ATI Fundamentals: NGN Prioritization & Clinical Judgment Exam 2026
|Questions |Answers |Rationales
1. A nurse is assessing a group of clients. Which of the following clients should
the nurse prioritize for further assessment?
A. A client with a closed fracture reporting pain as 4 on a scale of 0 to 10.
B. A client receiving physical therapy who reports being tired.
C. A client who had abdominal surgery 2 hours ago and has a heart rate of 115/min.
D. A client with a chronic cough who has a pulse oximetry reading of 94%.
Answer: C
Rationale: Using the ABC (Airway, Breathing, Circulation) framework, tachycardia (HR
115) post-surgery can indicate early signs of hemorrhage or shock, making this client the
priority.
2. A nurse is planning care for a client who is post-operative. Using the nursing
process, which of the following actions should the nurse take first?
A. Determine the client’s current pain level.
B. Administer prescribed analgesic for pain.
C. Document the client’s response to pain medication.
D. Educate the client on the use of a PCA pump.
Answer: A
Rationale: Assessment is the first step of the nursing process (ADPIE). The nurse must
assess the pain level before implementing interventions.
,3. Which of the following tasks should a nurse delegate to an Assistive
Personnel (AP)?
A. Interpreting a client’s blood glucose results.
B. Providing discharge teaching to a client.
C. Evaluating the effectiveness of a client’s pain medication.
D. Ambulating a stable client in the hallway.
Answer: D
Rationale: Delegation to an AP should include routine tasks with predictable outcomes.
Interpretation, teaching, and evaluation require clinical judgment and must be performed
by the nurse.
4. A nurse is caring for a client who is confused and repeatedly attempts to get
out of bed. Which of the following actions should the nurse take first?
A. Apply soft wrist restraints.
B. Request a prescription for a sedative.
C. Place the client in a room near the nurses’ station.
D. Assign a family member to stay with the client.
Answer: C
Rationale: The nurse should use the least restrictive intervention first. Moving the client
closer to the nurses’ station allows for closer observation.
5. A nurse is preparing to administer an injection. Which of the following is the
most important action to prevent a medication error?
A. Checking the medication expiration date.
B. Documenting the medication immediately after administration.
C. Confirming the time of the last dose administered.
D. Verifying the client’s identity using two identifiers.
Answer: D
, Rationale: Ensuring the right client is a critical step in medication safety. Using two
identifiers (e.g., name and birthdate) is the standard practice.
6. A nurse finds a fire in a client’s trash can. According to the RACE mnemonic,
which of the following actions should the nurse take first?
A. Rescue the client from the room.
B. Confine the fire by closing the door.
C. Extinguish the fire with a fire extinguisher.
D. Activate the fire alarm.
Answer: A
Rationale: RACE stands for Rescue, Alarm, Confine, Extinguish. Rescuing the client from
immediate danger is the first priority.
7. A nurse is documenting in a client’s medical record. Which of the following
entries is an example of objective data?
A. Client states, ‘I feel very nauseous.’
B. Client reports a sharp pain in the right hip.
C. Client’s skin is warm and dry to the touch.
D. Client appears to be anxious about the procedure.
Answer: C
Rationale: Objective data is observable and measurable. Subjective data includes the
client’s feelings and statements.
8. A nurse is caring for a client who has a prescription for a clear liquid diet.
Which of the following items can the nurse provide?
A. Vanilla pudding
B. Orange juice with pulp
C. Apple juice
D. Fruit yogurt
Answer: C
|Questions |Answers |Rationales
1. A nurse is assessing a group of clients. Which of the following clients should
the nurse prioritize for further assessment?
A. A client with a closed fracture reporting pain as 4 on a scale of 0 to 10.
B. A client receiving physical therapy who reports being tired.
C. A client who had abdominal surgery 2 hours ago and has a heart rate of 115/min.
D. A client with a chronic cough who has a pulse oximetry reading of 94%.
Answer: C
Rationale: Using the ABC (Airway, Breathing, Circulation) framework, tachycardia (HR
115) post-surgery can indicate early signs of hemorrhage or shock, making this client the
priority.
2. A nurse is planning care for a client who is post-operative. Using the nursing
process, which of the following actions should the nurse take first?
A. Determine the client’s current pain level.
B. Administer prescribed analgesic for pain.
C. Document the client’s response to pain medication.
D. Educate the client on the use of a PCA pump.
Answer: A
Rationale: Assessment is the first step of the nursing process (ADPIE). The nurse must
assess the pain level before implementing interventions.
,3. Which of the following tasks should a nurse delegate to an Assistive
Personnel (AP)?
A. Interpreting a client’s blood glucose results.
B. Providing discharge teaching to a client.
C. Evaluating the effectiveness of a client’s pain medication.
D. Ambulating a stable client in the hallway.
Answer: D
Rationale: Delegation to an AP should include routine tasks with predictable outcomes.
Interpretation, teaching, and evaluation require clinical judgment and must be performed
by the nurse.
4. A nurse is caring for a client who is confused and repeatedly attempts to get
out of bed. Which of the following actions should the nurse take first?
A. Apply soft wrist restraints.
B. Request a prescription for a sedative.
C. Place the client in a room near the nurses’ station.
D. Assign a family member to stay with the client.
Answer: C
Rationale: The nurse should use the least restrictive intervention first. Moving the client
closer to the nurses’ station allows for closer observation.
5. A nurse is preparing to administer an injection. Which of the following is the
most important action to prevent a medication error?
A. Checking the medication expiration date.
B. Documenting the medication immediately after administration.
C. Confirming the time of the last dose administered.
D. Verifying the client’s identity using two identifiers.
Answer: D
, Rationale: Ensuring the right client is a critical step in medication safety. Using two
identifiers (e.g., name and birthdate) is the standard practice.
6. A nurse finds a fire in a client’s trash can. According to the RACE mnemonic,
which of the following actions should the nurse take first?
A. Rescue the client from the room.
B. Confine the fire by closing the door.
C. Extinguish the fire with a fire extinguisher.
D. Activate the fire alarm.
Answer: A
Rationale: RACE stands for Rescue, Alarm, Confine, Extinguish. Rescuing the client from
immediate danger is the first priority.
7. A nurse is documenting in a client’s medical record. Which of the following
entries is an example of objective data?
A. Client states, ‘I feel very nauseous.’
B. Client reports a sharp pain in the right hip.
C. Client’s skin is warm and dry to the touch.
D. Client appears to be anxious about the procedure.
Answer: C
Rationale: Objective data is observable and measurable. Subjective data includes the
client’s feelings and statements.
8. A nurse is caring for a client who has a prescription for a clear liquid diet.
Which of the following items can the nurse provide?
A. Vanilla pudding
B. Orange juice with pulp
C. Apple juice
D. Fruit yogurt
Answer: C
