NEURO.NGN.EXAM.1
Multiple Choice
Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
____ 1. When admitting an acutely confused patient with a head injury, which action would the nurse take?
a. Ask family members about the patient’s health history.
b. Ask leading questions to assist in obtaining health data.
c. Wait until the patient is better oriented to ask questions.
d. Obtain only the physiologic neurologic assessment data.
____ 2. How would the nurse assess the patient’s trigeminal and facial nerve function (CNs V and VII)?
a. Check for unilateral eyelid droop.
b. Shine a light into the patient’s pupil.
c. Touch a cotton wisp strand to the cornea.
d. Have the patient read a magazine or book.
____ 3. Which action would the nurse include in the plan of care for a patient with impaired function of the
left glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX) and vagus nerve (CN X)?
a. Assist to stand and ambulate.
b. Withhold oral fluids and food.
c. Insert an oropharyngeal airway.
d. Apply artificial tears every hour.
____ 4. A patient with suspected meningitis is scheduled for a lumbar puncture. What action would the nurse
take before the procedure?
a. Enforce NPO status for 4 hours.
b. Transfer the patient to radiology.
c. Administer a sedative medication.
d. Help the patient to a lateral position.
____ 5. A patient has a tumor in the cerebellum. Which goal would the nurse use to focus the plan of care?
a. Prevent falls.
b. Stabilize mood.
c. Avoid aspiration.
d. Improve memory.
____ 6. Which problem would the nurse expect for a patient who has a positive Romberg test result?
a. Pain
b. Falls
c. Aphasia
d. Confusion
____ 7. Which test would the nurse anticipate discussing with a patient who has a possible seizure disorder?
a. Cerebral angiography
b. Evoked potential studies
c. Electromyography (EMG)
d. Electroencephalography (EEG)
,____ 8. The charge nurse is observing a new nurse who is assessing a patient with a traumatic spinal cord
injury for sensation. Which action by the new nurse indicates the need for further teaching about
neurologic assessment?
a. Tests for light touch before testing for pain.
b. Has the patient close the eyes during testing.
c. Asks the patient if the instrument feels sharp.
d. Uses an irregular pattern to test for intact touch.
____ 9. An adult patient who is hospitalized after a motorcycle crash tells the nurse, “I didn’t sleep last night
because I worried about missing work at my new job and losing my insurance coverage.” Which
clinical problem would the nurse include in the plan of care?
a. Anxiety
b. Difficulty coping
c. Negative self-image
d. Deficient knowledge
____ 10. The nurse is caring for an adult patient with a severe burn injury. The nurse plans to try providing
music to help the patient relax during a dressing change. Which action would be best for the nurse to
take?
a. Use music composed by Mozart.
b. Play music that does not have words.
c. Ask the patient about music preferences.
d. Select music that has 60 to 80 beats/minute.
____ 11. Which statement would the nurse use when teaching a patient how to use imagery as a relaxation
technique for a mental retreat from workplace stress?
a. “Think of a place where you feel peaceful and comfortable.”
b. “Place the stress in your life into an image that you can destroy.”
c. “Repeatedly visualize yourself experiencing the distress at your workplace.”
d. “Bring what you hear and sense in your work environment into your image.”
____ 12. A patient with a deep partial thickness burn has been receiving hydromorphone through a patient-
controlled analgesia (PCA) pump for 1 week. The nurse caring for the patient during the previous
shift reports that the patient woke up frequently during the night reporting pain. Which action would
the nurse take?
a. Administer a dose of morphine every 1 to 2 hours from the PCA machine while the
patient is sleeping.
b. Consult with the health care provider about using a different treatment protocol to
control the patient’s pain.
c. Request that the health care provider order a bolus dose of morphine to be given
when the patient awakens with pain.
d. Teach the patient to push the button every 10 minutes for an hour before going to
sleep, even if the pain is minimal.
____ 13. A patient receiving epidural morphine has not voided for over 10 hours. Which action would the
nurse take first?
a. Place an indwelling urinary catheter.
b. Monitor for signs of narcotic overdose.
, c. Ask if the patient feels the need to void.
d. Encourage the patient to drink more fluids.
