AACN EXAM
AACN EXAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS GRADED A+
The charge nurse is having trouble finding nurses who will accept responsibility for
the "difficult" patient and family who have been on the unit for 2 months. Once
the assignment is determined for the next shift, the next action of the nurse might
be to:
A. Hold a family meeting and demand that their behaviour change at once
B. Call the nursing supervisor and have the patient transferred to another unit
C. Arrange to have a nursing care conference and discuss possible solutions
D. Put a note by the charge nurse station to always assign this patient to the float
or PRN nurse ANS >> C. Arrange to have a nursing care conference and discuss
possible solutions
Communication, collaboration, and a consistent plan are what's needed. If this
had been done earlier, the situation this shift might have been avoided.
Three days after undergoing elective hip replacement, a patient has HR 125, RR
36, BP 164/84; is diaphoretic; has dilated pupils; is anxious; denies pain; and
appears to be having tactile hallucinations. Despite frequent reorientation from
the nurse, the patient continues to try to climb out of bed. Which of the following
ordered might be appropriate?
,AACN EXAM
A. Lorazepam (Ativan)
B. Soft wrist restraints
C. Methadone
D. Leaving the TV or radio on in the room for background noise ANS >> A.
Lorazepam (Ativan)
The timing and assessment indicate the patient might be in alcohol withdrawal or
heading into DTs. Of the 4 choices, prescribing a benzo would be the most
appropriate.
A patient with a documented history of schizophrenia is admitted with DKA. A
priority of the admitting nurse would be to:
A. Review all per admission medications
B. Contact the patient's counsellor
C. Hold all psychiatric medications pending glucose regulation
D. ask the patient if he is hearing voices ANS >> A. Review all per admission
medications
Is a priority for patient admissions
A nurse walks into the family waiting room and discovers a physical altercation
between two visitors has just begun. The nurse should:
A. Get between the 2 individuals and tell them their behaviour is inappropriate
B. ask the largest man in the waiting room to break it up
C. Pull the fire alarm by the door
D. Call security ANS >> D. Call security
,AACN EXAM
Think safety first, for yourself and everyone else. Our security colleagues are
trained to handle these situations
The wife of a patient recently admitted because of a single vehicle crash tells the
nurse "I'm afraid he was trying to kill himself." A priority for the nurse would be
to:
A. Identify if the patient has a history of depression
B. Ask the patient directly about suicidal intent with the wife in the room
C. Obtain an order for a psych consult
D. Ensure the suicide assessment is completed in the electronic health record ANS
>> D. Ensure the suicide assessment is completed in the electronic health record
This screen/ assessment tool guides the health care team in determining a
treatment plan
Which of the following actions by the nurse might decrease a patient's self-
esteem?
A. Discussing the negative consequences of the patient's condition
B. Requiring the patient to participate in all treatments
C. Providing opportunities to discuss issues important to the patient
D. Indicating his or her acceptance of the patient's condition ANS >> B. Requiring
the patient to participate in all treatments
The 2 key words being requiring and all. We can't require an adult to do anything.
When we start thinking we can, we are behaving paternalistically.
, AACN EXAM
A 22-year-old patient has been declared brain dead. The parents decide to
discontinue feeding and donate their child's organs. In response to the parents'
request, the most appropriate action by the nurse would be to:
A. Contact the organ procurement agency
B. Convene a multidisciplinary care conference
C. Tell the parents that the condition precludes organ donation
D. Discontinue the feeding per their request ANS >> A. Contact the organ
procurement agency
We collaborate with this agency to be the primary communicator with potential
donor families
A patient in the ICU is confused about time and place, despite frequent
reorientation. For the patient's safety, the nurse would initially:
A. Put a vest restraint on the patient
B. Ask the family member to stay with the patient
C. Administer a mild sedative
D. Increase the frequency of observation of the patient ANS >> D. Increase the
frequency of observation of the patient
The confusion doesn't appear to be a safety issue, so frequent monitoring is the
best plan
Six members of a trauma patient's family arrive at the ICU asking questions about
their loved one's condition. The nurse's most appropriate initial response would
be to:
AACN EXAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS GRADED A+
The charge nurse is having trouble finding nurses who will accept responsibility for
the "difficult" patient and family who have been on the unit for 2 months. Once
the assignment is determined for the next shift, the next action of the nurse might
be to:
A. Hold a family meeting and demand that their behaviour change at once
B. Call the nursing supervisor and have the patient transferred to another unit
C. Arrange to have a nursing care conference and discuss possible solutions
D. Put a note by the charge nurse station to always assign this patient to the float
or PRN nurse ANS >> C. Arrange to have a nursing care conference and discuss
possible solutions
Communication, collaboration, and a consistent plan are what's needed. If this
had been done earlier, the situation this shift might have been avoided.
