2026 ATI Comprehensive Predictor Final Exam
180 Questions and Answers|2026 ATI
Comprehensive
1. A nurse is preparing to delegate tasks to an unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP). Which
task is most appropriate to delegate?
A. Administering a scheduled oral medication
B. Assessing a client's new onset of chest pain
C. Measuring and recording a client's intake and output
D. Teaching a client about a newly prescribed low-sodium diet
Rationale: Measuring and recording intake and output is a routine, non-invasive task within
the UAP's scope of practice. Medication administration, assessment, and teaching all require
the clinical judgment of a licensed nurse and cannot be delegated to UAP.
Correct Answer: C
2. A nurse is caring for a client who speaks limited English. Which action best ensures
informed consent?
A. Have the client's 14-year-old child interpret
B. Obtain a professional medical interpreter
C. Ask a bilingual housekeeping staff member to translate
D. Provide written materials in English only
Rationale: Informed consent requires that the client fully understands the procedure, risks,
and alternatives. A professional medical interpreter ensures accurate, confidential
communication. Using family members, especially minors, or non-clinical staff violates
confidentiality and may lead to misinterpretation.
Correct Answer: B
3. A nurse is reviewing an advance directive with a newly admitted client. Which statement
indicates the client understands a durable power of attorney for health care (DPOAHC)?
,A. "It tells my doctor exactly which treatments I want."
B. "It names someone to make medical decisions for me if I can't."
C. "It is the same as a living will."
D. "It only applies after I die."
Rationale: A DPOAHC designates a healthcare proxy to make decisions when the client loses
capacity. A living will specifies treatments the client wants or does not want; it is not the same
document. Advance directives apply while the client is alive.
Correct Answer: B
4. A nurse manager is addressing a conflict between two staff nurses. Which approach reflects
the collaborative conflict resolution strategy?
A. Assigning one nurse to a different unit
B. Facilitating a meeting where both nurses share concerns and agree on a solution
C. Telling both nurses to resolve it on their own time
D. Documenting the conflict in both personnel files
Rationale: Collaboration involves bringing both parties together to openly communicate
and jointly develop a mutually acceptable solution. Avoidance, forcing, and punitive
documentation do not resolve the underlying conflict.
Correct Answer: B
5. A nurse is prioritizing care for four clients. Which client should the nurse assess first?
A. A client requesting pain medication for a headache
B. A client who needs discharge teaching
C. A client who is 1 day postoperative and reports sudden shortness of breath
D. A client awaiting a routine blood draw
Rationale: Sudden shortness of breath postoperatively may indicate a pulmonary embolism,
which is life-threatening. Using Maslow's hierarchy and the ABC framework, airway/breathing
concerns take priority over pain, teaching, and routine procedures.
Correct Answer: C
,6. A nurse is preparing to discharge a client who will need home IV antibiotics. Which referral
is the priority?
A. Physical therapy
B. Home health nursing
C. Occupational therapy
D. Social services for meal delivery
Rationale: Home health nursing provides skilled nursing care, including IV antibiotic
administration and monitoring for complications. The other referrals address mobility, ADLs,
and nutrition but do not meet the priority need for skilled IV therapy.
Correct Answer: B
7. A nurse witnesses a coworker diverting controlled substances. What is the nurse's priority
action?
A. Confront the coworker privately
B. Ignore it to avoid conflict
C. Report the behavior to the nurse manager or appropriate authority
D. Document the observation in the client's chart
Rationale: Diversion of controlled substances is a serious patient safety and legal issue. The
nurse has an ethical and legal obligation to report it through the chain of command. Confronting
the coworker or ignoring the behavior places clients at risk and violates professional standards.
Correct Answer: C
8. Which client situation requires the nurse to notify the provider immediately?
A. A client requesting a different menu option
B. A client on warfarin with a new onset of dark, tarry stools
C. A client who wants to ambulate without assistance
D. A client asking about visiting hours
Rationale: Dark, tarry stools indicate gastrointestinal bleeding, a serious complication of
anticoagulant therapy. This requires immediate provider notification and possible intervention.
The other situations are non-urgent.
Correct Answer: B
, 9. A nurse is acting as a client advocate. Which action best demonstrates advocacy?
A. Making a decision for a client who is confused
B. Ensuring the client's cultural and religious preferences are respected in the plan of care
C. Sharing the client's diagnosis with family without permission
D. Discouraging the client from asking questions
Rationale: Advocacy means protecting and promoting the client's rights, preferences, and
values, including cultural and religious needs. Making decisions for a client, breaching
confidentiality, and suppressing questions all violate advocacy principles.
Correct Answer: B
10. A nurse is reviewing a client's chart and notes a discrepancy between the provider's order
and the medication administered. What should the nurse do first?
A. Ignore it since the medication was already given
B. Report the discrepancy to the charge nurse or provider immediately
C. Wait until the end of the shift to document it
D. Ask another nurse to sign off on the order
Rationale: Any medication discrepancy is a patient safety concern and must be reported
immediately. Ignoring, delaying, or falsifying documentation could cause harm and is a violation
of nursing standards.
Correct Answer: B
11. Which action by a nurse demonstrates proper use of the SBAR communication tool?
A. Calling the provider and saying, "The client doesn't look good"
B. Stating the situation, background, assessment, and recommendation when calling the
provider
C. Documenting only the client's vital signs in the chart
D. Telling the UAP to call the provider with concerns
Rationale: SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation) provides a
structured, concise format for communicating critical information. Vague statements and
delegating provider communication to UAP are unsafe.
