HESI COMP Actual Exam 1
Reviewed and Updated 2026/2027
Real Questions and Answers with
Rationale with Complete Solutions
1. The nurse manager is assisting a nurse with improving organizational skills
and time management. Which nursing activity is the priority in pre-planning
a schedule for selected nursing activities in the daily assignment? -
ANSWER✔️-Medication administration
Med admin is based on a prescribed schedule that is time-sensitive in the
delivery of nursing care and should be priority in scheduling nursing
activities in a daily assignment.
2. What nursing delivery of care provides the nurse to plan and direct care of a
group of clients over a 24-hour period? - ANSWER✔️-Primary nursing is a
model of delivery of care where a nurse us accountable for planning care for
clients around the clock.
3. Two unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) are arguing on the unit about who
deserves to take a break first. What is the most important basic guideline that
the nurse should follow in resolving the conflict? - ANSWER✔️-Deal with
the issues and not personalities
Issues are concrete and is 1 of 7 important key behaviors in managing
conflict. Personalities include emotional reactions (not concrete).
4. The nurse is caring for a client who is unable to void. The plan of care
establishes an objective for the client to ingest at least 1000 ml of fluid
between 7a and 330p. Which client response should the nurse document that
indicates successful outcome? - ANSWER✔️-Drinks 240 ml of fluid 5
times during the shift Which indicates fluid intake of 1220-1440 ml meeting
the objective.
5. The nurse plans a teaching session with a client but postpones the planned
session based on which nursing problem? - ANSWER✔️-Activity
intolerance related to post-op pain
, Pain, fatigue, or anxiety can interfere with the ability to pay attention &
participate in learning.
6. A client who has active TB is admitted to the medical unit. What action is
most important for the nurse to implement? - ANSWER✔️-Assign the client
to a negative air-flow room active TB requires airborne precautions
7. A client is receiving atenolol (Tenormin) 25 mg PO after a MI. The nurse
determines the client's apical pulse is 65 bpm. What action should the nurse
implement next? - ANSWER✔️-Administer the medication
Apical pulse is >60 bpm
8. A client with asthma receives a prescription for high blood pressure during a
clinic visit. Which prescription should the nurse anticipate the client to
receive that is at least likely to exacerbate asthma? - ANSWER✔️-
Metoprolol tartrate (Lopressor)Best antihypertensive med for asthmatics.
Beta2 blocking agent -- also a cardio selective and less likely to cause
bronchoconstriction.
9. A male client who has been taking propranolol (Inderal) for 18 months tells
the nurse that the healthcare provider discontinued the medication because
his blood pressure has been normal for the past 3 months. Which instruction
should the nurse provide? - ANSWER✔️-Ask the healthcare provider about
tapering the drug dose over the next week.
HCP discontinued drug BUT measures to prevent rebound cardiac
excitation, such as progressively reducing the dose over 1 or 2 weeks, should
be recommended to prevent rebound tachycardia, hypertension, and
ventricular dysrhythmias.
10.A client who is taking clonidine ( Catapres, Duraclon) reports drowsiness.
Which additional assessment should the nurse make? - ANSWER✔️-How
long has the client been taking the medication?
Drowsiness can occur in the early weeks of treatment with clonidine and
with continued use becomes less intense, so the length of time the client has
been on the medication provides information to direct additional instruction.
11.The nurse is preparing to administer atropine, an anticholinergic, to a client
who is scheduled for a cholecystectomy. The client asks the nurse to explain
, the reason for the prescribed medication. What response is best for the nurse
to provide? - ANSWER✔️-Decrease the risk of bradycardia during surgery
Atropine may be prescribed preoperatively to increase the automaticity of
the sinoatrial node and prevent a dangerous reduction in heart rate during
surgical anesthesia.
12.An 80-year old client is given morphine sulfate for post-op pain. Which
concomitant med should the nurse question that poses a potential
development of urinary retention in this geriatric client? - ANSWER✔️-
Tricyclic antidepressants Drugs with anticholinergic properties can
exacerbate urinary retention associated with opioids in the older client.
13.A client with osteoarthritis is given a new script for a NSAID. The client
asks the nurse, "How is this med different from the acetaminophen I have
been taking?" Which information about the therapeutic action of nsaids
should the nurse provide? - ANSWER✔️-Provide anti-inflammatory
response Nsaids relieve pain associated with osteoarthritis and differs from
acetaminophen(a non-narcotic & antipyretic). Also potentially hepatotoxic.
14.A client with cancer has a history of alcohol abuse and is taking
acetaminophen (Tylenol) for pain. Which organ function is most important
for the nurse to monitor? - ANSWER✔️-Liver
Acetaminophen & alcohol both metabolized in the liver. Pt at risk of
hepatotoxicity & potentially fatal liver damage.
15.The nurse obtains a heart rate of 92 and a BP of 110/76 prior to
administering a scheduled does of verapamil (Calan) for a client with atrial
flutter. Which action should the nurse implement? - ANSWER✔️-
Administer the dose as prescribed.
Verapamil slows SA nodal automaticity, delays AV nodal conduction,
slowing ventricular rate & treats atrial flutter. HR is above 60 and BP is
WNL.
16.A client is admitted to the hospital with a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes
mellitus and influenza. Which categories of illness should the nurse develop
goals for the client's plan of care? - ANSWER✔️-One chronic and one acute
illness
Adult onset DM is life-long chronic disease. Influenza is acute illness with
short term duration.
