HESI Exit Exam 2026: Comprehensive
Practice Questions with Detailed
Rationales
1. Following discharge teaching, a male client with duodenal ulcer
tells the nurse the he will drink plenty of dairy products, such as
milk, to help coat and protect his ulcer. What is the best follow-up
action by the nurse?
a. Remind the client that it is also important to switch to
decaffeinated coffee and tea.
b. Suggest that the client also plan to eat frequent small meals
to reduce discomfort
c. Review with the client the need to avoid foods that are rich
in milk and cream.
d. Reinforce this teaching by asking the client to list a dairy
food that he might select. - answer-c. Review with the client
the need to avoid foods that are rich in milk and cream.
2. The nurse observes an unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP)
positioning a newly admitted client who has a seizure disorder.
The client is supine and the UAP is placing soft pillows along the
side rails. What action should the nurse implement?
a. Ensure that the UAP has placed the pillows effectively to
protect the client.
b. Instruct the UAP to obtain soft blankets to secure to the side
rails instead of pillows.
c. Assume responsibility for placing the pillows while the UAP
completes another task.
, d. Ask the UAP to use some of the pillows to prop the client in
a side lying position. - answer-b. Instruct the UAP to obtain
soft blankets to secure to the side rails instead of pillows.
3. A male client with hypertension, who received new
antihypertensive prescriptions at his last visit returns to the clinic
two weeks later to evaluate his blood pressure (BP). His BP is
158/106 and he admits that he has not been taking the prescribed
medication because the drugs make him "feel bad". In explaining
the need for hypertension control, the nurse should stress that an
elevated BP places the client at risk for which pathophysiological
condition?
a. Blindness secondary to cataracts
b. Acute kidney injury due to glomerular damage
c. Stroke secondary to hemorrhage
d. Heart block due to myocardial damage - answer-c. Stroke
secondary to hemorrhage
4. An adolescent with major depressive disorder has been taking
duloxetine (Cymbalta) for the past 12 days. Which assessment
finding requires immediate follow-up
a. Describes life without purpose
b. Complains of nausea and loss of appetite
c. States is often fatigued and drowsy
d. Exhibits an increase in sweating. - answer-a. Describes life
without purpose
,5. A 60-year-old female client with a positive family history of
ovarian cancer has developed an abdominal mass and is being
evaluated for possible ovarian cancer. Her Papanicolau (Pap)
smear results are negative. What information should the nurse
include in the client's teaching plan
a. Further evaluation involving surgery may be needed
b. A pelvic exam is also needed before cancer is ruled out
c. Pap smear evaluation should be continued every six month
d. One additional negative pap smear in six months is needed. -
answer-a. Further evaluation involving surgery may be
needed
6. A client who recently underwent a tracheostomy is being
prepared for discharge to home. Which instructions is most
important for the nurse to include in the discharge plan?
a. Explain how to use communication tools.
b. Teach tracheal suctioning techniques
c. Encourage self-care and independence.
d. Demonstrate how to clean tracheostomy site. - answer-b.
Teach tracheal suctioning techniques
7. In assessing an adult client with a partial rebreather mask, the
nurse notes that the oxygen reservoir bag does not deflate
completely during inspiration and the client's respiratory rate is
14 breaths / minute. What action should the nurse implement
a. Encourage the client to take deep breaths
b. Remove the mask to deflate the bag
c. Increase the liter flow of oxygen
, d. Document the assessment data - answer-d. Document the
assessment data
8. During shift report, the central electrocardiogram (EKG)
monitoring system alarms. Which client alarm should the nurse
investigate first?
a. Respiratory apnea of 30 seconds
b. Oxygen saturation rate of 88%
c. Eight premature ventricular beats every minute
d. Disconnected monitor signal for the last 6 minutes. -
answer-a. Respiratory apnea of 30 seconds
9. During a home visit, the nurse observed an elderly client with
diabetes slip and fall. What action should the nurse take first?
a. Give the client 4 ounces of orange juice
b. Call 911 to summon emergency assistance
c. Check the client for lacerations or fractures
d. Asses clients blood sugar level - answer-c. Check the client
for lacerations or fractures
10. At 0600 while admitting a woman for a schedule repeat
cesarean section (C-Section), the client tells the nurse that she
drank a cup a coffee at 0400 because she wanted to avoid getting
a headache. Which action should the nurse take first?
a. Ensure preoperative lab results are available
b. Start prescribed IV with lactated Ringer's
Practice Questions with Detailed
Rationales
1. Following discharge teaching, a male client with duodenal ulcer
tells the nurse the he will drink plenty of dairy products, such as
milk, to help coat and protect his ulcer. What is the best follow-up
action by the nurse?
a. Remind the client that it is also important to switch to
decaffeinated coffee and tea.
b. Suggest that the client also plan to eat frequent small meals
to reduce discomfort
c. Review with the client the need to avoid foods that are rich
in milk and cream.
d. Reinforce this teaching by asking the client to list a dairy
food that he might select. - answer-c. Review with the client
the need to avoid foods that are rich in milk and cream.
