Urinary Elimination NCLEX practice questions with
correct answers
1. A nurse caring for patients in a long-term care facility is often
required to collect urine specimens from patients for laboratory testing.
Which techniques for urine collection are performed correctly? Select all
that apply.
a. The nurse catheterizes a patient to collect a sterile urine sample for
routine urinalysis.
b. The nurse collects a clean-catch urine specimen in the morning from a
patient and stores it at room temperature until an afternoon pick-up.
c. The nurse collects a sterile urine specimen from the collection
receptacle of a patient's indwelling catheter.
d. The nurse collects about 3 mL of urine from a patient's indwelling
catheter to send for a urine culture.
e. The nurse collects a urine specimen from a patient with a urinary
diversion by catheterizing the stoma.
f. The nurse discards the first urine of the day when performing a 24-
hour urine specimen collection on a patient. Correct Answer-d, e, f. A
urine culture requires about 3 mL of urine, whereas routine urinalysis
requires at least 10 mL of urine. The preferred method of collecting a
urine specimen from a urinary diversion is to catheterize the stoma. For
a 24-hour urine specimen, the nurse should discard the first voiding, then
collect all urine voided for the next 24 hours. A sterile urine specimen is
not required for a routine urinalysis. Urine chemistry is altered after
urine stands at room temperature for a long period of time. A specimen
from the collecting receptacle (drainage bag) may not be fresh urine and
could result in an inaccurate analysis.
,2. A nurse caring for patients in an extended-care facility performs
regular assessments of the patients' urinary functioning. Which patients
would the nurse screen for urinary retention? Select all that apply.
a. A 78-year-old male patient diagnosed with an enlarged prostate
b. An 83-year-old female patient who is on bedrest
c. A 75-year-old female patient who is diagnosed with vaginal prolapse
d. An 89-year-old male patient who has dementia
e. A 73-year-old female patient who is taking antihistamines to treat
allergies
f. A 90-year-old male patient who has difficulty walking to the bathroom
Correct Answer-a, c, e. Urinary retention occurs when urine is produced
normally but is not excreted completely from the bladder. Factors
associated with urinary retention include medications such as
antihistamines, an enlarged prostate, or vaginal prolapse. Being on
bedrest, having dementia, and having difficulty walking to the bathroom
may place patients at risk for urinary incontinence.
3. A nurse is preparing a brochure to teach patients how to prevent
urinary tract infections. Which teaching points would the nurse include?
Select all that apply.
a. underwear with a synthetic crotch.
b. Take baths rather than showers.
c.Drink eight to ten 8-oz glasses of water per day.
,d. Drink a glass of water before and after intercourse and void
afterwards.
e. Limit caffeine-containing beverages.
f. Drink 10 oz of cranberry or blueberry juice daily. Correct Answer-c, e,
f. It is recommended that a healthy adult drink eight to ten 8-oz glasses
of fluid daily, limit caffeine because it is irritating to the bladder
mucosa, and drink 10 oz of cranberry or blueberry juice daily to help
prevent bacteriuria. It is also recommended to wear underwear with a
cotton crotch, take showers rather than baths, and drink two glasses of
water before and after sexual intercourse and void immediately after
intercourse.
4. A patient who has pneumonia has had a fever for 3 days. What
characteristics would the nurse anticipate related to the patient's urine
output?
a. Decreased and highly concentrated
b. Decreased and highly dilute
c. Increased and concentrated
d. Increased and dilute Correct Answer-a. Fever and diaphoresis cause
the kidneys to conserve body fluids. Thus, the urine is concentrated and
decreased in amount.
5. The physician has ordered an indwelling catheter inserted in a
hospitalized male patient. What consideration would the nurse keep in
mind when performing this procedure?
, a. The male urethra is more vulnerable to injury during insertion.
b. In the hospital, a clean technique is used for catheter insertion.
c. The catheter is inserted 2″ to 3″ into the meatus.
d. Since it uses a closed system, the risk for urinary tract infection is
absent. Correct Answer-a. Because of its length, the male urethra is
more prone to injury and requires that the catheter be inserted 6″ to 8″.
This procedure requires surgical asepsis to prevent introducing bacteria
into the urinary tract. The presence of an indwelling catheter places the
patient at risk for a UTI.
6. A nurse is performing intermittent closed-catheter irrigation for a
patient with an indwelling catheter. After attaching the syringe to the
access port on the catheter, the nurse finds that the irrigant will not enter
the catheter. What intervention would the nurse appropriately perform
next?
a. Apply pressure to the catheter to force the solution into the catheter.
b. Disconnect and reconnect the drainage system quickly.
c. Notify the primary care provider.
d. Change the catheter. Correct Answer-c. If the irrigation solution will
not enter the catheter, the nurse should not force the solution into the
catheter; instead, the nurse should notify the primary care provider and
prepare to change the catheter.
7. A nurse is caring for a 56-year-old male patient diagnosed with
bladder cancer who has a urinary diversion. Which actions would the
nurse take when caring for this patient? Select all that apply
correct answers
1. A nurse caring for patients in a long-term care facility is often
required to collect urine specimens from patients for laboratory testing.
