ATI RN COMPREHENSIVE EXIT EXAM RETAKE 2026 LATEST RELIABLE
STUDY GUIDE; QUESTIONS, ANSWERS AN, Exams of Nursing.
ATI RN Comprehensive Exit Exam Retake 2026 - Practice Questions
Welcome to your comprehensive practice guide for the ATI RN
Comprehensive Exit Exam. This resource provides 180 multiple-choice
practice questions with detailed rationales, designed to reinforce key
concepts and clinical judgment skills needed for success on your retake
exam.
Section 1: Management of Care, Delegation & Prioritization (Questions
1-30)
Question 1
A charge nurse is assigning clients on a medical-surgical unit. Which
client should be assigned to the most experienced RN?
A. Client with diabetes mellitus requiring routine insulin administration
B. Client with pneumonia requiring vital signs every 4 hours
C. Client with chest tubes and new-onset respiratory distress
D. Client with a urinary tract infection requiring IV antibiotics
Correct Answer: C
,Rationale: The client with chest tubes and new-onset respiratory
distress is unstable and requires complex assessment and intervention.
This client should be assigned to the most experienced RN. Stable
clients (A, B, D) can be assigned to LPNs or less experienced RNs under
supervision. Prioritization follows the ABC framework—Airway,
Breathing, Circulation—and respiratory distress indicates an immediate
threat to breathing .
Question 2
A nurse is delegating tasks to a licensed practical nurse (LPN). Which
task is appropriate to delegate?
A. Performing the initial admission assessment on a newly admitted
client
B. Inserting a nasogastric tube for gastric decompression on a stable
client
C. Teaching a client with diabetes about proper insulin injection
technique
D. Evaluating the effectiveness of a client's pain medication
Correct Answer: B
,Rationale: LPNs can perform stable, standard procedures like inserting
a nasogastric tube. Initial assessment, teaching, and evaluation require
RN-level education and scope of practice. The RN is responsible for the
initial comprehensive assessment, client education, and evaluation of
treatment effectiveness .
Question 3
A nurse is caring for four clients. Which client should the nurse assess
first?
A. Client with COPD and SpO2 of 89% on 2 L oxygen via nasal cannula
B. Client post-appendectomy day 2 with a temperature of 38.3°C
(101°F)
C. Client with heart failure and 3+ pitting edema in the lower
extremities
D. Client with new-onset confusion and a bounding pulse
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: New-onset confusion with a bounding pulse suggests
hypercapnia or fluid overload affecting cerebral perfusion. This
, represents a change in neurological status, which is always the priority.
Option A is an expected finding in COPD (many COPD clients have
baseline SpO2 in the high 80s). Option B is consistent with
postoperative inflammation. Option C is a chronic finding that does not
indicate acute deterioration .
Question 4
A charge nurse is assigning a float RN who usually works in the
postpartum unit to a medical-surgical unit. Which client is most
appropriate to assign to this RN?
A. Client in diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA)
B. Client who is postoperative day 2 following an appendectomy, stable
C. Client with a chest tube for a pneumothorax
D. Client receiving IV heparin with a PTT of 98 seconds
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: A stable, low-acuity postoperative client is safest for a float
nurse from a different specialty. Complex or unstable clients (DKA,
chest tube, titratable heparin with critical lab values) require an RN
with current experience in those areas .
STUDY GUIDE; QUESTIONS, ANSWERS AN, Exams of Nursing.
ATI RN Comprehensive Exit Exam Retake 2026 - Practice Questions
Welcome to your comprehensive practice guide for the ATI RN
Comprehensive Exit Exam. This resource provides 180 multiple-choice
practice questions with detailed rationales, designed to reinforce key
concepts and clinical judgment skills needed for success on your retake
exam.
Section 1: Management of Care, Delegation & Prioritization (Questions
1-30)
Question 1
A charge nurse is assigning clients on a medical-surgical unit. Which
client should be assigned to the most experienced RN?
A. Client with diabetes mellitus requiring routine insulin administration
B. Client with pneumonia requiring vital signs every 4 hours
C. Client with chest tubes and new-onset respiratory distress
D. Client with a urinary tract infection requiring IV antibiotics
Correct Answer: C
,Rationale: The client with chest tubes and new-onset respiratory
distress is unstable and requires complex assessment and intervention.
This client should be assigned to the most experienced RN. Stable
clients (A, B, D) can be assigned to LPNs or less experienced RNs under
supervision. Prioritization follows the ABC framework—Airway,
Breathing, Circulation—and respiratory distress indicates an immediate
threat to breathing .
Question 2
A nurse is delegating tasks to a licensed practical nurse (LPN). Which
task is appropriate to delegate?
A. Performing the initial admission assessment on a newly admitted
client
B. Inserting a nasogastric tube for gastric decompression on a stable
client
C. Teaching a client with diabetes about proper insulin injection
technique
D. Evaluating the effectiveness of a client's pain medication
Correct Answer: B
,Rationale: LPNs can perform stable, standard procedures like inserting
a nasogastric tube. Initial assessment, teaching, and evaluation require
RN-level education and scope of practice. The RN is responsible for the
initial comprehensive assessment, client education, and evaluation of
treatment effectiveness .
Question 3
A nurse is caring for four clients. Which client should the nurse assess
first?
A. Client with COPD and SpO2 of 89% on 2 L oxygen via nasal cannula
B. Client post-appendectomy day 2 with a temperature of 38.3°C
(101°F)
C. Client with heart failure and 3+ pitting edema in the lower
extremities
D. Client with new-onset confusion and a bounding pulse
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: New-onset confusion with a bounding pulse suggests
hypercapnia or fluid overload affecting cerebral perfusion. This
, represents a change in neurological status, which is always the priority.
Option A is an expected finding in COPD (many COPD clients have
baseline SpO2 in the high 80s). Option B is consistent with
postoperative inflammation. Option C is a chronic finding that does not
indicate acute deterioration .
Question 4
A charge nurse is assigning a float RN who usually works in the
postpartum unit to a medical-surgical unit. Which client is most
appropriate to assign to this RN?
A. Client in diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA)
B. Client who is postoperative day 2 following an appendectomy, stable
C. Client with a chest tube for a pneumothorax
D. Client receiving IV heparin with a PTT of 98 seconds
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: A stable, low-acuity postoperative client is safest for a float
nurse from a different specialty. Complex or unstable clients (DKA,
chest tube, titratable heparin with critical lab values) require an RN
with current experience in those areas .
