CEN EXAM UPDATED QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT ANSWERS.
Which of the following statements made by a patient would lead the nurse to conclude that the
patient understands risk factors for pulmonary embolism?
A. While on a long flight, I should get up and walk to stretch my legs every hour.
B. Resuming my birth control pills will lower my risk of cancer and my risk of another clot.
C. If I drink plenty of water while driving on a long trip, this shouldn't happen again.
D. Switching from my regular cigarettes to the electronic ones can reduce my risk. - ANS A.
While on a long flight, I should get up and walk to stretch my legs every hour.
An emergency nurse is providing discharge instructions for a patient with pelvic inflammatory
disease. Which statement made by the patient indicates an understanding of these
instructions?
A. Getting pregnant shouldn't be a problem once the infection goes away.
B. I'll take the medicine for nausea when I feel sick to my stomach.
C. I will be at increased risk for ectopic pregnancy.
D. I will follow up with my doctor tomorrow. - ANS C. I will be at increased risk for ectopic
pregnancy.
1 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED.
,A 16-year-old presents with severe left upper quadrant abdominal pain after an over-the-
handlebars bicycle collision. Vital signs are BP 100/60 mm Hg, HR 100 beats/min, RR 30
breaths/min, T 37.0 C (98.6 F), SpO2 89% without supplemental oxygen. There is bruising over
the left upper quadrant of the abdomen. Auscultation reveals diminished breath sounds on the
left accompanied by gurgling. Based on this history and assessment, the nurse suspects which
injury?
A. Small bowel rupture
B. Ruptured diaphragm
C. Flail chest
D. Hepatic injury - ANS B. Ruptured diaphragm
A patient presents with chest pain. The nurse performs a 12-lead electrocardiogram that reveals
an abnormal Q wave. What does the nurse suspect?
A. A current injury
B. An old infarction
C. An acute infarction
D. Ischemia - ANS B. An old infarction
A patient is brought to the ED by emergency medical services with increased aggression and
making clear homicidal threats. What immediate action will the nurse expect to promote staff
and patient safety?
A. Administration of antipsychotics
B. One-to-one observation
C. Place in a seclusion room
D. Application of restraints - ANS C. Place in a seclusion room
2 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED.
,A 28-year-old female presents with shortness of breath, dizziness, and diaphoresis. Her vital
signs are BP 118/74 mm Hg, HR 122 beats/min, RR 26 breaths/min, T 37.7 C (99.9 F), SpO2 92%
without supplemental oxygen. Her health history includes fractures of the left tibia and fibula
following an MVC 3 weeks ago. Surgical fixation was required. Her only current medications are
an oral contraceptive and intermittent ibuprofen for pain. Assessment of the casted left leg
reveals that the toes are swollen. With this information, which diagnostic testing will the nurse
expect as the highest priority?
A. Sputum cultures
B. Chest radiograph
C. Computed tomographic pulmonary angiography
D. Radiograph of the left leg - ANS C. Computed tomographic pulmonary angiography.
A family of 10 presents to the ED with complaints of fever, muscle pain, and unexplained
bruising ongoing for 7 days. After completing the screening, the nurse notes that the family
recently traveled to Sierra Leone. What is the highest priority intervention the triage nurse
needs to perform?
A. Notify infection prevention
B. Leave the family in the waiting room
C. Evacuate the waiting room
D. Inform those waiting that Ebola has been detected - ANS A. Notify infection prevention
A patient presents to the ED with complaints of fatigue and insomnia. Assessment findings
reveal the patient is awake, alert, and oriented, has a round moon face, buffalo hump back,
hirsutism and prominent striae on the trunk. Vital signs are normal. Which of the following
scenarios is most consistent with this patient's presentation?
A. A high school wrestler who admits to taking his grandfather's furosemide before a meet
3 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED.
, B. A patient with insulin-dependent diabetes who took insulin, without eating breakfast.
C. A patient with severe chronic asthma who has been on prednisone for several years
D. A patient who underwent a thyroidectomy several years ago who recently ran out of
medication - ANS C. A patient with severe chronic asthma who has been on prednisone for
several years
A patient who was brought to the ED by ambulance following a motor vehicle collision, in which
the driver hit a tree, has BP 92/48 mm Hg, HR 128 beats/min, RR 34 breaths/min, SpO2 91%
with supplemental oxygen via a nonrebreather. He has labored breathing, cyanosis, absent
breath sounds on the right, and jugular vein distension. Which of the following conditions
would be suspected?
A. Aspiration
B. Flail chest
C. Cardiac tamponade
D. Tension pneumothorax - ANS D. Tension pneumothorax
What is the most common cause of cardiogenic shock?
A. Sustained cardiac dysrhythmias
B. Acute valvular dysfunction
C. Myocardial infarction
D. End-stage cardiomyopathy - ANS C. Myocardial infarction
The disease most commonly associated with the catarrhal, paroxysmal and convalescent stages
is best treated with classification of medications?
Immune globulin
4 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED.
