PN Hesi Exit Exam / Hesi PN Gerontology
Exit Exam Practice Examination 2026 | 100
Questions Plus Detailed Rationales Latest
2026 (PDF) |BRAND NEW!!!
SECTION 1: FUNDAMENTALS OF NURSING, SAFETY &
INFECTION CONTROL (Questions 1–18)
Question 1. A practical nurse (PN) is caring for a client who is
on fall precautions. Which action is most important to prevent
falls?
A. Keep the call light within reach
B. Raise all four side rails
C. Place the bed in the lowest position
D. Apply wrist restraints
Rationale: Placing the bed in the lowest position reduces the
risk of injury from falling out of bed. Side rails are not fully
raised on all four sides because that is considered a restraint
and requires a provider's order. Keeping the call light within
reach is important but does not physically prevent a fall from
the bed. Restraints are a last resort and require specific orders.
Question 2. A client is prescribed contact precautions for a
methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) wound
infection. Which action by the practical nurse demonstrates
correct understanding of contact precautions?
,A. Wearing an N95 respirator when entering the room
B. Removing gloves before leaving the room and
performing hand hygiene
C. Placing the client in a negative-pressure room
D. Wearing a gown only if direct contact with the client is
anticipated
Rationale: Contact precautions require the healthcare worker to
wear gloves and a gown upon room entry and remove them
before leaving the room, followed by hand hygiene with soap
and water or an alcohol-based hand rub. An N95 respirator is
required for airborne precautions, not contact precautions. A
negative-pressure room is used for airborne precautions. A
gown must be worn for all interactions with the client or the
environment in contact precautions, not only when direct
contact is anticipated.
Question 3. While performing hand hygiene, the nurse notes
visible soil on the hands after caring for a client with C. difficile.
The correct action is to:
A. Rinse with sterile water only
B. Use alcohol-based hand rub only
C. Skip hand hygiene if gloves were worn
D. Wash with soap and water because alcohol-based gels do
not reliably kill C. difficile spores
Rationale: Soap and water mechanical action is required to
remove C. difficile spores; alcohol-based sanitizers are not
reliably sporicidal. Alcohol-based hand rubs are ineffective
,against C. difficile spores, and gloves do not replace the need
for hand hygiene.
Question 4. A patient has been placed on airborne precautions
due to suspected tuberculosis. Which interventions should the
nurse include in the plan of care? (Select all that apply)
A. Place the patient in a negative-pressure airborne
infection isolation room (AIIR)
B. Wear an N95 respirator mask when entering the room
C. Don a gown and gloves for all contact with the patient
D. Keep the door to the patient's room closed at all times
E. Instruct the patient to wear a surgical mask during
transport outside the room
Rationale: Airborne precautions for tuberculosis require an AIIR
with negative pressure (A), an N95 respirator for anyone
entering the room (B), the door kept closed to maintain
negative pressure (D), and a surgical mask on the patient during
transport (E). Gown and gloves are not required for airborne
precautions unless contact precautions are also indicated.
Question 5. A practical nurse is preparing to administer a
medication to a client via a nasogastric (NG) tube. Before
administering the medication, what is the priority nursing
action?
A. Check the placement of the NG tube
B. Crush all tablets and mix with 30 mL of water
C. Flush the tube with 10 mL of normal saline
D. Elevate the head of the bed to 30 degrees
, Rationale: The priority nursing action before administering any
medication via an NG tube is to verify correct tube placement.
Improper placement can result in aspiration, pneumonitis, or
medication entering the lungs instead of the stomach. Methods
to verify placement include checking the pH of aspirated gastric
contents (typically ≤ 5.5). While elevating the head of the bed is
important to prevent aspiration during administration, verifying
placement must occur first. Crushing tablets is not appropriate
for all medications (e.g., enteric-coated or sustained-release
tablets should never be crushed).
Question 6. When checking a nasogastric tube for placement
before a feeding, the most reliable bedside method the
practical nurse should use is:
A. Ask the client if the tube feels correct
B. Auscultate air insufflation over the stomach only
C. Aspirate gastric contents and check pH (typically ≤ 5.5)
in accordance with facility protocol
D. Measure the external length of tubing alone
Rationale: pH testing of aspirate is a widely accepted bedside
method; radiographic confirmation remains the gold standard
when required by policy. Auscultating air insufflation alone is no
longer considered reliable for confirming tube placement.
Measuring external tube length is useful for ongoing
monitoring but not sufficient for initial verification.
