Certified Medical-Surgical Registered
Nurse 2025-2026 Sample Questions
and Answers
A 30-year old patient has been diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer. The patient
says, "This is all my fault." Which of Kubler-Ross's five stages of grief is the patient
probably experiencing?
A.Denial
B.Anger
C.Depression
D.Acceptance - ANSWER-B. The patient is experiencing the stage of anger. People
grieve individually and may not go through all stages, but most go through at least 2
stages. Kubler-Ross's 5 stages of grief include:
Denial: Refusal to believe, confused, stunned, detached.
Anger: Directed inward (self-blame) or outward.
Bargaining: If - then thinking. ("If I go to church, then I will heal.")
Depression: Sad, withdrawn.
Acceptance: Resolution.
A 50-year-old male with a diagnosis of leukemia is responding poorly to treatment. He is
tearful and trying
to express his feelings, but he is having diffi culty. The nurse should fi rst:
A. tell him that she will leave for now but she will be back.
B. offer to call pastoral care.
C. ask if he would like her to sit with him while he collects his thoughts.
D. tell him that she can understand how he is feeling. - ANSWER-C. ask if he would like
her to sit with him while he collects his thoughts.
Rationale: The patient needs to feel that people are concerned with his situation. Option
A
is incorrect because leaving the patient doesn't show acceptance of his feelings. Option
B is incorrect because offering to call pastoral care may be helpful for some patients but
should be done after the nurse has spent time with the patient. Option D is incorrect
because telling the patient that she understands how he's feeling is inappropriate
because it doesn't help him express his feelings.
A 55-year-old black male is found to have a blood pressure of 150/90 mm Hg during a
work site health
screening. What should the nurse do?
,A. Consider this to be a normal finding for his age and race.
B. Recommend he have his blood pressure rechecked in 1 year.
C. Recommend he have his blood pressure rechecked within 2 weeks.
D. Recommend he go to the emergency department for further evaluation. - ANSWER-
C. Recommend he have his blood pressure rechecked within 2 weeks.
Rationale: A BP of 150/90 mm Hg should be rechecked within 2 weeks according to
current recommendations. If confirmed, assessment and treatment should be initiated
by the practitioner.
Option A is incorrect because although hypertension is more prevalent among blacks, a
BP of 150/90 mm Hg isn't considered normal. Option B is incorrect because a person
with a BP
of 150/90 mm Hg shouldn't wait as long as 1 year to have it rechecked.
Option D is incorrect because he doesn't need to be treated on an emergency basis, but
he should have his BP monitored.
A 60-year-old male patient is suspected of having coronary artery disease. Which
noninvasive diagnostic
method would the nurse expect to be ordered to evaluate cardiac changes?
A. Cardiac biopsy
B. Cardiac catheterization
C. MRI
D. Pericardiocentesis - ANSWER-C. MRI
Rationale: MRI is a noninvasive procedure that aids in the diagnosis and detection of
thoracic
aortic aneurysm and evaluation of coronary artery disease, pericardial disease, and
cardiac masses.
Cardiac biopsy (Option A), cardiac catheterization (Option B), and pericardiocentesis
(Option D) are invasive
techniques used to evaluate cardiac changes.
A 66-year-old patient has marked dyspnea at rest, is thin, and uses accessory muscles
to breathe. He is
tachypneic, with a prolonged expiratory phase. He has no cough. He leans forward with
his arms braced on his
knees to support his chest and shoulders for breathing. This patient has signs and
symptoms of which respiratory
disorder?
A. ARDS
B. Asthma
C. Chronic obstructive bronchitis
D. Emphysema - ANSWER-D. Emphysema
Rationale: These are classic signs and symptoms of a patient with emphysema.
Patients with ARDS (Option A) are acutely short of breath and require emergency care;
,those with asthma (option B) are also acutely short of breath during an attack and
appear very frightened. Patients with chronic obstructive bronchitis (Option C) appear
bloated and cyanotic
A 68-year old man with mild COPD refuses to exercise because he tires easily. He
spends most of every day sitting in a chair watching television. What is the most
appropriate nursing diagnosis?
A.Ineffective health maintenance
B.Impaired physical mobility
C.Risk for disuse syndrome
D.Activity intolerance - ANSWER-C. The most appropriate nursing diagnosis for a
person who is able to exercise but remains sedentary is risk of disuse syndrome
because the patient is putting himself at risk for the development of circulatory
impairment and muscle atrophy. Failure to exercise may also exacerbate his condition.
While his health maintenance may be ineffective, it is directly due to of his lack of
activity. He does not have impaired physical mobility or activity intolerance that
precludes exercise.
A 78-year-old patient is scheduled for transition to home after treatment for heart
disease. The patient's spouse, who has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, plans to
care for the patient at home. The spouse says that their grown children, who live
nearby, will help. The best approach to discharge planning is to:
1. Arrange nursing home placement for the couple.
2. Consult the spouse's healthcare provider about the spouse's ability to care for the
patient.
3. Contact the children to ascertain their commitment to help.
4. Discuss community resources with the spouse and offer to make referrals. -
ANSWER-4. Discuss community resources with the spouse and offer to make referrals.
