NURS 572 EXAM 1 – QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS | VERIFIED AND WELL DETAILED
ANSWERS | PLUS RATIONALES | DOWNLOAD AND PASS | LATEST EXAM UPDATE
*Core Domains*
*1. Advanced Health Assessment*
*2. Pharmacotherapeutics*
*3. Pathophysiological Mechanisms*
*4. Evidence-Based Practice*
*5. Ethical and Legal Frameworks*
*6. Diagnostic Reasoning*
*7. Patient Education and Health Promotion*
*8. Interprofessional Collaboration*
*Introduction*
*The purpose of this examination is to evaluate the mastery of advanced nursing concepts
SECTION ONE: QUESTIONS 1–100
1. A nurse practitioner is evaluating a patient with persistent hypertension despite
adherence to ACE inhibitor therapy. Which of the following is the most appropriate next
step in clinical decision-making?
, A. Increase the dose of the ACE inhibitor to the maximum allowable limit.
B. Add a calcium channel blocker or a thiazide-type diuretic to the regimen.
C. Switch the patient to a beta-blocker as the primary antihypertensive agent.
D. Recommend a lifestyle-only approach for an additional three months.
🟢 B. Add a calcium channel blocker or a thiazide-type diuretic to the regimen.
🔴 Explanation: Clinical guidelines for hypertension management recommend
combination therapy when monotherapy fails to reach blood pressure goals,
specifically adding agents with complementary mechanisms of action.
2. When considering the legal scope of practice for an advanced practice registered
nurse (APRN), which document takes precedence in defining prescriptive authority?
A. The American Nurses Association Code of Ethics.
B. The individual state Board of Nursing Nurse Practice Act.
C. The hospital’s internal policy and procedure manual.
D. Federal guidelines set by the Department of Health and Human Services.
🟢 B. The individual state Board of Nursing Nurse Practice Act.
🔴 Explanation: The Nurse Practice Act is the statutory law enacted by each state
legislature that defines the legal scope and boundaries of nursing practice, including
prescriptive authority.
3. A patient presents with acute onset of sharp, pleuritic chest pain and dyspnea. Vital
signs show tachycardia and tachypnea. Which diagnostic test is the gold standard for
ruling out pulmonary embolism?
A. Chest X-ray.
, B. D-dimer assay.
C. Computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA).
D. Electrocardiogram.
🟢 C. Computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA).
🔴 Explanation: CTPA is the definitive imaging modality for visualizing pulmonary
emboli and provides the highest sensitivity and specificity for diagnosis.
4. Which ethical principle is primarily upheld when a provider ensures that a patient fully
understands the risks and benefits of a surgical procedure before signing consent?
A. Beneficence.
B. Non-maleficence.
C. Autonomy.
D. Justice.
🟢 C. Autonomy.
🔴 Explanation: Autonomy refers to the patient’s right to make informed decisions
about their own healthcare based on complete and accurate information.
5. A 65-year-old patient with type 2 diabetes presents with a foot ulcer. What is the most
critical assessment component for initial evaluation?
A. Assessing the patient’s dietary habits over the last week.
B. Performing a neurovascular examination and checking for signs of infection.
C. Ordering an immediate HbA1c to evaluate long-term control.
D. Assessing the patient’s ability to pay for wound care supplies.
🟢 B. Performing a neurovascular examination and checking for signs of infection.
, 🔴 Explanation: In diabetic foot ulcers, assessing for ischemia, neuropathy, and
infection is prioritized to prevent limb-threatening complications and osteomyelitis.
6. Which medication class is generally contraindicated in patients with heart failure due to
its potential for sodium retention and exacerbation of fluid overload?
A. ACE inhibitors.
B. Beta-blockers.
C. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
D. Loop diuretics.
🟢 C. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
🔴 Explanation: NSAIDs inhibit prostaglandins that help maintain renal perfusion,
leading to sodium and water retention, which can worsen heart failure.
7. A patient with asthma is not responding to low-dose inhaled corticosteroids. According
to GINA guidelines, what is the preferred next step?
A. Start oral corticosteroids.
B. Add a long-acting beta-agonist (LABA).
C. Switch to an anticholinergic inhaler.
D. Discontinue all medications and restart.
🟢 B. Add a long-acting beta-agonist (LABA).
🔴 Explanation: The standard step-up therapy for uncontrolled asthma on low-dose
inhaled corticosteroids is the addition of a LABA to improve symptom control.
