ATI Capstone Fundamentals Nursing Exam 2025:
Ultimate Practice Questions & Answers 2 versions
This definitive nursing test-preparation resource features high-yield practice questions
and verified answers modeled directly after the ATI Capstone Fundamentals exit
evaluation framework. It delivers comprehensive coverage of core foundational nursing
competencies, including client safety protocols, advanced infection control, legal-ethical
guidelines, dosage math, and the nursing process phases. Pre-licensure nursing
students will master critical client care prioritization strategies, fluid and electrolyte
baselines, and clinical judgment models to ensure an optimal passing predictability
score.
1. A nurse is preparing to perform hand hygiene. Which action requires the use of
soap and water instead of alcohol-based hand rub?
A) Before entering the client's room
B) After removing gloves
C) After caring for a client with Clostridioides difficile
D) Before touching a client's intact skin
Rationale: Alcohol-based hand rubs are ineffective against C. difficile spores; soap and
water must be used.
2. A nurse is removing personal protective equipment (PPE) after caring for a
client on contact precautions. Which item should be removed first?
A) Mask
B) Gloves
C) Gown
D) Goggles
Rationale: Gloves are the most contaminated item and should be removed first, followed
by goggles, gown, and mask.
,3. A nurse is assessing a client who is at risk for falls. Which finding places the
client at the highest risk?
A) Age 65
B) History of a fall in the past year
C) Use of a sedative-hypnotic medication
D) Mild visual impairment
Rationale: Sedative-hypnotic medications significantly impair balance and alertness,
greatly increasing fall risk.
4. A nurse is caring for a client who has a new prescription for seizure precautions.
Which intervention should the nurse include?
A) Restrain the client during a seizure
B) Place a padded tongue blade at the bedside
C) Keep the bed in the lowest position
D) Insert an oral airway during a seizure
Rationale: Seizure precautions include keeping the bed low, padding side rails, and having
suction and oxygen available. Never insert anything into the mouth during a seizure.
5. A nurse is staging a pressure injury. Which description indicates a stage 2
pressure injury?
A) Non-blanchable redness of intact skin
B) Partial-thickness loss of skin with exposed dermis
C) Full-thickness loss with visible subcutaneous fat
D) Full-thickness loss with exposed bone, tendon, or muscle
Rationale: Stage 2 involves partial-thickness skin loss with exposed dermis, presenting as a
shallow open ulcer or blister.
6. A nurse is performing a wound irrigation. Which action is correct?
A) Use a sterile syringe with a 25-gauge needle
,B) Irrigate from the least contaminated to the most contaminated area
C) Irrigate with cold tap water
D) Apply pressure directly into the wound bed
Rationale: Irrigation should flow from clean to dirty areas to prevent introducing bacteria
into less contaminated tissue.
7. A nurse is caring for a client with an indwelling urinary catheter. Which action
helps prevent catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI)?
A) Irrigate the catheter routinely
B) Keep the drainage bag below the level of the bladder
C) Disconnect the catheter to obtain specimens
D) Change the catheter every 48 hours
Rationale: Keeping the drainage bag below the bladder prevents backflow of urine,
reducing CAUTI risk.
8. A nurse is collecting a sputum specimen. Which action is correct?
A) Collect saliva from the mouth
B) Obtain the specimen early in the morning
C) Have the client rinse with mouthwash before collection
D) Collect after meals
Rationale: Early morning specimens are best because secretions accumulate overnight.
Mouthwash can contaminate the specimen.
9. A nurse is preparing to administer a blood transfusion. Which action is correct?
A) Verify the client and blood product with a second nurse
B) Prime the tubing with lactated Ringer's
C) Administer the blood over 6 hours
D) Add medications to the blood bag
, Rationale: Blood products must be verified by two nurses, primed with normal saline, and
infused over 2–4 hours.
10. A nurse is monitoring a client receiving intravenous therapy. Which finding
indicates infiltration?
A) Warm, red, and tender site
B) Cool, pale, and swollen site
C) Blood return in the tubing
D) Pain along the vein
Rationale: Infiltration causes swelling, pallor, coolness, and discomfort at the IV site due to
fluid in surrounding tissue.
11. A nurse is teaching a client about using an incentive spirometer. Which
instruction is correct?
A) Exhale forcefully into the spirometer
B) Inhale slowly and deeply to raise the piston
C) Use the spirometer once daily
D) Lie flat while using the spirometer
Rationale: Incentive spirometry encourages deep inhalation to prevent atelectasis; the
client should sit upright and use it 10 times hourly.
12. A nurse is suctioning a client's airway. Which action is correct?
A) Suction for 30 seconds
B) Limit suctioning to 10–15 seconds
C) Apply suction while inserting the catheter
D) Suction routinely every 2 hours
Rationale: Suctioning should be limited to 10–15 seconds to prevent hypoxia; apply suction
only during withdrawal.
