HESI Comprehensive Exam A QUESTIONS WITH WELL VERIFIED
ANSWERS 2026!!!!
1. Enalapril maleate is prescribed for a hospitalized client. Which assessment does the nurse perform as
a priority before administering the medication?
A. Checking the client's blood pressure
B. Checking the client's peripheral pulses
C. Checking the most recent potassium level
D. Checking the client's intake-and-output record for the last 24 hours - ANSWERS💫✔️-A. Checking the
client's blood pressure
2. A client is scheduled to undergo an upper gastrointestinal (GI) series, and the nurse provides
instructions to the client about the test. Which statement by the client indicates a need for further
instruction?
A. "The test will take about 30 minutes."
B. "I need to fast for 8 hours before test."
C. "I need to drink citrate of magnesia the night before the test and give myself a Fleet enema on the
morning of the test."
D. "I need to take a laxative after the test is completed, because the liquid that I'll have to drink for the
test can be constipating." - ANSWERS💫✔️-C. "I need to drink citrate of magnesia the night before the
test and give myself a Fleet enema on the morning of the test."
3. A nurse on the evening shift checks a health care provider's prescriptions and notes that the dose of a
prescribed medication is higher than the normal dose. The nurse calls the health care provider's
answering service and is told that the health care provider is off for the night and will be available in the
morning. The nurse should:
A. Call the nursing supervisor
B. Ask the answering service to contact the on-call health care provider
C. Withhold the medication until the health care provider can be reached in the morning
D. Administer the medication but consult the health care provider when he becomes available -
ANSWERS💫✔️-B. Ask the answering service to contact the on-call health care provider
4. An emergency department (ED) nurse is monitoring a client with suspected acute myocardial
infarction (MI) who is awaiting transfer to the coronary intensive care unit. The nurse notes the sudden
,onset of premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) on the monitor, checks the client's carotid pulse, and
determines that the PVCs are not resulting in perfusion. The appropriate action by the nurse is:
A. Documenting the findings
B. Asking the ED health care provider to check the client
C. Continuing to monitor the client's cardiac status
D. Informing the client that PVCs are expected after an MI - ANSWERS💫✔️-B. Asking the ED health care
provider to check the client
5. NPO status is imposed 8 hours before the procedure on a client scheduled to undergo
electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) at 1 p.m. On the morning of the procedure, the nurse checks the client's
record and notes that the client routinely takes an oral antihypertensive medication each morning. The
nurse should:
A. Administer the antihypertensive with a small sip of water
B. Withhold the antihypertensive and administer it at bedtime
C. Administer the medication by way of the intravenous (IV) route
D. Hold the antihypertensive and resume its administration on the day after the ECT - ANSWERS💫✔️-A.
Administer the antihypertensive with a small sip of water
6. A client who recently underwent coronary artery bypass graft surgery comes to the health care
provider's office for a follow-up visit. On assessment, the client tells the nurse that he is feeling
depressed. Which response by the nurse is therapeutic?
A. "Tell me more about what you're feeling."
B. "That's a normal response after this type of surgery."
C. "It will take time, but, I promise you, you will get over this depression."
D. "Every client who has this surgery feels the same way for about a month." - ANSWERS💫✔️-A. "Tell me
more about what you're feeling."
7. A client in labor experiences spontaneous rupture of the membranes. The nurse immediately counts
the fetal heart rate (FHR) for 1 full minute and then checks the amniotic fluid. The nurse notes that the
fluid is yellow and has a strong odor. Which action should be the nurse's priority?
A. Contacting the health care provider
B. Documenting the findings
,C. Checking the fluid for protein
D. Continuing to monitor the client and the FHR - ANSWERS💫✔️-A. Contacting the health care provider
8. A nurse has assisted a health care provider in inserting a central venous access device into a client
with a diagnosis of severe malnutrition who will be receiving parenteral nutrition (PN). After insertion of
the catheter, the nurse immediately plans to:
A. Call the radiography department to obtain a chest x-ray
B. Check the client's blood glucose level to serve as a baseline measurement
C. Hang the prescribed bag of PN and start the infusion at the prescribed rate
D. Infuse normal saline solution through the catheter at a rate of 100 mL/hr to maintain patency -
ANSWERS💫✔️-A. Call the radiography department to obtain a chest x-ray
9. A rape victim being treated in the emergency department says to the nurse, "I'm really worried that
I've got HIV now." What is the appropriate response by the nurse?
A. "HIV is rarely an issue in rape victims."
B. "Every rape victim is concerned about HIV."
C. "You're more likely to get pregnant than to contract HIV."
D. "Let's talk about the information that you need to determine your risk of contracting HIV." -
ANSWERS💫✔️-D. "Let's talk about the information that you need to determine your risk of contracting
HIV."