____ 14. A patient who had abdominal surgery yesterday is receiving morphine through a patient-controlled
analgesia (PCA) pump. Which action by the nurse is a priority?
a. Assessing for nausea
b. Auscultating bowel sounds
c. Monitoring respiratory rate
d. Evaluating for sacral redness
____ 15. The nurse on a surgical inpatient unit is caring for several patients. Which patient would the nurse
assess first?
a. Patient with postoperative pain who received morphine sulfate IV 15 minutes ago
b. Patient who received hydromorphone (Dilaudid) 1 hour ago and is currently asleep
c. Patient who was treated for pain just prior to return from the postanesthesia care
unit
d. Patient with neuropathic pain who is scheduled to receive a dose of hydrocodone
(Lortab) now
____ 16. The nurse is performing an eye examination on a 76-yr-old patient. Which finding indicates that the
nurse would refer the patient for a more extensive assessment?
a. The patient’s sclerae are light yellow.
b. The patient reports persistent photophobia.
c. The pupil recovers slowly after responding to a bright light.
d. There is a whitish gray ring encircling the periphery of the iris.
____ 17. Which finding by the nurse performing an eye examination indicates that the patient has normal
accommodation?
a. After covering one eye for 1 minute, the pupil constricts as the cover is removed.
b. Shining a light into the patient’s eye causes pupil constriction in the opposite eye.
c. A blink reaction occurs after touching the patient’s pupil with a piece of sterile
cotton.
d. The pupils constrict while fixating on an object being moved toward the patient’s
eyes.
____ 18. Which assessment finding alerts the nurse to provide patient teaching about cataract development?
a. Unequal pupil size
b. Glare at night
c. Loss of peripheral vision
d. History of hyperthyroidism
____ 19. Assessment of a patient’s visual acuity reveals that the left eye can see at 20 feet what a person with
normal vision can see at 50 feet and the right eye can see at 20 feet what a person with normal vision
can see at 40 feet. Which finding would the nurse record?
a. Left eye 20/50; Right eye 20/40
b. Both eyes 20/40; Left eye 50/20
c. Right eye 20/40; Left eye 20/50
d. Both eyes 40/20; Right eye 50/20
Multiple Choice
Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
____ 1. When admitting an acutely confused patient with a head injury, which action would the nurse take?
a. Ask family members about the patient’s health history.
b. Ask leading questions to assist in obtaining health data.
c. Wait until the patient is better oriented to ask questions.
d. Obtain only the physiologic neurologic assessment data.
____ 2. How would the nurse assess the patient’s trigeminal and facial nerve function (CNs V and VII)?
a. Check for unilateral eyelid droop.
b. Shine a light into the patient’s pupil.
c. Touch a cotton wisp strand to the cornea.
d. Have the patient read a magazine or book.
____ 3. Which action would the nurse include in the plan of care for a patient with impaired function of the
left glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX) and vagus nerve (CN X)?
a. Assist to stand and ambulate.
b. Withhold oral fluids and food.
c. Insert an oropharyngeal airway.
d. Apply artificial tears every hour.
____ 4. A patient with suspected meningitis is scheduled for a lumbar puncture. What action would the nurse
take before the procedure?
a. Enforce NPO status for 4 hours.
b. Transfer the patient to radiology.
c. Administer a sedative medication.
d. Help the patient to a lateral position.
____ 5. A patient has a tumor in the cerebellum. Which goal would the nurse use to focus the plan of care?
a. Prevent falls.
b. Stabilize mood.
c. Avoid aspiration.
d. Improve memory.
____ 6. Which problem would the nurse expect for a patient who has a positive Romberg test result?
a. Pain
b. Falls
c. Aphasia
d. Confusion
____ 7. Which test would the nurse anticipate discussing with a patient who has a possible seizure disorder?
a. Cerebral angiography
b. Evoked potential studies
c. Electromyography (EMG)
d. Electroencephalography (EEG)
,____ 8. The charge nurse is observing a new nurse who is assessing a patient with a traumatic spinal cord
injury for sensation. Which action by the new nurse indicates the need for further teaching about
neurologic assessment?
a. Tests for light touch before testing for pain.
b. Has the patient close the eyes during testing.
c. Asks the patient if the instrument feels sharp.
d. Uses an irregular pattern to test for intact touch.
