HESI PN Exit Exam (Latest 2026 Update) | 200 Q&As with
Rationales | Nursing HESI Prep
SECTION 1: SAFE AND EFFECTIVE CARE ENVIRONMENT
(Questions 1-20)
Question 1
A client's daughter phones the charge nurse to report that the night LPN did not
provide good care for her mother. Which response should the nurse make?
A. Reassure the daughter that the mother will get better care
B. Tell the daughter to talk to the unit's nurse manager
C. Ask for a description of what happened during the night
D. Explain that all staff are doing the best they can
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Asking for a description of what happened during the night allows the nurse
to gather specific information about the concern and assess the situation objectively
before determining the appropriate response. Gathering information is the first step in
addressing a complaint effectively .
Question 2
Which patient should a charge nurse assign to a PN/LPN?
A. A patient requiring complex wound care with multiple medications
B. A patient with a new tracheostomy and unstable respiratory status
C. A stable patient requiring routine vital signs and medication administration
D. A patient being admitted with a new diagnosis of heart failure
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: PNs are licensed to provide care to stable patients with predictable
outcomes, including administering medications to stable patients . Complex wound
care, unstable patients, and new admissions requiring comprehensive assessment are
,typically assigned to RNs. Assignment should match the patient's acuity with the nurse's
scope of practice.
Question 3
An LPN is preparing to delegate a task to unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP). Which
task is appropriate to delegate?
A. Performing an initial patient assessment
B. Administering oral medications
C. Assisting a patient with ambulation using a gait belt
D. Evaluating the effectiveness of patient education
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Assisting with ambulation is a routine, predictable task within the UAP's
scope of practice. Assessment, medication administration, and evaluation require
licensed nursing judgment and cannot be delegated to UAP .
Question 4
An LPN discovers that a colleague has been documenting medications as given when
they were not administered. What is the LPN's priority action?
A. Confront the colleague directly
B. Report the incident to the nursing supervisor
C. Document the finding in the patient's chart
D. Monitor the colleague's behavior
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Falsification of medical records is a serious ethical and legal violation. The
LPN has a duty to report the incident to the nursing supervisor immediately to ensure
patient safety and appropriate follow-up. Confrontation alone (A) is insufficient;
documenting in the chart (C) without reporting is inappropriate; monitoring (D) delays
necessary intervention .
,Question 5
An LPN makes an error in a patient's medical record. What is the correct way to correct
the documentation?
A. Erase or white out the error and write the correction
B. Draw a single line through the error, write "error," initial, and date it
C. Rewrite the entire entry to avoid confusion
D. Ignore the error and document the correct information elsewhere
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct documentation correction method is to draw a single line
through the error (maintaining legibility), write "error" or "mistaken entry," initial and
date the correction. The original entry must remain readable .
Question 6
A client is scheduled for surgery and is NPO. The client asks for ice chips. What is the
PN's best response?
A. "Ice chips are allowed because they melt into water"
B. "I will get you some ice chips since you are thirsty"
C. "I'm sorry, but you cannot have anything by mouth, including ice chips, before
surgery"
D. "Let me check with the healthcare provider to see if ice chips are permitted"
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: NPO (nothing by mouth) includes both liquids and solids, including ice chips.
Ice chips are considered a form of oral intake and could increase the risk of aspiration
during anesthesia. This is a standard safety requirement before surgery .
Question 7
, The PN and UAP are providing care for a client exhibiting neglect syndrome after a right
hemisphere stroke. What action should the PN implement?
A. Demonstrate to the UAP how to approach the client from the client's left side
B. Ask the UAP to leave the room and assess the client's body for bruising
C. Carefully observe the interaction between the client and family members
D. Instruct the UAP to protect the client's right side when transferring
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Clients with neglect syndrome after a right hemisphere stroke often ignore
stimuli on the left side. Approaching and interacting from the neglected left side
encourages stimulation and helps reintegrate awareness of that side, enhancing safety
and functional outcomes. The nurse should also teach the UAP to approach from the left
side .
Question 8
Place the following actions in the correct priority order for a PN responding to a fire on
the unit. (Rank from first to last.)
1. Extinguish the fire if safe to do so
2. Confine the fire by closing doors
3. Rescue clients in immediate danger
4. Activate the fire alarm
Correct Answer: 3, 4, 2, 1
Rationale: The correct priority order for fire response (RACE) is: Rescue clients in
immediate danger, Activate the fire alarm, Confine the fire by closing doors,
and Extinguish the fire if safe to do so. This sequence ensures client safety first, followed
by containment and extinguishing .
Question 9
A client confides to the PN that he has been using herbal supplements instead of
prescribed hypertension medications. What is the PN's best initial response?
