ATI CMS Fundamentals Practice Test Questions
And Answers
A nurse in a clinic is caring for a middle adult client who states, "the doctor says that,
since I am an average risk for
colon cancer, I should have a routine screening/ what does that involve?" Which of the
following responses should the nurse make?
a) "I'll get a blood sample from you and send it for a screening test."
b) "Beginning at age 60, you should have a colonoscopy."
c) "You should have a fecal occult blood test every year."
d) "The recommendation is to have a sigmoidoscopy every 10 years." - ANSWER
Correct answer: C.- Colorectal cancer screening for clients who are at average risk
begins at age 50. One option for
screening is a fecal occult blood test annually
A nurse has just inserted an NG tube for a client. Which of the following findings should
the nurse expect to confirm
correct tube placement?
a) The tube aspirate has a pH of 7.
b) An x-ray shows the end of the tube above the pylorus.
c) Bowel sounds are present on auscultation.
d) The client reports relief of nausea. - ANSWER Correct answer: B.- An abdominal
xray showing the end of the tube above the pylorus indicates gastric placement
A nurse is preparing to administer 0.5 mL of oral single-dose liquid medication to a
client. Which of the following
actions should the nurse take?
a) Gently shake the container of medication prior to administration.
b) Transfer the medication to a medicine cup.
c) Place the client in a semi-Fowler's position prior to medication administration.
d) Verify the dosage by measuring the liquid before administering it - ANSWER Correct
answer: A.- The nurse should gently shake the liquid medication to ensure that the
medication is mixed.
A nurse is admitting a client who has rubella. Which of the following types of
transmission-based precautions should the nurse initiate? a) Droplet
b) Airborne
c) Contact
,d) Protective environment - ANSWER Correct answer: A.- Droplet precautions are a
requirement for clients who have infections that spread via droplet nuclei that are
larger than 5 microns in diameter, including influenza, rubella, meningococcal
pneumonia, and streptococcal
pharyngitis. Airborne precautions are a requirement for clients who have infections that
spread via droplet nuclei that are smaller than 5 microns in diameter, including
varicella, tuberculosis, and measles. Contact precautions are a
requirement for clients who have infections that spread via direct contact with another
person or contact with the environment, including vancomycin-resistant enterococci,
methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and scabies.
Clients who have a compromised immune system, such as those who have had an
allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant, require a protective environment
A nurse is reviewing client's medication prescription that reads, "digoxin 0.25 by mouth
every day". Which of the following components of the prescription should the nurse
verify with the provider? a) Medication name
b) Route of administration
c) Medication dose
d) Frequency of administration - ANSWER Correct answer: C.- In the prescription, the
medication dose is not complete. The number 0.25 should be followed by a unit of
measurement, such as mg, to clarify the amount the nurse should administer
A nurse manager is overseeing the care activities on a unit. For which of the following
situations should the nurse manager intervene due to HIPAA guidelines?
a) A nurse who is caring for a client reviews the client's medical chart with a nursing
student who is working with the nurse.
b) A nurse asks a nurse from another unit to assist with documentation for a client.
c) A nurse who is caring for a client returns a call to the person appointed in the health
care proxy to discuss the client's care.
d) A nurse discusses a client's status with the physical therapist who is caring for the
client. - ANSWER Correct answer: B.- Only health care professionals directly caring
for a client should have access to the client's medical
information; therefore, this is a violation of HIPAA guidelines
A nurse is teaching an older adult client who is at risk for osteoporosis about beginning
a program of regular physical activity. Which of the following types of activity should
the nurse recommend? a) Walking briskly
b) Riding a bicycle
c) Performing isometric exercises
d) Engaging in high-impact aerobics - ANSWER Correct answer: A.- Weight-bearing
exercises are essential for maintaining bone mass, which helps to prevent
osteoporosis. Walking engages older adult clients in this preventive and therapeutic
strategy
, A nurse is caring for a client who requires an informed consent for a surgical procedure.
