CEN Exam Questions And Answers .Latest
Updates 2026/2027
What intervention is used to manage seasonal affective disorder?
Increasing caffeine intake
Vitamin D supplements
Moving to a warmer climate
Use tanning beds - ANSWER -Vitamin D supplements
Which of the following would be indicative of Alzheimer's disease?
Gradual onset of memory loss and aphasia
Sudden onset of disorganized speech and disorientation
Acute onset of dysarthria and ataxia
Chronic symptoms of sadness, slow speech, and flat affect - ANSWER -Gradual
onset of memory loss and aphasia
What is the best way to promote a successful family presence practice?
Ensure that social services leads the practice
Allow immediate family to be present
Have administrative support
Make it a facility requirement - ANSWER -Have administrative support
A patient arrives unresponsive. Cardiopulmonary monitoring indicates a
ventricular tachycardia. He has no pulse. What will the nurse anticipate as the next
intervention?
Synchronized cardioversion
Administer epinephrine intravenously
Administer atropine intravenously
Defibrillation - ANSWER -Defibrillation
What is a late sign of intussusception?
Colicky pain
Ribbon-like stools
Left lower quadrant tenderness
,Currant jelly-like stools - ANSWER -Currant jelly-like stools
A patient presents with a sudden onset of shortness of breath, cough, and mild
chest pain. Past medical history includes heart failure and recent treatment for
pneumonia. Considering the patient's history, the nurse anticipates a workup for
which respiratory problem?
Chronic bronchitis
Pleural effusion
Pulmonary embolism
Pulmonary contusion - ANSWER -Pleural effusion
A patient presents to the emergency department with right-sided facial drooping,
right arm weakness and slurred speech. Which of the following assessments
indicates exclusion criteria for receiving tissue plasminogen activator (tPA)?
Blood glucose of 180 mg/dL
BP 190/110 mm Hg
NIH stroke scale of 6
Headache - ANSWER -BP 190/110 mm Hg
A 16-year-old male is brought to the ED by his coach. The patient was playing
football in moderately cold weather one hour prior to arrival and felt severe pain in
the left groin area. This is suggestive of which genitourinary emergency?
Paraphimosis
Testicular torsion
Priapism
Acute epididymitis - ANSWER -Testicular torsion
A 3-year-old boy is brought to the ED by his mother, who noticed bruises on the
boy's left thigh, back, and feet developing over the last week. Past medical history
includes a mild respiratory virus a month ago. The assessment reveals, he is awake
and alert, with some bleeding noted around the gums. Initial laboratory values
include a low platelet count with a normal white blood cell count. Hemoglobin and
hematocrit are slightly low. Which disorder does the nurse suspect is the cause of
his signs and symptoms?
Leukemia
,Thrombocytosis
Disseminated intravascular coagulopathy
Idiopathic thrombocytopenia purpura - ANSWER -Idiopathic thrombocytopenia
purpura
A 50-year-old male arrives at the emergency department via ambulance after
sustaining a knife wound to the right side of his back. He has loss of movement on
the right side and loss of sensation on the left side of his body. The nurse suspects
that this is which type of spinal cord injury?
Brown-Séquard syndrome
Anterior cord syndrome
Posterior cord syndrome
Central cord syndrome - ANSWER -Brown-Séquard syndrome
Each week a community hospital emergency department employs key
performance indicators (KPI) to identify opportunities to enhance customer and
staff satisfaction. This type of activity is a component of what?
Symptom surveillance
Patient confidentiality
Quality improvement
Risk management - ANSWER -Quality improvement
A 74-year-old presents to the ED with a history of chronic bronchitis and
complaints of dyspnea and shortness of breath. He is cyanotic and the nurse applies
oxygen. Which of the following assessment findings will be most concerning to the
nurse?
A respiratory rate of 10 breaths/min
An elevated hemoglobin
Generalized edema
Productive cough - ANSWER -A respiratory rate of 10 breaths/min
A patient presents to the emergency department complaining of flu-like
symptoms, malaise, and fever for three days after being bitten by a bat. The
emergency nurse suspects which condition?
Tularemia
, West Nile virus
Rabies
Rocky Mountain spotted fever - ANSWER -Rabies
An older adult patient arrives in the emergency department after she fell on her
bathroom floor and was unable to get up. Knowing the patient was on the floor for
a prolonged period of time, what clinical manifestation will the emergency nurse
assess for?
Blood in the urine
Dysuria
Dark brown urine
Anuria - ANSWER -Dark brown urine
A patient presents with ear pain, nausea, vomiting, vertigo, and tinnitus. The
provider writes prescriptions for antibiotics, corticosteroids, and antiemetics.
Which condition does this describe?
Labyrinthitis
Ruptured tympanic membrane
Ménière disease
Otitis media - ANSWER -Labyrinthitis
An adult patient complains of a papular, scaly, itchy rash that is most prominent in
the webbing of the fingers, groin, and axilla. Permethrin cream has been
prescribed. How will the nurse instruct the patient to apply the cream?
To affected areas once per day for three days
From head-to-toe if the rash persists beyond a week
From head-to-toe, with a second application one week later
To affected areas as needed for itching - ANSWER -From head-to-toe, with a
second application one week later
A patient arrives in the emergency department with severe, sudden-onset chest
pain. He states he used cocaine earlier that day and is taking a beta blocker for
hypertension. Which abnormal assessment finding will the nurse expect?
