HESI COMPASS MODULE EXAM 3 STUDY
GUIDE 2026 MEDICAL SURGICAL NURSING
CONCEPTS QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
◉ A patient tells the nurse she has several of her coworkers have
lost weight on a fad diet. How should the nurse respond?
1. "Try one of these fad diets if it will help take off the weight"
2. " You should try a strict vegetarian diet. That will help you lose
weight quickly"
3. " You need to eat foods from all food groups and limit fats, oils and
sweets"
4. " Do whatever you can to get the weight off, because your weight
is the cause of the high blood pressure and cholesterol"
Answer: 3. " You need to eat foods from all food groups and limit fats,
oils and sweets"
◉ The physician recommends that a patient undergo a physical
examination, including laboratory studies before she starts
exercising. Which tests are appropriate for assessment of her
nutritional status? SELECT ALL THAT APPLY
1. Hemoglobin
,2. Serum creatinine
3. Serum transferrin
4. Serum triglycerides
5. Total thyroxine (T4)
6. Serum glucose level (fasting)
Answer: 1. Hemoglobin
3. Serum transferrin
4. Serum triglycerides
6. Serum glucose level (fasting)
◉ During her clinic visit, a patient is instructed to follow the DASH
(Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) eating plan and to
reduce her intake of sodium and fat. Which of these statements by
the patient indicates a need for further instruction? SELECT ALL
THAT APPLY
1. " I should avoid milk and milk products"
2. " I'll rinse canned vegetables with water before cooking them"
3. " A packaged food product is safe to eat if it doesn't taste saltly"
4. " I don't need to worry about condiments such as ketchup or
mustard"
5. " I will try to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables every day"
,6. " It doesn't matter whether I choose red meat or poultry, as long
as it's lean"
Answer: 3. " A packaged food product is safe to eat if it doesn't taste
saltly"
4. " I don't need to worry about condiments such as ketchup or
mustard"
6. " It doesn't matter whether I choose red meat or poultry, as long
as it's lean"
◉ A nurse collects subjective and objective data from a client who
underwent surgery after sustaining a leg fracture in a motor vehile
accident and is now in skeletal traction. Which of the following
findings does the nurse identify as objective data? SELECT ALL
THAT APPLY
1. Temperature of 99.9.F
2. The client complains of leg pain
3. Blood pressure of 126/86 mm Hg
4. Pin sites red but without drainage
5. The client tells the nurse that he feels warm
Answer: 1. Temperature of 99.9.F
3. Blood pressure of 126/86 mm Hg
4. Pin sites red but without drainage
, ◉ A nurse is conducting an interview with a client who has come to
the clinic after finding a lump on her right breast during a breast
self-examination. The client says, " I am so worried. I know that this
must be breast cancer. What am I going to do?" Which response
should the nurse give the client?
1. " Tell me what worries you"
2. " Most lumps found in the breast aren't cancer"
3. " Let's talk again after the doctor examines you"
4. " You shouldn't be so worried. After all if it is cancer, you found it
at an early stage"
Answer: 1. " Tell me what worries you"
◉ A nurse is performing an abdominal assessment of a client who
complains of right upper quadrant pain. Which technique should the
nurse use to palpate the abdomen?
1. Palpating tender or painful areas last
2. Tapping the client's skin with short, sharp stokes
3. Using both hands and knead deeply into the abdomen
4. Starting with deep palpation, then performing light palpations
Answer: 1. Palpating tender or painful areas last
GUIDE 2026 MEDICAL SURGICAL NURSING
CONCEPTS QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
◉ A patient tells the nurse she has several of her coworkers have
lost weight on a fad diet. How should the nurse respond?
1. "Try one of these fad diets if it will help take off the weight"
2. " You should try a strict vegetarian diet. That will help you lose
weight quickly"
3. " You need to eat foods from all food groups and limit fats, oils and
sweets"
4. " Do whatever you can to get the weight off, because your weight
is the cause of the high blood pressure and cholesterol"
Answer: 3. " You need to eat foods from all food groups and limit fats,
oils and sweets"
◉ The physician recommends that a patient undergo a physical
examination, including laboratory studies before she starts
exercising. Which tests are appropriate for assessment of her
nutritional status? SELECT ALL THAT APPLY
1. Hemoglobin
,2. Serum creatinine
3. Serum transferrin
4. Serum triglycerides
5. Total thyroxine (T4)
6. Serum glucose level (fasting)
Answer: 1. Hemoglobin
3. Serum transferrin
4. Serum triglycerides
6. Serum glucose level (fasting)
◉ During her clinic visit, a patient is instructed to follow the DASH
(Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) eating plan and to
reduce her intake of sodium and fat. Which of these statements by
the patient indicates a need for further instruction? SELECT ALL
THAT APPLY
1. " I should avoid milk and milk products"
2. " I'll rinse canned vegetables with water before cooking them"
3. " A packaged food product is safe to eat if it doesn't taste saltly"
4. " I don't need to worry about condiments such as ketchup or
mustard"
5. " I will try to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables every day"
,6. " It doesn't matter whether I choose red meat or poultry, as long
as it's lean"
Answer: 3. " A packaged food product is safe to eat if it doesn't taste
saltly"
4. " I don't need to worry about condiments such as ketchup or
mustard"
6. " It doesn't matter whether I choose red meat or poultry, as long
as it's lean"
◉ A nurse collects subjective and objective data from a client who
underwent surgery after sustaining a leg fracture in a motor vehile
accident and is now in skeletal traction. Which of the following
findings does the nurse identify as objective data? SELECT ALL
THAT APPLY
1. Temperature of 99.9.F
2. The client complains of leg pain
3. Blood pressure of 126/86 mm Hg
4. Pin sites red but without drainage
5. The client tells the nurse that he feels warm
Answer: 1. Temperature of 99.9.F
3. Blood pressure of 126/86 mm Hg
4. Pin sites red but without drainage
, ◉ A nurse is conducting an interview with a client who has come to
the clinic after finding a lump on her right breast during a breast
self-examination. The client says, " I am so worried. I know that this
must be breast cancer. What am I going to do?" Which response
should the nurse give the client?
1. " Tell me what worries you"
2. " Most lumps found in the breast aren't cancer"
3. " Let's talk again after the doctor examines you"
4. " You shouldn't be so worried. After all if it is cancer, you found it
at an early stage"
Answer: 1. " Tell me what worries you"
◉ A nurse is performing an abdominal assessment of a client who
complains of right upper quadrant pain. Which technique should the
nurse use to palpate the abdomen?
1. Palpating tender or painful areas last
2. Tapping the client's skin with short, sharp stokes
3. Using both hands and knead deeply into the abdomen
4. Starting with deep palpation, then performing light palpations
Answer: 1. Palpating tender or painful areas last
