1
ATI Respiratory Diagnostics and
Therapeutic Procedures| Exam
Questions and Answers| Updated
(2025/2026)
A nurse is caring for a patient post-bronchoscopy. What’s the most important thing to check
before giving them anything to eat or drink?
Check their gag reflex first. You don’t want them choking if the numbing from the procedure
hasn’t worn off.
A client is scheduled for a thoracentesis. What position should the nurse help them into?
Sitting upright, leaning slightly forward over a bedside table—kind of like they’re hugging a
pillow. It opens up the pleural space.
After assisting with a thoracentesis, the nurse notices the patient has uneven chest movement and
sharp pain. What should the nurse suspect?
Could be a pneumothorax. That’s air leaking into the chest space, and it can happen after the
procedure.
A patient just had an arterial blood gas (ABG) draw. What’s the priority action right after the
sample is taken?
Apply firm pressure to the site for at least 5 minutes. Arteries bleed more than veins.
, 2
What’s a key nursing action before getting a sputum sample for culture?
Make sure they rinse their mouth first—it helps avoid contamination from saliva.
A nurse is caring for a patient receiving chest physiotherapy. What’s the goal of this treatment?
To loosen up mucus so they can cough it out more easily.
During suctioning of a trach patient, their heart rate drops suddenly. What should the nurse do?
Stop suctioning right away. They’re probably vagaling—stimulating the vagus nerve can
cause bradycardia.
A client with COPD is getting oxygen via nasal cannula. Why shouldn’t the flow be set higher
than 2L/min?
They’re used to low oxygen levels. Too much O2 can knock out their drive to breathe.
A nurse is teaching a patient how to use an incentive spirometer. What’s the main instruction they
need to follow?
Inhale slowly and deeply through the mouthpiece, hold it, then let it out. It helps open the
lungs up.
A patient getting mechanical ventilation is restless and has high-pressure alarms going off. What
could be going on?
Probably biting the tube or there's mucus blocking the airway. Either way, pressure builds up.
, 3
What lab result is most important to monitor during a bronchoscopy with conscious sedation?
Oxygen saturation—sedation can mess with breathing, so watch for drops in O2.
The nurse is reviewing orders for a patient with a chest tube. What would be a reason to clamp
the tube?
Only if the doc says so, like during a quick tubing change. Otherwise, clamping can cause a
tension pneumo.
A patient just had a VQ scan. What’s one key thing the nurse should do before the test?
Check for allergies to contrast dye or radioactive materials.
After a lung biopsy, what sign would worry the nurse the most?
Sudden shortness of breath or tracheal shift—could mean a lung collapse.
A patient is on a non-rebreather mask. How do you know it’s working right?
The reservoir bag should be about two-thirds full when they breathe in.
A patient is getting ready for a CT scan with contrast. What should the nurse ask about first?
Any allergies to iodine or shellfish—those can mean a contrast allergy.
, 4
A patient is using a metered-dose inhaler. What’s the best way to know they’re doing it right?
They should exhale first, inhale as they press the canister, and hold their breath after. It helps
the med get deep in the lungs.
A nurse hears coarse crackles during a respiratory assessment. What procedure might be helpful
to recommend?
Suctioning or chest physiotherapy—those sounds mean mucus is stuck in there.
The high-pressure alarm keeps going off on a vented patient. What’s one simple thing to check
first?
Look for kinks in the tubing or if they’re coughing. Always check the basics before
panicking.
Why would a patient be ordered a pulmonary function test (PFT)?
It shows how well their lungs are working—especially for asthma or COPD patients.
A nurse is teaching about peak flow meters. When should the patient use it?
Same time every day, usually before meds, to check how open their airways are.
During trach care, the patient starts coughing a lot. What should the nurse do?
Pause, let them recover, and suction if needed. Don’t force anything during care.
ATI Respiratory Diagnostics and
Therapeutic Procedures| Exam
Questions and Answers| Updated
(2025/2026)
A nurse is caring for a patient post-bronchoscopy. What’s the most important thing to check
before giving them anything to eat or drink?
Check their gag reflex first. You don’t want them choking if the numbing from the procedure
hasn’t worn off.
A client is scheduled for a thoracentesis. What position should the nurse help them into?
Sitting upright, leaning slightly forward over a bedside table—kind of like they’re hugging a
pillow. It opens up the pleural space.
After assisting with a thoracentesis, the nurse notices the patient has uneven chest movement and
sharp pain. What should the nurse suspect?
Could be a pneumothorax. That’s air leaking into the chest space, and it can happen after the
procedure.
A patient just had an arterial blood gas (ABG) draw. What’s the priority action right after the
sample is taken?
Apply firm pressure to the site for at least 5 minutes. Arteries bleed more than veins.
, 2
What’s a key nursing action before getting a sputum sample for culture?
Make sure they rinse their mouth first—it helps avoid contamination from saliva.
A nurse is caring for a patient receiving chest physiotherapy. What’s the goal of this treatment?
To loosen up mucus so they can cough it out more easily.
During suctioning of a trach patient, their heart rate drops suddenly. What should the nurse do?
Stop suctioning right away. They’re probably vagaling—stimulating the vagus nerve can
cause bradycardia.
A client with COPD is getting oxygen via nasal cannula. Why shouldn’t the flow be set higher
than 2L/min?
They’re used to low oxygen levels. Too much O2 can knock out their drive to breathe.
A nurse is teaching a patient how to use an incentive spirometer. What’s the main instruction they
need to follow?
Inhale slowly and deeply through the mouthpiece, hold it, then let it out. It helps open the
lungs up.
A patient getting mechanical ventilation is restless and has high-pressure alarms going off. What
could be going on?
Probably biting the tube or there's mucus blocking the airway. Either way, pressure builds up.
, 3
What lab result is most important to monitor during a bronchoscopy with conscious sedation?
Oxygen saturation—sedation can mess with breathing, so watch for drops in O2.
The nurse is reviewing orders for a patient with a chest tube. What would be a reason to clamp
the tube?
Only if the doc says so, like during a quick tubing change. Otherwise, clamping can cause a
tension pneumo.
A patient just had a VQ scan. What’s one key thing the nurse should do before the test?
Check for allergies to contrast dye or radioactive materials.
After a lung biopsy, what sign would worry the nurse the most?
Sudden shortness of breath or tracheal shift—could mean a lung collapse.
A patient is on a non-rebreather mask. How do you know it’s working right?
The reservoir bag should be about two-thirds full when they breathe in.
A patient is getting ready for a CT scan with contrast. What should the nurse ask about first?
Any allergies to iodine or shellfish—those can mean a contrast allergy.
, 4
A patient is using a metered-dose inhaler. What’s the best way to know they’re doing it right?
They should exhale first, inhale as they press the canister, and hold their breath after. It helps
the med get deep in the lungs.
A nurse hears coarse crackles during a respiratory assessment. What procedure might be helpful
to recommend?
Suctioning or chest physiotherapy—those sounds mean mucus is stuck in there.
The high-pressure alarm keeps going off on a vented patient. What’s one simple thing to check
first?
Look for kinks in the tubing or if they’re coughing. Always check the basics before
panicking.
Why would a patient be ordered a pulmonary function test (PFT)?
It shows how well their lungs are working—especially for asthma or COPD patients.
A nurse is teaching about peak flow meters. When should the patient use it?
Same time every day, usually before meds, to check how open their airways are.
During trach care, the patient starts coughing a lot. What should the nurse do?
Pause, let them recover, and suction if needed. Don’t force anything during care.
