Galen NUR 170 Exam 2: Medical-
Surgical Nursing NCLEX Complete
Q&A with Rationales (Latest
2026/2027 Edition)
Pass your NUR 170 Exam 2 with absolute confidence! This comprehensive
study pack is meticulously updated for the 2026/2027 academic year at Galen
College of Nursing, providing actual questions, verified correct answers, and
deep clinical rationales.
Engineered to optimize your study time and elevate your clinical judgment, this
document unpacks complex Medical-Surgical concepts into highly digestible
Q&As. Each response features an in-depth rationale to help you master the
"why" behind nursing interventions, preparing you to tackle both standard
queries and Next-Generation NCLEX (NGN) style priority tracking.
What’s Covered Inside:
• Neurological Systems & Care: Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), Cranial
Nerve assessments, stroke management (including left vs. right
hemisphere impacts and tPA contraindications), increased ICP protocols,
and seizure interventions.
• Respiratory Care & Procedures: Arterial Blood Gas (ABG)
interpretation, oxygen delivery devices, tracheostomy care, tuberculosis
precautions, and guidance on thoracentesis/bronchoscopy.
• Sensory & Eye Disorders: Cataracts, glaucoma safety, macular
degeneration, and retinal detachment.
Essential Clinical Core Concepts: Fluid/electrolyte balance, tissue
integrity, prioritization strategies, rapid-response priorities, and critical
patient safety measures.
1. When should you call for a rapid response?
1
, When a patient has shown signs of deterioration but still has a pulse and is
breathing.
Rationale: Early activation of the rapid response team targets acute physiological changes before
full clinical collapse or cardiopulmonary arrest occurs.
2. What should the nurse do during the rapid response before the team
arrives?
Stay with the patient and assess vitals and ABC's. Call a code blue if the patient
stops breathing or loses a pulse.
Rationale: Continuous monitoring allows immediate intervention if the patient reaches critical
arrest thresholds, ensuring patient safety and baseline stabilization.
3. When should you call a code blue?
When the patient is not breathing and does not have a pulse.
Rationale: A code blue indicates active cardiopulmonary arrest, requiring immediate basic and
advanced cardiac life support interventions.
4. When should you call for help?
If you need assistance but the patient is stable. For example, patient is on the floor
and you need another set of hands.
Rationale: Clinical safety adjustments or non-emergent patient movements require proper
personnel allocation without raising a high-acuity crisis alert.
5. Can migraines be genetic?
Yes.
Rationale: Familial migraine patterns are heavily tied to genetic mutations affecting voltage-gated
ion channels and neurotransmitter regulation templates.
6. What are clusters caused by?
An overactive and enlarged hypothalamus.
Rationale: The hypothalamus governs circadian biological clocks; structural or functional
overactivity triggers periodic, severe vascular trigeminal headaches.
2
, 7. Are migraines more common in males or females?
Females.
Rationale: Fluctuating estrogen cycles play a profound role in modifying neurovascular pain
pathways and reducing the overall migraine threshold.
8. Are clusters more common in males or females?
Males.
Rationale: Trigeminal autonomic cephalgias follow strict gender-based patterns, with males
experiencing significantly higher clinical incidence rates.
9. Describe the symptoms of a migraine.
- Unilateral
- Throbbing pain
- Worse with movement
- Photophobia
- N&V
- Can last from 4
- 72 hours
Rationale: Migraines manifest as localized neurogenic inflammation combined with severe cranial
vasodilation, resulting in systemic autonomic distress and sensory sensitivity.
10. Describe the symptoms of a cluster headache.
- Unilateral
- Nonthrobbing, excruciating
- Felt deep around eye
3
Surgical Nursing NCLEX Complete
Q&A with Rationales (Latest
2026/2027 Edition)
Pass your NUR 170 Exam 2 with absolute confidence! This comprehensive
study pack is meticulously updated for the 2026/2027 academic year at Galen
College of Nursing, providing actual questions, verified correct answers, and
deep clinical rationales.
Engineered to optimize your study time and elevate your clinical judgment, this
document unpacks complex Medical-Surgical concepts into highly digestible
Q&As. Each response features an in-depth rationale to help you master the
"why" behind nursing interventions, preparing you to tackle both standard
queries and Next-Generation NCLEX (NGN) style priority tracking.
What’s Covered Inside:
• Neurological Systems & Care: Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), Cranial
Nerve assessments, stroke management (including left vs. right
hemisphere impacts and tPA contraindications), increased ICP protocols,
and seizure interventions.
• Respiratory Care & Procedures: Arterial Blood Gas (ABG)
interpretation, oxygen delivery devices, tracheostomy care, tuberculosis
precautions, and guidance on thoracentesis/bronchoscopy.
• Sensory & Eye Disorders: Cataracts, glaucoma safety, macular
degeneration, and retinal detachment.
Essential Clinical Core Concepts: Fluid/electrolyte balance, tissue
integrity, prioritization strategies, rapid-response priorities, and critical
patient safety measures.
1. When should you call for a rapid response?
1
, When a patient has shown signs of deterioration but still has a pulse and is
breathing.
Rationale: Early activation of the rapid response team targets acute physiological changes before
full clinical collapse or cardiopulmonary arrest occurs.
2. What should the nurse do during the rapid response before the team
arrives?
Stay with the patient and assess vitals and ABC's. Call a code blue if the patient
stops breathing or loses a pulse.
Rationale: Continuous monitoring allows immediate intervention if the patient reaches critical
arrest thresholds, ensuring patient safety and baseline stabilization.
3. When should you call a code blue?
When the patient is not breathing and does not have a pulse.
Rationale: A code blue indicates active cardiopulmonary arrest, requiring immediate basic and
advanced cardiac life support interventions.
4. When should you call for help?
If you need assistance but the patient is stable. For example, patient is on the floor
and you need another set of hands.
Rationale: Clinical safety adjustments or non-emergent patient movements require proper
personnel allocation without raising a high-acuity crisis alert.
5. Can migraines be genetic?
Yes.
Rationale: Familial migraine patterns are heavily tied to genetic mutations affecting voltage-gated
ion channels and neurotransmitter regulation templates.
6. What are clusters caused by?
An overactive and enlarged hypothalamus.
Rationale: The hypothalamus governs circadian biological clocks; structural or functional
overactivity triggers periodic, severe vascular trigeminal headaches.
2
, 7. Are migraines more common in males or females?
Females.
Rationale: Fluctuating estrogen cycles play a profound role in modifying neurovascular pain
pathways and reducing the overall migraine threshold.
8. Are clusters more common in males or females?
Males.
Rationale: Trigeminal autonomic cephalgias follow strict gender-based patterns, with males
experiencing significantly higher clinical incidence rates.
9. Describe the symptoms of a migraine.
- Unilateral
- Throbbing pain
- Worse with movement
- Photophobia
- N&V
- Can last from 4
- 72 hours
Rationale: Migraines manifest as localized neurogenic inflammation combined with severe cranial
vasodilation, resulting in systemic autonomic distress and sensory sensitivity.
10. Describe the symptoms of a cluster headache.
- Unilateral
- Nonthrobbing, excruciating
- Felt deep around eye
3
