RESP/CRITICAL TEST WITH COMPLETE
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS [GRADED
A+]
Several family members of a patient who has just been admitted to the
intensive care unit (ICU) with multiple traumatic injuries have just arrived in
the ICU waiting room. Which action should the nurse take first?
a. Take the family member members to the patient's room.
b. Describe the patient's injuries and the care that is being provided.
c. Discuss ICU visitation policies and encourage family visits.
d. Invite the family to participate in a multidisciplinary care conference. -
✔✔Correct Answer: B Rationale: Lack of information is a major source of
anxiety for family members and should be addressed first. Family members
should be prepared for the patient's appearance and the ICU environment
before visiting the patient for the first time. ICU visiting should be
individualized to each patient and family rather than being dictated by rigid
©morren2026/2027.Year published 2026.
,visitation policies. Inviting the family to participate in a multidisciplinary
conference is appropriate but should not be the initial action by the nurse.
The nurse identifies a nursing diagnosis of disturbed sensory perception
related to sleep deprivation for a patient in the ICU. An appropriate nursing
intervention for this problem is to
a. cluster nursing activities so that the patient has uninterrupted rest
periods.
b. administer prescribed sedatives or opioids at bedtime to promote sleep.
c. silence the alarms on the cardiac monitors to allow the patient to take 30-
to 40minute naps.
d. discontinue assessments during the night to allow uninterrupted rest for
the patient. - ✔✔Correct Answer: A Rationale: Clustering nursing activities
and providing uninterrupted rest periods will minimize sleep-cycle
disruption. Sedative and opioids medications tend to decrease the amount
of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and can contribute to sleep
disturbance and disturbed sensory perception. Silencing the alarms on the
cardiac monitors would be unsafe in a critically ill patient, as would
discontinuing assessments during the night.
©morren2026/2027.Year published 2026.
,During hemodynamic monitoring, the nurse finds that a patient has
decreased cardiac output (CO) without changes in pulmonary artery wedge
pressure (PAWP) or systemic vascular resistance (SVR). The nurse
anticipates assisting with interventions to
a. reduce stroke volume. b. increase heart rate.
c. lower right atrial pressure (RAP).
d. reduce central venous pressure (CVP). - ✔✔Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The formula for CO is stroke volume × heart rate. Because the
PAWP and SVR are unchanged, the patient's stroke volume is stable, so a
drop in heart rate has occurred to decrease the CO. Measures to improve
heart rate should be implemented. Interventions to reduce stroke volume,
lowering right atrial pressure, or reduce CVP are not indicated because the
problem is the patient's heart rate.
A patient in heart failure following an acute myocardial infarction has a
pulmonary artery catheter inserted. To determine whether the
administration of drugs to decrease preload and afterload has been
effective, the nurse should monitor the
a. systemic vascular resistance (SVR).
b. central venous pressure (CVP).
©morren2026/2027.Year published 2026.
, c. pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR).
d. pulmonary artery wedge pressure (PAWP). - ✔✔Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Although all of these parameters will change after administration
of drugs to reduce preload and afterload, a decrease in PAWP would be
the best indicator of a decrease in pressure and volume in the left ventricle
at the end of diastole (and of resolving heart failure).
A patient with hemodynamic monitoring has a blood pressure of 94/68,
heart rate of 130, and a cardiac output (CO) of 4.8 L/min. In analyzing the
patient's hemodynamic measurements, the nurse calculates the stroke
volume (SV) at ____ ml/beat.
a. 28
b. 37
c. 42
d. 59 - ✔✔Correct Answer: B Rationale: The formula for CO is heart rate
multiplied by stroke volume. Because the patient's CO is 4.8 L/min and the
heart rate is 130, the stroke volume must be 37 ml/beat.
A patient admitted to the ICU after experiencing a massive pulmonary
embolism has an arterial catheter and a pulmonary artery catheter in place.
