NR 452 Critical Care HESI Practice Prep 2026 | Critical
Care Nursing Questions, Rationales & Exam Study Guide
Course Code: NR 452
Course Name: Critical Care Nursing
Topic: Advanced Adult Gerontology, Oxygenation, Trauma, and Management
Academic Year: 2026/2027
1. A nurse is caring for a client with a pulse oximetry reading of 65%. Which
oxygen delivery method should the nurse anticipate will be prescribed for this
client?
A. Face tent
B. Venturi mask
C. Nasal cannula
D. Nonrebreather mask
CORRECT ANSWER: D
RATIONALE: A pulse oximetry reading of 65% indicates severe, life-
threatening hypoxemia that requires immediate high-concentration oxygen
therapy. A nonrebreather mask can deliver an inspired oxygen fraction (FiO2) of
80% to 95% when set at a flow rate of 10 to 15 L/min, making it the most
appropriate non-invasive method for rapid stabilization. Face tents, Venturi masks,
and nasal cannulas are low-to-moderate flow devices that cannot supply the high
oxygen concentrations needed to correct profound respiratory compromise.
2. Which of the following software or hardware systems has enabled rural
community hospitals to significantly increase their access to real-time specialist
clinical consultations?
A. Medicare updates
B. Medicaid provisions
C. Telemedicine infrastructure
D. Critical access designations
CORRECT ANSWER: C
RATIONALE: Telemedicine utilizes advanced telecommunications
technology and digital networks to bridge geographical gaps, allowing clinicians in
,rural or remote facilities to connect with urban intensive care specialists for real-
time diagnostic consultations. While Medicare, Medicaid, and critical access
hospital status provide essential financial and regulatory frameworks for rural
facilities, they are policy and insurance mechanisms rather than the actual
technological platform that enables remote care delivery.
3. What makes a designated crisis access hospital (CAH) structurally and
operationally different from a standard acute intensive care unit (ICU)?
A. It offers continuous 24-hour trauma surgical suites.
B. It specifically treats patients with complex multi-system organ failure.
C. It provides temporary acute stabilization care for 96 hours or less.
D. It represents the most financially intensive tier of healthcare delivery.
CORRECT ANSWER: C
RATIONALE: A critical access or crisis access hospital (CAH) is
operationally restricted to providing temporary, short-term acute care
stabilization for an average of 96 hours or less per patient before transferring
them to a higher tier facility. Standard ICUs provide long-term, highly complex
critical care interventions for acutely ill patients. CAH facilities are designed to
optimize resource allocation in rural communities rather than serve as high-tier
trauma surgical suites or financially intensive long-term networks.
4. After delegating a specific clinical task to an unlicensed assistive personnel
(AP), the registered nurse (RN) provides clear, concise directions. Which of the
Five Rights of Delegation is the RN demonstrating?
A. Right task
B. Right supervision
C. Right circumstance
D. Right communication
CORRECT ANSWER: D
RATIONALE: The nurse is demonstrating the right communication and
direction by delivering clear, concise, and explicit instructions regarding the
specific task parameters, constraints, and reporting expectations to the delegatee.
The right task confirms the action fits the AP's scope. The right circumstance
addresses patient stability, and right supervision involves subsequent monitoring
and evaluation of the task's completion.
, 5. The legal or institutional authority wants a structural record of the specific tasks
performed by delegatees. Which clinical professional is held personally
accountable for marking individual task completion inside the record?
A. The licensed practical nurse (LPN)
B. The unit secretary
C. The patient care associate
D. The hospital administrator
CORRECT ANSWER: A
RATIONALE: Licensed professionals, such as the licensed practical nurse
(LPN) or registered nurse (RN), carry the legal authority and professional
responsibility to document their executed tasks within the formal medical record.
Unlicensed staff, like unit secretaries or patient care associates, do not hold
independent clinical licenses. Administrators oversee organizational safety but do
not chart direct bedside task completions.
6. A nurse is reviewing age-related changes with a coworker regarding older adults
exhibiting specific neurologic variations. Which of the following statements by the
coworker indicates a critical need for nursing intervention?
A. "Older clients with a decreased sensory perception of touch require less
frequent monitoring for skin infections."
B. "Clients with recent memory loss should be taught using structured repetition
and memory aids."
C. "Clients with slower cognitive processing times should be provided with
sufficient time to respond."
D. "Older clients with decreased balance and coordination should be instructed to
utilize handrails during ambulation."
CORRECT ANSWER: A
RATIONALE: Stating that clients with decreased sensory touch perception
require less frequent monitoring is a dangerous clinical error that requires
immediate correction. Reduced sensation puts older adults at a much higher risk
for undetected skin breakdown, peripheral ulcers, and severe localized infections.
Frequent, proactive skin assessments are mandatory for these vulnerable patients.
Slower processing times, memory aid utilization, and using handrails for decreased
coordination are all safe and appropriate nursing interventions for an aging
population.
