Vital Signs & Patient Safety Examination
2026/2027 | 100 NCLEX-Style Questions
with Answers & Rationales for Nursing
Students
Description:
Master vital signs assessment, delegation, wound care, and infection control with this
comprehensive 2026/2027 nursing examination. Includes 100 evidence-based multiple-choice
questions, correct answers, and detailed rationales. Updated for current NCLEX and
clinical practice standards.
Download the complete 2026/2027 exam bank to pass your course with confidence.
, Vital Signs Exam Prep 2026/2027
Academic Year: 2026/2027
Instructions: Select the best answer(s) for each question. Rationales are provided to support
evidence-based practice.
Section 1: Vital Signs Interpretation & Follow-Up
1. Which of the following patients would require immediate follow-up based on vital
sign assessment?
A. A teenager with a respiratory rate of 18 breaths per minute
B. An adult with a respiratory rate of 10 breaths per minute
C. A newborn with a respiratory rate of 40 breaths per minute
D. A child with a respiratory rate of 22 breaths per minute
Answer: B
Explanation: The normal resting respiratory rate for a healthy adult is 12–20 breaths per
minute. A rate of 10 breaths per minute indicates bradypnea, which may signal neurological
compromise, metabolic imbalance, or the effect of sedative medications, requiring prompt
further assessment.
2. Which set of vital signs recorded for an older adult would be considered within
acceptable normal limits?
A. Temp 98.6°F (37°C), P-52, R-14, BP 150/90, O2 sat 94%
B. Temp 96.8°F (36°C), P-60, R-16, BP 116/78, O2 sat 95%
C. Temp 99.2°F (37.3°C), P-88, R-22, BP 128/84, O2 sat 91%
D. Temp 97.0°F (36.1°C), P-44, R-12, BP 110/70, O2 sat 96%
Answer: B
Explanation: Normal parameters for older adults include a body temperature near the lower
end of the range (36°C/96.8°F), heart rate 60–100 bpm, respiratory rate 16–25, blood
pressure below 140/90, and oxygen saturation 95–100%. Option B falls entirely within these
evidence-based guidelines.
,Section 2: Delegation and Scope of Practice
3. The nurse delegates temperature assessment to the nursing assistive personnel (NAP).
Which information must the nurse provide to ensure safe and effective care? (Select all
that apply)
A. The patient’s medical diagnosis
B. The frequency for taking or monitoring the temperature
C. What changes to report immediately to the nurse
D. The type of temperature required (oral, rectal, axillary, tympanic)
E. The patient’s insurance information
Answer: B, C, D
Explanation: When delegating vital sign measurement, the nurse must specify the frequency,
the specific changes or abnormal findings to report, and the appropriate measurement site or
method. The medical diagnosis and insurance information are not necessary for safe
delegation of this task.
4. For which patient would it be appropriate for the nurse to delegate vital sign
measurement to the NAP?
A. A patient being monitored for a response to a new antihypertensive medication
B. A patient who is 4 hours post-cardiac catheterization
C. An elderly, stable nursing home resident
D. A patient experiencing acute chest pain
Answer: C
Explanation: Stable patients with no anticipated changes in condition, such as an elderly
nursing home resident, are appropriate for delegation. Patients requiring monitoring for
treatment response, post-procedural complications, or acute symptoms require skilled nursing
assessment.
5. The NAP reports a 65-year-old patient’s blood pressure as 160/98 mmHg. What is the
nurse’s appropriate initial response?
A. Instruct the NAP to repeat the measurement in the opposite arm
B. Document the finding as an isolated elevation
, C. Immediately notify the healthcare provider
D. Assess the patient’s blood pressure personally
Answer: D
Explanation: The nurse is responsible for verifying abnormal findings. The appropriate first
action is to reassess the blood pressure personally to confirm accuracy, check for correct cuff
size and technique, and then determine clinical significance before notifying the provider.
Section 3: Physiological and Environmental Factors Affecting Vital Signs
6. Which of the following situations may affect a patient’s vital signs? (Select all that
apply)
A. Time of day
B. Moving from lying to standing position
C. Hair color
D. Pain rated as 7 on a 0–10 pain scale
E. Recent food or fluid intake
Answer: A, B, D, E
Explanation: Vital signs are dynamic and influenced by circadian rhythms (time of day),
postural changes (orthostatic response), pain (increases sympathetic nervous system activity),
and recent ingestion of food, drink, or nicotine. Hair color has no physiological effect on vital
signs.
7. Which person would be expected to have the lowest core body temperature?
A. A 25-year-old running on a treadmill
B. A 40-year-old after drinking hot tea
C. An 80-year-old who walked half a mile
D. A 10-year-old playing outdoors in summer
Answer: C
Explanation: Older adults typically have lower core body temperatures, often at the lower
end of the normal range (near 36°C or 96.8°F), due to age-related decreases in metabolic rate
2026/2027 | 100 NCLEX-Style Questions
with Answers & Rationales for Nursing
Students
Description:
Master vital signs assessment, delegation, wound care, and infection control with this
comprehensive 2026/2027 nursing examination. Includes 100 evidence-based multiple-choice
questions, correct answers, and detailed rationales. Updated for current NCLEX and
clinical practice standards.