©morren2026/2027.Year published 2026.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS [GRADED
A+]
Several family members of a patient who has just been admitted to the
intensive care unit (ICU) with multiple traumatic injuries have just arrived in
the ICU waiting room. Which action should the nurse take first?
a. Take the family member members to the patient's room.
b. Describe the patient's injuries and the care that is being provided.
c. Discuss ICU visitation policies and encourage family visits.
d. Invite the family to participate in a multidisciplinary care conference. -
✔✔Correct Answer: B Rationale: Lack of information is a major source of
anxiety for family members and should be addressed first. Family members
should be prepared for the patient's appearance and the ICU environment
before visiting the patient for the first time. ICU visiting should be
individualized to each patient and family rather than being dictated by rigid
©morren2026/2027.Year published 2026.
,visitation policies. Inviting the family to participate in a multidisciplinary
conference is appropriate but should not be the initial action by the nurse.
The nurse identifies a nursing diagnosis of disturbed sensory perception
related to sleep deprivation for a patient in the ICU. An appropriate nursing
intervention for this problem is to
a. cluster nursing activities so that the patient has uninterrupted rest
periods.
b. administer prescribed sedatives or opioids at bedtime to promote sleep.
c. silence the alarms on the cardiac monitors to allow the patient to take 30-
to 40minute naps.
d. discontinue assessments during the night to allow uninterrupted rest for
the patient. - ✔✔Correct Answer: A Rationale: Clustering nursing activities
and providing uninterrupted rest periods will minimize sleep-cycle
disruption. Sedative and opioids medications tend to decrease the amount
of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and can contribute to sleep
disturbance and disturbed sensory perception. Silencing the alarms on the
cardiac monitors would be unsafe in a critically ill patient, as would
discontinuing assessments during the night.
©morren2026/2027.Year published 2026.
,During hemodynamic monitoring, the nurse finds that a patient has
decreased cardiac output (CO) without changes in pulmonary artery wedge
pressure (PAWP) or systemic vascular resistance (SVR). The nurse
anticipates assisting with interventions to
a. reduce stroke volume. b. increase heart rate.
c. lower right atrial pressure (RAP).
d. reduce central venous pressure (CVP). - ✔✔Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The formula for CO is stroke volume × heart rate. Because the
PAWP and SVR are unchanged, the patient's stroke volume is stable, so a
drop in heart rate has occurred to decrease the CO. Measures to improve
heart rate should be implemented. Interventions to reduce stroke volume,
lowering right atrial pressure, or reduce CVP are not indicated because the
problem is the patient's heart rate.
A patient in heart failure following an acute myocardial infarction has a
pulmonary artery catheter inserted. To determine whether the
administration of drugs to decrease preload and afterload has been
effective, the nurse should monitor the
a. systemic vascular resistance (SVR).
b. central venous pressure (CVP).
©morren2026/2027.Year published 2026.
, c. pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR).
d. pulmonary artery wedge pressure (PAWP). - ✔✔Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Although all of these parameters will change after administration
of drugs to reduce preload and afterload, a decrease in PAWP would be
the best indicator of a decrease in pressure and volume in the left ventricle
at the end of diastole (and of resolving heart failure).
A patient with hemodynamic monitoring has a blood pressure of 94/68,
heart rate of 130, and a cardiac output (CO) of 4.8 L/min. In analyzing the
patient's hemodynamic measurements, the nurse calculates the stroke
volume (SV) at ____ ml/beat.
a. 28
b. 37
c. 42
d. 59 - ✔✔Correct Answer: B Rationale: The formula for CO is heart rate
multiplied by stroke volume. Because the patient's CO is 4.8 L/min and the
heart rate is 130, the stroke volume must be 37 ml/beat.
A patient admitted to the ICU after experiencing a massive pulmonary
embolism has an arterial catheter and a pulmonary artery catheter in place.
©morren2026/2027.Year published 2026.