10. A client is taking prescribed ibuprofen , 300 mg orally four times daily, to relieve joint pain resulting
from rheumatoid arthritis. The client tells the nurse that the medication is causing nausea and
indigestion. The nurse should tell the client to:
A. Contact the health care provider
B. Stop taking the medication
C. Take the medication with food
D. Take the medication twice a day instead of four times - ANSWERS💫✔️-C. Take the medication with
food
11. A client's oral intake of liquids includes 120 mL on the night shift, 800 mL on the day shift, and 650
mL on the evening shift. The client is receiving an intravenous (IV) antibiotic every 12 hours, diluted in
, 50 mL of normal saline solution. The nurse empties 700 mL of urine from the client's Foley catheter at
the end of the day shift. Thereafter, 500 mL of urine is emptied at the end of the evening shift and 325
mL at the end of the night shift. Nasogastric tube drainage totals 155 mL for the 24-hour period, and the
total drainage from the Jackson-Pratt device is 175 mL. What is the client's total intake during the 24-
hour period? Type your answer in the space provided. ________mL - ANSWERS💫✔️-1670 mL
Rationale: The client's 24-hour total oral intake is 1570 mL, and the IV intake totals 100 mL (50 mL of
normal saline solution every 12 hours). Therefore the 24-hour intake total is 1670 mL.
12. Lorazepam 1 mg by way of intravenous (IV) injection (IV push) is prescribed for a client for the
management of anxiety. The nurse prepares the medication as prescribed and administers the
medication over a period of:
A. 3 minutes
B. 10 seconds
C. 15 seconds
D. 30 minutes - ANSWERS💫✔️-A. 3 minutes
13. A nurse, conducting an assessment of a client being seen in the clinic for symptoms of a sinus
infection, asks the client about medications that he is taking. The client tells the nurse that he is taking
nefazodone hydrochloride . On the basis of this information, the nurse determines that the client most
likely has a history of:
A. Depression
B. Diabetes mellitus
C. Hyperthyroidism
D. Coronary artery disease - ANSWERS💫✔️-A. Depression
14. Phenelzine sulfate is prescribed for a client with depression. The nurse provides information to the
client about the adverse effects of the medication and tells the client to contact the health care provider
immediately if she experiences:
A. Dry mouth
B. Restlessness
C. Feelings of depression
D. Neck stiffness or soreness - ANSWERS💫✔️-D. Neck stiffness or soreness
ANSWERS 2026!!!!
1. Enalapril maleate is prescribed for a hospitalized client. Which assessment does the nurse perform as
a priority before administering the medication?
A. Checking the client's blood pressure
B. Checking the client's peripheral pulses
C. Checking the most recent potassium level
D. Checking the client's intake-and-output record for the last 24 hours - ANSWERS💫✔️-A. Checking the
client's blood pressure
2. A client is scheduled to undergo an upper gastrointestinal (GI) series, and the nurse provides
instructions to the client about the test. Which statement by the client indicates a need for further
instruction?
A. "The test will take about 30 minutes."
B. "I need to fast for 8 hours before test."
C. "I need to drink citrate of magnesia the night before the test and give myself a Fleet enema on the
morning of the test."
D. "I need to take a laxative after the test is completed, because the liquid that I'll have to drink for the
test can be constipating." - ANSWERS💫✔️-C. "I need to drink citrate of magnesia the night before the
test and give myself a Fleet enema on the morning of the test."
3. A nurse on the evening shift checks a health care provider's prescriptions and notes that the dose of a
prescribed medication is higher than the normal dose. The nurse calls the health care provider's
answering service and is told that the health care provider is off for the night and will be available in the
morning. The nurse should:
A. Call the nursing supervisor
B. Ask the answering service to contact the on-call health care provider
C. Withhold the medication until the health care provider can be reached in the morning
D. Administer the medication but consult the health care provider when he becomes available -
ANSWERS💫✔️-B. Ask the answering service to contact the on-call health care provider
4. An emergency department (ED) nurse is monitoring a client with suspected acute myocardial
infarction (MI) who is awaiting transfer to the coronary intensive care unit. The nurse notes the sudden
,onset of premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) on the monitor, checks the client's carotid pulse, and
determines that the PVCs are not resulting in perfusion. The appropriate action by the nurse is:
A. Documenting the findings
B. Asking the ED health care provider to check the client
C. Continuing to monitor the client's cardiac status
D. Informing the client that PVCs are expected after an MI - ANSWERS💫✔️-B. Asking the ED health care
provider to check the client
5. NPO status is imposed 8 hours before the procedure on a client scheduled to undergo
electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) at 1 p.m. On the morning of the procedure, the nurse checks the client's
record and notes that the client routinely takes an oral antihypertensive medication each morning. The
nurse should:
A. Administer the antihypertensive with a small sip of water
B. Withhold the antihypertensive and administer it at bedtime
C. Administer the medication by way of the intravenous (IV) route
D. Hold the antihypertensive and resume its administration on the day after the ECT - ANSWERS💫✔️-A.
Administer the antihypertensive with a small sip of water
6. A client who recently underwent coronary artery bypass graft surgery comes to the health care
provider's office for a follow-up visit. On assessment, the client tells the nurse that he is feeling
depressed. Which response by the nurse is therapeutic?
