Musculoskeletal NCLEX Questions with 100% Verified Answers
1. A,B,D,E A nurse is performing a musculoskeletal assessment on
an older adult living independently. What normal physio-
logic changes of aging does the nurse expect? (Select all
that apply.)
a. Muscle atrophy
b. Slowed movement
c. Scoliosis
d. Arthritis
e. Widened gait
2. D A client returns to the postanesthesia care unit (PACU)
after an arthroscopy to prepare a knee injury. What is the
nurse's priority when caring for this client?
a. Perform passive range-of-motion exercises.
b. Keep the affected leg immobilized.
c. Ensure that the patient uses the patient-controlled anal-
gesia (PCA) pump.
d. Check the neurovascular status of the affected leg and
foot.
3. B. A client who has a plaster leg splint reports a painful
pressure sensation under the elastic wrap that is holding
the splint in place. What is the nurse's best initial action?
a. Remove the splint to reduce skin pressure.
b. Perform a neurovascular assessment.
c. Report the client's concern to the primary health care
provider.
d. Inspect the skin under the elastic bandage.
4. B,C,D,E A client has a synthetic cast placed for a right wrist fracture
in the emergency room. What priority health teaching is
important for the nurse to provide for this client before
returning home? (Select all that apply.)
a. "Keep your right arm below the level of your heart as
often as possible."
,Musculoskeletal NCLEX Questions with 100% Verified Answers
b. "Use an ice pack for the first 24 hours to decrease tissue
swelling."
c. "Move the fingers of the right hand frequently to promote
blood flow."
d. "Report coolness or discoloration of your right hand to
your doctor."
e. "Don't place any device under the case to scratch the
skin if it itches."
5. D. A client who had an elective below-the-knee amputation
(BKA) reports pain in the foot that was amputated last
week. What is the nurse's most appropriate response to
the client's pain?
a. "The pain will go away after the swelling decreases."
b. "That's phantom limb pain and every amputee has that."
c. "Your foot has been amputated, so it's in your head."
d. "On a scale of 0 to 10, how would you rate your pain?"
6. A. What is the nurse's priority when doing an admission for a
client who returned directly from the operating suite after
a carpal tunnel repair?
a. Monitor vital signs, including pulse oximetry.
b. Check the surgical dressing to ensure it is intact.
c. Assess neurovascular assessment in the affected arm.
d. Monitor intake and output.
7. B. The nurse plans to use which tool to measure joint range
of motion (ROM)?
A. Doppler device
B. Goniometer
C. Reflex hammer
D. Tonometer
8. D. A nursing student is studying the skeletal system. Which
statement best indicates to the nursing instructor that the
student understands a normal physiologic function of the
skeletal system?
A. "Volkmann's canals connect osteoblasts and osteo-
, Musculoskeletal NCLEX Questions with 100% Verified Answers
clasts."
B. "In the deepest layer of the periosteum is the cortex,
which consists of dense, compact bone tissue."
C. "The matrix of the bone is where deposits of calcium
and magnesium are present."
D. "Hematopoiesis occurs in the red marrow, which is
where blood cells are produced."
9. B. The nurse is completing an admission assessment on
a client scheduled for arthroscopic knee surgery. Which
information will be most essential for the nurse to report
to the health care provider?
A. Knee pain at a level of 9 (0-to-10 scale)
B. Warm, red, and swollen knee
C. Allergy to shellfish and iodine
D. Previous surgery on the other knee
10. C. Which client information is most essential for the nurse to
report to the health care provider before a client with knee
pain undergoes magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)?
A. Daily use of aspirin
B. Swollen and tender knee
C. Presence of a permanent pacemaker
D. History of claustrophobia
11. A. When assessing a female client, the nurse learns that the
client has several risk factors for osteoporosis. Which risk
factor will be the priority for client teaching?
A. Low calcium and vitamin D intake
B. Postmenopausal status
C. Positive family history
D. Previous use of steroids
12. A. Which aspect of postoperative management will the nurse
plan to discuss with a client about to undergo an arthro-
scopic repair of the knee?
