Answers 2026/2027 – NP/RN Exam
Overview:
This set covers wound assessment, healing phases, pressure injury staging, wound be
d prep, infection, debridement, dressing selection, negative pressure, venous/arterial/di
abetic ulcers, burns, and documentation. Emphasis on NPUAP 2016 staging, TIME fra
mework, and evidence-
based guidelines from WOCN/AHRQ. Use it to test clinical reasoning for NR 601, WOC
N, or CWS exams. Answers are in bold Green.
Q1
A stage 2 pressure injury is best described as:
A. Intact skin with non-blanchable redness
B. Partial-thickness loss of dermis with shallow open ulcer, pink wound bed
C. Full-thickness tissue loss with slough
D. Exposed bone or tendon
Rationale: NPUAP 2016: Stage 2 = partial-
thickness, intact or ruptured blister, no slough. Stage 1 = intact. Stage 3 = full-
thickness with subq. Stage 4 = muscle/bone.
Q2
Which phase of wound healing is characterized by fibroblast proliferation and collagen d
eposition?
A. Hemostasis
B. Inflammatory
C. Proliferative
D. Maturation
Rationale: Healing = Hemostasis → Inflammatory → Proliferative → Maturation. Prolife
rative: days 3-21, fibroblasts, angiogenesis, granulation.
Q3
A wound with 80% yellow slough, no odor, and minimal drainage should be treated with:
A. Dry gauze
B. Autolytic debridement with hydrogel or hydrocolloid
C. Silver sulfadiazine
D. Povidone-iodine pack
Rationale: Yellow slough = non-viable tissue. Autolytic is safest for non-
infected wounds. Antiseptics cytotoxic. Dry gauze debrides but painful.
Q4
Which pressure injury is unstageable?
A. Shallow pink ulcer
B. Non-blanchable redness
C. Full-thickness loss obscured by slough or eschar
D. Exposed muscle
Rationale: Unstageable = depth cannot be determined due to slough/eschar. Once deb
rided, stage it. Exposed muscle = Stage 4.
, Q5
Ankle-brachial index (ABI) of 0.4 indicates:
A. Normal arterial flow
B. Mild PAD
C. Severe arterial insufficiency
D. Venous disease
Rationale: ABI: >0.9 normal, 0.71-0.9 mild, 0.41-
0.7 moderate, ≤0.4 severe PAD. Do not use compression if <0.8.
Q6
Which dressing maintains a moist wound environment and is best for dry wounds with
minimal exudate?
A. Alginate
B. Hydrogel
C. Foam
D. Gauze
Rationale: Hydrogel donates moisture to dry wounds, facilitates autolysis. Alginate/foa
m for heavy exudate. Gauze dries out.
Q7
A patient with diabetes has a plantar foot ulcer with callus, no drainage, and warm foot.
What is the first intervention?
A. Start IV antibiotics
B. Offloading with total contact cast or removable boot
C. Apply wet-to-dry dressing
D. Debride in clinic
Rationale: Diabetic foot ulcers = neuropathic. Offloading is #1 to allow healing. Infection
signs absent, so abx not first.
Q8
Deep tissue pressure injury presents as:
A. Intact skin with blister
B. Purple or maroon localized area of intact skin or blood-filled blister
C. Open ulcer with slough
D. Eschar on heel
Rationale: DTPI = purple/maroon discoloration or blood blister due to shear/deep tissue
damage. May evolve.
Q9
Which is a sign of wound infection?
A. Pink granulation tissue
B. Increased pain, odor, purulent drainage, periwound warmth
C. Decreasing size
D. Epithelial migration
Rationale: Classic infection: pain, odor, pus, warmth, erythema, edema. Pink granulatio
n = healing.
Q10
For a heavily exudating venous ulcer, the best primary dressing is:
A. Hydrocolloid
B. Transparent film