A medical-surgical nurse, who is caring for a patient with a new diagnosis of cancer,
observes the patient becoming angry with the physicians and nursing staff. The best
approach to diffuse the emotionally charged discussion is to:
1. Allow the patient and family members time to be alone.
2. Arrange time for the patient to speak with another patient with cancer.
3. Direct the discussion and validation of emotion, without false reassurance.
4. Request a consultation from a social worker on the oncology unit. - ANSWER-3.
Direct the discussion and validation of emotion, without false reassurance.
A nurse failed to administer a medication to a patient according to accepted standards.
Consequently, the
patient suffered adverse effects. Failure to provide patient care and to follow appropriate
standards is called:
A. breach of duty.
, B. breach of contract.
C. battery.
D. tort - ANSWER-A. breach of duty.
Rationale: Breach of duty means that the nurse provided care that didn't meet the
accepted
standard. When investigating breach of duty, the court asks: How would a reasonable,
prudent nurse with comparable training and experience have acted in comparable
circumstances?
A breach of contract (Option B) results when one party fails to perform as required by a
contract. Battery (Option C) is touching a patient without justification or permission.
A tort (Option D) is a civil action for damages for injury to a person, property, or
reputation
A nurse is preparing to reinforce the teaching plan for a patient who has recently been
diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the left lung. Which statement by the nurse
is correct?
A. "You have a slow-growing cancer that rarely spreads."
B. "In terms of prognosis, you may have only a few months to live."
C. "Squamous cell cancer is a very rapidly growing cancer."
D. "The cancer has generally metastasized by the time diagnosis is made." - ANSWER-
A. "You have a slow-growing cancer that rarely spreads."
Rationale: Squamous cell carcinoma is a type of cancer that grows slowly and rarely
metastasizes.
It has the best prognosis of all lung cancer types. It's not appropriate for the nurse to tell
the patient how long he has to live (Option B). Squamous cell carcinoma does not grow
rapidly (Option C) and rarely metastasizes (Option D).
A nursing department in an acute care setting decides to redesign its nursing practice
based on a theoretical framework. The feedback from patients, families, and staff
reflects that caring is a key element. Which theorist best supports this concept?
1. Erikson
2. Maslow
3. Rogers
4. Watson - ANSWER-4. Watson
A patient became seriously ill after a nurse gave him the wrong medication. After his
recovery, he fi led a
lawsuit. Who is most likely to be held liable?
A. No one because it was an accident
B. The hospital
C. The nurse
D. The nurse and the hospital - ANSWER-D. The nurse and the hospital
Nurse 2025-2026 Sample Questions
and Answers
A 30-year old patient has been diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer. The patient
says, "This is all my fault." Which of Kubler-Ross's five stages of grief is the patient
probably experiencing?
A.Denial
B.Anger
C.Depression
D.Acceptance - ANSWER-B. The patient is experiencing the stage of anger. People
grieve individually and may not go through all stages, but most go through at least 2
stages. Kubler-Ross's 5 stages of grief include:
Denial: Refusal to believe, confused, stunned, detached.
Anger: Directed inward (self-blame) or outward.
Bargaining: If - then thinking. ("If I go to church, then I will heal.")
Depression: Sad, withdrawn.
Acceptance: Resolution.
A 50-year-old male with a diagnosis of leukemia is responding poorly to treatment. He is
tearful and trying
to express his feelings, but he is having diffi culty. The nurse should fi rst:
A. tell him that she will leave for now but she will be back.
B. offer to call pastoral care.
C. ask if he would like her to sit with him while he collects his thoughts.
D. tell him that she can understand how he is feeling. - ANSWER-C. ask if he would like
her to sit with him while he collects his thoughts.
Rationale: The patient needs to feel that people are concerned with his situation. Option
A
is incorrect because leaving the patient doesn't show acceptance of his feelings. Option
B is incorrect because offering to call pastoral care may be helpful for some patients but
should be done after the nurse has spent time with the patient. Option D is incorrect
because telling the patient that she understands how he's feeling is inappropriate
because it doesn't help him express his feelings.
A 55-year-old black male is found to have a blood pressure of 150/90 mm Hg during a
work site health
screening. What should the nurse do?
,A. Consider this to be a normal finding for his age and race.
B. Recommend he have his blood pressure rechecked in 1 year.
C. Recommend he have his blood pressure rechecked within 2 weeks.
D. Recommend he go to the emergency department for further evaluation. - ANSWER-
C. Recommend he have his blood pressure rechecked within 2 weeks.
Rationale: A BP of 150/90 mm Hg should be rechecked within 2 weeks according to
current recommendations. If confirmed, assessment and treatment should be initiated
by the practitioner.
Option A is incorrect because although hypertension is more prevalent among blacks, a
BP of 150/90 mm Hg isn't considered normal. Option B is incorrect because a person
with a BP
of 150/90 mm Hg shouldn't wait as long as 1 year to have it rechecked.
Option D is incorrect because he doesn't need to be treated on an emergency basis, but
he should have his BP monitored.