2. The nurse observes an unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP)
positioning a newly admitted client who has a seizure disorder.
The client is supine and the UAP is placing soft pillows along the
side rails. What action should the nurse implement?
a. Ensure that the UAP has placed the pillows effectively to
protect the client.
b. Instruct the UAP to obtain soft blankets to secure to the side
rails instead of pillows.
c. Assume responsibility for placing the pillows while the UAP
completes another task.
, d. Ask the UAP to use some of the pillows to prop the client in
a side lying position. - answer-b. Instruct the UAP to obtain
soft blankets to secure to the side rails instead of pillows.
3. A male client with hypertension, who received new
antihypertensive prescriptions at his last visit returns to the clinic
two weeks later to evaluate his blood pressure (BP). His BP is
158/106 and he admits that he has not been taking the prescribed
medication because the drugs make him "feel bad". In explaining
the need for hypertension control, the nurse should stress that an
elevated BP places the client at risk for which pathophysiological
condition?
a. Blindness secondary to cataracts
b. Acute kidney injury due to glomerular damage
c. Stroke secondary to hemorrhage
d. Heart block due to myocardial damage - answer-c. Stroke
secondary to hemorrhage
4. An adolescent with major depressive disorder has been taking
duloxetine (Cymbalta) for the past 12 days. Which assessment
finding requires immediate follow-up
a. Describes life without purpose
b. Complains of nausea and loss of appetite
c. States is often fatigued and drowsy
d. Exhibits an increase in sweating. - answer-a. Describes life
without purpose
,5. A 60-year-old female client with a positive family history of
ovarian cancer has developed an abdominal mass and is being
evaluated for possible ovarian cancer. Her Papanicolau (Pap)
smear results are negative. What information should the nurse
include in the client's teaching plan
a. Further evaluation involving surgery may be needed
b. A pelvic exam is also needed before cancer is ruled out
c. Pap smear evaluation should be continued every six month
d. One additional negative pap smear in six months is needed. -
answer-a. Further evaluation involving surgery may be
needed
6. A client who recently underwent a tracheostomy is being
prepared for discharge to home. Which instructions is most
important for the nurse to include in the discharge plan?
a. Explain how to use communication tools.
b. Teach tracheal suctioning techniques
c. Encourage self-care and independence.
d. Demonstrate how to clean tracheostomy site. - answer-b.
Teach tracheal suctioning techniques
7. In assessing an adult client with a partial rebreather mask, the
nurse notes that the oxygen reservoir bag does not deflate
completely during inspiration and the client's respiratory rate is
14 breaths / minute. What action should the nurse implement
a. Encourage the client to take deep breaths
b. Remove the mask to deflate the bag
c. Increase the liter flow of oxygen
, d. Document the assessment data - answer-d. Document the
assessment data
8. During shift report, the central electrocardiogram (EKG)
monitoring system alarms. Which client alarm should the nurse
investigate first?
a. Respiratory apnea of 30 seconds
b. Oxygen saturation rate of 88%
c. Eight premature ventricular beats every minute
d. Disconnected monitor signal for the last 6 minutes. -
answer-a. Respiratory apnea of 30 seconds
9. During a home visit, the nurse observed an elderly client with
diabetes slip and fall. What action should the nurse take first?
a. Give the client 4 ounces of orange juice
b. Call 911 to summon emergency assistance
c. Check the client for lacerations or fractures
d. Asses clients blood sugar level - answer-c. Check the client
for lacerations or fractures
10. At 0600 while admitting a woman for a schedule repeat
cesarean section (C-Section), the client tells the nurse that she
drank a cup a coffee at 0400 because she wanted to avoid getting
a headache. Which action should the nurse take first?
a. Ensure preoperative lab results are available
b. Start prescribed IV with lactated Ringer's