Which of the following actions is the nurse's responsibility?
a) Describe the procedure to the client.
b) Witness the client's signature on the consent form.
c) Inform the client of alternatives to the procedure.
d) Tell the client which team members will assist with the procedure. - ANSWER
Correct answer: B.- The nurse is responsible for witnessing the client sign the
consent form. The nurse should confirm
that the client appears competent to give consent and that the client understands the
procedure
A nurse on a medical unit is preparing to discharge a client to home. Which of the
following actions should the nurse take as part of the medication reconciliation
process?
a) Seal unused medications from the facility in a plastic bag.
b) Evaluate the client's ability to self-administer medications.
c) Report an identified discrepancy to The Joint Commission.
d) Compare prescriptions with medications the client received while at the facility. -
ANSWER Correct answer: D.- When performing medication reconciliation, the nurse
should create a current, accurate list of every
medication the client is or should be taking. Part of the process is comparing the
medications the client received at the facility with those the provider has
prescribed for the client to take after discharge.
A nurse is caring for a client who has recently started using a behind-the-ear hearing
aid. Which of the following statements should the nurse identify as an indication that the
client understands the use of this assistive device?
a) "This type of hearing aid does not allow for fine tuning of volume."
b) "I shouldn't have trouble keeping the hearing aid in place during exercise."
c) "I expect to hear a whistling sound when I first insert the hearing aid."
d) "I will be sure to remove my hearing aid before taking a shower." - ANSWER Correct
answer: D.- Clients should remove any hearing devices before showering because
exposure to water can damage them.
A nurse if caring for a client who is receiving pain medication through a patient-
controlled analgesia (PCA) pump.
Which of the following actions should the nurse take?
a) Instruct the family to refrain from pushing the button for the client while she is asleep.
b) Inform the client that because she is on PCA, vital signs will be taken every 8 hr.
c) Teach the client to avoid pushing the button until pain is above a 7 on a scale of 0 to
10.
d) Increase the basal rate and shorten the lock-out interval time if the client's pain level
is too high. - ANSWER Correct answer: A.- The nurse should instruct family
members not to activate the button for the client while they are
And Answers
A nurse in a clinic is caring for a middle adult client who states, "the doctor says that,
since I am an average risk for
colon cancer, I should have a routine screening/ what does that involve?" Which of the
following responses should the nurse make?
a) "I'll get a blood sample from you and send it for a screening test."
b) "Beginning at age 60, you should have a colonoscopy."
c) "You should have a fecal occult blood test every year."
d) "The recommendation is to have a sigmoidoscopy every 10 years." - ANSWER
Correct answer: C.- Colorectal cancer screening for clients who are at average risk
begins at age 50. One option for
screening is a fecal occult blood test annually
A nurse has just inserted an NG tube for a client. Which of the following findings should
the nurse expect to confirm
correct tube placement?
a) The tube aspirate has a pH of 7.
b) An x-ray shows the end of the tube above the pylorus.
c) Bowel sounds are present on auscultation.
d) The client reports relief of nausea. - ANSWER Correct answer: B.- An abdominal
xray showing the end of the tube above the pylorus indicates gastric placement
A nurse is preparing to administer 0.5 mL of oral single-dose liquid medication to a
client. Which of the following
actions should the nurse take?
a) Gently shake the container of medication prior to administration.
b) Transfer the medication to a medicine cup.
c) Place the client in a semi-Fowler's position prior to medication administration.
d) Verify the dosage by measuring the liquid before administering it - ANSWER Correct
answer: A.- The nurse should gently shake the liquid medication to ensure that the
medication is mixed.
A nurse is admitting a client who has rubella. Which of the following types of
transmission-based precautions should the nurse initiate? a) Droplet
b) Airborne
c) Contact
,d) Protective environment - ANSWER Correct answer: A.- Droplet precautions are a
requirement for clients who have infections that spread via droplet nuclei that are
larger than 5 microns in diameter, including influenza, rubella, meningococcal
pneumonia, and streptococcal
pharyngitis. Airborne precautions are a requirement for clients who have infections that
spread via droplet nuclei that are smaller than 5 microns in diameter, including
varicella, tuberculosis, and measles. Contact precautions are a
requirement for clients who have infections that spread via direct contact with another
person or contact with the environment, including vancomycin-resistant enterococci,
methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and scabies.
