RN Nutrition Nursing
2026 Practice Test — 50 NCLEX-Style Questions
Answers in bold italic • Rationales in italic
, 1. Which laboratory value best reflects a client's short-term nutritional status?
A. Albumin
B. Prealbumin
C. Hemoglobin
D. Total cholesterol
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Prealbumin has a short half-life of about 2 days, making it the best marker for trending short-term
nutritional status and response to nutrition therapy.
2. A client with heart failure asks why sodium is restricted. The nurse's best explanation is that
sodium:
A. Increases heart rate directly
B. Causes fluid retention, increasing cardiac workload
C. Raises blood glucose levels
D. Has no effect on cardiac function
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Excess sodium promotes fluid retention, which increases circulating volume and cardiac workload in
heart failure.
3. Which food would the nurse instruct a client taking warfarin to eat in consistent, not necessarily
reduced, amounts?
A. Bananas
B. Leafy green vegetables
C. Citrus fruits
D. Dairy products
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Vitamin K-rich foods, such as leafy greens, should be eaten in consistent amounts, not eliminated, so
warfarin dosing can be titrated predictably.
4. A client with chronic alcohol use disorder is admitted and started on IV dextrose. Which
vitamin should be administered before the dextrose to prevent complications?
A. Vitamin C
B. Thiamine (B1)
C. Vitamin D
D. Folic acid
2026 Practice Test — 50 NCLEX-Style Questions
Answers in bold italic • Rationales in italic
, 1. Which laboratory value best reflects a client's short-term nutritional status?
A. Albumin
B. Prealbumin
C. Hemoglobin
D. Total cholesterol
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Prealbumin has a short half-life of about 2 days, making it the best marker for trending short-term
nutritional status and response to nutrition therapy.
2. A client with heart failure asks why sodium is restricted. The nurse's best explanation is that
sodium:
A. Increases heart rate directly
B. Causes fluid retention, increasing cardiac workload
C. Raises blood glucose levels
D. Has no effect on cardiac function
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Excess sodium promotes fluid retention, which increases circulating volume and cardiac workload in
heart failure.
3. Which food would the nurse instruct a client taking warfarin to eat in consistent, not necessarily
reduced, amounts?
A. Bananas
B. Leafy green vegetables
C. Citrus fruits
D. Dairy products
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Vitamin K-rich foods, such as leafy greens, should be eaten in consistent amounts, not eliminated, so
warfarin dosing can be titrated predictably.
4. A client with chronic alcohol use disorder is admitted and started on IV dextrose. Which
vitamin should be administered before the dextrose to prevent complications?
A. Vitamin C
B. Thiamine (B1)
C. Vitamin D
D. Folic acid