Reviewed and Updated 2026/2027
Real Questions and Answers with
Rationale with Complete Solutions
1. The nurse manager is assisting a nurse with improving organizational skills
and time management. Which nursing activity is the priority in pre-planning
a schedule for selected nursing activities in the daily assignment? -
ANSWER✔️-Medication administration
Med admin is based on a prescribed schedule that is time-sensitive in the
delivery of nursing care and should be priority in scheduling nursing
activities in a daily assignment.
2. What nursing delivery of care provides the nurse to plan and direct care of a
group of clients over a 24-hour period? - ANSWER✔️-Primary nursing is a
model of delivery of care where a nurse us accountable for planning care for
clients around the clock.
3. Two unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) are arguing on the unit about who
deserves to take a break first. What is the most important basic guideline that
the nurse should follow in resolving the conflict? - ANSWER✔️-Deal with
the issues and not personalities
Issues are concrete and is 1 of 7 important key behaviors in managing
conflict. Personalities include emotional reactions (not concrete).
4. The nurse is caring for a client who is unable to void. The plan of care
establishes an objective for the client to ingest at least 1000 ml of fluid
between 7a and 330p. Which client response should the nurse document that
indicates successful outcome? - ANSWER✔️-Drinks 240 ml of fluid 5
times during the shift Which indicates fluid intake of 1220-1440 ml meeting
the objective.
5. The nurse plans a teaching session with a client but postpones the planned
session based on which nursing problem? - ANSWER✔️-Activity
intolerance related to post-op pain
, Pain, fatigue, or anxiety can interfere with the ability to pay attention &
participate in learning.
6. A client who has active TB is admitted to the medical unit. What action is
most important for the nurse to implement? - ANSWER✔️-Assign the client
to a negative air-flow room active TB requires airborne precautions
7. A client is receiving atenolol (Tenormin) 25 mg PO after a MI. The nurse
determines the client's apical pulse is 65 bpm. What action should the nurse
implement next? - ANSWER✔️-Administer the medication
Apical pulse is >60 bpm
8. A client with asthma receives a prescription for high blood pressure during a
clinic visit. Which prescription should the nurse anticipate the client to
receive that is at least likely to exacerbate asthma? - ANSWER✔️-
Metoprolol tartrate (Lopressor)Best antihypertensive med for asthmatics.
Beta2 blocking agent -- also a cardio selective and less likely to cause
bronchoconstriction.
9. A male client who has been taking propranolol (Inderal) for 18 months tells
the nurse that the healthcare provider discontinued the medication because
his blood pressure has been normal for the past 3 months. Which instruction
should the nurse provide? - ANSWER✔️-Ask the healthcare provider about
tapering the drug dose over the next week.
HCP discontinued drug BUT measures to prevent rebound cardiac
excitation, such as progressively reducing the dose over 1 or 2 weeks, should
be recommended to prevent rebound tachycardia, hypertension, and
ventricular dysrhythmias.
10.A client who is taking clonidine ( Catapres, Duraclon) reports drowsiness.
Which additional assessment should the nurse make? - ANSWER✔️-How
long has the client been taking the medication?
Drowsiness can occur in the early weeks of treatment with clonidine and
with continued use becomes less intense, so the length of time the client has
been on the medication provides information to direct additional instruction.
11.The nurse is preparing to administer atropine, an anticholinergic, to a client
who is scheduled for a cholecystectomy. The client asks the nurse to explain
, the reason for the prescribed medication. What response is best for the nurse
to provide? - ANSWER✔️-Decrease the risk of bradycardia during surgery
Atropine may be prescribed preoperatively to increase the automaticity of
the sinoatrial node and prevent a dangerous reduction in heart rate during
surgical anesthesia.
12.An 80-year old client is given morphine sulfate for post-op pain. Which
concomitant med should the nurse question that poses a potential
development of urinary retention in this geriatric client? - ANSWER✔️-
Tricyclic antidepressants Drugs with anticholinergic properties can
exacerbate urinary retention associated with opioids in the older client.
13.A client with osteoarthritis is given a new script for a NSAID. The client
asks the nurse, "How is this med different from the acetaminophen I have
been taking?" Which information about the therapeutic action of nsaids
should the nurse provide? - ANSWER✔️-Provide anti-inflammatory
response Nsaids relieve pain associated with osteoarthritis and differs from
acetaminophen(a non-narcotic & antipyretic). Also potentially hepatotoxic.
14.A client with cancer has a history of alcohol abuse and is taking
acetaminophen (Tylenol) for pain. Which organ function is most important
for the nurse to monitor? - ANSWER✔️-Liver
Acetaminophen & alcohol both metabolized in the liver. Pt at risk of
hepatotoxicity & potentially fatal liver damage.
15.The nurse obtains a heart rate of 92 and a BP of 110/76 prior to
administering a scheduled does of verapamil (Calan) for a client with atrial
flutter. Which action should the nurse implement? - ANSWER✔️-
Administer the dose as prescribed.
Verapamil slows SA nodal automaticity, delays AV nodal conduction,
slowing ventricular rate & treats atrial flutter. HR is above 60 and BP is
WNL.
16.A client is admitted to the hospital with a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes
mellitus and influenza. Which categories of illness should the nurse develop
goals for the client's plan of care? - ANSWER✔️-One chronic and one acute
illness
Adult onset DM is life-long chronic disease. Influenza is acute illness with
short term duration.