Care Nursing Questions, Rationales & Exam Study Guide
Course Code: NR 452
Course Name: Critical Care Nursing
Topic: Advanced Adult Gerontology, Oxygenation, Trauma, and Management
Academic Year: 2026/2027
1. A nurse is caring for a client with a pulse oximetry reading of 65%. Which
oxygen delivery method should the nurse anticipate will be prescribed for this
client?
A. Face tent
B. Venturi mask
C. Nasal cannula
D. Nonrebreather mask
CORRECT ANSWER: D
RATIONALE: A pulse oximetry reading of 65% indicates severe, life-
threatening hypoxemia that requires immediate high-concentration oxygen
therapy. A nonrebreather mask can deliver an inspired oxygen fraction (FiO2) of
80% to 95% when set at a flow rate of 10 to 15 L/min, making it the most
appropriate non-invasive method for rapid stabilization. Face tents, Venturi masks,
and nasal cannulas are low-to-moderate flow devices that cannot supply the high
oxygen concentrations needed to correct profound respiratory compromise.
2. Which of the following software or hardware systems has enabled rural
community hospitals to significantly increase their access to real-time specialist
clinical consultations?
A. Medicare updates
B. Medicaid provisions
C. Telemedicine infrastructure
D. Critical access designations
CORRECT ANSWER: C
RATIONALE: Telemedicine utilizes advanced telecommunications
technology and digital networks to bridge geographical gaps, allowing clinicians in
,rural or remote facilities to connect with urban intensive care specialists for real-
time diagnostic consultations. While Medicare, Medicaid, and critical access
hospital status provide essential financial and regulatory frameworks for rural
facilities, they are policy and insurance mechanisms rather than the actual
technological platform that enables remote care delivery.
3. What makes a designated crisis access hospital (CAH) structurally and
operationally different from a standard acute intensive care unit (ICU)?
A. It offers continuous 24-hour trauma surgical suites.
B. It specifically treats patients with complex multi-system organ failure.
C. It provides temporary acute stabilization care for 96 hours or less.
D. It represents the most financially intensive tier of healthcare delivery.
CORRECT ANSWER: C
RATIONALE: A critical access or crisis access hospital (CAH) is
operationally restricted to providing temporary, short-term acute care
stabilization for an average of 96 hours or less per patient before transferring
them to a higher tier facility. Standard ICUs provide long-term, highly complex
critical care interventions for acutely ill patients. CAH facilities are designed to
optimize resource allocation in rural communities rather than serve as high-tier
trauma surgical suites or financially intensive long-term networks.
4. After delegating a specific clinical task to an unlicensed assistive personnel
(AP), the registered nurse (RN) provides clear, concise directions. Which of the
Five Rights of Delegation is the RN demonstrating?
A. Right task
B. Right supervision
C. Right circumstance
D. Right communication
CORRECT ANSWER: D
RATIONALE: The nurse is demonstrating the right communication and
direction by delivering clear, concise, and explicit instructions regarding the
specific task parameters, constraints, and reporting expectations to the delegatee.
The right task confirms the action fits the AP's scope. The right circumstance
addresses patient stability, and right supervision involves subsequent monitoring
and evaluation of the task's completion.
, 5. The legal or institutional authority wants a structural record of the specific tasks
performed by delegatees. Which clinical professional is held personally
accountable for marking individual task completion inside the record?
A. The licensed practical nurse (LPN)
B. The unit secretary
C. The patient care associate
D. The hospital administrator
CORRECT ANSWER: A
RATIONALE: Licensed professionals, such as the licensed practical nurse
(LPN) or registered nurse (RN), carry the legal authority and professional
responsibility to document their executed tasks within the formal medical record.
Unlicensed staff, like unit secretaries or patient care associates, do not hold
independent clinical licenses. Administrators oversee organizational safety but do
not chart direct bedside task completions.
6. A nurse is reviewing age-related changes with a coworker regarding older adults
exhibiting specific neurologic variations. Which of the following statements by the
coworker indicates a critical need for nursing intervention?
A. "Older clients with a decreased sensory perception of touch require less
frequent monitoring for skin infections."
B. "Clients with recent memory loss should be taught using structured repetition
and memory aids."
C. "Clients with slower cognitive processing times should be provided with
sufficient time to respond."
D. "Older clients with decreased balance and coordination should be instructed to
utilize handrails during ambulation."
CORRECT ANSWER: A
RATIONALE: Stating that clients with decreased sensory touch perception
require less frequent monitoring is a dangerous clinical error that requires
immediate correction. Reduced sensation puts older adults at a much higher risk
for undetected skin breakdown, peripheral ulcers, and severe localized infections.
Frequent, proactive skin assessments are mandatory for these vulnerable patients.
Slower processing times, memory aid utilization, and using handrails for decreased
coordination are all safe and appropriate nursing interventions for an aging
population.