Rationales | Nursing HESI Prep
SECTION 1: SAFE AND EFFECTIVE CARE ENVIRONMENT
(Questions 1-20)
Question 1
A client's daughter phones the charge nurse to report that the night LPN did not
provide good care for her mother. Which response should the nurse make?
A. Reassure the daughter that the mother will get better care
B. Tell the daughter to talk to the unit's nurse manager
C. Ask for a description of what happened during the night
D. Explain that all staff are doing the best they can
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Asking for a description of what happened during the night allows the nurse
to gather specific information about the concern and assess the situation objectively
before determining the appropriate response. Gathering information is the first step in
addressing a complaint effectively .
Question 2
Which patient should a charge nurse assign to a PN/LPN?
A. A patient requiring complex wound care with multiple medications
B. A patient with a new tracheostomy and unstable respiratory status
C. A stable patient requiring routine vital signs and medication administration
D. A patient being admitted with a new diagnosis of heart failure
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: PNs are licensed to provide care to stable patients with predictable
outcomes, including administering medications to stable patients . Complex wound
care, unstable patients, and new admissions requiring comprehensive assessment are
,typically assigned to RNs. Assignment should match the patient's acuity with the nurse's
scope of practice.
Question 3
An LPN is preparing to delegate a task to unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP). Which
task is appropriate to delegate?
A. Performing an initial patient assessment
B. Administering oral medications
C. Assisting a patient with ambulation using a gait belt
D. Evaluating the effectiveness of patient education
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Assisting with ambulation is a routine, predictable task within the UAP's
scope of practice. Assessment, medication administration, and evaluation require
licensed nursing judgment and cannot be delegated to UAP .
Question 4
An LPN discovers that a colleague has been documenting medications as given when
they were not administered. What is the LPN's priority action?
A. Confront the colleague directly
B. Report the incident to the nursing supervisor
C. Document the finding in the patient's chart
D. Monitor the colleague's behavior
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Falsification of medical records is a serious ethical and legal violation. The
LPN has a duty to report the incident to the nursing supervisor immediately to ensure
patient safety and appropriate follow-up. Confrontation alone (A) is insufficient;
documenting in the chart (C) without reporting is inappropriate; monitoring (D) delays
necessary intervention .
,Question 5
An LPN makes an error in a patient's medical record. What is the correct way to correct
the documentation?
A. Erase or white out the error and write the correction
B. Draw a single line through the error, write "error," initial, and date it
C. Rewrite the entire entry to avoid confusion
D. Ignore the error and document the correct information elsewhere
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct documentation correction method is to draw a single line
through the error (maintaining legibility), write "error" or "mistaken entry," initial and
date the correction. The original entry must remain readable .
Question 6
A client is scheduled for surgery and is NPO. The client asks for ice chips. What is the
PN's best response?
A. "Ice chips are allowed because they melt into water"
B. "I will get you some ice chips since you are thirsty"
C. "I'm sorry, but you cannot have anything by mouth, including ice chips, before
surgery"
D. "Let me check with the healthcare provider to see if ice chips are permitted"
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: NPO (nothing by mouth) includes both liquids and solids, including ice chips.
Ice chips are considered a form of oral intake and could increase the risk of aspiration
during anesthesia. This is a standard safety requirement before surgery .
Question 7
, The PN and UAP are providing care for a client exhibiting neglect syndrome after a right
hemisphere stroke. What action should the PN implement?
A. Demonstrate to the UAP how to approach the client from the client's left side
B. Ask the UAP to leave the room and assess the client's body for bruising
C. Carefully observe the interaction between the client and family members
D. Instruct the UAP to protect the client's right side when transferring
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Clients with neglect syndrome after a right hemisphere stroke often ignore
stimuli on the left side. Approaching and interacting from the neglected left side
encourages stimulation and helps reintegrate awareness of that side, enhancing safety
and functional outcomes. The nurse should also teach the UAP to approach from the left
side .
Question 8
Place the following actions in the correct priority order for a PN responding to a fire on
the unit. (Rank from first to last.)
1. Extinguish the fire if safe to do so
2. Confine the fire by closing doors
3. Rescue clients in immediate danger
4. Activate the fire alarm
Correct Answer: 3, 4, 2, 1
Rationale: The correct priority order for fire response (RACE) is: Rescue clients in
immediate danger, Activate the fire alarm, Confine the fire by closing doors,
and Extinguish the fire if safe to do so. This sequence ensures client safety first, followed
by containment and extinguishing .
Question 9
A client confides to the PN that he has been using herbal supplements instead of
prescribed hypertension medications. What is the PN's best initial response?