A. "Tell me more about what you're feeling."
B. "That's a normal response after this type of surgery."
C. "It will take time, but, I promise you, you will get over this depression."
D. "Every client who has this surgery feels the same way for about a month." - ANSWERS💫✔️-A. "Tell me
more about what you're feeling."
7. A client in labor experiences spontaneous rupture of the membranes. The nurse immediately counts
the fetal heart rate (FHR) for 1 full minute and then checks the amniotic fluid. The nurse notes that the
fluid is yellow and has a strong odor. Which action should be the nurse's priority?
A. Contacting the health care provider
B. Documenting the findings
,C. Checking the fluid for protein
D. Continuing to monitor the client and the FHR - ANSWERS💫✔️-A. Contacting the health care provider
8. A nurse has assisted a health care provider in inserting a central venous access device into a client
with a diagnosis of severe malnutrition who will be receiving parenteral nutrition (PN). After insertion of
the catheter, the nurse immediately plans to:
A. Call the radiography department to obtain a chest x-ray
B. Check the client's blood glucose level to serve as a baseline measurement
C. Hang the prescribed bag of PN and start the infusion at the prescribed rate
D. Infuse normal saline solution through the catheter at a rate of 100 mL/hr to maintain patency -
ANSWERS💫✔️-A. Call the radiography department to obtain a chest x-ray
9. A rape victim being treated in the emergency department says to the nurse, "I'm really worried that
I've got HIV now." What is the appropriate response by the nurse?
A. "HIV is rarely an issue in rape victims."
B. "Every rape victim is concerned about HIV."
C. "You're more likely to get pregnant than to contract HIV."
D. "Let's talk about the information that you need to determine your risk of contracting HIV." -
ANSWERS💫✔️-D. "Let's talk about the information that you need to determine your risk of contracting
HIV."
10. A client is taking prescribed ibuprofen , 300 mg orally four times daily, to relieve joint pain resulting
from rheumatoid arthritis. The client tells the nurse that the medication is causing nausea and
indigestion. The nurse should tell the client to:
A. Contact the health care provider
B. Stop taking the medication
C. Take the medication with food
D. Take the medication twice a day instead of four times - ANSWERS💫✔️-C. Take the medication with
food
11. A client's oral intake of liquids includes 120 mL on the night shift, 800 mL on the day shift, and 650
mL on the evening shift. The client is receiving an intravenous (IV) antibiotic every 12 hours, diluted in
, 50 mL of normal saline solution. The nurse empties 700 mL of urine from the client's Foley catheter at
the end of the day shift. Thereafter, 500 mL of urine is emptied at the end of the evening shift and 325
mL at the end of the night shift. Nasogastric tube drainage totals 155 mL for the 24-hour period, and the
total drainage from the Jackson-Pratt device is 175 mL. What is the client's total intake during the 24-
hour period? Type your answer in the space provided. ________mL - ANSWERS💫✔️-1670 mL
Rationale: The client's 24-hour total oral intake is 1570 mL, and the IV intake totals 100 mL (50 mL of
normal saline solution every 12 hours). Therefore the 24-hour intake total is 1670 mL.
12. Lorazepam 1 mg by way of intravenous (IV) injection (IV push) is prescribed for a client for the
management of anxiety. The nurse prepares the medication as prescribed and administers the
medication over a period of:
A. 3 minutes
B. 10 seconds
C. 15 seconds
D. 30 minutes - ANSWERS💫✔️-A. 3 minutes
13. A nurse, conducting an assessment of a client being seen in the clinic for symptoms of a sinus
infection, asks the client about medications that he is taking. The client tells the nurse that he is taking
nefazodone hydrochloride . On the basis of this information, the nurse determines that the client most
likely has a history of:
A. Depression
B. Diabetes mellitus
C. Hyperthyroidism
D. Coronary artery disease - ANSWERS💫✔️-A. Depression
14. Phenelzine sulfate is prescribed for a client with depression. The nurse provides information to the
client about the adverse effects of the medication and tells the client to contact the health care provider
immediately if she experiences:
A. Dry mouth
B. Restlessness
C. Feelings of depression
D. Neck stiffness or soreness - ANSWERS💫✔️-D. Neck stiffness or soreness