Exit Exam Practice Examination 2026 | 100
Questions Plus Detailed Rationales Latest
2026 (PDF) |BRAND NEW!!!
SECTION 1: FUNDAMENTALS OF NURSING, SAFETY &
INFECTION CONTROL (Questions 1–18)
Question 1. A practical nurse (PN) is caring for a client who is
on fall precautions. Which action is most important to prevent
falls?
A. Keep the call light within reach
B. Raise all four side rails
C. Place the bed in the lowest position
D. Apply wrist restraints
Rationale: Placing the bed in the lowest position reduces the
risk of injury from falling out of bed. Side rails are not fully
raised on all four sides because that is considered a restraint
and requires a provider's order. Keeping the call light within
reach is important but does not physically prevent a fall from
the bed. Restraints are a last resort and require specific orders.
Question 2. A client is prescribed contact precautions for a
methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) wound
infection. Which action by the practical nurse demonstrates
correct understanding of contact precautions?
,A. Wearing an N95 respirator when entering the room
B. Removing gloves before leaving the room and
performing hand hygiene
C. Placing the client in a negative-pressure room
D. Wearing a gown only if direct contact with the client is
anticipated
Rationale: Contact precautions require the healthcare worker to
wear gloves and a gown upon room entry and remove them
before leaving the room, followed by hand hygiene with soap
and water or an alcohol-based hand rub. An N95 respirator is
required for airborne precautions, not contact precautions. A
negative-pressure room is used for airborne precautions. A
gown must be worn for all interactions with the client or the
environment in contact precautions, not only when direct
contact is anticipated.
Question 3. While performing hand hygiene, the nurse notes
visible soil on the hands after caring for a client with C. difficile.
The correct action is to:
A. Rinse with sterile water only
B. Use alcohol-based hand rub only
C. Skip hand hygiene if gloves were worn
D. Wash with soap and water because alcohol-based gels do
not reliably kill C. difficile spores
Rationale: Soap and water mechanical action is required to
remove C. difficile spores; alcohol-based sanitizers are not
reliably sporicidal. Alcohol-based hand rubs are ineffective
,against C. difficile spores, and gloves do not replace the need
for hand hygiene.
Question 4. A patient has been placed on airborne precautions
due to suspected tuberculosis. Which interventions should the
nurse include in the plan of care? (Select all that apply)
A. Place the patient in a negative-pressure airborne
infection isolation room (AIIR)
B. Wear an N95 respirator mask when entering the room
C. Don a gown and gloves for all contact with the patient
D. Keep the door to the patient's room closed at all times
E. Instruct the patient to wear a surgical mask during
transport outside the room
Rationale: Airborne precautions for tuberculosis require an AIIR
with negative pressure (A), an N95 respirator for anyone
entering the room (B), the door kept closed to maintain
negative pressure (D), and a surgical mask on the patient during
transport (E). Gown and gloves are not required for airborne
precautions unless contact precautions are also indicated.
Question 5. A practical nurse is preparing to administer a
medication to a client via a nasogastric (NG) tube. Before
administering the medication, what is the priority nursing
action?
A. Check the placement of the NG tube
B. Crush all tablets and mix with 30 mL of water
C. Flush the tube with 10 mL of normal saline
D. Elevate the head of the bed to 30 degrees
, Rationale: The priority nursing action before administering any
medication via an NG tube is to verify correct tube placement.
Improper placement can result in aspiration, pneumonitis, or
medication entering the lungs instead of the stomach. Methods
to verify placement include checking the pH of aspirated gastric
contents (typically ≤ 5.5). While elevating the head of the bed is
important to prevent aspiration during administration, verifying
placement must occur first. Crushing tablets is not appropriate
for all medications (e.g., enteric-coated or sustained-release
tablets should never be crushed).
Question 6. When checking a nasogastric tube for placement
before a feeding, the most reliable bedside method the
practical nurse should use is:
A. Ask the client if the tube feels correct
B. Auscultate air insufflation over the stomach only
C. Aspirate gastric contents and check pH (typically ≤ 5.5)
in accordance with facility protocol
D. Measure the external length of tubing alone
Rationale: pH testing of aspirate is a widely accepted bedside
method; radiographic confirmation remains the gold standard
when required by policy. Auscultating air insufflation alone is no
longer considered reliable for confirming tube placement.
Measuring external tube length is useful for ongoing
monitoring but not sufficient for initial verification.