A 60-year-old male patient is suspected of having coronary artery disease. Which
noninvasive diagnostic
method would the nurse expect to be ordered to evaluate cardiac changes?
A. Cardiac biopsy
B. Cardiac catheterization
C. MRI
D. Pericardiocentesis - ANSWER-C. MRI
Rationale: MRI is a noninvasive procedure that aids in the diagnosis and detection of
thoracic
aortic aneurysm and evaluation of coronary artery disease, pericardial disease, and
cardiac masses.
Cardiac biopsy (Option A), cardiac catheterization (Option B), and pericardiocentesis
(Option D) are invasive
techniques used to evaluate cardiac changes.
A 66-year-old patient has marked dyspnea at rest, is thin, and uses accessory muscles
to breathe. He is
tachypneic, with a prolonged expiratory phase. He has no cough. He leans forward with
his arms braced on his
knees to support his chest and shoulders for breathing. This patient has signs and
symptoms of which respiratory
disorder?
A. ARDS
B. Asthma
C. Chronic obstructive bronchitis
D. Emphysema - ANSWER-D. Emphysema
Rationale: These are classic signs and symptoms of a patient with emphysema.
Patients with ARDS (Option A) are acutely short of breath and require emergency care;
,those with asthma (option B) are also acutely short of breath during an attack and
appear very frightened. Patients with chronic obstructive bronchitis (Option C) appear
bloated and cyanotic
A 68-year old man with mild COPD refuses to exercise because he tires easily. He
spends most of every day sitting in a chair watching television. What is the most
appropriate nursing diagnosis?
A.Ineffective health maintenance
B.Impaired physical mobility
C.Risk for disuse syndrome
D.Activity intolerance - ANSWER-C. The most appropriate nursing diagnosis for a
person who is able to exercise but remains sedentary is risk of disuse syndrome
because the patient is putting himself at risk for the development of circulatory
impairment and muscle atrophy. Failure to exercise may also exacerbate his condition.
While his health maintenance may be ineffective, it is directly due to of his lack of
activity. He does not have impaired physical mobility or activity intolerance that
precludes exercise.
A 78-year-old patient is scheduled for transition to home after treatment for heart
disease. The patient's spouse, who has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, plans to
care for the patient at home. The spouse says that their grown children, who live
nearby, will help. The best approach to discharge planning is to:
1. Arrange nursing home placement for the couple.
2. Consult the spouse's healthcare provider about the spouse's ability to care for the
patient.
3. Contact the children to ascertain their commitment to help.
4. Discuss community resources with the spouse and offer to make referrals. -
ANSWER-4. Discuss community resources with the spouse and offer to make referrals.
A medical-surgical nurse, who is caring for a patient with a new diagnosis of cancer,
observes the patient becoming angry with the physicians and nursing staff. The best
approach to diffuse the emotionally charged discussion is to:
1. Allow the patient and family members time to be alone.
2. Arrange time for the patient to speak with another patient with cancer.
3. Direct the discussion and validation of emotion, without false reassurance.
4. Request a consultation from a social worker on the oncology unit. - ANSWER-3.
Direct the discussion and validation of emotion, without false reassurance.
A nurse failed to administer a medication to a patient according to accepted standards.
Consequently, the
patient suffered adverse effects. Failure to provide patient care and to follow appropriate
standards is called:
A. breach of duty.
, B. breach of contract.
C. battery.
D. tort - ANSWER-A. breach of duty.
Rationale: Breach of duty means that the nurse provided care that didn't meet the
accepted
standard. When investigating breach of duty, the court asks: How would a reasonable,
prudent nurse with comparable training and experience have acted in comparable
circumstances?
A breach of contract (Option B) results when one party fails to perform as required by a
contract. Battery (Option C) is touching a patient without justification or permission.
A tort (Option D) is a civil action for damages for injury to a person, property, or
reputation
A nurse is preparing to reinforce the teaching plan for a patient who has recently been
diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the left lung. Which statement by the nurse
is correct?
A. "You have a slow-growing cancer that rarely spreads."
B. "In terms of prognosis, you may have only a few months to live."
C. "Squamous cell cancer is a very rapidly growing cancer."
D. "The cancer has generally metastasized by the time diagnosis is made." - ANSWER-
A. "You have a slow-growing cancer that rarely spreads."
Rationale: Squamous cell carcinoma is a type of cancer that grows slowly and rarely
metastasizes.
It has the best prognosis of all lung cancer types. It's not appropriate for the nurse to tell
the patient how long he has to live (Option B). Squamous cell carcinoma does not grow
rapidly (Option C) and rarely metastasizes (Option D).
A nursing department in an acute care setting decides to redesign its nursing practice
based on a theoretical framework. The feedback from patients, families, and staff
reflects that caring is a key element. Which theorist best supports this concept?
1. Erikson
2. Maslow
3. Rogers
4. Watson - ANSWER-4. Watson
A patient became seriously ill after a nurse gave him the wrong medication. After his
recovery, he fi led a
lawsuit. Who is most likely to be held liable?
A. No one because it was an accident
B. The hospital
C. The nurse
D. The nurse and the hospital - ANSWER-D. The nurse and the hospital
