HESI Practice Exam 2025

1. Which assessment is most important for the nurse to perform on a client who is hospitalized for Guillain-Barre syndrome that is rapidly progressing? Respiratory effort. Unsteady gait. Intensity of pain. Ability to eat.: Respiratory effort. Guillain-Barre syndrome causes paralysis or weakness that typically starts at the feet and progresses upwards. As the condition progresses, the nurse must ensure that the client is able to breathe effectively. 2. A male client comes into the clinic with a history of penile discharge with painful, burning urination. Which action should the nurse implement? Collect a culture of the penile discharge. Palpate the inguinal lymph nodes gently. Observe for scrotal swelling and redness. Express the discharge to determine color.: Collect a culture of the penile discharge. Penile discharge with painful urination is commonly associated with gonorrhea. The nurse should collect a culture of the penile discharge to determine the cause of these symptoms. The cause must be determined or confirmed through culture to identify the organism and ensure effective treatment. 3. A client with history of atrial fibrillation is admitted to the telemetry unit with sudden onset of shortness of breath.The nurse observes a new irregular heart rhythm and should perform which assessment at this time? Check for a pulse deficit. Palpate the apical impulse. Inspect jugular vein pulse. Examine for a carotid bruit.: Check for a pulse deficit. A client with a past history of atrial fibrillation may return to that rhythm. Any signs of atrial fibrillation, such as sudden onset shortness of breath, requires further investigation. The nurse should assess this client for a pulse deficit because this condition occurs with atrial fibrillation. 2 / 48 4. Which client should be further assessed for an ectopic pregnancy? A 24-year-old with shoulder and lower abdominal quadrant pain. A 33-year-old with intermittent lower abdominal cramping. A 20-year-old with fever and right lower abdominal colic. A 40-year-old with jaundice and right lower abdominal pain.: A 24-year-old with shoulder and lower abdominal quadrant pain. A 24-year-old with sudden onset of lower abdominal quadrant pain should be assessed for an ectopic pregnancy. The pain can also be referred to the shoulder and may be associated with vaginal bleeding. 5. Which dietary assessment finding is most important for the nurse to address when caring for a client with diabetic nephropathy? Drinks a six pack of beer every day. Enjoys a hamburger once a month. Eats fortified breakfast cereal daily. Consumes beans and rice every day.: Drinks a six pack of beer every day. Drinking six beers every day is the dietary assessment finding most important for the nurse to address when caring for a client with diabetic nephropathy. The usual can of beer is 12 ounces (355 mL). Clients with diabetes are recommended to drink no more than 12 ounces of beer per day because beer contains carbohydrates that can create unhealthy fluctuations in blood glucose and promote poor glucose control. Nephropathy is exacerbated by poor blood glucose control. 6. Which assessment finding is of greatest concern to the nurse who is caring for a client with stomatitis? Cough brought on by swallowing. Sore throat caused by speaking. Painful and dry oral cavity. Unintended weight loss.: Cough brought on by swallowing. A cough brought on by swallowing is a sign of dysphagia, which is a finding of particular concern in a client with stomatitis. Dysphagia can cause numerous problems, including airway obstruction, and should be reported to the healthcare provider immediately. 3 / 48 7. The nurse is teaching a client diagnosed with peripheral arterial disease. Which genitourinary system complication should the nurse include in the teaching? Altered sexual response. Sterility. Urinary incontinence. Decreased pelvic muscle tone.: Altered sexual response. Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a cardiovascular condition characterized by narrowing of the arteries and reduced blood flow to the extremities. PAD is known to alter the blood flow to the male's penis and is associated with erectile dysfunction in men. 8. A 40-year-old female client has a history of smoking. Which finding should the nurse identify as a risk factor for myocardial infarction? Oral contraceptives. Senile osteopenia. Levothyroxine therapy. Pernicious anemia.: Oral contraceptives. Women older than 35 years old who smoke and take oral contraceptives have an increased risk of myocardial infarction or stroke. 9. A client has been told that there is cataract formation over both eyes. Which finding should the nurse expect when assessing the client? Decreased color perception. Presence of floaters. Loss of central vision. Reduced peripheral vision.: Decreased color perception. Decreased color perception occurs with cataract formation. Cataract formation is also associated with blurred vision and a global loss of vision so gradual that the client may not be aware of it. 10. Which assessment finding should most concern the nurse who is moni- toring a client two hours after a thoracentesis? New onset of coughing. 4 / 48 Low resting heart rate. Distended neck veins. Decreased shallow respirations.: New onset of coughing. A pneumothorax (partial or complete lung collapse) is the potential complication of a thoracentesis. Manifestations of a pneumothorax include new onset of a nagging cough, tachycardia, and an increased shallow respiration rate. 11. While caring for a client who has esophageal varices, which nursing intervention is most important for the registered nurse (RN) to implement? Monitor infusing IV fluids and any replacement blood products. Prepare for esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD). Maintain the client on strict bedrest. Insert a nasogastric tube (NGT) for intermittent suction.: Monitor infusing IV fluids and any replacement blood products. Maintaining hemodynamic stability in a client with esophageal varicescan precip- itatea life-threatening crisis if esophageal varies leak or rupture and can result in hemorrhage. The priority is assessing and monitoring infusions of IV fluids and any replacement blood products. 