EMERGENCY NURSING EXAM REVIEW
QUESTIONS WITH ACCURATE SOLUTIONS
2026
▶ 23. A patient who attempted suicide being treated in the ED is accompanied by his
mother, father, and brother. When planning the nursing care of this family, the nurse
should perform which of the following action?
A) Refer the family to psychiatry in order to provide them with support.
B) Explore the causes of the patients suicide attempt with the family.
C) Encourage the family to participate in the bedside care of the patient.
D) Ensure that the family receives appropriate crisis intervention services. ans: D
Feedback: It is essential that family crisis intervention services are available for families
of ED patients. It would be inappropriate and insensitive to explore causes of the
patients suicide attempt with the family. Family participation in bedside care is often
impractical in the ED setting. Psychiatry is not the normal source of psychosocial
support and crisis intervention.
▶ 24. A patient is admitted to the ED after being involved in a motor vehicle accident.
The patient has multiple injuries. After establishing an airway and adequate ventilation,
the ED team should prioritize what aspect of care? A) Control the patients hemorrhage.
B) Assess for cognitive effects of the injury. C) Splint the patients fractures. D) Assess
the patients neurologic status. : A Feedback: After establishing airway and ventilation,
the team should evaluate and restore cardiac output by controlling hemorrhage. This
must precede neurologic assessments and treatment of skeletal injuries.
▶ 25. A patient with multiple trauma is brought to the ED by ambulance after a fall while
rock climbing. What is a responsibility of the ED nurse in this patients care? A)
Intubating the patient B) Notifying family members C) Ensuring IV access D) Delivering
specimens to the laboratory : C Feedback: ED nursing responsibilities include ensuring
airway and IV access. Nurses are not normally responsible for notifying family
members. Nurses collect specimens, but are not responsible for their delivery.
Physicians or other team members with specialized training intubate the patient. - 1360
▶ 26. A patient has been brought to the ED after suffering genitourinary trauma in an
assault. Initial assessment reveals that the patients bladder is distended. What is the
nurses most appropriate action? A) Withhold fluids from the patient. B) Perform
intermittent urinary catheterization. C) Insert a narrow-gauge indwelling urinary catheter.
D) Await orders following the urologists assessment. : D Feedback: Urethral catheter
insertion when a possible urethral injury is present is contraindicated; a urology
consultation and further evaluation of the urethra are required. The nurse would
withhold fluids, but urologic assessment is the priority.
, ▶ 27. The triage nurse is working in the ED. A homeless person is admitted during a
blizzard with complaints of being unable to feel his feet and lower legs. Core
temperature is noted at 33.2C (91.8F). The patient is intoxicated with alcohol at the time
of admission and is visibly malnourished. What is the triage nurses priority in the care of
this patient?
A) Addressing the patients hypothermia
B) Addressing the patients frostbite in his lower extremities
C) Addressing the patients alcohol intoxication
D) Addressing the patients malnutrition ans: A Feedback: The patient may also have
frostbite, but hypothermia takes precedence in treatment because it is systemic rather
than localized. The alcohol abuse and the alteration in nutrition do not take precedence
over the treatment of hypothermia because both problems are a less acute threat to the
patients survival.
▶ 28. A patient is brought to the ED by friends. The friends tell the nurse that the patient
was using cocaine at a party. On arrival to the ED the patient is in visible distress with
an axillary temperature of 40.1C (104.2F). What would be the priority nursing action for
this patient? A) Monitor cardiovascular effects. - 1361 B) Administer antipyretics. C)
Ensure airway and ventilation. D) Prevent seizure activity. : C Feedback: Although all of
the listed actions may be necessary for this patients care, the priority is to establish a
patent airway and adequate ventilation.
▶ 29. A patient admitted to the ED with severe diarrhea and vomiting is subsequently
diagnosed with food poisoning. The nurse caring for this patient assesses for signs and
symptoms of fluid and electrolyte imbalances. For what signs and symptoms would this
nurse assess? Select all that apply.
A) Dysrhythmias
B) Hypothermia
C) Hypotension
D) Hyperglycemia
E) Delirium ans: A, C, E Feedback: The patient is assessed for signs and symptoms of
fluid and electrolyte imbalances, including lethargy, rapid pulse rate, fever, oliguria,
anuria, hypotension, and delirium. Hyperglycemia and hypothermia are not typically
associated with fluid and electrolyte imbalances.
▶ 30. The nurse is caring for a patient admitted with a drug overdose. What is the
nurses priority responsibility in caring for this patient? A) Support the patients
respiratory and cardiovascular function. B) Provide for the safety of the patient. C)
Enhance clearance of the offending agent. - 1362 D) Ensure the safety of the staff. : A
Feedback: Treatment goals for a patient with a drug overdose are to support the
respiratory and cardiovascular functions, to enhance clearance of the agent, and to
provide for safety of the patient and staff. Of these responsibilities, however, support of
vital physiologic function is a priority.
