonomy in this case. Nonmaleficence (B) is the duty
to do no harm. Justice (D) refers to fairness in the distribution of resources.
4. A nurse is assessing a patient's level of consciousness using the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS). The patient opens
eyes to a painful stimulus, makes incomprehensible sounds, and withdraws from pain. What is the patient's GCS
score?
A. 7
B. 8
C. 9
D. 10
🟢C
🔴 Explanation: The GCS score is calculated by adding the best eye, verbal, and motor responses. Eye opening to
pain = 2. Incomprehensible sounds = 2. Withdrawal from pain = 4. The total score is 2+2+4 = 8.
, 5. A patient with heart failure is prescribed furosemide. Which laboratory value should the nurse monitor most
closely?
A. Serum sodium
B. Serum calcium
C. Serum potassium
D. Serum glucose
🟢C
🔴 Explanation: Furosemide is a loop diuretic that inhibits the reabsorption of sodium and potassium in the loop of
Henle, leading to increased potassium excretion in the urine. Hypokalemia is a significant and common adverse
effect that can lead to cardiac arrhythmias. While serum sodium (A) and calcium (B) can be affected, they are not the
primary concern. Serum glucose (D) is more relevant when monitoring corticosteroid or insulin therapy.
6. A nurse is preparing to change a patient's sterile wound dressing. After donning sterile gloves, the nurse
notices that the outer edge of the sterile field is damp. What is the most appropriate action?
A. Continue with the dressing change but avoid the damp area.
B. Place a sterile towel over the damp area to create a new field.
C. Open a new sterile field and start the procedure over.
D. Change only the sterile gloves and proceed.
🟢C
🔴 Explanation: A sterile field must be dry to maintain its sterility. Moisture can wick microorganisms from a non-
sterile surface into the sterile field through capillary action, contaminating it. Therefore, the only appropriate action
is to open a new sterile field and begin the procedure again. Continuing with the procedure (A), covering the area
(B), or only changing gloves (D) does not address the underlying contamination of the field.
7. A patient is experiencing acute pain following abdominal surgery. The nurse administers morphine sulfate 2
mg IV. Which assessment finding indicates the medication is therapeutically effective?
