NURS 2003 Exam Questions and Answers Latest Update 2025 Already Passed
phenomena - Answers One's lived experience or experience with something that is not clearly
understood but evokes something in them. (Ie. love)
What is the main concept of Holmes eat al., theory of Stress as a Stimulus - Answers That stress is a
stimulus that causes a response
What are some signs that a person is dehydrated? - Answers - decreased skin turgor (when the skin
stays up after pinching instead of going back naturally)
- dark urine (higher solute concentration, less water)
- decreased urinalysis output (less than 30cc per hour)
- increased heart rate (stress response)
- mucous membranes dry up
- headaches and low blood pressure (due to low blood volume)
What are some signs that a person is over-hydrated? - Answers - peripheral edema (too much fluid in
the body)
- very clear urine (mostly water and no solute)
- increased blood pressure (increased fluid)
- fatigue
- auscultation of fluid in the lungs (crackles)
Name the 2 fluid spaces in the body and their subgroups (if any). - Answers 1. Intercellular fluid space -
fluid space within cells of the body, 2/3 of the body's fluids are stored in these spaces
2. Extracellular fluid space - accounts for 1/3 of the body's fluids
- 1/3 of the 1/3 of ECF is from Tissues
- the other 1/3 of the 1/3 of ECF is from plasma
What is the most abundant cation and anion present in ICF spaces? - Answers Cation: potassium, Anion:
Phosphate
What is the most abundant cation and anion in ECF spaces? - Answers Cation: Sodium, Anion: Chloride
What is the normal Blood Osmolality range? - Answers 285-295
,What is Osmolality? - Answers Measures the body's solute/electrolyte concentration compared to water
concentration
What does a Blood Osmolality reading of 285 or below mean? - Answers - low solute present
- high water concentration present
- fluid volume excess (FVE)
What does a Blood Osmolality of 295 or above mean? - Answers - high concentration of solute present
- low water concentration present
- Fluid Volume Deficit (FVD)
What is an isotonic solution? - Answers There is an equal amount of solutes in the ICF space and the ECF
space, just the ECF space expands
What is an example of an IV fluid that is isotonic? - Answers 0.9% Sodium Chloride (Normal Saline)
What is a hypotonic solution? - Answers When there less (hypo) solute being administered, and more
water. Therefore, since osmosis says water travels from an area of low solute concentration to high
solute concentration, the ICF space will pull the water from the ECF space to hydrate the cell.
What is a risk of hypotonic solutions? How do practitioners avoid it? - Answers If the hypotonic solution
is administered to quickly, then the cell will could take in too much water at once and explode
(hyperedema). Practitioners can hydrate a cell quickly by administering an isotonic solution first, to give
more solute, and then administer the hypotonic solution to increase uptake by the cell.
What is an example of a hypotonic IV fluid? - Answers 0.45% sodium chloride
What is a hypertonic solution? - Answers Contains more solute and less water, so when it is
administered into the ECF space, the water from the ICF space travels into the EVF space to reach the
higher concentration of solute.
What is a risk of hypertonic solutions? - Answers The ICF cell could lose too much water to the solution
and die of dehydration.
What are the three main regulators in the body of acid-base imbalances? - Answers 1. The Buffer
Systems - The Carbonic Acid- Bicarbonate system
2. The Respiratory system
3. The Kidneys
Describe the Carbonic Acid-Bicarbonate system for acid-base imbalances. - Answers - a neutralization
reaction
, - HCl (strong acid) + NaH2CO3 (strong base) —> NaCl (what ECF is made up of, so it is safe) + H2CO3
(Carbonic acid)
- then one Oxygen molecule from Carbonic acid is set aside with the H2, making H2O which will be
stored in the body
- then what is left from that is CO2, which is expelled from the body through gas exchange and one H
(hydrogen) molecule, which will go into the blood (bad, because it is an acid)
- to get the hydrogen acid out of the blood, an I travel Lulea shift occurs, which takes the hydrogen
molecule into the ICF and releases a potassium molecule, which can cause hyperkalemia (too much
potassium in the blood)
What is pH of the blood and the normal ranges? - Answers pH is the concentration of hydrogen ions
(acid) in the blood, normal range is from 7.35-7.45. Numbers below 7.35 are more acidic (more
hydrogen in the blood) and numbers above 7.45 are alkalodic (less hydrogen in the blood).
