NR509 Exam Questions With Accurate Answers
2025\2026 A+ Grade
ANS: A
The pericardium is a tough, fibrous double-walled sac that surrounds and
protects the heart. It has two layers that contain a few milliliters of serous
pericardial fluid.
- accurate answers-The sac that surrounds and protects the heart is called the:
a.Pericardium.
b.Myocardium.
c.Endocardium.
d.Pleural space.
ANS: B
Returning blood from the body empties into the right atrium and flows into
the right ventricle and then goes to the lungs through the pulmonary artery.
The lungs oxygenate the blood, and it is then returned to the left atrium
through the pulmonary vein. The blood goes from there to the left ventricle
and then out to the body through the aorta.
- accurate answers-2. The direction of blood flow through the heart is best
described by which of these?
a.Vena cava right atrium right ventricle lungs pulmonary artery left atrium left
ventricle
b.Right atrium right ventricle pulmonary artery lungs pulmonary vein left
atrium left ventricle
c.Aorta right atrium right ventricle lungs pulmonary vein left atrium left
ventricle vena cava
d.Right atrium right ventricle pulmonary vein lungs pulmonary artery left
atrium left ventricle
ANS: D
Toward the end of diastole, the atria contract and push the last amount of
blood (approximately 25% of stroke volume) into the ventricles. This active
,filling phase is called presystole, or atrial systole, or sometimes the atrial kick.
- accurate answers-3. The nurse is reviewing the anatomy and physiologic
functioning of the heart. Which statement best describes what is meant by
atrial kick?
a.
The atria contract during systole and attempt to push against closed valves.
b.
Contraction of the atria at the beginning of diastole can be felt as a palpitation.
c.
Atrial kick is the pressure exerted against the atria as the ventricles contract
during systole.
d.
The atria contract toward the end of diastole and push the remaining blood
into the ventricles.
ANS: C
The second heart sound (S2) occurs with the closure of the semilunar (aortic
and pulmonic) valves and signals the end of systole. Although it is heard over
all the precordium, the S2 is loudest at the base of the heart.
- accurate answers-4. When listening to heart sounds, the nurse knows the
valve closures that can be heard best at the base of the heart are:
a.
Mitral and tricuspid.
b.
Tricuspid and aortic.
c.
Aortic and pulmonic.
d.
Mitral and pulmonic.
ANS: C
Events occur just slightly later in the right side of the heart because of the
route of myocardial depolarization. As a result, two distinct components to
each of the heart sounds exist, and sometimes they can be heard separately. In
the first heart sound, the mitral component (M1) closes just before the
tricuspid component (T1).
- accurate answers-5. Which of these statements describes the closure of the
valves in a normal cardiac cycle?
a.
,The aortic valve closes slightly before the tricuspid valve.
b.
The pulmonic valve closes slightly before the aortic valve.
c.
The tricuspid valve closes slightly later than the mitral valve.
d.
Both the tricuspid and pulmonic valves close at the same time.
ANS: B
Specialized cells in the SA node near the superior vena cava initiate an
electrical impulse. Because the SA node has an intrinsic rhythm, it is called the
pacemaker of the heart.
- accurate answers-6. The component of the conduction system referred to as
the pacemaker of the heart is the:
a.
Atrioventricular (AV) node.
b.
Sinoatrial (SA) node.
c.
Bundle of His.
d.
Bundle branches.
ANS: D
Specialized cells in the SA node near the superior vena cava initiate an
electrical impulse. The current flows in an orderly sequence, first across the
atria to the AV node low in the atrial septum. There it is delayed slightly,
allowing the atria the time to contract before the ventricles are stimulated.
Then the impulse travels to the bundle of His, the right and left bundle
branches, and then through the ventricles.
- accurate answers-7. The electrical stimulus of the cardiac cycle follows
which sequence?
a.
AV node SA node bundle of His
b.
Bundle of His AV node SA node
c.
SA node AV node bundle of His bundle branches
d.
, AV node SA node bundle of His bundle branches
ANS: D
Because no cardiac valve exists to separate the superior vena cava from the
right atrium, the jugular veins give information about the activity on the right
side of the heart. They reflect filling pressures and volume changes. Normal
jugular venous pulsation is 2 cm or less above the sternal angle. Elevated
pressure is more than 3 cm above the sternal angle at 45 degrees and occurs
with heart failure.
- accurate answers-8. The findings from an assessment of a 70-year-old
patient with swelling in his ankles include jugular venous pulsations 5 cm
above the sternal angle when the head of his bed is elevated 45 degrees. The
nurse knows that this finding indicates:
a.
Decreased fluid volume.
b.
Increased cardiac output.
c.
Narrowing of jugular veins.
d.
Elevated pressure related to heart failure.
ANS: C
First, approximately two thirds of the blood is shunted through an opening in
the atrial septum, the foramen ovale, into the left side of the heart, where it is
pumped out through the aorta. The foramen ovale closes within the first hour
after birth because the pressure in the right side of the heart is now lower
than in the left side.
- accurate answers-9. When assessing a newborn infant who is 5 minutes old,
the nurse knows which of these statements to be true?
a.
The left ventricle is larger and weighs more than the right ventricle.
b.
The circulation of a newborn is identical to that of an adult.
c.
Blood can flow into the left side of the heart through an opening in the atrial
septum.
d.
