Stroke NCLEX Exam Questions and answers
1. A patient is admitted with uncontrolled atrial fibrillation. The patient's medication history includes
vitamin D supplements and calcium. What type of stroke is this patient at MOST risk for?
A. Ischemic thrombosis
B. Ischemic embolism
C. Hemorrhagic
D. Ischemic stenosis - ✅✅The answer is B. If a patient is in uncontrolled a-fib they are at risk for clot
formation within the heart chambers. This clot can leave the heart and travel to the brain. Hence, an
ischemic embolism type stroke can occur. An ischemic thrombosis type stroke is where a clot forms
within the artery wall of the neck or brain.
2. Which patient below is at most risk for a hemorrhagic stroke?
A. A 65 year old male patient with carotid stenosis.
B. A 89 year old female with atherosclerosis.
C. A 88 year old male with uncontrolled hypertension and a history of brain aneurysm repair 2 years
ago.
D. A 55 year old female with atrial flutter. - ✅✅The answer is C. A hemorrhagic stroke occurs when
bleeding in the brain happens due to a break in a blood vessel. Risk factors for a hemorrhagic stroke is
uncontrolled hypertension, history of brain aneurysm, old age (due to aging blood vessels.) All the other
options are at risk for an ischemic type of stroke.
3. You're educating a patient about transient ischemic attacks (TIAs). Select all the options that are
incorrect about this condition:
A. TIAs are caused by a temporary decrease in blood flow to the brain.
B. TIAs produce signs and symptoms that can last for several weeks to months.
C. A TIAs is a warning sign that an impending stroke may occur.
D. TIAs don't require medical treatment. - ✅✅The answers are B and D. Options A and C are
CORRECT statements about TIAs. However, option B is wrong because TIAs produce signs and symptoms
that can last a few minutes to hours and resolve (NOT several weeks to months). Option D is wrong be
TIAs do require medical treatment.
,4. A patient who suffered a stroke one month ago is experiencing hearing problems along with issues
learning and showing emotion. On the MRI what lobe in the brain do you expect to be affected?
A. Frontal lobe
B. Occipital lobe
C. Parietal lobe
D. Temporal - ✅✅The answer is D. The temporal lobe is responsible for hearing, learning, and
feelings/emotions.
5. A patient's MRI imaging shows damage to the cerebellum a week after the patient suffered a stroke.
What assessment findings would correlate with this MRI finding?
A. Vision problems
B. Balance impairment
C. Language difficulty
D. Impaired short-term memory - ✅✅The answer is B. The cerebellum is important for coordination
and balance.
6. A patient is demonstrating signs and symptoms of stroke. The patient reports loss of vision. What area
of the brain do you suspect is affected based on this finding?
A. Brain stem
B. Hippocampus
C. Parietal lobe
D. Occipital lobe - ✅✅The answer is D. The occipital lobe is responsible for vision and color
perception.
7. A patient has right side brain damage from a stroke. Select all the signs and symptoms that occur with
this type of stroke:
A. Right side hemiplegia
B. Confusion on date, time, and place
C. Aphasia
D. Unilateral neglect
E. Aware of limitations
, F. Impulsive
G. Short attention span
H. Agraphia - ✅✅The answers are B, D, F, and G. Patients who have right side brain damage will have
LEFT side hemiplegia (opposite side), confused on date, time, and place, unilateral neglect (left side
neglect), DENIAL about limitations, be impulsive, and have a short attention span. Agraphia, right side
hemiplegia, aware of limitations, and aphasia occur in a LEFT SIDE brain injury.
8. You're educating a group of nursing students about left side brain damage. Select all the signs and
symptoms noted with this type of stroke:
A. Aphasia
B. Denial about limitations
C. Impaired math skills
D. Issues with seeing on the right side
E. Disoriented
F. Depression and anger
G. Impulsive
H. Agraphia - ✅✅The answers are A, C, D, F, and H. Patients who have left side brain damage will
have aphasia, be AWARE of their limitations, impaired math skills, issues with seeing on the right side,
no deficit in memory, depression/anger, cautious, and agraphia. All the other options are found in right
side brain injury.
9. During discharge teaching for a patient who experienced a mild stroke, you are providing details on
how to eliminate risk factors for experiencing another stroke. Which risk factors below for stroke are
modifiable?
A. Smoking
B. Family history
C. Advanced age
D. Obesity
E. Sedentary lifestyle - ✅✅The answers are A, D, and E. These risk factors are modifiable in that the
patient can attempt to change them to prevent another stroke in the future. The other risk factors are
NOT modifiable.