180 Questions and Answers|2026 ATI
Comprehensive
1. A nurse is preparing to delegate tasks to an unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP). Which
task is most appropriate to delegate?
A. Administering a scheduled oral medication
B. Assessing a client's new onset of chest pain
C. Measuring and recording a client's intake and output
D. Teaching a client about a newly prescribed low-sodium diet
Rationale: Measuring and recording intake and output is a routine, non-invasive task within
the UAP's scope of practice. Medication administration, assessment, and teaching all require
the clinical judgment of a licensed nurse and cannot be delegated to UAP.
Correct Answer: C
2. A nurse is caring for a client who speaks limited English. Which action best ensures
informed consent?
A. Have the client's 14-year-old child interpret
B. Obtain a professional medical interpreter
C. Ask a bilingual housekeeping staff member to translate
D. Provide written materials in English only
Rationale: Informed consent requires that the client fully understands the procedure, risks,
and alternatives. A professional medical interpreter ensures accurate, confidential
communication. Using family members, especially minors, or non-clinical staff violates
confidentiality and may lead to misinterpretation.
Correct Answer: B
3. A nurse is reviewing an advance directive with a newly admitted client. Which statement
indicates the client understands a durable power of attorney for health care (DPOAHC)?
,A. "It tells my doctor exactly which treatments I want."
B. "It names someone to make medical decisions for me if I can't."
C. "It is the same as a living will."
D. "It only applies after I die."
Rationale: A DPOAHC designates a healthcare proxy to make decisions when the client loses
capacity. A living will specifies treatments the client wants or does not want; it is not the same
document. Advance directives apply while the client is alive.
Correct Answer: B
4. A nurse manager is addressing a conflict between two staff nurses. Which approach reflects
the collaborative conflict resolution strategy?
A. Assigning one nurse to a different unit
B. Facilitating a meeting where both nurses share concerns and agree on a solution
C. Telling both nurses to resolve it on their own time
D. Documenting the conflict in both personnel files
Rationale: Collaboration involves bringing both parties together to openly communicate
and jointly develop a mutually acceptable solution. Avoidance, forcing, and punitive
documentation do not resolve the underlying conflict.
Correct Answer: B
5. A nurse is prioritizing care for four clients. Which client should the nurse assess first?
A. A client requesting pain medication for a headache
B. A client who needs discharge teaching
C. A client who is 1 day postoperative and reports sudden shortness of breath
D. A client awaiting a routine blood draw
Rationale: Sudden shortness of breath postoperatively may indicate a pulmonary embolism,
which is life-threatening. Using Maslow's hierarchy and the ABC framework, airway/breathing
concerns take priority over pain, teaching, and routine procedures.
Correct Answer: C
,6. A nurse is preparing to discharge a client who will need home IV antibiotics. Which referral
is the priority?
A. Physical therapy
B. Home health nursing
C. Occupational therapy
D. Social services for meal delivery
Rationale: Home health nursing provides skilled nursing care, including IV antibiotic
administration and monitoring for complications. The other referrals address mobility, ADLs,
and nutrition but do not meet the priority need for skilled IV therapy.
Correct Answer: B
7. A nurse witnesses a coworker diverting controlled substances. What is the nurse's priority
action?
A. Confront the coworker privately
B. Ignore it to avoid conflict
C. Report the behavior to the nurse manager or appropriate authority
D. Document the observation in the client's chart
Rationale: Diversion of controlled substances is a serious patient safety and legal issue. The
nurse has an ethical and legal obligation to report it through the chain of command. Confronting
the coworker or ignoring the behavior places clients at risk and violates professional standards.
Correct Answer: C
8. Which client situation requires the nurse to notify the provider immediately?
A. A client requesting a different menu option
B. A client on warfarin with a new onset of dark, tarry stools
C. A client who wants to ambulate without assistance
D. A client asking about visiting hours
Rationale: Dark, tarry stools indicate gastrointestinal bleeding, a serious complication of
anticoagulant therapy. This requires immediate provider notification and possible intervention.
The other situations are non-urgent.
Correct Answer: B
, 9. A nurse is acting as a client advocate. Which action best demonstrates advocacy?
A. Making a decision for a client who is confused
B. Ensuring the client's cultural and religious preferences are respected in the plan of care
C. Sharing the client's diagnosis with family without permission
D. Discouraging the client from asking questions
Rationale: Advocacy means protecting and promoting the client's rights, preferences, and
values, including cultural and religious needs. Making decisions for a client, breaching
confidentiality, and suppressing questions all violate advocacy principles.
Correct Answer: B
10. A nurse is reviewing a client's chart and notes a discrepancy between the provider's order
and the medication administered. What should the nurse do first?
A. Ignore it since the medication was already given
B. Report the discrepancy to the charge nurse or provider immediately
C. Wait until the end of the shift to document it
D. Ask another nurse to sign off on the order
Rationale: Any medication discrepancy is a patient safety concern and must be reported
immediately. Ignoring, delaying, or falsifying documentation could cause harm and is a violation
of nursing standards.
Correct Answer: B
11. Which action by a nurse demonstrates proper use of the SBAR communication tool?
A. Calling the provider and saying, "The client doesn't look good"
B. Stating the situation, background, assessment, and recommendation when calling the
provider
C. Documenting only the client's vital signs in the chart
D. Telling the UAP to call the provider with concerns
Rationale: SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation) provides a
structured, concise format for communicating critical information. Vague statements and
delegating provider communication to UAP are unsafe.