Clients who have a compromised immune system, such as those who have had an
allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant, require a protective environment
A nurse is reviewing client's medication prescription that reads, "digoxin 0.25 by mouth
every day". Which of the following components of the prescription should the nurse
verify with the provider? a) Medication name
b) Route of administration
c) Medication dose
d) Frequency of administration - ANSWER Correct answer: C.- In the prescription, the
medication dose is not complete. The number 0.25 should be followed by a unit of
measurement, such as mg, to clarify the amount the nurse should administer
A nurse manager is overseeing the care activities on a unit. For which of the following
situations should the nurse manager intervene due to HIPAA guidelines?
a) A nurse who is caring for a client reviews the client's medical chart with a nursing
student who is working with the nurse.
b) A nurse asks a nurse from another unit to assist with documentation for a client.
c) A nurse who is caring for a client returns a call to the person appointed in the health
care proxy to discuss the client's care.
d) A nurse discusses a client's status with the physical therapist who is caring for the
client. - ANSWER Correct answer: B.- Only health care professionals directly caring
for a client should have access to the client's medical
information; therefore, this is a violation of HIPAA guidelines
A nurse is teaching an older adult client who is at risk for osteoporosis about beginning
a program of regular physical activity. Which of the following types of activity should
the nurse recommend? a) Walking briskly
b) Riding a bicycle
c) Performing isometric exercises
d) Engaging in high-impact aerobics - ANSWER Correct answer: A.- Weight-bearing
exercises are essential for maintaining bone mass, which helps to prevent
osteoporosis. Walking engages older adult clients in this preventive and therapeutic
strategy
, A nurse is caring for a client who requires an informed consent for a surgical procedure.
Which of the following actions is the nurse's responsibility?
a) Describe the procedure to the client.
b) Witness the client's signature on the consent form.
c) Inform the client of alternatives to the procedure.
d) Tell the client which team members will assist with the procedure. - ANSWER
Correct answer: B.- The nurse is responsible for witnessing the client sign the
consent form. The nurse should confirm
that the client appears competent to give consent and that the client understands the
procedure
A nurse on a medical unit is preparing to discharge a client to home. Which of the
following actions should the nurse take as part of the medication reconciliation
process?
a) Seal unused medications from the facility in a plastic bag.
b) Evaluate the client's ability to self-administer medications.
c) Report an identified discrepancy to The Joint Commission.
d) Compare prescriptions with medications the client received while at the facility. -
ANSWER Correct answer: D.- When performing medication reconciliation, the nurse
should create a current, accurate list of every
medication the client is or should be taking. Part of the process is comparing the
medications the client received at the facility with those the provider has
prescribed for the client to take after discharge.
A nurse is caring for a client who has recently started using a behind-the-ear hearing
aid. Which of the following statements should the nurse identify as an indication that the
client understands the use of this assistive device?
a) "This type of hearing aid does not allow for fine tuning of volume."
b) "I shouldn't have trouble keeping the hearing aid in place during exercise."
c) "I expect to hear a whistling sound when I first insert the hearing aid."
d) "I will be sure to remove my hearing aid before taking a shower." - ANSWER Correct
answer: D.- Clients should remove any hearing devices before showering because
exposure to water can damage them.
A nurse if caring for a client who is receiving pain medication through a patient-
controlled analgesia (PCA) pump.
Which of the following actions should the nurse take?
a) Instruct the family to refrain from pushing the button for the client while she is asleep.
b) Inform the client that because she is on PCA, vital signs will be taken every 8 hr.
c) Teach the client to avoid pushing the button until pain is above a 7 on a scale of 0 to
10.
d) Increase the basal rate and shorten the lock-out interval time if the client's pain level
is too high. - ANSWER Correct answer: A.- The nurse should instruct family
members not to activate the button for the client while they are
