HESI FUNDAMENTALS PRACTICE EXAM
TEST EXAM QUESTIONS AND
ASNWERS
A postoperative client will need to perform daily dressing changes after discharge.
Which outcome statement best demonstrates the client's readiness to manage his
wound care after discharge? The client
A. asks relevant questions regarding the dressing change
B. states he will be able to complete the wound care regimen
C. demonstrates the wound care procedure correctly
D. has all the necessary supplies for wound care - ANSWER -C. demonstrates the
wound care procedure correctly
(A return demonstration of a procedure (C) provides an objective assessment of the
client's ability to perform a task, while (A and B) are subjective measures. (D) is
important, but is less of a priority than the the nurse's assessment of the client's
ability to complete wound care.)
A client who is 5 '5" tall and weighs 200 pounds is scheduled for surgery the next
day. What question is most important for the nurse to include during the
preoperative assessment?
A. What is your daily calorie consumption?
B. What vitamin and mineral supplements do you take?"
C. "Do you feel that you are overweight?"
D. "Will a clear liquid diet be okay after surgery?" - ANSWER -B. "What vitamin
and mineral supplements do you take?"
(Vitamin and mineral supplements (B) may impact medications used during the
operative period. (A and C) are appropriate questions for long-term dietary
counseling. The nature of the surgery and anesthesia will determine the need for a
clear liquid diet (D), rather than the client's preference.)
During the initial morning assessment, a male client denies dysuria but reports that
his urine appears dark amber. Which intervention should the nurse implement?
A. Provide additional coffee on the client's breakfast tray.
B. Exchange the client's grape juice for cranberry juice.
C. Bring the client additional fruit at mid-morning.
D. Encourage additional oral intake of juices and water. - ANSWER -D.
Encourage additional oral intake of juices and water.
, Which intervention is most important for the nurse to implement for a male client
who is experiencing urinary retention?
A. Apply a condom catheter
B. Apply a skin protectant
C. Encourage increased fluid intake
D. Assess for bladder distention - ANSWER -D. Assess the bladder for distention
(Urinary retention is the inability to void all urine collected in the bladder, which
leads to uncomfortable bladder distention (D). (A and B) are useful actions to
protect the skin of a client with urinary incontinence. (C) may worsen the bladder
distention.)
A client with acute hemorrhagic anemia is to receive four units of packed RBCs as
rapidly as possible. Which intervention is most important for the nurse to
implement?
A. Obtain the pre-transfusion hemoglobin level.
B. Prime the tubing and prepare a blood pump set-up
C. Monitor vital signs q 15 min for the first hour.
D. Ensure the accuracy of the blood type match. - ANSWER -D. Ensure the
accuracy of the blood type match.
(ALL interventions should be implemented prior to administering blood, but (D)
has the highest priority. Any time blood is administered the nurse should ensure
the accuracy of the blood type match in order to prevent a possible hemolytic
reaction.)
A male client being discharged with a prescription for the bronchodilator
theophylline tells the nurse that he understands he is to take three doses of the
medication each day. Since, at the time of discharge, time-released capsules are not
available, which dosing schedule should the nurse advise the client to follow? -
ANSWER -8 AM, 4 PM, and midnight
(Theophylline should be administered on a regular around the clock schedule to
provide the best bronchodilating effect and reduce the potential for adverse
effects.)
A client is to receive 10 mEq of KCl diluted in 250 mL of normal saline over 4
hours. At what rate should the nurse set the client's intravenous infusion pump? -
ANSWER -63 mL/hr
When evaluating a client's plan of care, the nurse determines that a desire outcome
was not achieved. Which action should the nurse implement first?
A. Establish a new nursing diagnosis.
, B. Note which actions were not implemented.
C. Add additional nursing orders to the plan.
D. Collaborate with the HCP to make changes. - ANSWER -B. Note which
actions were not implemented.
(First, the nurse should review which actions in the original plan were not
implemented (B) in order to determine why the original plan did not produce the
desired outcome. Appropriate revisions can then be made, which may include
revising the expected outcome, or identifying a new nursing diagnosis (A). (C)
may be needed if the nursing actions were unsuccessful, or were unable to be
implemented. (D) other members of the healthcare team may be necessary to
collaborate changes once the nurse determines why the original plan did not
produce the desired outcome.
Which snack food is best for the nurse to provide a client with myasthenia graves
who is at risk for altered nutritional status?
A. chocolate pudding
B. graham crackers
C. sugar free gelatin
D. apple slices - ANSWER -A. chocolate pudding
(The client with myasthenia graves is at high risk for altered nutrition because of
fatigue and muscle weakness resulting in dysphagia. Snacks that are semisolid,
such as pudding (A) are easy to swallow and require minimal chewing effort, and
provide calories and protein. (C) does not provide any nutritional value. (B and D)
require energy to chew and are more difficult to swallow than pudding.)
The nurse is instructing a client with high cholesterol about diet and life style
modification. What comment from the client indicates that the teaching has been
effective?
A. "If I exercise at least two times weekly for one hour, I will lower my
cholesterol."
B. "I need to avoid eating proteins, including red meat."
C. "I will limit my intake of beef to 4 ounces per week."
D. "My blood level of low density lipoproteins needs to increase." - ANSWER -C.
"I will limit my intake of beef to 4 ounces per week."
(Limiting saturated fat from animal food sources to no more than 4 ounces per
week (C) is an important diet modification for lowering cholesterol. To be
effective in reducing cholesterol, the client should exercise 30 minutes per day, or
at least 4 to 6 times per week (A). Red meat and all proteins do not need to be
eliminated (B) to lower cholesterol, but should be restricted to lean cuts of red
TEST EXAM QUESTIONS AND
ASNWERS
A postoperative client will need to perform daily dressing changes after discharge.