CORRECT ANSWERS.
Which of the following statements made by a patient would lead the nurse to conclude that the
patient understands risk factors for pulmonary embolism?
A. While on a long flight, I should get up and walk to stretch my legs every hour.
B. Resuming my birth control pills will lower my risk of cancer and my risk of another clot.
C. If I drink plenty of water while driving on a long trip, this shouldn't happen again.
D. Switching from my regular cigarettes to the electronic ones can reduce my risk. - ANS A.
While on a long flight, I should get up and walk to stretch my legs every hour.
An emergency nurse is providing discharge instructions for a patient with pelvic inflammatory
disease. Which statement made by the patient indicates an understanding of these
instructions?
A. Getting pregnant shouldn't be a problem once the infection goes away.
B. I'll take the medicine for nausea when I feel sick to my stomach.
C. I will be at increased risk for ectopic pregnancy.
D. I will follow up with my doctor tomorrow. - ANS C. I will be at increased risk for ectopic
pregnancy.
1 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED.
,A 16-year-old presents with severe left upper quadrant abdominal pain after an over-the-
handlebars bicycle collision. Vital signs are BP 100/60 mm Hg, HR 100 beats/min, RR 30
breaths/min, T 37.0 C (98.6 F), SpO2 89% without supplemental oxygen. There is bruising over
the left upper quadrant of the abdomen. Auscultation reveals diminished breath sounds on the
left accompanied by gurgling. Based on this history and assessment, the nurse suspects which
injury?
A. Small bowel rupture
B. Ruptured diaphragm
C. Flail chest
D. Hepatic injury - ANS B. Ruptured diaphragm
A patient presents with chest pain. The nurse performs a 12-lead electrocardiogram that reveals
an abnormal Q wave. What does the nurse suspect?
A. A current injury
B. An old infarction
C. An acute infarction
D. Ischemia - ANS B. An old infarction
A patient is brought to the ED by emergency medical services with increased aggression and
making clear homicidal threats. What immediate action will the nurse expect to promote staff
and patient safety?
A. Administration of antipsychotics
B. One-to-one observation
C. Place in a seclusion room
D. Application of restraints - ANS C. Place in a seclusion room
2 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED.
,A 28-year-old female presents with shortness of breath, dizziness, and diaphoresis. Her vital
signs are BP 118/74 mm Hg, HR 122 beats/min, RR 26 breaths/min, T 37.7 C (99.9 F), SpO2 92%
without supplemental oxygen. Her health history includes fractures of the left tibia and fibula
following an MVC 3 weeks ago. Surgical fixation was required. Her only current medications are
an oral contraceptive and intermittent ibuprofen for pain. Assessment of the casted left leg
reveals that the toes are swollen. With this information, which diagnostic testing will the nurse
expect as the highest priority?
A. Sputum cultures
B. Chest radiograph
C. Computed tomographic pulmonary angiography
D. Radiograph of the left leg - ANS C. Computed tomographic pulmonary angiography.
A family of 10 presents to the ED with complaints of fever, muscle pain, and unexplained
bruising ongoing for 7 days. After completing the screening, the nurse notes that the family
recently traveled to Sierra Leone. What is the highest priority intervention the triage nurse
needs to perform?
A. Notify infection prevention
B. Leave the family in the waiting room
C. Evacuate the waiting room
D. Inform those waiting that Ebola has been detected - ANS A. Notify infection prevention
A patient presents to the ED with complaints of fatigue and insomnia. Assessment findings
reveal the patient is awake, alert, and oriented, has a round moon face, buffalo hump back,
hirsutism and prominent striae on the trunk. Vital signs are normal. Which of the following
scenarios is most consistent with this patient's presentation?
A. A high school wrestler who admits to taking his grandfather's furosemide before a meet
3 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED.
, B. A patient with insulin-dependent diabetes who took insulin, without eating breakfast.
C. A patient with severe chronic asthma who has been on prednisone for several years
D. A patient who underwent a thyroidectomy several years ago who recently ran out of
medication - ANS C. A patient with severe chronic asthma who has been on prednisone for
several years
A patient who was brought to the ED by ambulance following a motor vehicle collision, in which
the driver hit a tree, has BP 92/48 mm Hg, HR 128 beats/min, RR 34 breaths/min, SpO2 91%
with supplemental oxygen via a nonrebreather. He has labored breathing, cyanosis, absent
breath sounds on the right, and jugular vein distension. Which of the following conditions
would be suspected?
A. Aspiration
B. Flail chest
C. Cardiac tamponade
D. Tension pneumothorax - ANS D. Tension pneumothorax
What is the most common cause of cardiogenic shock?
A. Sustained cardiac dysrhythmias
B. Acute valvular dysfunction
C. Myocardial infarction
D. End-stage cardiomyopathy - ANS C. Myocardial infarction
The disease most commonly associated with the catarrhal, paroxysmal and convalescent stages
is best treated with classification of medications?
Immune globulin
4 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED.
