CEN EXAM 2 PRACTICE QUESTIONS WITH
DETAILED EXPLANATIONS 2026
◉ Which of the following would be indicative of Alzheimer's
disease?
Gradual onset of memory loss and aphasia
Sudden onset of disorganized speech and disorientation
Acute onset of dysarthria and ataxia
Chronic symptoms of sadness, slow speech, and flat affect
Answer: Gradual onset of memory loss and aphasia
◉ What is the best way to promote a successful family presence
practice?
Ensure that social services leads the practice
Allow immediate family to be present
Have administrative support
Make it a facility requirement
Answer: Have administrative support
◉ A patient arrives unresponsive. Cardiopulmonary monitoring
indicates a ventricular tachycardia. He has no pulse. What will the
nurse anticipate as the next intervention?
,Synchronized cardioversion
Administer epinephrine intravenously
Administer atropine intravenously
Defibrillation
Answer: Defibrillation
◉ What is a late sign of intussusception?
Colicky pain
Ribbon-like stools
Left lower quadrant tenderness
Currant jelly-like stools
Answer: Currant jelly-like stools
◉ A patient presents with a sudden onset of shortness of breath,
cough, and mild chest pain. Past medical history includes heart
failure and recent treatment for pneumonia. Considering the
patient's history, the nurse anticipates a workup for which
respiratory problem?
Chronic bronchitis
Pleural effusion
Pulmonary embolism
Pulmonary contusion
Answer: Pleural effusion
,◉ A patient presents to the emergency department with right-sided
facial drooping, right arm weakness and slurred speech. Which of
the following assessments indicates exclusion criteria for receiving
tissue plasminogen activator (tPA)?
Blood glucose of 180 mg/dL
BP 190/110 mm Hg
NIH stroke scale of 6
Headache
Answer: BP 190/110 mm Hg
◉ A 16-year-old male is brought to the ED by his coach. The patient
was playing football in moderately cold weather one hour prior to
arrival and felt severe pain in the left groin area. This is suggestive of
which genitourinary emergency?
Paraphimosis
Testicular torsion
Priapism
Acute epididymitis
Answer: Testicular torsion
◉ A 3-year-old boy is brought to the ED by his mother, who noticed
bruises on the boy's left thigh, back, and feet developing over the last
week. Past medical history includes a mild respiratory virus a month
, ago. The assessment reveals, he is awake and alert, with some
bleeding noted around the gums. Initial laboratory values include a
low platelet count with a normal white blood cell count. Hemoglobin
and hematocrit are slightly low. Which disorder does the nurse
suspect is the cause of his signs and symptoms?
Leukemia
Thrombocytosis
Disseminated intravascular coagulopathy
Idiopathic thrombocytopenia purpura
Answer: Idiopathic thrombocytopenia purpura
◉ A 50-year-old male arrives at the emergency department via
ambulance after sustaining a knife wound to the right side of his
back. He has loss of movement on the right side and loss of sensation
on the left side of his body. The nurse suspects that this is which
type of spinal cord injury?
Brown-Sequard syndrome
Anterior cord syndrome
Posterior cord syndrome
Central cord syndrome
Answer: Brown-Sequard syndrome
◉ Each week a community hospital emergency department employs
key performance indicators (KPI) to identify opportunities to
DETAILED EXPLANATIONS 2026
◉ Which of the following would be indicative of Alzheimer's
disease?
Gradual onset of memory loss and aphasia
Sudden onset of disorganized speech and disorientation
Acute onset of dysarthria and ataxia
Chronic symptoms of sadness, slow speech, and flat affect
Answer: Gradual onset of memory loss and aphasia
◉ What is the best way to promote a successful family presence
practice?
Ensure that social services leads the practice
Allow immediate family to be present
Have administrative support
Make it a facility requirement
Answer: Have administrative support
◉ A patient arrives unresponsive. Cardiopulmonary monitoring
indicates a ventricular tachycardia. He has no pulse. What will the
nurse anticipate as the next intervention?
,Synchronized cardioversion
Administer epinephrine intravenously
Administer atropine intravenously
Defibrillation
Answer: Defibrillation
◉ What is a late sign of intussusception?
Colicky pain
Ribbon-like stools
Left lower quadrant tenderness
Currant jelly-like stools
Answer: Currant jelly-like stools
◉ A patient presents with a sudden onset of shortness of breath,
cough, and mild chest pain. Past medical history includes heart
failure and recent treatment for pneumonia. Considering the
patient's history, the nurse anticipates a workup for which
respiratory problem?
Chronic bronchitis
Pleural effusion
Pulmonary embolism
Pulmonary contusion
Answer: Pleural effusion
,◉ A patient presents to the emergency department with right-sided
facial drooping, right arm weakness and slurred speech. Which of
the following assessments indicates exclusion criteria for receiving
tissue plasminogen activator (tPA)?
Blood glucose of 180 mg/dL
BP 190/110 mm Hg
NIH stroke scale of 6
Headache
Answer: BP 190/110 mm Hg
◉ A 16-year-old male is brought to the ED by his coach. The patient
was playing football in moderately cold weather one hour prior to
arrival and felt severe pain in the left groin area. This is suggestive of
which genitourinary emergency?
Paraphimosis
Testicular torsion
Priapism
Acute epididymitis
Answer: Testicular torsion
◉ A 3-year-old boy is brought to the ED by his mother, who noticed
bruises on the boy's left thigh, back, and feet developing over the last
week. Past medical history includes a mild respiratory virus a month
, ago. The assessment reveals, he is awake and alert, with some
bleeding noted around the gums. Initial laboratory values include a
low platelet count with a normal white blood cell count. Hemoglobin
and hematocrit are slightly low. Which disorder does the nurse
suspect is the cause of his signs and symptoms?
Leukemia
Thrombocytosis
Disseminated intravascular coagulopathy
Idiopathic thrombocytopenia purpura
Answer: Idiopathic thrombocytopenia purpura
◉ A 50-year-old male arrives at the emergency department via
ambulance after sustaining a knife wound to the right side of his
back. He has loss of movement on the right side and loss of sensation
on the left side of his body. The nurse suspects that this is which
type of spinal cord injury?
Brown-Sequard syndrome
Anterior cord syndrome
Posterior cord syndrome
Central cord syndrome
Answer: Brown-Sequard syndrome
◉ Each week a community hospital emergency department employs
key performance indicators (KPI) to identify opportunities to
