Musculoskeletal NCLEX Questions
1. A nurse is performing a musculoskeletal assessment on an older adult living
independently. What normal physiologic changes of aging does the nurse
expect? (Select all that apply.)
a. Muscle atrophy
b. Slowed movement
c. Scoliosis
d. Arthritis
e. Widened gait <Ans> A,B,D,E
2. A client returns to the postanesthesia care unit (PACU) after an arthroscopy to
prepare a knee injury. What is the nurse's priority when caring for this client?
a. Perform passive range-of-motion exercises.
b. Keep the affected leg immobilized.
c. Ensure that the patient uses the patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) pump.
d. Check the neurovascular status of the affected leg and foot. <Ans> D
3. A client who has a plaster leg splint reports a painful pressure sensation under
the elastic wrap that is holding the splint in place. What is the nurse's best initial
action?
a. Remove the splint to reduce skin pressure.
b. Perform a neurovascular assessment.
,c. Report the client's concern to the primary health care provider.
d. Inspect the skin under the elastic bandage. <Ans> B.
4. A client has a synthetic cast placed for a right wrist fracture in the emer- gency
room.What priority health teaching is important for the nurse to provide for this
client before returning home? (Select all that apply.)
a. "Keep your right arm below the level of your heart as often as possible."
b. "Use an ice pack for the first 24 hours to decrease tissue swelling."
c. "Move the fingers of the right hand frequently to promote blood flow."
d. "Report coolness or discoloration of your right hand to your doctor."
e. "Don't place any device under the case to scratch the skin if it itches." <Ans> -
B,C,D,E
5. A client who had an elective below-the-knee amputation (BKA) reports pain in
the foot that was amputated last week. What is the nurse's most appropriate
response to the client's pain?
,a. "The pain will go away after the swelling decreases."
b. "That's phantom limb pain and every amputee has that."
c. "Your foot has been amputated, so it's in your head."
d. "On a scale of 0 to 10, how would you rate your pain?" <Ans> D.
6. What is the nurse's priority when doing an admission for a client who
returned directly from the operating suite after a carpal tunnel repair?
a. Monitor vital signs, including pulse oximetry.
b. Check the surgical dressing to ensure it is intact.
c. Assess neurovascular assessment in the affected arm.
d. Monitor intake and output. <Ans> A.
7. The nurse plans to use which tool to measure joint range of motion (ROM)?
A. Doppler device
B. Goniometer
C.Reflex hammer
D. Tonometer <Ans> B.
8. A nursing student is studying the skeletal system. Which statement best
indicates to the nursing instructor that the student understands a normal
physiologic function of the skeletal system?
A. "Volkmann's canals connect osteoblasts and osteoclasts."
B. "In the deepest layer of the periosteum is the cortex, which consists of
dense, compact bone tissue."
, C. "The matrix of the bone is where deposits of calcium and magnesium are
present."
D. "Hematopoiesis occurs in the red marrow, which is where blood cells are
produced." <Ans> D.
9. The nurse is completing an admission assessment on a client scheduled for
arthroscopic knee surgery. Which information will be most essential for the nurse
to report to the health care provider?
A. Knee pain at a level of 9 (0-to-10 scale)
B. Warm, red, and swollen knee
C. Allergy to shellfish and iodine
D. Previous surgery on the other knee <Ans> B.
10. Which client information is most essential for the nurse to report to the health
care provider before a client with knee pain undergoes magnetic reso- nance
imaging (MRI)?
A. Daily use of aspirin
B. Swollen and tender knee
1. A nurse is performing a musculoskeletal assessment on an older adult living
independently. What normal physiologic changes of aging does the nurse
expect? (Select all that apply.)
a. Muscle atrophy
b. Slowed movement
c. Scoliosis
d. Arthritis
e. Widened gait <Ans> A,B,D,E
2. A client returns to the postanesthesia care unit (PACU) after an arthroscopy to
prepare a knee injury. What is the nurse's priority when caring for this client?
a. Perform passive range-of-motion exercises.
b. Keep the affected leg immobilized.
c. Ensure that the patient uses the patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) pump.
d. Check the neurovascular status of the affected leg and foot. <Ans> D
3. A client who has a plaster leg splint reports a painful pressure sensation under
the elastic wrap that is holding the splint in place. What is the nurse's best initial
action?
a. Remove the splint to reduce skin pressure.
b. Perform a neurovascular assessment.
,c. Report the client's concern to the primary health care provider.
d. Inspect the skin under the elastic bandage. <Ans> B.
4. A client has a synthetic cast placed for a right wrist fracture in the emer- gency
room.What priority health teaching is important for the nurse to provide for this
client before returning home? (Select all that apply.)
a. "Keep your right arm below the level of your heart as often as possible."
b. "Use an ice pack for the first 24 hours to decrease tissue swelling."
c. "Move the fingers of the right hand frequently to promote blood flow."
d. "Report coolness or discoloration of your right hand to your doctor."
e. "Don't place any device under the case to scratch the skin if it itches." <Ans> -
B,C,D,E
5. A client who had an elective below-the-knee amputation (BKA) reports pain in
the foot that was amputated last week. What is the nurse's most appropriate
response to the client's pain?
,a. "The pain will go away after the swelling decreases."
b. "That's phantom limb pain and every amputee has that."
c. "Your foot has been amputated, so it's in your head."
d. "On a scale of 0 to 10, how would you rate your pain?" <Ans> D.
6. What is the nurse's priority when doing an admission for a client who
returned directly from the operating suite after a carpal tunnel repair?
a. Monitor vital signs, including pulse oximetry.
b. Check the surgical dressing to ensure it is intact.
c. Assess neurovascular assessment in the affected arm.
d. Monitor intake and output. <Ans> A.
7. The nurse plans to use which tool to measure joint range of motion (ROM)?
A. Doppler device
B. Goniometer
C.Reflex hammer
D. Tonometer <Ans> B.
8. A nursing student is studying the skeletal system. Which statement best
indicates to the nursing instructor that the student understands a normal
physiologic function of the skeletal system?
A. "Volkmann's canals connect osteoblasts and osteoclasts."
B. "In the deepest layer of the periosteum is the cortex, which consists of
dense, compact bone tissue."
, C. "The matrix of the bone is where deposits of calcium and magnesium are
present."
D. "Hematopoiesis occurs in the red marrow, which is where blood cells are
produced." <Ans> D.
9. The nurse is completing an admission assessment on a client scheduled for
arthroscopic knee surgery. Which information will be most essential for the nurse
to report to the health care provider?
A. Knee pain at a level of 9 (0-to-10 scale)
B. Warm, red, and swollen knee
C. Allergy to shellfish and iodine
D. Previous surgery on the other knee <Ans> B.
10. Which client information is most essential for the nurse to report to the health
care provider before a client with knee pain undergoes magnetic reso- nance
imaging (MRI)?
A. Daily use of aspirin
B. Swollen and tender knee
