Critical Care Nursing 2026
| ICU Study Guide, Practice
Questions, Answers,
Rationales & Exam Review
| Complete Ethics Study
Guide
Updated 2026 Questions and Answers
100% Verified Exam Prep and Comprehensive
Rationales
Included
,help family members solve problems by: • verbalize the immediate problem
• identify support systems
• recall how they handled stress in the past
*Such assistance helps family members to focus on the present
issue. It also allows them to solve problems and regain a sense of
control over their lives.*
Medical futility treatment that's hopeless or interventions
that aren't likely to benefit the patient even though they may appear to be effective
H&H Q's • Do you have headaches? How often do you have them?
What precipitates them?
• Do you ever feel dizzy? How often do you feel this
way? What seems to precipitate the episodes?
• Do you ever feel a tingling or prickling sensation or numbness?
If so, where?
• Have you ever had seizures or tremors? Have you ever had
weakness or paralysis in your arms or legs?
• Do you have trouble urinating, walking, speaking, understanding
others, reading, or writing?
• How's your memory and ability to concentrate?
Mental Status Q's What's your name? person
What's your mother's name? other ppl
What year is it? time
Where are you now? place
How old are you? memory
Where were you born? remote memory
What did you have for breakfast? recent memory
Who's Pres of the U.S. now? general knowledge
Can you count backward from 20 to 1? Attn span &
calculation skills
Steps to arousal 1. auditory
2. tactile
3. painful
Assess for dysarthria (=diff forming words)
Ask pt to repeat "no ifs, ands, or buts"
CN I Assess Check the patency of each nostril. Then instruct the patient to close his eyes.
Occlude one nostril, and hold a familiar, pungent-smelling substance under the
patient's nose and ask him to identify it.
Repeat this with the other nostril.
CN II Assess Do this by asking the patient to read a newspaper,
starting with large headlines and moving to small print.
CN III, IV, VI Assess Check pupil size, pupil shape, and pupillary response to light. When assessing pupil
size, look for trends, such as a gradual increase in the size of one pupil or
appearance of unequal pupils.
Ask the patient to follow your finger through six cardinal positions of gaze. (assess
the patient for nystagmus, or involuntary eye movement,
and the ability to hold gaze in that particular position.)
, CN V Assess Gently touch the right and left sides of the
patient's forehead with a cotton ball while his eyes are closed. Instruct him to tell
you the moment the cotton touches each area. Compare the patient's responses on
both sides. Repeat the technique on the right and left cheek and on the right and
left jaw.
Next, repeat the entire procedure using a sharp object, such as the tip of a safety
pin. Ask the patient to describe and compare both sensations.
To assess the motor function, ask the patient to clench his teeth while you palpate
his temporal and masseter muscles.
Corneal reflex.
CN VII Assess Ask pt to:
• wrinkle his forehead
• raise and lower his eyebrows
• smile to show his teeth
• puff out his cheeks.
Also, with the patient's eyes tightly closed, attempt to open his eyelids. As you
conduct each part of this test, look for symmetry.
CN VIII Assess Ask the patient to cover one ear. Then stand on the opposite side and whisper a few
words. Find out whether the patient can repeat what you said. Test the other ear in
the same way.
To test the vestibular portion of the acoustic nerve, observe the patient for
nystagmus and disturbed balance. Note reports of the room spinning or dizzines.
CN IX & X Assess • The glossopharyngeal nerve is responsible for swallowing, salivating, and taste
perception on the
posterior one-third of the tongue.
• The vagus nerve controls swallowing and is
responsible for voice quality.
Assess these nerves, first, by listening to
the patient's voice.
Then check the gag reflex by touching the tip of a tongue blade against the
posterior pharynx and asking the patient to open wide and say "ah." Watch for the
symmetrical upward movement of the soft palate and uvula and for the midline
position of the uvula.
CN XI Assess Press down on the patient's shoulders while he
attempts to shrug against this resistance. Note shoulder strength and symmetry
while inspecting and palpating the trapezius muscles.
Apply resistance from one side while the patient tries to return his head to midline
position.
Look for neck strength. Repeat on the other side.
CN XII Assess Ask the patient to stick out his tongue. Look for any deviation from the midline,
atrophy, or fasciculations.
Test tongue strength by asking the patient to push his tongue against his cheek as
you apply resistance. Observe the tongue for symmetry.
Test the patient's speech by asking him to repeat the sentence, "Round the rugged
rock that ragged rascal ran."