QUESTIONS WITH ACCURATE SOLUTIONS
2026
▶ 23. A patient who attempted suicide being treated in the ED is accompanied by his
mother, father, and brother. When planning the nursing care of this family, the nurse
should perform which of the following action?
A) Refer the family to psychiatry in order to provide them with support.
B) Explore the causes of the patients suicide attempt with the family.
C) Encourage the family to participate in the bedside care of the patient.
D) Ensure that the family receives appropriate crisis intervention services. ans: D
Feedback: It is essential that family crisis intervention services are available for families
of ED patients. It would be inappropriate and insensitive to explore causes of the
patients suicide attempt with the family. Family participation in bedside care is often
impractical in the ED setting. Psychiatry is not the normal source of psychosocial
support and crisis intervention.
▶ 24. A patient is admitted to the ED after being involved in a motor vehicle accident.
The patient has multiple injuries. After establishing an airway and adequate ventilation,
the ED team should prioritize what aspect of care? A) Control the patients hemorrhage.
B) Assess for cognitive effects of the injury. C) Splint the patients fractures. D) Assess
the patients neurologic status. : A Feedback: After establishing airway and ventilation,
the team should evaluate and restore cardiac output by controlling hemorrhage. This
must precede neurologic assessments and treatment of skeletal injuries.
▶ 25. A patient with multiple trauma is brought to the ED by ambulance after a fall while
rock climbing. What is a responsibility of the ED nurse in this patients care? A)
Intubating the patient B) Notifying family members C) Ensuring IV access D) Delivering
specimens to the laboratory : C Feedback: ED nursing responsibilities include ensuring
airway and IV access. Nurses are not normally responsible for notifying family
members. Nurses collect specimens, but are not responsible for their delivery.
Physicians or other team members with specialized training intubate the patient. - 1360
▶ 26. A patient has been brought to the ED after suffering genitourinary trauma in an
assault. Initial assessment reveals that the patients bladder is distended. What is the
nurses most appropriate action? A) Withhold fluids from the patient. B) Perform
intermittent urinary catheterization. C) Insert a narrow-gauge indwelling urinary catheter.
D) Await orders following the urologists assessment. : D Feedback: Urethral catheter
insertion when a possible urethral injury is present is contraindicated; a urology
consultation and further evaluation of the urethra are required. The nurse would
withhold fluids, but urologic assessment is the priority.
, ▶ 27. The triage nurse is working in the ED. A homeless person is admitted during a
blizzard with complaints of being unable to feel his feet and lower legs. Core
temperature is noted at 33.2C (91.8F). The patient is intoxicated with alcohol at the time
of admission and is visibly malnourished. What is the triage nurses priority in the care of
this patient?
A) Addressing the patients hypothermia
B) Addressing the patients frostbite in his lower extremities
C) Addressing the patients alcohol intoxication
D) Addressing the patients malnutrition ans: A Feedback: The patient may also have
frostbite, but hypothermia takes precedence in treatment because it is systemic rather
than localized. The alcohol abuse and the alteration in nutrition do not take precedence
over the treatment of hypothermia because both problems are a less acute threat to the
patients survival.
▶ 28. A patient is brought to the ED by friends. The friends tell the nurse that the patient
was using cocaine at a party. On arrival to the ED the patient is in visible distress with
an axillary temperature of 40.1C (104.2F). What would be the priority nursing action for
this patient? A) Monitor cardiovascular effects. - 1361 B) Administer antipyretics. C)
Ensure airway and ventilation. D) Prevent seizure activity. : C Feedback: Although all of
the listed actions may be necessary for this patients care, the priority is to establish a
patent airway and adequate ventilation.
▶ 29. A patient admitted to the ED with severe diarrhea and vomiting is subsequently
diagnosed with food poisoning. The nurse caring for this patient assesses for signs and
symptoms of fluid and electrolyte imbalances. For what signs and symptoms would this
nurse assess? Select all that apply.
A) Dysrhythmias
B) Hypothermia
C) Hypotension
D) Hyperglycemia
E) Delirium ans: A, C, E Feedback: The patient is assessed for signs and symptoms of
fluid and electrolyte imbalances, including lethargy, rapid pulse rate, fever, oliguria,
anuria, hypotension, and delirium. Hyperglycemia and hypothermia are not typically
associated with fluid and electrolyte imbalances.
▶ 30. The nurse is caring for a patient admitted with a drug overdose. What is the
nurses priority responsibility in caring for this patient? A) Support the patients
respiratory and cardiovascular function. B) Provide for the safety of the patient. C)
Enhance clearance of the offending agent. - 1362 D) Ensure the safety of the staff. : A
Feedback: Treatment goals for a patient with a drug overdose are to support the
respiratory and cardiovascular functions, to enhance clearance of the agent, and to
provide for safety of the patient and staff. Of these responsibilities, however, support of
vital physiologic function is a priority.
