,
,
, Practice Exam: 100 High-Yield Questions with Detailed Rationales
Section 1: Cardiovascular Disorders (Questions 1-15)
1. A nurse is caring for a client who reports crushing chest pain radiating to the left arm.
Which of the following actions should the nurse take first?
A. Administer prescribed nitroglycerin sublingually.
B. Obtain a 12-lead ECG.
C. Apply supplemental oxygen at 2 L/min via nasal cannula.
D. Administer prescribed morphine sulfate IV.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Obtaining a 12-lead ECG is the priority first action because it rapidly identifies ST-
elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), which determines the need for emergent reperfusion.
The nurse must obtain the ECG within 10 minutes of the client's arrival. While nitroglycerin,
oxygen, and morphine are appropriate, the ECG guides the entire treatment trajectory.
Morphine is used for pain unrelieved by nitroglycerin but is not the first action.
2. A nurse is assessing a client with heart failure. Which finding is an early indication of
decreased cardiac output?
A. Jugular vein distention
B. Peripheral edema
C. Fatigue and decreased urinary output
D. Crackles in lung bases
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Early in decreased cardiac output, the body redirects blood away from non-essential
organs, reducing perfusion to kidneys (decreased urine output) and tissues (fatigue). JVD,
edema, and crackles are later signs of fluid overload.
3. A client with heart failure is prescribed furosemide. Which laboratory value should the
nurse monitor most closely?
A. Serum sodium
B. Serum potassium
C. Serum calcium
D. Serum magnesium
,
, Practice Exam: 100 High-Yield Questions with Detailed Rationales
Section 1: Cardiovascular Disorders (Questions 1-15)
1. A nurse is caring for a client who reports crushing chest pain radiating to the left arm.
Which of the following actions should the nurse take first?
A. Administer prescribed nitroglycerin sublingually.
B. Obtain a 12-lead ECG.
C. Apply supplemental oxygen at 2 L/min via nasal cannula.
D. Administer prescribed morphine sulfate IV.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Obtaining a 12-lead ECG is the priority first action because it rapidly identifies ST-
elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), which determines the need for emergent reperfusion.
The nurse must obtain the ECG within 10 minutes of the client's arrival. While nitroglycerin,
oxygen, and morphine are appropriate, the ECG guides the entire treatment trajectory.
Morphine is used for pain unrelieved by nitroglycerin but is not the first action.
2. A nurse is assessing a client with heart failure. Which finding is an early indication of
decreased cardiac output?
A. Jugular vein distention
B. Peripheral edema
C. Fatigue and decreased urinary output
D. Crackles in lung bases
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Early in decreased cardiac output, the body redirects blood away from non-essential
organs, reducing perfusion to kidneys (decreased urine output) and tissues (fatigue). JVD,
edema, and crackles are later signs of fluid overload.
3. A client with heart failure is prescribed furosemide. Which laboratory value should the
nurse monitor most closely?
A. Serum sodium
B. Serum potassium
C. Serum calcium
D. Serum magnesium
