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ATI Respiratory Disorders and Learning
Systems| Exam (2025/2026) Fully
Updated Questions and Answers
A nurse hears coarse crackles when auscultating a patient’s lungs. What does this likely mean?
The patient probably has fluid in the lungs, like with pneumonia or heart failure. Coarse
crackles usually mean there’s a buildup, not just mild congestion.
Why should a nurse encourage a post-op patient to use an incentive spirometer every hour while
awake?
It helps prevent atelectasis by keeping the lungs expanded. After surgery, patients breathe
shallowly, so this keeps things open and clear.
A patient on a high dose of opioids suddenly has shallow breathing. What’s your immediate
action?
Check their respiratory rate and oxygen saturation, then alert the provider. They might need
naloxone if they're in respiratory depression.
A nurse notices a patient with COPD using tripod positioning. What’s the purpose of this?
Tripod position helps them breathe easier by letting the chest expand more and taking
pressure off the diaphragm.
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You’re caring for a patient with pneumonia who suddenly becomes confused and restless. What
could this mean?
They might be hypoxic. Confusion is an early sign of low oxygen in older adults especially.
A patient with asthma reports chest tightness and wheezing despite using their rescue inhaler.
What should the nurse do?
Call the provider—it could be status asthmaticus, which is an emergency if they’re not
responding to inhalers.
Why do we place a patient in high Fowler’s position during a respiratory assessment?
It helps their lungs expand better and makes it easier to hear lung sounds clearly.
A nurse is teaching a patient how to use a metered-dose inhaler (MDI) with a spacer. What’s one
key instruction?
Breathe out fully first, then press the inhaler and inhale slowly through the spacer—don’t
rush it or you’ll miss the dose.
A nurse hears absent breath sounds on one side after a central line insertion. What’s the priority?
Suspect a pneumothorax—get help and request a chest x-ray stat to confirm it.
Patient has a productive cough and yellow-green sputum. What does that tell us?
That usually means there’s a bacterial infection going on, not just a viral cold.
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Why is pursed-lip breathing taught to patients with emphysema?
It helps them get air out better and keeps their airways open longer so they don’t feel as
breathless.
A nurse is monitoring a patient after thoracentesis. What’s a red flag?
Sudden shortness of breath or tracheal deviation—could be a collapsed lung from the
procedure.
How do you know chest physiotherapy (CPT) is working for a patient with bronchiectasis?
They’re coughing up more secretions and breathing better after. That means it’s clearing stuff
out.
Patient on oxygen by nasal cannula says their nose feels dry. What’s a simple fix?
Add humidification to the oxygen or use water-based lubricant—not petroleum jelly.
What lab value helps you evaluate how well gas exchange is happening in the lungs?
ABG results, especially PaO₂ and PaCO₂. They show if the lungs are getting oxygen in and
carbon dioxide out properly.
A nurse is checking a patient with a chest tube. What drainage would make you concerned?
Bright red and more than 100 mL/hr suddenly—could mean active bleeding.
ATI Respiratory Disorders and Learning
Systems| Exam (2025/2026) Fully
Updated Questions and Answers
A nurse hears coarse crackles when auscultating a patient’s lungs. What does this likely mean?
The patient probably has fluid in the lungs, like with pneumonia or heart failure. Coarse
crackles usually mean there’s a buildup, not just mild congestion.
Why should a nurse encourage a post-op patient to use an incentive spirometer every hour while
awake?
It helps prevent atelectasis by keeping the lungs expanded. After surgery, patients breathe
shallowly, so this keeps things open and clear.
A patient on a high dose of opioids suddenly has shallow breathing. What’s your immediate
action?
Check their respiratory rate and oxygen saturation, then alert the provider. They might need
naloxone if they're in respiratory depression.
A nurse notices a patient with COPD using tripod positioning. What’s the purpose of this?
Tripod position helps them breathe easier by letting the chest expand more and taking
pressure off the diaphragm.
, 2
You’re caring for a patient with pneumonia who suddenly becomes confused and restless. What
could this mean?
They might be hypoxic. Confusion is an early sign of low oxygen in older adults especially.
A patient with asthma reports chest tightness and wheezing despite using their rescue inhaler.
What should the nurse do?
Call the provider—it could be status asthmaticus, which is an emergency if they’re not
responding to inhalers.
Why do we place a patient in high Fowler’s position during a respiratory assessment?
It helps their lungs expand better and makes it easier to hear lung sounds clearly.
A nurse is teaching a patient how to use a metered-dose inhaler (MDI) with a spacer. What’s one
key instruction?
Breathe out fully first, then press the inhaler and inhale slowly through the spacer—don’t
rush it or you’ll miss the dose.
A nurse hears absent breath sounds on one side after a central line insertion. What’s the priority?
Suspect a pneumothorax—get help and request a chest x-ray stat to confirm it.
Patient has a productive cough and yellow-green sputum. What does that tell us?
That usually means there’s a bacterial infection going on, not just a viral cold.
, 3
Why is pursed-lip breathing taught to patients with emphysema?
It helps them get air out better and keeps their airways open longer so they don’t feel as
breathless.
A nurse is monitoring a patient after thoracentesis. What’s a red flag?
Sudden shortness of breath or tracheal deviation—could be a collapsed lung from the
procedure.
How do you know chest physiotherapy (CPT) is working for a patient with bronchiectasis?
They’re coughing up more secretions and breathing better after. That means it’s clearing stuff
out.
Patient on oxygen by nasal cannula says their nose feels dry. What’s a simple fix?
Add humidification to the oxygen or use water-based lubricant—not petroleum jelly.
What lab value helps you evaluate how well gas exchange is happening in the lungs?
ABG results, especially PaO₂ and PaCO₂. They show if the lungs are getting oxygen in and
carbon dioxide out properly.
A nurse is checking a patient with a chest tube. What drainage would make you concerned?
Bright red and more than 100 mL/hr suddenly—could mean active bleeding.