2025\2026 A+ Grade
ANS: A
The pericardium is a tough, fibrous double-walled sac that surrounds and
protects the heart. It has two layers that contain a few milliliters of serous
pericardial fluid.
- accurate answers-The sac that surrounds and protects the heart is called the:
a.Pericardium.
b.Myocardium.
c.Endocardium.
d.Pleural space.
ANS: B
Returning blood from the body empties into the right atrium and flows into
the right ventricle and then goes to the lungs through the pulmonary artery.
The lungs oxygenate the blood, and it is then returned to the left atrium
through the pulmonary vein. The blood goes from there to the left ventricle
and then out to the body through the aorta.
- accurate answers-2. The direction of blood flow through the heart is best
described by which of these?
a.Vena cava right atrium right ventricle lungs pulmonary artery left atrium left
ventricle
b.Right atrium right ventricle pulmonary artery lungs pulmonary vein left
atrium left ventricle
c.Aorta right atrium right ventricle lungs pulmonary vein left atrium left
ventricle vena cava
d.Right atrium right ventricle pulmonary vein lungs pulmonary artery left
atrium left ventricle
ANS: D
Toward the end of diastole, the atria contract and push the last amount of
blood (approximately 25% of stroke volume) into the ventricles. This active
,filling phase is called presystole, or atrial systole, or sometimes the atrial kick.
- accurate answers-3. The nurse is reviewing the anatomy and physiologic
functioning of the heart. Which statement best describes what is meant by
atrial kick?
a.
The atria contract during systole and attempt to push against closed valves.
b.
Contraction of the atria at the beginning of diastole can be felt as a palpitation.
c.
Atrial kick is the pressure exerted against the atria as the ventricles contract
during systole.
d.
The atria contract toward the end of diastole and push the remaining blood
into the ventricles.
ANS: C
The second heart sound (S2) occurs with the closure of the semilunar (aortic
and pulmonic) valves and signals the end of systole. Although it is heard over
all the precordium, the S2 is loudest at the base of the heart.
- accurate answers-4. When listening to heart sounds, the nurse knows the
valve closures that can be heard best at the base of the heart are:
a.
Mitral and tricuspid.
b.
Tricuspid and aortic.
c.
Aortic and pulmonic.
d.
Mitral and pulmonic.
ANS: C
Events occur just slightly later in the right side of the heart because of the
route of myocardial depolarization. As a result, two distinct components to
each of the heart sounds exist, and sometimes they can be heard separately. In
the first heart sound, the mitral component (M1) closes just before the
tricuspid component (T1).
- accurate answers-5. Which of these statements describes the closure of the
valves in a normal cardiac cycle?
a.
,The aortic valve closes slightly before the tricuspid valve.
b.
The pulmonic valve closes slightly before the aortic valve.
c.
The tricuspid valve closes slightly later than the mitral valve.
d.
Both the tricuspid and pulmonic valves close at the same time.
ANS: B
Specialized cells in the SA node near the superior vena cava initiate an
electrical impulse. Because the SA node has an intrinsic rhythm, it is called the
pacemaker of the heart.
- accurate answers-6. The component of the conduction system referred to as
the pacemaker of the heart is the:
a.
Atrioventricular (AV) node.
b.
Sinoatrial (SA) node.
c.
Bundle of His.
d.
Bundle branches.
ANS: D
Specialized cells in the SA node near the superior vena cava initiate an
electrical impulse. The current flows in an orderly sequence, first across the
atria to the AV node low in the atrial septum. There it is delayed slightly,
allowing the atria the time to contract before the ventricles are stimulated.
Then the impulse travels to the bundle of His, the right and left bundle
branches, and then through the ventricles.
- accurate answers-7. The electrical stimulus of the cardiac cycle follows
which sequence?
a.
AV node SA node bundle of His
b.
Bundle of His AV node SA node
c.
SA node AV node bundle of His bundle branches
d.
, AV node SA node bundle of His bundle branches
ANS: D
Because no cardiac valve exists to separate the superior vena cava from the
right atrium, the jugular veins give information about the activity on the right
side of the heart. They reflect filling pressures and volume changes. Normal
jugular venous pulsation is 2 cm or less above the sternal angle. Elevated
pressure is more than 3 cm above the sternal angle at 45 degrees and occurs
with heart failure.
- accurate answers-8. The findings from an assessment of a 70-year-old
patient with swelling in his ankles include jugular venous pulsations 5 cm
above the sternal angle when the head of his bed is elevated 45 degrees. The
nurse knows that this finding indicates:
a.
Decreased fluid volume.
b.
Increased cardiac output.
c.
Narrowing of jugular veins.
d.
Elevated pressure related to heart failure.
ANS: C
First, approximately two thirds of the blood is shunted through an opening in
the atrial septum, the foramen ovale, into the left side of the heart, where it is
pumped out through the aorta. The foramen ovale closes within the first hour
after birth because the pressure in the right side of the heart is now lower
than in the left side.
- accurate answers-9. When assessing a newborn infant who is 5 minutes old,
the nurse knows which of these statements to be true?
a.
The left ventricle is larger and weighs more than the right ventricle.
b.
The circulation of a newborn is identical to that of an adult.
c.
Blood can flow into the left side of the heart through an opening in the atrial
septum.
d.