Metabolic alkalosis
Hypoglycemia
Updates 2026/2027
What intervention is used to manage seasonal affective disorder?
Increasing caffeine intake
Vitamin D supplements
Moving to a warmer climate
Use tanning beds - ANSWER -Vitamin D supplements
Which of the following would be indicative of Alzheimer's disease?
Gradual onset of memory loss and aphasia
Sudden onset of disorganized speech and disorientation
Acute onset of dysarthria and ataxia
Chronic symptoms of sadness, slow speech, and flat affect - ANSWER -Gradual
onset of memory loss and aphasia
What is the best way to promote a successful family presence practice?
Ensure that social services leads the practice
Allow immediate family to be present
Have administrative support
Make it a facility requirement - ANSWER -Have administrative support
A patient arrives unresponsive. Cardiopulmonary monitoring indicates a
ventricular tachycardia. He has no pulse. What will the nurse anticipate as the next
intervention?
Synchronized cardioversion
Administer epinephrine intravenously
Administer atropine intravenously
Defibrillation - ANSWER -Defibrillation
What is a late sign of intussusception?
Colicky pain
Ribbon-like stools
Left lower quadrant tenderness
,Currant jelly-like stools - ANSWER -Currant jelly-like stools
A patient presents with a sudden onset of shortness of breath, cough, and mild
chest pain. Past medical history includes heart failure and recent treatment for
pneumonia. Considering the patient's history, the nurse anticipates a workup for
which respiratory problem?
Chronic bronchitis
Pleural effusion
Pulmonary embolism
Pulmonary contusion - ANSWER -Pleural effusion
A patient presents to the emergency department with right-sided facial drooping,
right arm weakness and slurred speech. Which of the following assessments
indicates exclusion criteria for receiving tissue plasminogen activator (tPA)?
Blood glucose of 180 mg/dL
BP 190/110 mm Hg
NIH stroke scale of 6
Headache - ANSWER -BP 190/110 mm Hg
A 16-year-old male is brought to the ED by his coach. The patient was playing
football in moderately cold weather one hour prior to arrival and felt severe pain in
the left groin area. This is suggestive of which genitourinary emergency?
Paraphimosis
Testicular torsion
Priapism
Acute epididymitis - ANSWER -Testicular torsion
A 3-year-old boy is brought to the ED by his mother, who noticed bruises on the
boy's left thigh, back, and feet developing over the last week. Past medical history
includes a mild respiratory virus a month ago. The assessment reveals, he is awake
and alert, with some bleeding noted around the gums. Initial laboratory values
include a low platelet count with a normal white blood cell count. Hemoglobin and
hematocrit are slightly low. Which disorder does the nurse suspect is the cause of
his signs and symptoms?
Leukemia
,Thrombocytosis
Disseminated intravascular coagulopathy
Idiopathic thrombocytopenia purpura - ANSWER -Idiopathic thrombocytopenia
purpura
A 50-year-old male arrives at the emergency department via ambulance after
sustaining a knife wound to the right side of his back. He has loss of movement on
the right side and loss of sensation on the left side of his body. The nurse suspects
that this is which type of spinal cord injury?
Brown-Séquard syndrome
Anterior cord syndrome
Posterior cord syndrome
Central cord syndrome - ANSWER -Brown-Séquard syndrome
Each week a community hospital emergency department employs key
performance indicators (KPI) to identify opportunities to enhance customer and
staff satisfaction. This type of activity is a component of what?
Symptom surveillance
Patient confidentiality
Quality improvement
Risk management - ANSWER -Quality improvement
A 74-year-old presents to the ED with a history of chronic bronchitis and
complaints of dyspnea and shortness of breath. He is cyanotic and the nurse applies
oxygen. Which of the following assessment findings will be most concerning to the
nurse?
A respiratory rate of 10 breaths/min
An elevated hemoglobin
Generalized edema
Productive cough - ANSWER -A respiratory rate of 10 breaths/min
A patient presents to the emergency department complaining of flu-like
symptoms, malaise, and fever for three days after being bitten by a bat. The
emergency nurse suspects which condition?
Tularemia
, West Nile virus
Rabies
Rocky Mountain spotted fever - ANSWER -Rabies
An older adult patient arrives in the emergency department after she fell on her
bathroom floor and was unable to get up. Knowing the patient was on the floor for
a prolonged period of time, what clinical manifestation will the emergency nurse
assess for?
Blood in the urine
Dysuria
Dark brown urine
Anuria - ANSWER -Dark brown urine
A patient presents with ear pain, nausea, vomiting, vertigo, and tinnitus. The
provider writes prescriptions for antibiotics, corticosteroids, and antiemetics.
Which condition does this describe?
Labyrinthitis
Ruptured tympanic membrane
Ménière disease
Otitis media - ANSWER -Labyrinthitis
An adult patient complains of a papular, scaly, itchy rash that is most prominent in
the webbing of the fingers, groin, and axilla. Permethrin cream has been
prescribed. How will the nurse instruct the patient to apply the cream?
To affected areas once per day for three days
From head-to-toe if the rash persists beyond a week
From head-to-toe, with a second application one week later
To affected areas as needed for itching - ANSWER -From head-to-toe, with a
second application one week later
A patient arrives in the emergency department with severe, sudden-onset chest
pain. He states he used cocaine earlier that day and is taking a beta blocker for
hypertension. Which abnormal assessment finding will the nurse expect?
Metabolic alkalosis
Hypoglycemia