When does the respiratory acid-base imbalance system kick in? - Answers When the blood become to
acidic or alkolodic
What is the normal PaCO2 level in the body? - Answers 35-45
What is the other name for CO2? - Answers Carbonic Acid
What do increased levels of Carbonic acid in the blood mean? - Answers Levels of Carbonic acid that are
more than 45 mean that there is an increased levels of hydrogen in the blood, which means that it is
acidic and therefore has a low pH
What do decreased levels of Carbonic acid in the blood mean? - Answers Levels of Carbonic acid that are
below 35 means that there is not a lot of hydrogen in the blood, which then would result in high blood
pH, meaning it is more alkolodic
What is respiratory acidosis and respiratory alkalosis? - Answers Acidosis = when people have a hard
time releasing CO2 (people with COPD) and therefore more Carbonic acid remains in the blood, make it
more acidic
Alkalosis = when the individuals with COPD increase breathing because their blood is too acidic to blow
off the hydrogen ions and blow it off
What do the kidneys do in regards to acid-base imbalance? - Answers - excrete weak acids such as
hydrogen from the blood
- combines hydrogen (acid) with ammonia (base) to create ammonium, which neutralizes it
- blood filtering into the kidney by secretion gives off the hydrogen to the kidney to be excreted
What is metabolic acidosis? - Answers - occurs in the kidneys
phenomena - Answers One's lived experience or experience with something that is not clearly
understood but evokes something in them. (Ie. love)
What is the main concept of Holmes eat al., theory of Stress as a Stimulus - Answers That stress is a
stimulus that causes a response
What are some signs that a person is dehydrated? - Answers - decreased skin turgor (when the skin
stays up after pinching instead of going back naturally)
- dark urine (higher solute concentration, less water)
- decreased urinalysis output (less than 30cc per hour)
- increased heart rate (stress response)
- mucous membranes dry up
- headaches and low blood pressure (due to low blood volume)
What are some signs that a person is over-hydrated? - Answers - peripheral edema (too much fluid in
the body)
- very clear urine (mostly water and no solute)
- increased blood pressure (increased fluid)
- fatigue
- auscultation of fluid in the lungs (crackles)
Name the 2 fluid spaces in the body and their subgroups (if any). - Answers 1. Intercellular fluid space -
fluid space within cells of the body, 2/3 of the body's fluids are stored in these spaces
2. Extracellular fluid space - accounts for 1/3 of the body's fluids
- 1/3 of the 1/3 of ECF is from Tissues
- the other 1/3 of the 1/3 of ECF is from plasma
What is the most abundant cation and anion present in ICF spaces? - Answers Cation: potassium, Anion:
Phosphate
What is the most abundant cation and anion in ECF spaces? - Answers Cation: Sodium, Anion: Chloride
What is the normal Blood Osmolality range? - Answers 285-295
,What is Osmolality? - Answers Measures the body's solute/electrolyte concentration compared to water
concentration
What does a Blood Osmolality reading of 285 or below mean? - Answers - low solute present
- high water concentration present
- fluid volume excess (FVE)
What does a Blood Osmolality of 295 or above mean? - Answers - high concentration of solute present
- low water concentration present
- Fluid Volume Deficit (FVD)
What is an isotonic solution? - Answers There is an equal amount of solutes in the ICF space and the ECF
space, just the ECF space expands
What is an example of an IV fluid that is isotonic? - Answers 0.9% Sodium Chloride (Normal Saline)
What is a hypotonic solution? - Answers When there less (hypo) solute being administered, and more
water. Therefore, since osmosis says water travels from an area of low solute concentration to high
solute concentration, the ICF space will pull the water from the ECF space to hydrate the cell.
What is a risk of hypotonic solutions? How do practitioners avoid it? - Answers If the hypotonic solution
is administered to quickly, then the cell will could take in too much water at once and explode
(hyperedema). Practitioners can hydrate a cell quickly by administering an isotonic solution first, to give
more solute, and then administer the hypotonic solution to increase uptake by the cell.
What is an example of a hypotonic IV fluid? - Answers 0.45% sodium chloride
What is a hypertonic solution? - Answers Contains more solute and less water, so when it is
administered into the ECF space, the water from the ICF space travels into the EVF space to reach the
higher concentration of solute.
What is a risk of hypertonic solutions? - Answers The ICF cell could lose too much water to the solution
and die of dehydration.
What are the three main regulators in the body of acid-base imbalances? - Answers 1. The Buffer
Systems - The Carbonic Acid- Bicarbonate system
2. The Respiratory system
3. The Kidneys
Describe the Carbonic Acid-Bicarbonate system for acid-base imbalances. - Answers - a neutralization
reaction
, - HCl (strong acid) + NaH2CO3 (strong base) —> NaCl (what ECF is made up of, so it is safe) + H2CO3
(Carbonic acid)
- then one Oxygen molecule from Carbonic acid is set aside with the H2, making H2O which will be
stored in the body
- then what is left from that is CO2, which is expelled from the body through gas exchange and one H
(hydrogen) molecule, which will go into the blood (bad, because it is an acid)
- to get the hydrogen acid out of the blood, an I travel Lulea shift occurs, which takes the hydrogen
molecule into the ICF and releases a potassium molecule, which can cause hyperkalemia (too much
potassium in the blood)
What is pH of the blood and the normal ranges? - Answers pH is the concentration of hydrogen ions
(acid) in the blood, normal range is from 7.35-7.45. Numbers below 7.35 are more acidic (more
hydrogen in the blood) and numbers above 7.45 are alkalodic (less hydrogen in the blood).
When does the respiratory acid-base imbalance system kick in? - Answers When the blood become to
acidic or alkolodic
What is the normal PaCO2 level in the body? - Answers 35-45
What is the other name for CO2? - Answers Carbonic Acid
What do increased levels of Carbonic acid in the blood mean? - Answers Levels of Carbonic acid that are
more than 45 mean that there is an increased levels of hydrogen in the blood, which means that it is
acidic and therefore has a low pH
What do decreased levels of Carbonic acid in the blood mean? - Answers Levels of Carbonic acid that are
below 35 means that there is not a lot of hydrogen in the blood, which then would result in high blood
pH, meaning it is more alkolodic
What is respiratory acidosis and respiratory alkalosis? - Answers Acidosis = when people have a hard
time releasing CO2 (people with COPD) and therefore more Carbonic acid remains in the blood, make it
more acidic
Alkalosis = when the individuals with COPD increase breathing because their blood is too acidic to blow
off the hydrogen ions and blow it off
What do the kidneys do in regards to acid-base imbalance? - Answers - excrete weak acids such as
hydrogen from the blood
- combines hydrogen (acid) with ammonia (base) to create ammonium, which neutralizes it
- blood filtering into the kidney by secretion gives off the hydrogen to the kidney to be excreted
What is metabolic acidosis? - Answers - occurs in the kidneys