8. When interpreting laboratory results for a patient with suspected thyroid dysfunction,
low TSH and high Free T4 are indicative of:
ANSWERS | PLUS RATIONALES | DOWNLOAD AND PASS | LATEST EXAM UPDATE
*Core Domains*
*1. Advanced Health Assessment*
*2. Pharmacotherapeutics*
*3. Pathophysiological Mechanisms*
*4. Evidence-Based Practice*
*5. Ethical and Legal Frameworks*
*6. Diagnostic Reasoning*
*7. Patient Education and Health Promotion*
*8. Interprofessional Collaboration*
*Introduction*
*The purpose of this examination is to evaluate the mastery of advanced nursing concepts
SECTION ONE: QUESTIONS 1–100
1. A nurse practitioner is evaluating a patient with persistent hypertension despite
adherence to ACE inhibitor therapy. Which of the following is the most appropriate next
step in clinical decision-making?
, A. Increase the dose of the ACE inhibitor to the maximum allowable limit.
B. Add a calcium channel blocker or a thiazide-type diuretic to the regimen.
C. Switch the patient to a beta-blocker as the primary antihypertensive agent.
D. Recommend a lifestyle-only approach for an additional three months.
🟢 B. Add a calcium channel blocker or a thiazide-type diuretic to the regimen.
🔴 Explanation: Clinical guidelines for hypertension management recommend
combination therapy when monotherapy fails to reach blood pressure goals,
specifically adding agents with complementary mechanisms of action.
2. When considering the legal scope of practice for an advanced practice registered
nurse (APRN), which document takes precedence in defining prescriptive authority?
A. The American Nurses Association Code of Ethics.
B. The individual state Board of Nursing Nurse Practice Act.
C. The hospital’s internal policy and procedure manual.
D. Federal guidelines set by the Department of Health and Human Services.
🟢 B. The individual state Board of Nursing Nurse Practice Act.
🔴 Explanation: The Nurse Practice Act is the statutory law enacted by each state
legislature that defines the legal scope and boundaries of nursing practice, including
prescriptive authority.
3. A patient presents with acute onset of sharp, pleuritic chest pain and dyspnea. Vital
signs show tachycardia and tachypnea. Which diagnostic test is the gold standard for
ruling out pulmonary embolism?
A. Chest X-ray.
, B. D-dimer assay.
C. Computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA).
D. Electrocardiogram.
🟢 C. Computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA).
🔴 Explanation: CTPA is the definitive imaging modality for visualizing pulmonary
emboli and provides the highest sensitivity and specificity for diagnosis.
4. Which ethical principle is primarily upheld when a provider ensures that a patient fully
understands the risks and benefits of a surgical procedure before signing consent?
A. Beneficence.
B. Non-maleficence.
C. Autonomy.
D. Justice.
🟢 C. Autonomy.
🔴 Explanation: Autonomy refers to the patient’s right to make informed decisions
about their own healthcare based on complete and accurate information.
5. A 65-year-old patient with type 2 diabetes presents with a foot ulcer. What is the most
critical assessment component for initial evaluation?
A. Assessing the patient’s dietary habits over the last week.
B. Performing a neurovascular examination and checking for signs of infection.
C. Ordering an immediate HbA1c to evaluate long-term control.
D. Assessing the patient’s ability to pay for wound care supplies.
🟢 B. Performing a neurovascular examination and checking for signs of infection.
, 🔴 Explanation: In diabetic foot ulcers, assessing for ischemia, neuropathy, and
infection is prioritized to prevent limb-threatening complications and osteomyelitis.
6. Which medication class is generally contraindicated in patients with heart failure due to
its potential for sodium retention and exacerbation of fluid overload?
A. ACE inhibitors.
B. Beta-blockers.
C. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
D. Loop diuretics.
🟢 C. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
🔴 Explanation: NSAIDs inhibit prostaglandins that help maintain renal perfusion,
leading to sodium and water retention, which can worsen heart failure.
7. A patient with asthma is not responding to low-dose inhaled corticosteroids. According
to GINA guidelines, what is the preferred next step?
A. Start oral corticosteroids.
B. Add a long-acting beta-agonist (LABA).
C. Switch to an anticholinergic inhaler.
D. Discontinue all medications and restart.
🟢 B. Add a long-acting beta-agonist (LABA).
🔴 Explanation: The standard step-up therapy for uncontrolled asthma on low-dose
inhaled corticosteroids is the addition of a LABA to improve symptom control.
8. When interpreting laboratory results for a patient with suspected thyroid dysfunction,
low TSH and high Free T4 are indicative of:
