2026 Updated Practice Exam – 75 Multiple-Choice Questions with
Answers & Rationales
1. A nurse is completing an admission assessment on an adolescent who
follows a lacto-vegetarian diet. The adolescent consumes milk products but
does not like beans. Which lunch item should the nurse suggest to provide
nutrients most likely to be lacking in the adolescent's diet?
A. Grilled cheese sandwich with applesauce
B. Peanut butter and jelly sandwich on enriched whole-grain bread
C. Garden salad with fat-free dressing
D. Fresh fruit cup with gelatin
✓ Correct answer: B
Rationale: A lacto-vegetarian who avoids beans may have a lower intake of iron and protein.
Peanut butter provides plant protein and iron, while enriched or whole-grain bread adds
additional iron and nutrients. Dairy foods already contribute calcium and vitamin B12.
2. A nurse is caring for a 1-month-old infant who weighs 3,540 g and is
prescribed cefazolin 50 mg/kg IV per dose three times daily. How many
milligrams should the nurse administer per dose?
A. 118 mg
B. 150 mg
C. 177 mg
D. 354 mg
✓ Correct answer: C
Rationale: Convert 3,540 g to kilograms: 3.54 kg. Multiply 3.54 kg × 50 mg/kg = 177 mg per
dose.
3. A nurse is performing a pre-college health assessment on an adolescent
whose routine childhood immunizations are up to date. Which immunization
should the nurse anticipate verifying or administering during later
adolescence?
A. Rotavirus vaccine
B. Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine
C. DTaP vaccine
D. Meningococcal ACWY vaccine
✓ Correct answer: D
Rationale: Adolescents routinely receive meningococcal ACWY vaccination, including a booster
in later adolescence. Rotavirus, Hib, and DTaP are primarily childhood vaccines.
4. A nurse is assessing a client who has left-sided heart failure. Which
finding should the nurse expect?
A. Dependent peripheral edema
B. Bibasilar crackles
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,C. Jugular venous distention
D. Hepatomegaly
✓ Correct answer: B
Rationale: Left-sided heart failure causes pulmonary congestion, so crackles, dyspnea,
orthopnea, and reduced oxygenation are expected. Peripheral edema, JVD, and hepatomegaly
are more typical of right-sided failure.
5. A nurse is caring for a client with active tuberculosis who is beginning
rifampin therapy. Which expected medication effect should the nurse include
in teaching?
A. Red-orange discoloration of body secretions
B. Permanent blue-gray skin pigmentation
C. Severe hypoglycemia after each dose
D. Gingival overgrowth
✓ Correct answer: A
Rationale: Rifampin commonly causes harmless orange-red discoloration of urine, sweat, saliva,
and tears. Clients should be warned that contact lenses can also become stained.
6. A nurse is caring for a 6-week-old infant who has pyloric stenosis. Which
manifestation should the nurse expect?
A. Projectile nonbilious vomiting
B. Currant-jelly stools
C. Bilious diarrhea
D. Generalized edema
✓ Correct answer: A
Rationale: Pyloric stenosis causes gastric outlet obstruction, producing forceful projectile
vomiting that is typically nonbilious because the obstruction is proximal to the duodenum.
7. A parent calls the nurse because a child with von Willebrand disease has a
nosebleed. Which instruction should the nurse provide?
A. Have the child lie flat and tilt the head back
B. Insert tissue deeply into the nostril and have the child blow the nose
C. Have the child sit upright, lean forward, and pinch the soft part of the nose for 10
to 15 minutes
D. Apply a warm compress over the bridge of the nose
✓ Correct answer: C
Rationale: Leaning forward prevents blood from being swallowed, and continuous direct
pressure to the soft part of the nose promotes hemostasis. Tilting the head back increases the
risk of swallowing or aspirating blood.
8. A nurse is assessing a child who is experiencing a sickle cell vaso-
occlusive crisis. Which finding should the nurse expect?
A. Severe bone or joint pain
B. Painless generalized edema
C. Bradycardia with hypertension
D. Profuse watery diarrhea
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, ✓ Correct answer: A
Rationale: Vaso-occlusion reduces blood flow and causes tissue ischemia, which commonly
produces intense pain in bones, joints, chest, or abdomen.
9. A nurse is providing preoperative teaching about diaphragmatic
breathing. Which action should the nurse include in the demonstration?
A. Take rapid shallow breaths through the mouth
B. Place the hands over the lower rib cage or upper abdomen and inhale slowly so
the abdomen rises
C. Raise the shoulders during each inspiration
D. Exhale forcefully before every inhalation
✓ Correct answer: B
Rationale: Diaphragmatic breathing emphasizes slow deep inspiration using the diaphragm.
Hand placement over the lower ribs or abdomen helps the client feel abdominal expansion rather
than upper-chest movement.
10. A nurse is assessing a 3-year-old child who has aortic stenosis. Which
findings are consistent with this condition? Select all that apply.
A. Systolic ejection murmur
B. Exertional chest pain
C. Dizziness or syncope with exertion
D. Bounding peripheral pulses
✓ Correct answer: A, B, C
Rationale: Aortic stenosis obstructs left ventricular outflow. A systolic ejection murmur is typical,
and more significant obstruction can cause exertional chest pain, dizziness, or syncope. Bounding
pulses are not characteristic.
11. A nurse is planning care for a client who has immune thrombocytopenia
(ITP). Which manifestation is most important for the nurse to monitor?
A. Petechiae, ecchymoses, and mucosal bleeding
B. Polyuria and polydipsia
C. Expiratory wheezing
D. Dependent edema
✓ Correct answer: A
Rationale: ITP causes a low platelet count and an increased risk for bleeding. The nurse should
closely monitor for petechiae, bruising, epistaxis, gum bleeding, hematuria, or other signs of
hemorrhage.
12. A nurse is teaching the parent of a child with Hirschsprung disease who
is scheduled for the initial surgical procedure. Which statement by the
parent indicates understanding?
A. “My child will never need another procedure after the colostomy.”
B. “The ostomy is usually temporary until the definitive pull-through surgery is
completed.”
C. “The surgery will eliminate the need to monitor bowel function.”
D. “The ostomy is expected to remain permanent in every child with Hirschsprung disease.”
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