Adult CCRN/PCCN Certification Practice
Test Questions and Answers
Question 1
A 14-year-old with diabetes is admitted for hypoglycemia. The patient admits to the
nurse that he does not take insulin or check is blood sugar at school. Which of the
following should the nurse do?
A. Arrange for the patient to attend a diabetes support group for teenagers
B. Encourage the parents to take disciplinary action
C. Counsel the patient on the long term consequences of not taking insulin
D. Hold a conference with the school nurse regarding the need for monitoring
students with diabetes
Correct Answer
A. Arrange for the patient to attend a diabetes support group for teenagers
Question 2
A 30-year-old man is admitted to the critical care unit after a motor vehicle collision.
The emergency department nurse reports that he was unconscious at the scene of the
accident but is now alert and oriented. Skull films show a linear fracture of the right
temporal bone. He is a significant risk for _______.
A. Subdural hematoma
B. Intracerebral hematoma
C. Epidural hematoma
D. Scalp hematoma
Correct Answer
C. Epidural hematoma
Page 1 of 20
,Question 3
A patient who is 72 hours postoperative repair of a bowel obstruction suddenly
demonstrates shortness of breath and his respiratory rate increases from 22 to
45/min. His SpO2 went from 95% to 88% acutely. An arterial blood gas sample
obtained while the patient is receiving oxygen via a nasal cannula at 6L/min reveals
the following results:
pH 7.40
pCO2 27
pO2 50
A chest x-ray is obtained and a "ground-glass-like appearance" is reported.
Auscultation of the lungs reveals diffuse crackles that were not present previously.
Your patient just received 10 units of banked blood for a GI bleed. You know this will
affect the oxyhemoglobin dissociation curve by:
A. Shifting it to the right
B. Causing a plateau in the curve
C. Shifting it to the left
D. Causing no change in the curve
Correct Answer
C. Shifting it to the left
Question 4
Mrs. Wethersby was admitted to the ICU with severe hypoxia due to bilateral
pneumonia. She was emergently intubated and placed on the following ventilator
settings: Mode: Assist Control, FiO2 100%, Rate 12, Tidal Volume 400, Peep 10. Thirty
minutes later you draw an arterial blood gas and the results are the following: pH
7.25, PaO2 180, PaCO2 50, HCO3 28.You anticipate which of the following ventilator
changes?
A. Decrease the tidal volume
B. Decrease the rate
C. Decrease the PEEP
D. Increase the rate
Correct Answer
D. Increase the rate
Page 2 of 20
, Question 5
What is the Somogyi phenomenon generally attributed?
A. Prolonged hyperglycemia that has led to neurological damage and impaired
counterregulatory response
B. Cyclic rise in blood glucose associated with increased need for insulin
C. Nocturnal food ingestion
D. Counter-regulatory response to severe hypoglycemia
Correct Answer
D. Counter-regulatory response to severe hypoglycemia
Question 6
A 62-year-old man arrives in the emergency department with the complaints of chest
pain. The 12-lead electrocardiogram shows ST segment elevation in leads V3 and V4.
Occlusion of the affected coronary artery most likely would affect perfusion to which
portion of the conduction system?
A. Bachmann's Bundle
B. Bundle of His
C. Sinoatrial (SA) node
D. Atrioventricular (AV) nodes
Correct Answer
B. Bundle of His
Question 7
What is the best approach to use when a patient become agitated and refused to
take his/her meditation?
A. "Take your medications now. Your doctor knows what is the best for you."
B. "If you take your medications, I'll get you an extra pudding."
C. "You always feel better after your medications."
D. Take your pills now, or I will have to put a tube into your stomach to give them to
you."
Correct Answer
C. "You always feel better after your medications."
Page 3 of 20
Test Questions and Answers
Question 1
A 14-year-old with diabetes is admitted for hypoglycemia. The patient admits to the
nurse that he does not take insulin or check is blood sugar at school. Which of the
following should the nurse do?
A. Arrange for the patient to attend a diabetes support group for teenagers
B. Encourage the parents to take disciplinary action
C. Counsel the patient on the long term consequences of not taking insulin
D. Hold a conference with the school nurse regarding the need for monitoring
students with diabetes
Correct Answer
A. Arrange for the patient to attend a diabetes support group for teenagers
Question 2
A 30-year-old man is admitted to the critical care unit after a motor vehicle collision.
The emergency department nurse reports that he was unconscious at the scene of the
accident but is now alert and oriented. Skull films show a linear fracture of the right
temporal bone. He is a significant risk for _______.
A. Subdural hematoma
B. Intracerebral hematoma
C. Epidural hematoma
D. Scalp hematoma
Correct Answer
C. Epidural hematoma
Page 1 of 20
,Question 3
A patient who is 72 hours postoperative repair of a bowel obstruction suddenly
demonstrates shortness of breath and his respiratory rate increases from 22 to
45/min. His SpO2 went from 95% to 88% acutely. An arterial blood gas sample
obtained while the patient is receiving oxygen via a nasal cannula at 6L/min reveals
the following results:
pH 7.40
pCO2 27
pO2 50
A chest x-ray is obtained and a "ground-glass-like appearance" is reported.
Auscultation of the lungs reveals diffuse crackles that were not present previously.
Your patient just received 10 units of banked blood for a GI bleed. You know this will
affect the oxyhemoglobin dissociation curve by:
A. Shifting it to the right
B. Causing a plateau in the curve
C. Shifting it to the left
D. Causing no change in the curve
Correct Answer
C. Shifting it to the left
Question 4
Mrs. Wethersby was admitted to the ICU with severe hypoxia due to bilateral
pneumonia. She was emergently intubated and placed on the following ventilator
settings: Mode: Assist Control, FiO2 100%, Rate 12, Tidal Volume 400, Peep 10. Thirty
minutes later you draw an arterial blood gas and the results are the following: pH
7.25, PaO2 180, PaCO2 50, HCO3 28.You anticipate which of the following ventilator
changes?
A. Decrease the tidal volume
B. Decrease the rate
C. Decrease the PEEP
D. Increase the rate
Correct Answer
D. Increase the rate
Page 2 of 20
, Question 5
What is the Somogyi phenomenon generally attributed?
A. Prolonged hyperglycemia that has led to neurological damage and impaired
counterregulatory response
B. Cyclic rise in blood glucose associated with increased need for insulin
C. Nocturnal food ingestion
D. Counter-regulatory response to severe hypoglycemia
Correct Answer
D. Counter-regulatory response to severe hypoglycemia
Question 6
A 62-year-old man arrives in the emergency department with the complaints of chest
pain. The 12-lead electrocardiogram shows ST segment elevation in leads V3 and V4.
Occlusion of the affected coronary artery most likely would affect perfusion to which
portion of the conduction system?
A. Bachmann's Bundle
B. Bundle of His
C. Sinoatrial (SA) node
D. Atrioventricular (AV) nodes
Correct Answer
B. Bundle of His
Question 7
What is the best approach to use when a patient become agitated and refused to
take his/her meditation?
A. "Take your medications now. Your doctor knows what is the best for you."
B. "If you take your medications, I'll get you an extra pudding."
C. "You always feel better after your medications."
D. Take your pills now, or I will have to put a tube into your stomach to give them to
you."
Correct Answer
C. "You always feel better after your medications."
Page 3 of 20