12. The registered nurse (RN) is caring for a client who developed oliguria and was diagnosed with sepsis and dehydration 48 hours ago. Which as- sessment finding indicates to the RN that the client is stabilizing? Urine output of 40 mL/hour. Apical pulse 100 and blood pressure 76/42. Urine specific gravity 1.001. Tented skin on dorsal surface of hands.: Urine output of 40 mL/hour. A decrease in urinary output is a sign of dehydration. When the urine output returns to a normal range, 40 mL/hour, the client's kidneys are perfusing adequately and indicates the client's status is stablizing. 13. After a liver biopsy is performed at the bedside, the registered nurse (RN) is assigned the care of the client. Which nursing intervention is most important for the RN to implement? Position client on left side with pillow placed under the costal margin. Assist the client with voiding immediately after the procedure. 5 / 48 Evaluate vital signs q10 to 20 minutes for 2 hours after procedure. Ambulate client 3 times in first hour with pillow held at abdomen.: Evaluate vital signs q10 to 20 minutes for 2 hours after procedure. Vital signs should be checked every 10 to 20 minutes to assess for bleeding after biopsy of the liver, which is highly vascular. The client should be positioned on the right side with a pillow or sandbag under the costal margin and supporting the biopsy site. The client should be maintained on bedrest for several hours to decrease the risk of bleeding from the biopsy site. 14. The registered nurse (RN) is caring for a client with aplastic anemia who is hospitalized for weight loss and generalized weakness. Laboratory values show a white blood count (WBC) of 2,500/mm 3 and a platelet countof 160,000/mm 3. Which intervention is the primary focus in the client's plan of care for the RN to implement? Assist with frequent ambulation. Encourage visitors to visit. Maintain strict protective precautions. Avoid peripheral injections.: Maintain strict protective precautions. The client should be under strict protective transmission precautions because the WBC values are low and normal WBC levels are 4,000-10,000/mm3, so the client is an increased high risk for infection. 15. The registered nurse (RN) is caring for a young adult who is having an oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTT). Which laboratory result should the RN assess as a normal value for the two hour postprandial result? 140 mg/dl. 160 mg/dl. 180 mg/dl. 200 mg/dl.: 140 mg/dl. The two hour postprandial level should be less 140 mg/dl for a young adult client. 16. The registered nurse (RN) is caring for an older client who recently experienced a fractured pelvis from a fall. Which assessment finding is most important for the RN to report the healthcare provider? Lower back pain. 6 / 48 Headache of 7 on scale 1 to 10. Blood pressure of 140/98. Dyspnea.: Dyspnea A client with a large bone fracture is at risk for intramedullary fat leaking into the blood stream and becoming embolic. Dyspnea is an indication of fat embolism to the lungs and should be reported to the healthcare provider immediately. 17. The registered nurse (RN) is caring for a client with tuberculosis (TB) who is taking a combination drug regimen. The client complains about taking "so many pills." What information should the RN provide to the client about the prescribed treatment? The development of resistant strains of TB are decreased with a combination of drugs. Compliance to the medication regimen is challenging but should be main- tained. Side effects are minimized with the use of a single medication but is less effective. The treatment time is decreased from 6 months to 3 months with this stan- dard regimen.: The development of resistant strains of TB are decreased with a combination of drugs. Combination therapy is necessary to decrease the development of resistant strains of TB and ensure treatment efficacy. 18. The registered nurse (RN) is teaching a client who is newly diagnosed with emphysema how to perform pursed lip breathing. What is the primary reason for teaching the client this method of breathing? Decreases respiratory rate. Increases O 2 saturation throughout the body. Conserves energy while ambulating. Promotes CO 2 elimination.: Promotes CO 2 elimination. Pursed lip breathing helps eliminate CO2 by increasing positive pressure within the alveoli increasing the surface area of the alveoli making it easier for the O2 and CO2 gas exchange to occur . 19. The registered nurse (RN) is caring for a client with acute pancreatitis and reviews the admission laboratory results. What laboratory value should the 7 / 48 RN anticipate being elevated with this diagnosis? Triglycerides. Amylase. Creatinine. Uric acid.: Amylase An elevated amylase level is associated with acute pancreatitis. 20. A client in an ambulatory clinic describes awaking in the middle of the night with difficulty breathing and shortness of breath related to paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea. Which underlying condition should the registered nurse (RN) identify in the client's history? Chronic bronchitis. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Heart failure (HF). Chronic pancreatitis.: Heart failure (HF) Paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea is classic sign of heart failure and is secondary to fluid overload associated with heart failure which causes pulmonary edema. 21. A client is recently diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and the registered nurse (RN) is assessing for common complications. Which symptom should the RN instruct the client to report immediately? Fever related to infection. Weight loss and anorexia. Depressed mood. Break in tissue integrity.: Fever related to infection Secondary infections are a major concern with SLE clients due to the use of corti- costeroids and chemotherapeutic agents, which suppresses the immune system, so reporting fever and infections should be reported immediately.