Which techniques for urine collection are performed correctly? Select all
that apply.
a. The nurse catheterizes a patient to collect a sterile urine sample for
routine urinalysis.
b. The nurse collects a clean-catch urine specimen in the morning from a
patient and stores it at room temperature until an afternoon pick-up.
c. The nurse collects a sterile urine specimen from the collection
receptacle of a patient's indwelling catheter.
d. The nurse collects about 3 mL of urine from a patient's indwelling
catheter to send for a urine culture.
e. The nurse collects a urine specimen from a patient with a urinary
diversion by catheterizing the stoma.
f. The nurse discards the first urine of the day when performing a 24-
hour urine specimen collection on a patient. Correct Answer-d, e, f. A
urine culture requires about 3 mL of urine, whereas routine urinalysis
requires at least 10 mL of urine. The preferred method of collecting a
urine specimen from a urinary diversion is to catheterize the stoma. For
a 24-hour urine specimen, the nurse should discard the first voiding, then
collect all urine voided for the next 24 hours. A sterile urine specimen is
not required for a routine urinalysis. Urine chemistry is altered after
urine stands at room temperature for a long period of time. A specimen
from the collecting receptacle (drainage bag) may not be fresh urine and
could result in an inaccurate analysis.
,2. A nurse caring for patients in an extended-care facility performs
regular assessments of the patients' urinary functioning. Which patients
would the nurse screen for urinary retention? Select all that apply.
a. A 78-year-old male patient diagnosed with an enlarged prostate
b. An 83-year-old female patient who is on bedrest
c. A 75-year-old female patient who is diagnosed with vaginal prolapse
d. An 89-year-old male patient who has dementia
e. A 73-year-old female patient who is taking antihistamines to treat
allergies
f. A 90-year-old male patient who has difficulty walking to the bathroom
Correct Answer-a, c, e. Urinary retention occurs when urine is produced
normally but is not excreted completely from the bladder. Factors
associated with urinary retention include medications such as
antihistamines, an enlarged prostate, or vaginal prolapse. Being on
bedrest, having dementia, and having difficulty walking to the bathroom
may place patients at risk for urinary incontinence.
3. A nurse is preparing a brochure to teach patients how to prevent
urinary tract infections. Which teaching points would the nurse include?
Select all that apply.
a. underwear with a synthetic crotch.
b. Take baths rather than showers.
c.Drink eight to ten 8-oz glasses of water per day.
,d. Drink a glass of water before and after intercourse and void
afterwards.
e. Limit caffeine-containing beverages.
f. Drink 10 oz of cranberry or blueberry juice daily. Correct Answer-c, e,
f. It is recommended that a healthy adult drink eight to ten 8-oz glasses
of fluid daily, limit caffeine because it is irritating to the bladder
mucosa, and drink 10 oz of cranberry or blueberry juice daily to help
prevent bacteriuria. It is also recommended to wear underwear with a
cotton crotch, take showers rather than baths, and drink two glasses of
water before and after sexual intercourse and void immediately after
intercourse.
4. A patient who has pneumonia has had a fever for 3 days. What
characteristics would the nurse anticipate related to the patient's urine
output?
a. Decreased and highly concentrated
b. Decreased and highly dilute
c. Increased and concentrated
d. Increased and dilute Correct Answer-a. Fever and diaphoresis cause
the kidneys to conserve body fluids. Thus, the urine is concentrated and
decreased in amount.
5. The physician has ordered an indwelling catheter inserted in a
hospitalized male patient. What consideration would the nurse keep in
mind when performing this procedure?
, a. The male urethra is more vulnerable to injury during insertion.
b. In the hospital, a clean technique is used for catheter insertion.
c. The catheter is inserted 2″ to 3″ into the meatus.
d. Since it uses a closed system, the risk for urinary tract infection is
absent. Correct Answer-a. Because of its length, the male urethra is
more prone to injury and requires that the catheter be inserted 6″ to 8″.
This procedure requires surgical asepsis to prevent introducing bacteria
into the urinary tract. The presence of an indwelling catheter places the
patient at risk for a UTI.
6. A nurse is performing intermittent closed-catheter irrigation for a
patient with an indwelling catheter. After attaching the syringe to the
access port on the catheter, the nurse finds that the irrigant will not enter
the catheter. What intervention would the nurse appropriately perform
next?
a. Apply pressure to the catheter to force the solution into the catheter.
b. Disconnect and reconnect the drainage system quickly.
c. Notify the primary care provider.
d. Change the catheter. Correct Answer-c. If the irrigation solution will
not enter the catheter, the nurse should not force the solution into the
catheter; instead, the nurse should notify the primary care provider and
prepare to change the catheter.
7. A nurse is caring for a 56-year-old male patient diagnosed with
bladder cancer who has a urinary diversion. Which actions would the
nurse take when caring for this patient? Select all that apply
