REx-PN Kaplan-Style Practice
Questions: Nursing Review & Clinical
Judgment Practice Exam 2026–2027|
Complete Test Prep Practice Questions
With Answers & Detailed Rationales
|clinical Judgment &Safety |A+ Rated
MANAGEMENT OF CARE & PRIORITIZATION
1. A practical nurse receives report on four clients. Which client
should the nurse assess first?
A. A client with chronic arthritis reporting pain of 6/10
B. A client with pneumonia whose oxygen saturation is 86%
C. A client awaiting discharge instructions
D. A client requesting assistance with bathing
Answer: B. A client with pneumonia whose oxygen saturation is
86%
An oxygen saturation of 86% indicates significant hypoxemia and
creates an immediate airway/breathing priority.
2. Which client should the nurse see first?
A. Client with diabetes and a glucose of 12 mmol/L
B. Client with COPD requesting a meal
C. Client with new-onset confusion and a respiratory rate of 32/min
D. Client with chronic back pain
,Answer: C. Client with new-onset confusion and a respiratory rate
of 32/min
Acute mental-status change combined with tachypnea may indicate
impaired oxygenation or another rapidly deteriorating condition.
3. A nurse is caring for four postoperative clients. Which finding
requires immediate intervention?
A. Incisional pain rated 5/10
B. Temperature of 37.8°C
C. Urine output of 20 mL during the past hour
D. Respiratory rate of 8/min after opioid administration
Answer: D. Respiratory rate of 8/min after opioid administration
Respiratory depression is a potentially life-threatening opioid
complication and takes priority over less urgent postoperative
findings.
4. Which task is appropriate for the practical nurse to delegate to
an unregulated care provider?
A. Assessing a newly admitted client
B. Teaching insulin administration
C. Measuring intake and output for a stable client
D. Evaluating a client's response to analgesia
Answer: C. Measuring intake and output for a stable client
Routine, predictable tasks for stable clients may be delegated when
they are within the person's role and facility policy.
5. A nurse notices that a client is becoming increasingly lethargic.
What should the nurse do first?
,A. Document the finding
B. Assess the client's airway and breathing
C. Notify the family
D. Prepare discharge paperwork
Answer: B. Assess the client's airway and breathing
Acute deterioration requires immediate assessment of life-
threatening problems before documentation or notification.
6. A nurse receives a medication order that appears unusually high.
What is the best action?
A. Administer the medication as prescribed
B. Ask another nurse to administer it
C. Clarify the order before administering it
D. Change the dose based on usual practice
Answer: C. Clarify the order before administering it
The nurse is responsible for recognizing potentially unsafe orders and
obtaining clarification rather than independently changing the
prescription.
7. Which action best demonstrates appropriate clinical judgment?
A. Following the same intervention for every client
B. Prioritizing interventions based on current assessment findings
C. Waiting until the physician identifies the problem
D. Treating the most vocal client first
Answer: B. Prioritizing interventions based on current assessment
findings
Clinical judgment requires interpreting assessment information and
determining the safest priority action.
, 8. Which client can safely be assessed last?
A. Client with new chest pressure
B. Client with sudden unilateral weakness
C. Client requesting a routine dressing change
D. Client with severe shortness of breath
Answer: C. Client requesting a routine dressing change
Routine care for a stable client has lower priority than potentially life-
threatening cardiovascular, neurologic, or respiratory findings.
9. A nurse is interrupted while preparing medications. What is the
safest action?
A. Continue from memory
B. Ask another nurse to guess which medication was prepared
C. Restart the medication-preparation process
D. Administer the medications immediately
Answer: C. Restart the medication-preparation process
Restarting reduces the risk of medication errors caused by distraction
or loss of concentration.
