HESI CRITICAL CARE EXIT EXAM 2025-2026 /
CRITICAL CARE HESI EXIT EXAM 2025 ACTUAL
EXAM ALL 100 QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
DETAILED ANSWERWERS WITH
RATIONALES|ALREADY GRADED A+
Overview
This comprehensive HESI Critical Care study resource is designed to help nursing students and
new graduate nurses build advanced clinical judgment and prepare confidently for high-level
HESI exit assessments. Featuring 100 high-quality, exam-style practice questions with
correct, detailed rationales, this guide reflects the complexity, decision-making, and critical-
thinking skills required in critical care nursing for the 2025–2026 cycle. All content has been
expert-reviewed and graded A+, ensuring accuracy, clarity, and strong educational value.
Key Features
✅ 100 Critical Care Exam-Style Practice Questions — Each with correct, detailed rationales
✅ Updated for 2025–2026 HESI Critical Care Standards
✅ Covers All Major Critical Care Nursing Domains:
Cardiovascular Critical Care (Shock, Dysrhythmias, ACS, Hemodynamics)
Respiratory/Critical Ventilation Support (ARDS, Vent Management)
Neurologic Emergencies (ICP, Stroke, Trauma)
Renal & Endocrine Crises (DKA, HHS, AKI)
Rapid Response, Code Management & Safety
Ethical, Legal & Family-Centered Care
✅ A+ Graded, Expert-Verified Answers
Purpose
• Provide a structured, advanced review for HESI Critical Care Exit Exam preparation
• Strengthen clinical judgment, prioritization, and emergency decision-making
• Support learners aiming for high performance on HESI-style critical care assessments
,Recommended For
• Nursing students preparing for the HESI Critical Care Exit Exam
• New graduates seeking critical-care–focused practice questions with rationales
• Educators and study groups developing high-quality critical care review materials
Your Complete HESI Critical Care Study Resource
With 100 high-level exam-style questions and A+ graded explanations, this guide is one of
the most reliable, advanced, and effective tools for mastering critical care nursing concepts
and preparing confidently for HESI exit exams in the 2025–2026 cycle.
The school nurse teaches accident-prevention to the parents of school-aged children. Which statement,
if made by a parent to the nurse, indicates teaching is effective?
1. "I'm going to make sure my child wears a helmet, shin guards, and gloves when he rides his bike."
2. "I keep my guns and ammunition in a locked cabinet in the basement."
3. "The next time we go to the park, I'm going to teach my child the correct way to climb on the
monkey bars."
4. "I'm going to make sure my wife and I observe our child when he plays outside with friends." -
ANSWERWER-3
The nurse cares for a client who had a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass procedure 4 hours ago. The client's vital
signs are blood pressure 92/68, apical heart rate 112 per minute, and respiratory rate 22 per minute.
Which order should the nurse question?
1. 0.9% sodium chloride water infusion at 150 mL/hour.
2. Epinephrine (Adrenalin) 1 mg bolus intravenously.
3. Monitor urinary output hourly for 24 hours.
4. 50 mL 25% albumin (human) 50 mL intravenously. - ANSWERWER-2
,A nurse from the surgical floor is reassigned to the pediatric unit. Which of the following client
assignment is MOST appropriate for this nurse?
1. A 5-month-old infant after a cast application on the left extremity due to club foot.
2. A 4-year-old boy with right abdominal swelling and a decreased appetite.
3. A 6-year-old boy admitted with cystic fibrosis and a temperature of 101.5 F (38.68 C). 4. A 10-year-
old girl with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes. - ANSWERWER-1
The home care nurse observes an elderly woman on a low-sodium diet eating a dill pickle that her son
gave her with lunch. Which response by the nurse is MOST appropriate?
1. "Giving your mother salty food will only make her condition worse."
2. "Didn't your mother tell you she's on a low-sodium diet?"
3. "Tell me what you know about your mother's diet."