Stereognosis the ability to discriminate the shape, size, weight,
texture, and form of an object by touching and manipulating it
Graphesthesia ability to identify something by tactile sense (ID drawn number on pt's hand)
| ICU Study Guide, Practice
Questions, Answers,
Rationales & Exam Review
| Complete Ethics Study
Guide
Updated 2026 Questions and Answers
100% Verified Exam Prep and Comprehensive
Rationales
Included
,help family members solve problems by: • verbalize the immediate problem
• identify support systems
• recall how they handled stress in the past
*Such assistance helps family members to focus on the present
issue. It also allows them to solve problems and regain a sense of
control over their lives.*
Medical futility treatment that's hopeless or interventions
that aren't likely to benefit the patient even though they may appear to be effective
H&H Q's • Do you have headaches? How often do you have them?
What precipitates them?
• Do you ever feel dizzy? How often do you feel this
way? What seems to precipitate the episodes?
• Do you ever feel a tingling or prickling sensation or numbness?
If so, where?
• Have you ever had seizures or tremors? Have you ever had
weakness or paralysis in your arms or legs?
• Do you have trouble urinating, walking, speaking, understanding
others, reading, or writing?
• How's your memory and ability to concentrate?
Mental Status Q's What's your name? person
What's your mother's name? other ppl
What year is it? time
Where are you now? place
How old are you? memory
Where were you born? remote memory
What did you have for breakfast? recent memory
Who's Pres of the U.S. now? general knowledge
Can you count backward from 20 to 1? Attn span &
calculation skills
Steps to arousal 1. auditory
2. tactile
3. painful
Assess for dysarthria (=diff forming words)
Ask pt to repeat "no ifs, ands, or buts"
CN I Assess Check the patency of each nostril. Then instruct the patient to close his eyes.
Occlude one nostril, and hold a familiar, pungent-smelling substance under the
patient's nose and ask him to identify it.
Repeat this with the other nostril.
CN II Assess Do this by asking the patient to read a newspaper,
starting with large headlines and moving to small print.
CN III, IV, VI Assess Check pupil size, pupil shape, and pupillary response to light. When assessing pupil
size, look for trends, such as a gradual increase in the size of one pupil or
appearance of unequal pupils.
Ask the patient to follow your finger through six cardinal positions of gaze. (assess
the patient for nystagmus, or involuntary eye movement,
and the ability to hold gaze in that particular position.)
, CN V Assess Gently touch the right and left sides of the
patient's forehead with a cotton ball while his eyes are closed. Instruct him to tell
you the moment the cotton touches each area. Compare the patient's responses on
both sides. Repeat the technique on the right and left cheek and on the right and
left jaw.
Next, repeat the entire procedure using a sharp object, such as the tip of a safety
pin. Ask the patient to describe and compare both sensations.
To assess the motor function, ask the patient to clench his teeth while you palpate
his temporal and masseter muscles.
Corneal reflex.
CN VII Assess Ask pt to:
• wrinkle his forehead
• raise and lower his eyebrows
• smile to show his teeth
• puff out his cheeks.
Also, with the patient's eyes tightly closed, attempt to open his eyelids. As you
conduct each part of this test, look for symmetry.
CN VIII Assess Ask the patient to cover one ear. Then stand on the opposite side and whisper a few
words. Find out whether the patient can repeat what you said. Test the other ear in
the same way.
To test the vestibular portion of the acoustic nerve, observe the patient for
nystagmus and disturbed balance. Note reports of the room spinning or dizzines.
CN IX & X Assess • The glossopharyngeal nerve is responsible for swallowing, salivating, and taste
perception on the
posterior one-third of the tongue.
• The vagus nerve controls swallowing and is
responsible for voice quality.
Assess these nerves, first, by listening to
the patient's voice.
Then check the gag reflex by touching the tip of a tongue blade against the
posterior pharynx and asking the patient to open wide and say "ah." Watch for the
symmetrical upward movement of the soft palate and uvula and for the midline
position of the uvula.
CN XI Assess Press down on the patient's shoulders while he
attempts to shrug against this resistance. Note shoulder strength and symmetry
while inspecting and palpating the trapezius muscles.
Apply resistance from one side while the patient tries to return his head to midline
position.
Look for neck strength. Repeat on the other side.
CN XII Assess Ask the patient to stick out his tongue. Look for any deviation from the midline,
atrophy, or fasciculations.
Test tongue strength by asking the patient to push his tongue against his cheek as
you apply resistance. Observe the tongue for symmetry.
Test the patient's speech by asking him to repeat the sentence, "Round the rugged
rock that ragged rascal ran."
Stereognosis the ability to discriminate the shape, size, weight,
texture, and form of an object by touching and manipulating it
Graphesthesia ability to identify something by tactile sense (ID drawn number on pt's hand)