Which outcome statement best demonstrates the client's readiness to manage his
wound care after discharge? The client
A. asks relevant questions regarding the dressing change
B. states he will be able to complete the wound care regimen
C. demonstrates the wound care procedure correctly
D. has all the necessary supplies for wound care - ANSWER -C. demonstrates the
wound care procedure correctly
(A return demonstration of a procedure (C) provides an objective assessment of the
client's ability to perform a task, while (A and B) are subjective measures. (D) is
important, but is less of a priority than the the nurse's assessment of the client's
ability to complete wound care.)
A client who is 5 '5" tall and weighs 200 pounds is scheduled for surgery the next
day. What question is most important for the nurse to include during the
preoperative assessment?
A. What is your daily calorie consumption?
B. What vitamin and mineral supplements do you take?"
C. "Do you feel that you are overweight?"
D. "Will a clear liquid diet be okay after surgery?" - ANSWER -B. "What vitamin
and mineral supplements do you take?"
(Vitamin and mineral supplements (B) may impact medications used during the
operative period. (A and C) are appropriate questions for long-term dietary
counseling. The nature of the surgery and anesthesia will determine the need for a
clear liquid diet (D), rather than the client's preference.)
During the initial morning assessment, a male client denies dysuria but reports that
his urine appears dark amber. Which intervention should the nurse implement?
A. Provide additional coffee on the client's breakfast tray.
B. Exchange the client's grape juice for cranberry juice.
C. Bring the client additional fruit at mid-morning.
D. Encourage additional oral intake of juices and water. - ANSWER -D.
Encourage additional oral intake of juices and water.
, Which intervention is most important for the nurse to implement for a male client
who is experiencing urinary retention?
A. Apply a condom catheter
B. Apply a skin protectant
C. Encourage increased fluid intake
D. Assess for bladder distention - ANSWER -D. Assess the bladder for distention
(Urinary retention is the inability to void all urine collected in the bladder, which
leads to uncomfortable bladder distention (D). (A and B) are useful actions to
protect the skin of a client with urinary incontinence. (C) may worsen the bladder
distention.)
A client with acute hemorrhagic anemia is to receive four units of packed RBCs as
rapidly as possible. Which intervention is most important for the nurse to
implement?
A. Obtain the pre-transfusion hemoglobin level.
B. Prime the tubing and prepare a blood pump set-up
C. Monitor vital signs q 15 min for the first hour.
D. Ensure the accuracy of the blood type match. - ANSWER -D. Ensure the
accuracy of the blood type match.
(ALL interventions should be implemented prior to administering blood, but (D)
has the highest priority. Any time blood is administered the nurse should ensure
the accuracy of the blood type match in order to prevent a possible hemolytic
reaction.)
A male client being discharged with a prescription for the bronchodilator
theophylline tells the nurse that he understands he is to take three doses of the
medication each day. Since, at the time of discharge, time-released capsules are not
available, which dosing schedule should the nurse advise the client to follow? -
ANSWER -8 AM, 4 PM, and midnight
(Theophylline should be administered on a regular around the clock schedule to
provide the best bronchodilating effect and reduce the potential for adverse
effects.)
A client is to receive 10 mEq of KCl diluted in 250 mL of normal saline over 4
hours. At what rate should the nurse set the client's intravenous infusion pump? -
ANSWER -63 mL/hr
When evaluating a client's plan of care, the nurse determines that a desire outcome
was not achieved. Which action should the nurse implement first?
A. Establish a new nursing diagnosis.
, B. Note which actions were not implemented.
C. Add additional nursing orders to the plan.
D. Collaborate with the HCP to make changes. - ANSWER -B. Note which
actions were not implemented.
(First, the nurse should review which actions in the original plan were not
implemented (B) in order to determine why the original plan did not produce the
desired outcome. Appropriate revisions can then be made, which may include
revising the expected outcome, or identifying a new nursing diagnosis (A). (C)
may be needed if the nursing actions were unsuccessful, or were unable to be
implemented. (D) other members of the healthcare team may be necessary to
collaborate changes once the nurse determines why the original plan did not
produce the desired outcome.
Which snack food is best for the nurse to provide a client with myasthenia graves
who is at risk for altered nutritional status?
A. chocolate pudding
B. graham crackers
C. sugar free gelatin
D. apple slices - ANSWER -A. chocolate pudding
(The client with myasthenia graves is at high risk for altered nutrition because of
fatigue and muscle weakness resulting in dysphagia. Snacks that are semisolid,
such as pudding (A) are easy to swallow and require minimal chewing effort, and
provide calories and protein. (C) does not provide any nutritional value. (B and D)
require energy to chew and are more difficult to swallow than pudding.)
The nurse is instructing a client with high cholesterol about diet and life style
modification. What comment from the client indicates that the teaching has been
effective?
A. "If I exercise at least two times weekly for one hour, I will lower my
cholesterol."
B. "I need to avoid eating proteins, including red meat."
C. "I will limit my intake of beef to 4 ounces per week."
D. "My blood level of low density lipoproteins needs to increase." - ANSWER -C.
"I will limit my intake of beef to 4 ounces per week."
(Limiting saturated fat from animal food sources to no more than 4 ounces per
week (C) is an important diet modification for lowering cholesterol. To be
effective in reducing cholesterol, the client should exercise 30 minutes per day, or
at least 4 to 6 times per week (A). Red meat and all proteins do not need to be
eliminated (B) to lower cholesterol, but should be restricted to lean cuts of red