Download the complete 2026/2027 exam bank to pass your course with confidence.
, Vital Signs Exam Prep 2026/2027
Academic Year: 2026/2027
Instructions: Select the best answer(s) for each question. Rationales are provided to support
evidence-based practice.
Section 1: Vital Signs Interpretation & Follow-Up
1. Which of the following patients would require immediate follow-up based on vital
sign assessment?
A. A teenager with a respiratory rate of 18 breaths per minute
B. An adult with a respiratory rate of 10 breaths per minute
C. A newborn with a respiratory rate of 40 breaths per minute
D. A child with a respiratory rate of 22 breaths per minute
Answer: B
Explanation: The normal resting respiratory rate for a healthy adult is 12–20 breaths per
minute. A rate of 10 breaths per minute indicates bradypnea, which may signal neurological
compromise, metabolic imbalance, or the effect of sedative medications, requiring prompt
further assessment.
2. Which set of vital signs recorded for an older adult would be considered within
acceptable normal limits?
A. Temp 98.6°F (37°C), P-52, R-14, BP 150/90, O2 sat 94%
B. Temp 96.8°F (36°C), P-60, R-16, BP 116/78, O2 sat 95%
C. Temp 99.2°F (37.3°C), P-88, R-22, BP 128/84, O2 sat 91%
D. Temp 97.0°F (36.1°C), P-44, R-12, BP 110/70, O2 sat 96%
Answer: B
Explanation: Normal parameters for older adults include a body temperature near the lower
end of the range (36°C/96.8°F), heart rate 60–100 bpm, respiratory rate 16–25, blood
pressure below 140/90, and oxygen saturation 95–100%. Option B falls entirely within these
evidence-based guidelines.
,Section 2: Delegation and Scope of Practice
3. The nurse delegates temperature assessment to the nursing assistive personnel (NAP).
Which information must the nurse provide to ensure safe and effective care? (Select all
that apply)
A. The patient’s medical diagnosis
B. The frequency for taking or monitoring the temperature
C. What changes to report immediately to the nurse
D. The type of temperature required (oral, rectal, axillary, tympanic)
E. The patient’s insurance information
Answer: B, C, D
Explanation: When delegating vital sign measurement, the nurse must specify the frequency,
the specific changes or abnormal findings to report, and the appropriate measurement site or
method. The medical diagnosis and insurance information are not necessary for safe
delegation of this task.
4. For which patient would it be appropriate for the nurse to delegate vital sign
measurement to the NAP?
A. A patient being monitored for a response to a new antihypertensive medication
B. A patient who is 4 hours post-cardiac catheterization
C. An elderly, stable nursing home resident
D. A patient experiencing acute chest pain
Answer: C
Explanation: Stable patients with no anticipated changes in condition, such as an elderly
nursing home resident, are appropriate for delegation. Patients requiring monitoring for
treatment response, post-procedural complications, or acute symptoms require skilled nursing
assessment.
5. The NAP reports a 65-year-old patient’s blood pressure as 160/98 mmHg. What is the
nurse’s appropriate initial response?
A. Instruct the NAP to repeat the measurement in the opposite arm
B. Document the finding as an isolated elevation
, C. Immediately notify the healthcare provider
D. Assess the patient’s blood pressure personally
Answer: D
Explanation: The nurse is responsible for verifying abnormal findings. The appropriate first
action is to reassess the blood pressure personally to confirm accuracy, check for correct cuff
size and technique, and then determine clinical significance before notifying the provider.
Section 3: Physiological and Environmental Factors Affecting Vital Signs
6. Which of the following situations may affect a patient’s vital signs? (Select all that
apply)
A. Time of day
B. Moving from lying to standing position
C. Hair color
D. Pain rated as 7 on a 0–10 pain scale
E. Recent food or fluid intake
Answer: A, B, D, E
Explanation: Vital signs are dynamic and influenced by circadian rhythms (time of day),
postural changes (orthostatic response), pain (increases sympathetic nervous system activity),
and recent ingestion of food, drink, or nicotine. Hair color has no physiological effect on vital
signs.
7. Which person would be expected to have the lowest core body temperature?
A. A 25-year-old running on a treadmill
B. A 40-year-old after drinking hot tea
C. An 80-year-old who walked half a mile
D. A 10-year-old playing outdoors in summer
Answer: C
Explanation: Older adults typically have lower core body temperatures, often at the lower
end of the normal range (near 36°C or 96.8°F), due to age-related decreases in metabolic rate