Ultimate Practice Questions & Answers 2 versions
This definitive nursing test-preparation resource features high-yield practice questions
and verified answers modeled directly after the ATI Capstone Fundamentals exit
evaluation framework. It delivers comprehensive coverage of core foundational nursing
competencies, including client safety protocols, advanced infection control, legal-ethical
guidelines, dosage math, and the nursing process phases. Pre-licensure nursing
students will master critical client care prioritization strategies, fluid and electrolyte
baselines, and clinical judgment models to ensure an optimal passing predictability
score.
1. A nurse is preparing to perform hand hygiene. Which action requires the use of
soap and water instead of alcohol-based hand rub?
A) Before entering the client's room
B) After removing gloves
C) After caring for a client with Clostridioides difficile
D) Before touching a client's intact skin
Rationale: Alcohol-based hand rubs are ineffective against C. difficile spores; soap and
water must be used.
2. A nurse is removing personal protective equipment (PPE) after caring for a
client on contact precautions. Which item should be removed first?
A) Mask
B) Gloves
C) Gown
D) Goggles
Rationale: Gloves are the most contaminated item and should be removed first, followed
by goggles, gown, and mask.
,3. A nurse is assessing a client who is at risk for falls. Which finding places the
client at the highest risk?
A) Age 65
B) History of a fall in the past year
C) Use of a sedative-hypnotic medication
D) Mild visual impairment
Rationale: Sedative-hypnotic medications significantly impair balance and alertness,
greatly increasing fall risk.
4. A nurse is caring for a client who has a new prescription for seizure precautions.
Which intervention should the nurse include?
A) Restrain the client during a seizure
B) Place a padded tongue blade at the bedside
C) Keep the bed in the lowest position
D) Insert an oral airway during a seizure
Rationale: Seizure precautions include keeping the bed low, padding side rails, and having
suction and oxygen available. Never insert anything into the mouth during a seizure.
5. A nurse is staging a pressure injury. Which description indicates a stage 2
pressure injury?
A) Non-blanchable redness of intact skin
B) Partial-thickness loss of skin with exposed dermis
C) Full-thickness loss with visible subcutaneous fat
D) Full-thickness loss with exposed bone, tendon, or muscle
Rationale: Stage 2 involves partial-thickness skin loss with exposed dermis, presenting as a
shallow open ulcer or blister.
6. A nurse is performing a wound irrigation. Which action is correct?
A) Use a sterile syringe with a 25-gauge needle
,B) Irrigate from the least contaminated to the most contaminated area
C) Irrigate with cold tap water
D) Apply pressure directly into the wound bed
Rationale: Irrigation should flow from clean to dirty areas to prevent introducing bacteria
into less contaminated tissue.
7. A nurse is caring for a client with an indwelling urinary catheter. Which action
helps prevent catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI)?
A) Irrigate the catheter routinely
B) Keep the drainage bag below the level of the bladder
C) Disconnect the catheter to obtain specimens
D) Change the catheter every 48 hours
Rationale: Keeping the drainage bag below the bladder prevents backflow of urine,
reducing CAUTI risk.
8. A nurse is collecting a sputum specimen. Which action is correct?
A) Collect saliva from the mouth
B) Obtain the specimen early in the morning
C) Have the client rinse with mouthwash before collection
D) Collect after meals
Rationale: Early morning specimens are best because secretions accumulate overnight.
Mouthwash can contaminate the specimen.
9. A nurse is preparing to administer a blood transfusion. Which action is correct?
A) Verify the client and blood product with a second nurse
B) Prime the tubing with lactated Ringer's
C) Administer the blood over 6 hours
D) Add medications to the blood bag
, Rationale: Blood products must be verified by two nurses, primed with normal saline, and
infused over 2–4 hours.
10. A nurse is monitoring a client receiving intravenous therapy. Which finding
indicates infiltration?
A) Warm, red, and tender site
B) Cool, pale, and swollen site
C) Blood return in the tubing
D) Pain along the vein
Rationale: Infiltration causes swelling, pallor, coolness, and discomfort at the IV site due to
fluid in surrounding tissue.
11. A nurse is teaching a client about using an incentive spirometer. Which
instruction is correct?
A) Exhale forcefully into the spirometer
B) Inhale slowly and deeply to raise the piston
C) Use the spirometer once daily
D) Lie flat while using the spirometer
Rationale: Incentive spirometry encourages deep inhalation to prevent atelectasis; the
client should sit upright and use it 10 times hourly.
12. A nurse is suctioning a client's airway. Which action is correct?
A) Suction for 30 seconds
B) Limit suctioning to 10–15 seconds
C) Apply suction while inserting the catheter
D) Suction routinely every 2 hours
Rationale: Suctioning should be limited to 10–15 seconds to prevent hypoxia; apply suction
only during withdrawal.
