HAWAII NURSING EXAM QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS (VERIFIED ANSWERS)
PLUS RATIONALES 2026 Q&A | INSTANT DOWNLOAD PDF
,CORE DOMAINS
Medical-Surgical Nursing
Pharmacology
Maternal-Newborn Nursing
Pediatric Nursing
Mental Health Nursing
Nursing Ethics and Professional Standards
Patient Safety and Infection Control
Leadership and Delegation
Community and Public Health Nursing
Legal and Regulatory Compliance
INTRODUCTION
This assessment is designed to evaluate essential nursing knowledge, clinical judgment, and safe decision-
making in realistic practice situations. It measures understanding of foundational concepts, applied nursing
care, medication safety, communication, ethics, and legal responsibilities. Questions are presented in multiple-
choice format with scenario-based applications to reflect the demands of real-world nursing practice. The exam
emphasizes prioritization, assessment, intervention, evaluation, and professional accountability. Each item is
written to support exam readiness by strengthening critical thinking and the ability to choose the most
appropriate nursing action in diverse patient care settings.
*
, SECTION ONE: QUESTIONS 1–100
. A patient with pneumonia is most likely to exhibit which assessment finding?
A. Bradycardia
B. Productive cough
C. Hyperactive bowel sounds
D. Elevated hemoglobin
🟢 Correct answer: B. Productive cough
🔴 RATIONALE: Pneumonia commonly causes inflammation and increased secretions in the lungs, leading to
a productive cough.
. Which action is the nurse’s priority when a patient reports sudden shortness of breath?
A. Obtain a urine sample
B. Reposition the patient flat
C. Assess oxygen saturation
D. Document the complaint
🟢 Correct answer: C. Assess oxygen saturation
🔴 RATIONALE: Sudden dyspnea may indicate impaired oxygenation, so immediate assessment of oxygen
saturation is the priority.
. A nurse is preparing to administer digoxin. Which pulse rate requires withholding the medication?
, A. 48 beats per minute
B. 62 beats per minute
C. 76 beats per minute
D. 88 beats per minute
🟢 Correct answer: A. 48 beats per minute
🔴 RATIONALE: Digoxin is commonly withheld when the apical pulse is below 60 beats per minute because it
can worsen bradycardia.
. Which food should the nurse teach a patient with iron deficiency anemia to increase?
A. Milk
B. Cheese
C. Red meat
D. Applesauce
🟢 Correct answer: C. Red meat
🔴 RATIONALE: Red meat is rich in heme iron, which is well absorbed and helps improve iron deficiency
anemia.
. A patient is receiving morphine after surgery. Which finding requires immediate intervention?
A. Respiratory rate of 8/min
B. Mild drowsiness
C. Blood pressure of 118/72 mmHg
D. Pain score of 4/10
PLUS RATIONALES 2026 Q&A | INSTANT DOWNLOAD PDF
,CORE DOMAINS
Medical-Surgical Nursing
Pharmacology
Maternal-Newborn Nursing
Pediatric Nursing
Mental Health Nursing
Nursing Ethics and Professional Standards
Patient Safety and Infection Control
Leadership and Delegation
Community and Public Health Nursing
Legal and Regulatory Compliance
INTRODUCTION
This assessment is designed to evaluate essential nursing knowledge, clinical judgment, and safe decision-
making in realistic practice situations. It measures understanding of foundational concepts, applied nursing
care, medication safety, communication, ethics, and legal responsibilities. Questions are presented in multiple-
choice format with scenario-based applications to reflect the demands of real-world nursing practice. The exam
emphasizes prioritization, assessment, intervention, evaluation, and professional accountability. Each item is
written to support exam readiness by strengthening critical thinking and the ability to choose the most
appropriate nursing action in diverse patient care settings.
*
, SECTION ONE: QUESTIONS 1–100
. A patient with pneumonia is most likely to exhibit which assessment finding?
A. Bradycardia
B. Productive cough
C. Hyperactive bowel sounds
D. Elevated hemoglobin
🟢 Correct answer: B. Productive cough
🔴 RATIONALE: Pneumonia commonly causes inflammation and increased secretions in the lungs, leading to
a productive cough.
. Which action is the nurse’s priority when a patient reports sudden shortness of breath?
A. Obtain a urine sample
B. Reposition the patient flat
C. Assess oxygen saturation
D. Document the complaint
🟢 Correct answer: C. Assess oxygen saturation
🔴 RATIONALE: Sudden dyspnea may indicate impaired oxygenation, so immediate assessment of oxygen
saturation is the priority.
. A nurse is preparing to administer digoxin. Which pulse rate requires withholding the medication?
, A. 48 beats per minute
B. 62 beats per minute
C. 76 beats per minute
D. 88 beats per minute
🟢 Correct answer: A. 48 beats per minute
🔴 RATIONALE: Digoxin is commonly withheld when the apical pulse is below 60 beats per minute because it
can worsen bradycardia.
. Which food should the nurse teach a patient with iron deficiency anemia to increase?
A. Milk
B. Cheese
C. Red meat
D. Applesauce
🟢 Correct answer: C. Red meat
🔴 RATIONALE: Red meat is rich in heme iron, which is well absorbed and helps improve iron deficiency
anemia.
. A patient is receiving morphine after surgery. Which finding requires immediate intervention?
A. Respiratory rate of 8/min
B. Mild drowsiness
C. Blood pressure of 118/72 mmHg
D. Pain score of 4/10