1. A patient is admitted with uncontrolled atrial fibrillation. The patient's medication history includes
vitamin D supplements and calcium. What type of stroke is this patient at MOST risk for?
A. Ischemic thrombosis
B. Ischemic embolism
C. Hemorrhagic
D. Ischemic stenosis - ✅✅The answer is B. If a patient is in uncontrolled a-fib they are at risk for clot
formation within the heart chambers. This clot can leave the heart and travel to the brain. Hence, an
ischemic embolism type stroke can occur. An ischemic thrombosis type stroke is where a clot forms
within the artery wall of the neck or brain.
2. Which patient below is at most risk for a hemorrhagic stroke?
A. A 65 year old male patient with carotid stenosis.
B. A 89 year old female with atherosclerosis.
C. A 88 year old male with uncontrolled hypertension and a history of brain aneurysm repair 2 years
ago.
D. A 55 year old female with atrial flutter. - ✅✅The answer is C. A hemorrhagic stroke occurs when
bleeding in the brain happens due to a break in a blood vessel. Risk factors for a hemorrhagic stroke is
uncontrolled hypertension, history of brain aneurysm, old age (due to aging blood vessels.) All the other
options are at risk for an ischemic type of stroke.
3. You're educating a patient about transient ischemic attacks (TIAs). Select all the options that are
incorrect about this condition:
A. TIAs are caused by a temporary decrease in blood flow to the brain.
B. TIAs produce signs and symptoms that can last for several weeks to months.
C. A TIAs is a warning sign that an impending stroke may occur.
D. TIAs don't require medical treatment. - ✅✅The answers are B and D. Options A and C are
CORRECT statements about TIAs. However, option B is wrong because TIAs produce signs and symptoms
that can last a few minutes to hours and resolve (NOT several weeks to months). Option D is wrong be
TIAs do require medical treatment.
,4. A patient who suffered a stroke one month ago is experiencing hearing problems along with issues
learning and showing emotion. On the MRI what lobe in the brain do you expect to be affected?
A. Frontal lobe
B. Occipital lobe
C. Parietal lobe
D. Temporal - ✅✅The answer is D. The temporal lobe is responsible for hearing, learning, and
feelings/emotions.
5. A patient's MRI imaging shows damage to the cerebellum a week after the patient suffered a stroke.
What assessment findings would correlate with this MRI finding?
A. Vision problems
B. Balance impairment
C. Language difficulty
D. Impaired short-term memory - ✅✅The answer is B. The cerebellum is important for coordination
and balance.
6. A patient is demonstrating signs and symptoms of stroke. The patient reports loss of vision. What area
of the brain do you suspect is affected based on this finding?
A. Brain stem
B. Hippocampus
C. Parietal lobe
D. Occipital lobe - ✅✅The answer is D. The occipital lobe is responsible for vision and color
perception.
7. A patient has right side brain damage from a stroke. Select all the signs and symptoms that occur with
this type of stroke:
A. Right side hemiplegia
B. Confusion on date, time, and place
C. Aphasia
D. Unilateral neglect
E. Aware of limitations
, F. Impulsive
G. Short attention span
H. Agraphia - ✅✅The answers are B, D, F, and G. Patients who have right side brain damage will have
LEFT side hemiplegia (opposite side), confused on date, time, and place, unilateral neglect (left side
neglect), DENIAL about limitations, be impulsive, and have a short attention span. Agraphia, right side
hemiplegia, aware of limitations, and aphasia occur in a LEFT SIDE brain injury.
8. You're educating a group of nursing students about left side brain damage. Select all the signs and
symptoms noted with this type of stroke:
A. Aphasia
B. Denial about limitations
C. Impaired math skills
D. Issues with seeing on the right side
E. Disoriented
F. Depression and anger
G. Impulsive
H. Agraphia - ✅✅The answers are A, C, D, F, and H. Patients who have left side brain damage will
have aphasia, be AWARE of their limitations, impaired math skills, issues with seeing on the right side,
no deficit in memory, depression/anger, cautious, and agraphia. All the other options are found in right
side brain injury.
9. During discharge teaching for a patient who experienced a mild stroke, you are providing details on
how to eliminate risk factors for experiencing another stroke. Which risk factors below for stroke are
modifiable?
A. Smoking
B. Family history
C. Advanced age
D. Obesity
E. Sedentary lifestyle - ✅✅The answers are A, D, and E. These risk factors are modifiable in that the
patient can attempt to change them to prevent another stroke in the future. The other risk factors are
NOT modifiable.