4. "Let's make an appointment for you to meet with a dietician." - ANSWERWER-3
1 - ANSWERWER-The nurse cares for a client with a cuffed tracheostomy tube. Before performing
oral care, the nurse notes that the client's tracheostomy cuff is inflated. Which of the following is the
MOST appropriate action for the nurse to take?
1. Leave the cuff inflated and suction through the tracheostomy.
2. Deflate the cuff and suction through the tracheostomy tube.
3. Inflate the cuff pressure to 40 mm Hg before suctioning.
4. Adjust the wall suction pressure to 160 to 180 mm Hg before suctioning.
2 - ANSWERWER-A young adult brings a friend to the emergency department and states that the
friend has been using heroin. Which action by the nurse is the MOST appropriate?
, 1. Assess pupil size and reactivity.
2. Assess oxygen saturation levels.
3. Palpate dorsalis pedis pulses.
4. Ask the client if he knows today's date
3 - ANSWERWER-The client tells the clinic nurse that the client is thinking about using nicotine
polacrilex (Nicorette). Which question is MOST important for the nurse to ask?
1. "Have you tried other methods to stop smoking?"
2. "How long have you been smoking?"
3. "Have you ever had chest pain?"
4. "Do you have a partial dental bridge?"
4 - ANSWERWER-The nurse cares for the client with a client controlled analgesia (PCA) pump. The
nurse determines that the client has pressed the button 11 times and received 6 doses of morphine
during the last hour. Which is the MOST appropriate action for the nurse to take?
1. Assess the patency of the PCA IV tubing.
2. Determine the client's understanding of the PCA pump function.
3. Obtain an order to begin a PCA infusion of fentanyl.
4. Ask the client to describe the pain.
3 - ANSWERWER-A pregnant woman receives an epidural anesthetic. After administration of the
epidural anesthetic, the client's blood pressure changes from 120/84 to 94/50. Which action by the
nurse is MOST appropriate?
1. Place the client flat on her back.
CRITICAL CARE HESI EXIT EXAM 2025 ACTUAL
EXAM ALL 100 QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
DETAILED ANSWERWERS WITH
RATIONALES|ALREADY GRADED A+
Overview
This comprehensive HESI Critical Care study resource is designed to help nursing students and
new graduate nurses build advanced clinical judgment and prepare confidently for high-level
HESI exit assessments. Featuring 100 high-quality, exam-style practice questions with
correct, detailed rationales, this guide reflects the complexity, decision-making, and critical-
thinking skills required in critical care nursing for the 2025–2026 cycle. All content has been
expert-reviewed and graded A+, ensuring accuracy, clarity, and strong educational value.
Key Features
✅ 100 Critical Care Exam-Style Practice Questions — Each with correct, detailed rationales
✅ Updated for 2025–2026 HESI Critical Care Standards
✅ Covers All Major Critical Care Nursing Domains:
Cardiovascular Critical Care (Shock, Dysrhythmias, ACS, Hemodynamics)
Respiratory/Critical Ventilation Support (ARDS, Vent Management)
Neurologic Emergencies (ICP, Stroke, Trauma)
Renal & Endocrine Crises (DKA, HHS, AKI)
Rapid Response, Code Management & Safety
Ethical, Legal & Family-Centered Care
✅ A+ Graded, Expert-Verified Answers
Purpose
• Provide a structured, advanced review for HESI Critical Care Exit Exam preparation
• Strengthen clinical judgment, prioritization, and emergency decision-making
• Support learners aiming for high performance on HESI-style critical care assessments
,Recommended For
• Nursing students preparing for the HESI Critical Care Exit Exam
• New graduates seeking critical-care–focused practice questions with rationales
• Educators and study groups developing high-quality critical care review materials
Your Complete HESI Critical Care Study Resource
With 100 high-level exam-style questions and A+ graded explanations, this guide is one of
the most reliable, advanced, and effective tools for mastering critical care nursing concepts
and preparing confidently for HESI exit exams in the 2025–2026 cycle.
