RN HESI FUNDAMENTALS PRACTICE
EXAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
1. A nurse is caring for a client who is post-operative and reports sudden chest pain and
dyspnea. Which of the following actions should the nurse take first?
A. Place the client in high-Fowler’s position
B. Administer prescribed analgesic
C. Notify the rapid response team
D. Perform a complete head-to-toe assessment
Answer: A
Conceptual Explanation: According to the ABC (Airway, Breathing, Circulation) priority
framework, placing the client in high-Fowler’s position helps maximize ventilation and is
the immediate priority intervention for respiratory distress.
2. A nurse is preparing to administer an intramuscular injection to an obese client. Which of
the following angles should the nurse use?
A. 15 degrees
B. 45 degrees
,C. 30 degrees
D. 90 degrees
Answer: D
Conceptual Explanation: Intramuscular (IM) injections are consistently administered at a
90-degree angle to ensure the medication reaches the muscle tissue, regardless of the
client’s weight.
3. A nurse is assisting a client with a history of falls to ambulate. Which of the following items
should the nurse use to promote safety?
A. A rolling walker
B. Wheelchair following behind
C. A gait belt
D. A quad cane
Answer: C
Conceptual Explanation: A gait belt is a fundamental safety tool used to provide stability
and allow the nurse to support the client’s center of gravity during ambulation.
4. A nurse observes a client’s IV site is cool, pale, and swollen. Which of the following
complications should the nurse suspect?
A. Phlebitis
B. Infection
, C. Thrombosis
D. Infiltration
Answer: D
Conceptual Explanation: Infiltration is characterized by coolness, pallor, and edema at the
IV site due to the leakage of non-vesicant fluid into surrounding tissue.
5. A nurse is assessing a client’s radial pulse and notes it is irregular. What is the next action
the nurse should take?
A. Assess the apical pulse for one full minute
B. Check the pulse on the opposite wrist
C. Notify the healthcare provider immediately
D. Document the finding as normal
Answer: A
Conceptual Explanation: If a peripheral pulse is irregular, the nurse must assess the
apical pulse for 60 seconds to obtain an accurate heart rate and rhythm.
6. A nurse is preparing to perform a sterile dressing change. Which of the following actions
would break the sterile field?
A. Opening the top flap of the sterile kit away from the body
B. Keeping the sterile field above the waist level
C. Reaching over the sterile field to pick up a tool
EXAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
1. A nurse is caring for a client who is post-operative and reports sudden chest pain and
dyspnea. Which of the following actions should the nurse take first?
A. Place the client in high-Fowler’s position
B. Administer prescribed analgesic
C. Notify the rapid response team
D. Perform a complete head-to-toe assessment
Answer: A
Conceptual Explanation: According to the ABC (Airway, Breathing, Circulation) priority
framework, placing the client in high-Fowler’s position helps maximize ventilation and is
the immediate priority intervention for respiratory distress.
2. A nurse is preparing to administer an intramuscular injection to an obese client. Which of
the following angles should the nurse use?
A. 15 degrees
B. 45 degrees
,C. 30 degrees
D. 90 degrees
Answer: D
Conceptual Explanation: Intramuscular (IM) injections are consistently administered at a
90-degree angle to ensure the medication reaches the muscle tissue, regardless of the
client’s weight.
3. A nurse is assisting a client with a history of falls to ambulate. Which of the following items
should the nurse use to promote safety?
A. A rolling walker
B. Wheelchair following behind
C. A gait belt
D. A quad cane
Answer: C
Conceptual Explanation: A gait belt is a fundamental safety tool used to provide stability
and allow the nurse to support the client’s center of gravity during ambulation.
4. A nurse observes a client’s IV site is cool, pale, and swollen. Which of the following
complications should the nurse suspect?
A. Phlebitis
B. Infection
, C. Thrombosis
D. Infiltration
Answer: D
Conceptual Explanation: Infiltration is characterized by coolness, pallor, and edema at the
IV site due to the leakage of non-vesicant fluid into surrounding tissue.
5. A nurse is assessing a client’s radial pulse and notes it is irregular. What is the next action
the nurse should take?
A. Assess the apical pulse for one full minute
B. Check the pulse on the opposite wrist
C. Notify the healthcare provider immediately
D. Document the finding as normal
Answer: A
Conceptual Explanation: If a peripheral pulse is irregular, the nurse must assess the
apical pulse for 60 seconds to obtain an accurate heart rate and rhythm.
6. A nurse is preparing to perform a sterile dressing change. Which of the following actions
would break the sterile field?
A. Opening the top flap of the sterile kit away from the body
B. Keeping the sterile field above the waist level
C. Reaching over the sterile field to pick up a tool