10. Which statement reflects effective handoff communication?
A. “The patient is doing fine.”
B. “The client had some problems earlier.”
C. “The client developed chest pressure 10 minutes ago; vital signs
are currently…”
D. “You should probably check this client sometime soon.”
Answer: C. “The client developed chest pressure 10 minutes ago;
vital signs are currently…”
Questions: Nursing Review & Clinical
Judgment Practice Exam 2026–2027|
Complete Test Prep Practice Questions
With Answers & Detailed Rationales
|clinical Judgment &Safety |A+ Rated
MANAGEMENT OF CARE & PRIORITIZATION
1. A practical nurse receives report on four clients. Which client
should the nurse assess first?
A. A client with chronic arthritis reporting pain of 6/10
B. A client with pneumonia whose oxygen saturation is 86%
C. A client awaiting discharge instructions
D. A client requesting assistance with bathing
Answer: B. A client with pneumonia whose oxygen saturation is
86%
An oxygen saturation of 86% indicates significant hypoxemia and
creates an immediate airway/breathing priority.
2. Which client should the nurse see first?
A. Client with diabetes and a glucose of 12 mmol/L
B. Client with COPD requesting a meal
C. Client with new-onset confusion and a respiratory rate of 32/min
D. Client with chronic back pain
,Answer: C. Client with new-onset confusion and a respiratory rate
of 32/min
Acute mental-status change combined with tachypnea may indicate
impaired oxygenation or another rapidly deteriorating condition.
3. A nurse is caring for four postoperative clients. Which finding
requires immediate intervention?
A. Incisional pain rated 5/10
B. Temperature of 37.8°C
C. Urine output of 20 mL during the past hour
D. Respiratory rate of 8/min after opioid administration
Answer: D. Respiratory rate of 8/min after opioid administration
Respiratory depression is a potentially life-threatening opioid
complication and takes priority over less urgent postoperative
findings.
4. Which task is appropriate for the practical nurse to delegate to
an unregulated care provider?
A. Assessing a newly admitted client
B. Teaching insulin administration
C. Measuring intake and output for a stable client
D. Evaluating a client's response to analgesia
Answer: C. Measuring intake and output for a stable client
Routine, predictable tasks for stable clients may be delegated when
they are within the person's role and facility policy.
5. A nurse notices that a client is becoming increasingly lethargic.
What should the nurse do first?
,A. Document the finding
B. Assess the client's airway and breathing
C. Notify the family
D. Prepare discharge paperwork
Answer: B. Assess the client's airway and breathing
Acute deterioration requires immediate assessment of life-
threatening problems before documentation or notification.
6. A nurse receives a medication order that appears unusually high.
What is the best action?
A. Administer the medication as prescribed
B. Ask another nurse to administer it
C. Clarify the order before administering it
D. Change the dose based on usual practice
Answer: C. Clarify the order before administering it
The nurse is responsible for recognizing potentially unsafe orders and
obtaining clarification rather than independently changing the
prescription.
7. Which action best demonstrates appropriate clinical judgment?
A. Following the same intervention for every client
B. Prioritizing interventions based on current assessment findings
C. Waiting until the physician identifies the problem
D. Treating the most vocal client first
Answer: B. Prioritizing interventions based on current assessment
findings
Clinical judgment requires interpreting assessment information and
determining the safest priority action.
, 8. Which client can safely be assessed last?
A. Client with new chest pressure
B. Client with sudden unilateral weakness
C. Client requesting a routine dressing change
D. Client with severe shortness of breath
Answer: C. Client requesting a routine dressing change
Routine care for a stable client has lower priority than potentially life-
threatening cardiovascular, neurologic, or respiratory findings.
9. A nurse is interrupted while preparing medications. What is the
safest action?
A. Continue from memory
B. Ask another nurse to guess which medication was prepared
C. Restart the medication-preparation process
D. Administer the medications immediately
Answer: C. Restart the medication-preparation process
Restarting reduces the risk of medication errors caused by distraction
or loss of concentration.
10. Which statement reflects effective handoff communication?
A. “The patient is doing fine.”
B. “The client had some problems earlier.”
C. “The client developed chest pressure 10 minutes ago; vital signs
are currently…”
D. “You should probably check this client sometime soon.”
Answer: C. “The client developed chest pressure 10 minutes ago;
vital signs are currently…”