The school nurse teaches accident-prevention to the parents of school-aged children. Which statement,
if made by a parent to the nurse, indicates teaching is effective?
1. "I'm going to make sure my child wears a helmet, shin guards, and gloves when he rides his bike."
2. "I keep my guns and ammunition in a locked cabinet in the basement."
3. "The next time we go to the park, I'm going to teach my child the correct way to climb on the
monkey bars."
4. "I'm going to make sure my wife and I observe our child when he plays outside with friends." -
ANSWERWER-3
The nurse cares for a client who had a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass procedure 4 hours ago. The client's vital
signs are blood pressure 92/68, apical heart rate 112 per minute, and respiratory rate 22 per minute.
Which order should the nurse question?
1. 0.9% sodium chloride water infusion at 150 mL/hour.
2. Epinephrine (Adrenalin) 1 mg bolus intravenously.
3. Monitor urinary output hourly for 24 hours.
4. 50 mL 25% albumin (human) 50 mL intravenously. - ANSWERWER-2
,A nurse from the surgical floor is reassigned to the pediatric unit. Which of the following client
assignment is MOST appropriate for this nurse?
1. A 5-month-old infant after a cast application on the left extremity due to club foot.
2. A 4-year-old boy with right abdominal swelling and a decreased appetite.
3. A 6-year-old boy admitted with cystic fibrosis and a temperature of 101.5 F (38.68 C). 4. A 10-year-
old girl with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes. - ANSWERWER-1
The home care nurse observes an elderly woman on a low-sodium diet eating a dill pickle that her son
gave her with lunch. Which response by the nurse is MOST appropriate?
1. "Giving your mother salty food will only make her condition worse."
2. "Didn't your mother tell you she's on a low-sodium diet?"
3. "Tell me what you know about your mother's diet."
4. "Let's make an appointment for you to meet with a dietician." - ANSWERWER-3
1 - ANSWERWER-The nurse cares for a client with a cuffed tracheostomy tube. Before performing
oral care, the nurse notes that the client's tracheostomy cuff is inflated. Which of the following is the
MOST appropriate action for the nurse to take?
1. Leave the cuff inflated and suction through the tracheostomy.
2. Deflate the cuff and suction through the tracheostomy tube.
3. Inflate the cuff pressure to 40 mm Hg before suctioning.
4. Adjust the wall suction pressure to 160 to 180 mm Hg before suctioning.
2 - ANSWERWER-A young adult brings a friend to the emergency department and states that the
friend has been using heroin. Which action by the nurse is the MOST appropriate?
, 1. Assess pupil size and reactivity.
2. Assess oxygen saturation levels.
3. Palpate dorsalis pedis pulses.
4. Ask the client if he knows today's date
3 - ANSWERWER-The client tells the clinic nurse that the client is thinking about using nicotine
polacrilex (Nicorette). Which question is MOST important for the nurse to ask?
1. "Have you tried other methods to stop smoking?"
2. "How long have you been smoking?"
3. "Have you ever had chest pain?"
4. "Do you have a partial dental bridge?"
4 - ANSWERWER-The nurse cares for the client with a client controlled analgesia (PCA) pump. The
nurse determines that the client has pressed the button 11 times and received 6 doses of morphine
during the last hour. Which is the MOST appropriate action for the nurse to take?
1. Assess the patency of the PCA IV tubing.
2. Determine the client's understanding of the PCA pump function.
3. Obtain an order to begin a PCA infusion of fentanyl.
4. Ask the client to describe the pain.
3 - ANSWERWER-A pregnant woman receives an epidural anesthetic. After administration of the
epidural anesthetic, the client's blood pressure changes from 120/84 to 94/50. Which action by the
nurse is MOST appropriate?
1. Place the client flat on her back.