A. Physical therapy for exercises
B. Pharmacy for client medications
C. Dietitian for nutrition
D. Social work for care coordination
1. A,B,D,E A nurse is performing a musculoskeletal assessment on
an older adult living independently. What normal physio-
logic changes of aging does the nurse expect? (Select all
that apply.)
a. Muscle atrophy
b. Slowed movement
c. Scoliosis
d. Arthritis
e. Widened gait
2. D A client returns to the postanesthesia care unit (PACU)
after an arthroscopy to prepare a knee injury. What is the
nurse's priority when caring for this client?
a. Perform passive range-of-motion exercises.
b. Keep the affected leg immobilized.
c. Ensure that the patient uses the patient-controlled anal-
gesia (PCA) pump.
d. Check the neurovascular status of the affected leg and
foot.
3. B. A client who has a plaster leg splint reports a painful
pressure sensation under the elastic wrap that is holding
the splint in place. What is the nurse's best initial action?
a. Remove the splint to reduce skin pressure.
b. Perform a neurovascular assessment.
c. Report the client's concern to the primary health care
provider.
d. Inspect the skin under the elastic bandage.
4. B,C,D,E A client has a synthetic cast placed for a right wrist fracture
in the emergency room. What priority health teaching is
important for the nurse to provide for this client before
returning home? (Select all that apply.)
a. "Keep your right arm below the level of your heart as
often as possible."
,Musculoskeletal NCLEX Questions with 100% Verified Answers
b. "Use an ice pack for the first 24 hours to decrease tissue
swelling."
c. "Move the fingers of the right hand frequently to promote
blood flow."
d. "Report coolness or discoloration of your right hand to
your doctor."
e. "Don't place any device under the case to scratch the
skin if it itches."
5. D. A client who had an elective below-the-knee amputation
(BKA) reports pain in the foot that was amputated last
week. What is the nurse's most appropriate response to
the client's pain?
a. "The pain will go away after the swelling decreases."
b. "That's phantom limb pain and every amputee has that."
c. "Your foot has been amputated, so it's in your head."
d. "On a scale of 0 to 10, how would you rate your pain?"
6. A. What is the nurse's priority when doing an admission for a
client who returned directly from the operating suite after
a carpal tunnel repair?
a. Monitor vital signs, including pulse oximetry.
b. Check the surgical dressing to ensure it is intact.
c. Assess neurovascular assessment in the affected arm.
d. Monitor intake and output.
7. B. The nurse plans to use which tool to measure joint range
of motion (ROM)?
A. Doppler device
B. Goniometer
C. Reflex hammer
D. Tonometer
8. D. A nursing student is studying the skeletal system. Which
statement best indicates to the nursing instructor that the
student understands a normal physiologic function of the
skeletal system?
A. "Volkmann's canals connect osteoblasts and osteo-
, Musculoskeletal NCLEX Questions with 100% Verified Answers
clasts."
B. "In the deepest layer of the periosteum is the cortex,
which consists of dense, compact bone tissue."
C. "The matrix of the bone is where deposits of calcium
and magnesium are present."
D. "Hematopoiesis occurs in the red marrow, which is
where blood cells are produced."
9. B. The nurse is completing an admission assessment on
a client scheduled for arthroscopic knee surgery. Which
information will be most essential for the nurse to report
to the health care provider?
A. Knee pain at a level of 9 (0-to-10 scale)
B. Warm, red, and swollen knee
C. Allergy to shellfish and iodine
D. Previous surgery on the other knee
10. C. Which client information is most essential for the nurse to
report to the health care provider before a client with knee
pain undergoes magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)?
A. Daily use of aspirin
B. Swollen and tender knee
C. Presence of a permanent pacemaker
D. History of claustrophobia
11. A. When assessing a female client, the nurse learns that the
client has several risk factors for osteoporosis. Which risk
factor will be the priority for client teaching?
A. Low calcium and vitamin D intake
B. Postmenopausal status
C. Positive family history
D. Previous use of steroids
12. A. Which aspect of postoperative management will the nurse
plan to discuss with a client about to undergo an arthro-
scopic repair of the knee?
A. Physical therapy for exercises
B. Pharmacy for client medications
C. Dietitian for nutrition
D. Social work for care coordination