Three days after undergoing elective hip replacement, a patient has HR 125, RR
36, BP 164/84; is diaphoretic; has dilated pupils; is anxious; denies pain; and
appears to be having tactile hallucinations. Despite frequent reorientation from
the nurse, the patient continues to try to climb out of bed. Which of the following
ordered might be appropriate?
,AACN EXAM
A. Lorazepam (Ativan)
B. Soft wrist restraints
C. Methadone
D. Leaving the TV or radio on in the room for background noise ANS >> A.
Lorazepam (Ativan)
The timing and assessment indicate the patient might be in alcohol withdrawal or
heading into DTs. Of the 4 choices, prescribing a benzo would be the most
appropriate.
A patient with a documented history of schizophrenia is admitted with DKA. A
priority of the admitting nurse would be to:
A. Review all per admission medications
B. Contact the patient's counsellor
C. Hold all psychiatric medications pending glucose regulation
D. ask the patient if he is hearing voices ANS >> A. Review all per admission
medications
Is a priority for patient admissions
A nurse walks into the family waiting room and discovers a physical altercation
between two visitors has just begun. The nurse should:
A. Get between the 2 individuals and tell them their behaviour is inappropriate
B. ask the largest man in the waiting room to break it up
C. Pull the fire alarm by the door
D. Call security ANS >> D. Call security
,AACN EXAM
Think safety first, for yourself and everyone else. Our security colleagues are
trained to handle these situations
The wife of a patient recently admitted because of a single vehicle crash tells the
nurse "I'm afraid he was trying to kill himself." A priority for the nurse would be
to:
A. Identify if the patient has a history of depression
B. Ask the patient directly about suicidal intent with the wife in the room
C. Obtain an order for a psych consult
D. Ensure the suicide assessment is completed in the electronic health record ANS
>> D. Ensure the suicide assessment is completed in the electronic health record
This screen/ assessment tool guides the health care team in determining a
treatment plan
Which of the following actions by the nurse might decrease a patient's self-
esteem?
A. Discussing the negative consequences of the patient's condition
B. Requiring the patient to participate in all treatments
C. Providing opportunities to discuss issues important to the patient
D. Indicating his or her acceptance of the patient's condition ANS >> B. Requiring
the patient to participate in all treatments
The 2 key words being requiring and all. We can't require an adult to do anything.
When we start thinking we can, we are behaving paternalistically.
, AACN EXAM
A 22-year-old patient has been declared brain dead. The parents decide to
discontinue feeding and donate their child's organs. In response to the parents'
request, the most appropriate action by the nurse would be to:
A. Contact the organ procurement agency
B. Convene a multidisciplinary care conference
C. Tell the parents that the condition precludes organ donation
D. Discontinue the feeding per their request ANS >> A. Contact the organ
procurement agency
We collaborate with this agency to be the primary communicator with potential
donor families
A patient in the ICU is confused about time and place, despite frequent
reorientation. For the patient's safety, the nurse would initially:
A. Put a vest restraint on the patient
B. Ask the family member to stay with the patient
C. Administer a mild sedative
D. Increase the frequency of observation of the patient ANS >> D. Increase the
frequency of observation of the patient
The confusion doesn't appear to be a safety issue, so frequent monitoring is the
best plan
Six members of a trauma patient's family arrive at the ICU asking questions about
their loved one's condition. The nurse's most appropriate initial response would
be to:
