,ATI PN Comprehensive Predictor - Standard Exam Questions And
Answers 2026/2027
SECTION 1: MANAGEMENT OF CARE & COORDINATED CARE (20 Questions)
**1.** A practical nurse is caring for four clients at the start of the shift.
Which client should be assessed FIRST?
A) A client with diabetes requesting pain medication for neuropathy
B) A client with COPD who has a new cough producing green sputum
C) A client post-op day 1 with new-onset confusion and BP 88/50
D) A client with a fractured tibia requesting help to the bathroom
**Correct Answer:** C) A client post-op day 1 with new-onset confusion and
BP 88/50
**Rationale:** New-onset confusion accompanied by hypotension (low BP)
indicates a potentially life-threatening condition such as shock, sepsis, or
internal hemorrhage. Unstable clients with airway, breathing, or circulation
concerns always take priority over those with stable or expected findings.
Pain management, stable respiratory changes, and assistance with
ambulation can be addressed after the unstable client is assessed.
---
**2.** A charge nurse is assigning staff for the shift. Which client should be
assigned to an RN rather than a PN?
A) A client with stable CHF receiving daily furosemide
B) A client requiring a blood transfusion for symptomatic anemia
C) A client with a new diagnosis of diabetes needing insulin instruction
,D) A client with a PEG tube requiring intermittent feedings
**Correct Answer:** C) A client with a new diagnosis of diabetes needing
insulin instruction
**Rationale:** Client education, specifically initial instruction, falls under the
scope of the RN, as it requires complex assessment and evaluation of
learning. PNs can reinforce teaching but cannot perform initial patient
teaching. Blood transfusions are also typically RN scope, but the question
specifically asks for the client needing *instruction*, which is the clearest RN
assignment indicator.
---
**3.** A practical nurse is preparing to delegate tasks to an assistive
personnel (AP). Which task is appropriate to delegate?
A) Administering an enema
B) Inserting an indwelling urinary catheter
C) Assisting a client with ambulation using a gait belt
D) Performing a sterile dressing change
**Correct Answer:** C) Assisting a client with ambulation using a gait belt
**Rationale:** Assisting with ambulation is a routine task within the AP's
scope. Delegation follows the "Five Rights": right task, right circumstance,
right person, right direction/communication, and right supervision. The PN
can delegate stable, routine tasks to AP but cannot delegate assessment,
medication administration, or sterile procedures that require licensed nursing
judgment.
, ---
**4.** A client with a history of falls is on the unit. Which action is the priority
intervention to ensure client safety?
A) Place the call light within the client's reach
B) Apply a vest restraint to prevent falls
C) Keep the bed in the lowest position with wheels locked
D) Administer prescribed sedatives to prevent agitation
**Correct Answer:** C) Keep the bed in the lowest position with wheels
locked
**Rationale:** The priority safety intervention is keeping the bed in the
lowest position with wheels locked. This prevents injury if the client attempts
to get out of bed independently and reduces the risk of falls from bed height.
Restraints require a physician order and are last-resort interventions; PNs
cannot apply restraints without proper authorization.
---
**5.** A charge nurse is making patient assignments on a medical-surgical
unit. Which client should be assigned to the most experienced nurse?
A) A client requiring routine wound care
B) A client with a new tracheostomy and unstable vital signs
C) A client needing assistance with activities of daily living
D) A client being discharged with home care instructions
Answers 2026/2027
SECTION 1: MANAGEMENT OF CARE & COORDINATED CARE (20 Questions)
**1.** A practical nurse is caring for four clients at the start of the shift.
Which client should be assessed FIRST?
A) A client with diabetes requesting pain medication for neuropathy
B) A client with COPD who has a new cough producing green sputum
C) A client post-op day 1 with new-onset confusion and BP 88/50
D) A client with a fractured tibia requesting help to the bathroom
**Correct Answer:** C) A client post-op day 1 with new-onset confusion and
BP 88/50
**Rationale:** New-onset confusion accompanied by hypotension (low BP)
indicates a potentially life-threatening condition such as shock, sepsis, or
internal hemorrhage. Unstable clients with airway, breathing, or circulation
concerns always take priority over those with stable or expected findings.
Pain management, stable respiratory changes, and assistance with
ambulation can be addressed after the unstable client is assessed.
---
**2.** A charge nurse is assigning staff for the shift. Which client should be
assigned to an RN rather than a PN?
A) A client with stable CHF receiving daily furosemide
B) A client requiring a blood transfusion for symptomatic anemia
C) A client with a new diagnosis of diabetes needing insulin instruction
,D) A client with a PEG tube requiring intermittent feedings
**Correct Answer:** C) A client with a new diagnosis of diabetes needing
insulin instruction
**Rationale:** Client education, specifically initial instruction, falls under the
scope of the RN, as it requires complex assessment and evaluation of
learning. PNs can reinforce teaching but cannot perform initial patient
teaching. Blood transfusions are also typically RN scope, but the question
specifically asks for the client needing *instruction*, which is the clearest RN
assignment indicator.
---
**3.** A practical nurse is preparing to delegate tasks to an assistive
personnel (AP). Which task is appropriate to delegate?
A) Administering an enema
B) Inserting an indwelling urinary catheter
C) Assisting a client with ambulation using a gait belt
D) Performing a sterile dressing change
**Correct Answer:** C) Assisting a client with ambulation using a gait belt
**Rationale:** Assisting with ambulation is a routine task within the AP's
scope. Delegation follows the "Five Rights": right task, right circumstance,
right person, right direction/communication, and right supervision. The PN
can delegate stable, routine tasks to AP but cannot delegate assessment,
medication administration, or sterile procedures that require licensed nursing
judgment.
, ---
**4.** A client with a history of falls is on the unit. Which action is the priority
intervention to ensure client safety?
A) Place the call light within the client's reach
B) Apply a vest restraint to prevent falls
C) Keep the bed in the lowest position with wheels locked
D) Administer prescribed sedatives to prevent agitation
**Correct Answer:** C) Keep the bed in the lowest position with wheels
locked
**Rationale:** The priority safety intervention is keeping the bed in the
lowest position with wheels locked. This prevents injury if the client attempts
to get out of bed independently and reduces the risk of falls from bed height.
Restraints require a physician order and are last-resort interventions; PNs
cannot apply restraints without proper authorization.
---
**5.** A charge nurse is making patient assignments on a medical-surgical
unit. Which client should be assigned to the most experienced nurse?
A) A client requiring routine wound care
B) A client with a new tracheostomy and unstable vital signs
C) A client needing assistance with activities of daily living
D) A client being discharged with home care instructions