____ 9. An adult patient who is hospitalized after a motorcycle crash tells the nurse, “I didn’t sleep last night
because I worried about missing work at my new job and losing my insurance coverage.” Which
clinical problem would the nurse include in the plan of care?
a. Anxiety
b. Difficulty coping
c. Negative self-image
d. Deficient knowledge
____ 10. The nurse is caring for an adult patient with a severe burn injury. The nurse plans to try providing
music to help the patient relax during a dressing change. Which action would be best for the nurse to
take?
a. Use music composed by Mozart.
b. Play music that does not have words.
c. Ask the patient about music preferences.
d. Select music that has 60 to 80 beats/minute.
____ 11. Which statement would the nurse use when teaching a patient how to use imagery as a relaxation
technique for a mental retreat from workplace stress?
a. “Think of a place where you feel peaceful and comfortable.”
b. “Place the stress in your life into an image that you can destroy.”
c. “Repeatedly visualize yourself experiencing the distress at your workplace.”
d. “Bring what you hear and sense in your work environment into your image.”
____ 12. A patient with a deep partial thickness burn has been receiving hydromorphone through a patient-
controlled analgesia (PCA) pump for 1 week. The nurse caring for the patient during the previous
shift reports that the patient woke up frequently during the night reporting pain. Which action would
the nurse take?
a. Administer a dose of morphine every 1 to 2 hours from the PCA machine while the
patient is sleeping.
b. Consult with the health care provider about using a different treatment protocol to
control the patient’s pain.
c. Request that the health care provider order a bolus dose of morphine to be given
when the patient awakens with pain.
d. Teach the patient to push the button every 10 minutes for an hour before going to
sleep, even if the pain is minimal.
____ 13. A patient receiving epidural morphine has not voided for over 10 hours. Which action would the
nurse take first?
a. Place an indwelling urinary catheter.
b. Monitor for signs of narcotic overdose.
, c. Ask if the patient feels the need to void.
d. Encourage the patient to drink more fluids.
____ 14. A patient who had abdominal surgery yesterday is receiving morphine through a patient-controlled
analgesia (PCA) pump. Which action by the nurse is a priority?
a. Assessing for nausea
b. Auscultating bowel sounds
c. Monitoring respiratory rate
d. Evaluating for sacral redness
____ 15. The nurse on a surgical inpatient unit is caring for several patients. Which patient would the nurse
assess first?
a. Patient with postoperative pain who received morphine sulfate IV 15 minutes ago
b. Patient who received hydromorphone (Dilaudid) 1 hour ago and is currently asleep
c. Patient who was treated for pain just prior to return from the postanesthesia care
unit
d. Patient with neuropathic pain who is scheduled to receive a dose of hydrocodone
(Lortab) now
____ 16. The nurse is performing an eye examination on a 76-yr-old patient. Which finding indicates that the
nurse would refer the patient for a more extensive assessment?
a. The patient’s sclerae are light yellow.
b. The patient reports persistent photophobia.
c. The pupil recovers slowly after responding to a bright light.
d. There is a whitish gray ring encircling the periphery of the iris.
____ 17. Which finding by the nurse performing an eye examination indicates that the patient has normal
accommodation?
a. After covering one eye for 1 minute, the pupil constricts as the cover is removed.
b. Shining a light into the patient’s eye causes pupil constriction in the opposite eye.
c. A blink reaction occurs after touching the patient’s pupil with a piece of sterile
cotton.
d. The pupils constrict while fixating on an object being moved toward the patient’s
eyes.
____ 18. Which assessment finding alerts the nurse to provide patient teaching about cataract development?
a. Unequal pupil size
b. Glare at night
c. Loss of peripheral vision
d. History of hyperthyroidism
____ 19. Assessment of a patient’s visual acuity reveals that the left eye can see at 20 feet what a person with
normal vision can see at 50 feet and the right eye can see at 20 feet what a person with normal vision
can see at 40 feet. Which finding would the nurse record?
a. Left eye 20/50; Right eye 20/40
b. Both eyes 20/40; Left eye 50/20
c. Right eye 20/40; Left eye 20/50
d. Both eyes 40/20; Right eye 50/20
