Mechanical Ventilation Chapter 1
Questions and Answers Latest Version
Already Passed
A nurse is caring for a patient receiving mechanical ventilation. The nurse understands that the
primary purpose of mechanical ventilation is to:
✔✔Provide respiratory support and ensure adequate gas exchange when the patient is unable to
breathe effectively on their own.
A nurse is assessing a patient on mechanical ventilation and notices the ventilator settings show a
high pressure alarm. Which of the following could be causing this alarm?
✔✔A blocked or kinked endotracheal tube, increased airway resistance, or a buildup of
secretions in the airway.
A nurse is caring for a patient receiving mechanical ventilation and notices an increase in the
peak inspiratory pressure (PIP). Which of the following actions should the nurse take first?
✔✔Check the patient’s airway for obstructions or secretions.
A nurse is monitoring a patient on a mechanical ventilator in the volume-controlled mode. The
nurse understands that this mode delivers:
1
,✔✔A set tidal volume with each breath, regardless of the pressure required to deliver that
volume.
A nurse is caring for a patient on mechanical ventilation and notices the patient’s oxygen
saturation levels are decreasing. What is the nurse’s priority action?
✔✔Check the ventilator settings, the patient’s airway, and assess for any signs of atelectasis or
disconnection.
A nurse is reviewing the patient’s mechanical ventilation settings and notices that the tidal
volume is set too high. The nurse understands this could lead to:
✔✔Ventilator-associated lung injury (VILI) due to overdistention of the lungs.
A nurse is caring for a patient on mechanical ventilation and observes that the patient’s
respiratory rate is higher than the set rate. What does this indicate?
✔✔The patient is initiating additional breaths, which may indicate they are breathing
spontaneously in addition to the mandatory breaths delivered by the ventilator.
A nurse is educating a family member of a patient on mechanical ventilation. The nurse explains
that positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) is used to:
2
,✔✔Prevent alveolar collapse during expiration and improve oxygenation by keeping the alveoli
open.
A nurse is monitoring a patient on a mechanical ventilator and observes that the patient’s chest is
not rising symmetrically. What should the nurse check next?
✔✔Check for possible problems with the ventilator’s settings, such as a disconnected circuit or a
leak in the endotracheal tube.
A nurse is assessing a patient on mechanical ventilation in the assist-control (AC) mode. The
nurse understands that this mode:
✔✔Delivers a set number of breaths and assists the patient with each spontaneous breath to
ensure that the patient receives adequate ventilation.
A nurse is caring for a patient on mechanical ventilation and notices that the patient is not being
ventilated despite the ventilator being set to deliver breaths. What is the nurse’s first action?
✔✔Check for an obstruction or disconnection in the patient’s airway or ventilator circuit.
A nurse is caring for a patient on mechanical ventilation with a set respiratory rate and tidal
volume. The nurse understands that increasing the tidal volume can lead to:
3
, ✔✔Increased risk of barotrauma and volutrauma due to excessive pressure and volume in the
lungs.
A nurse is caring for a patient on mechanical ventilation who has developed ventilator-associated
pneumonia (VAP). The nurse knows that the most effective prevention method for VAP is:
✔✔Maintaining proper oral hygiene and suctioning the airway regularly to reduce bacterial
colonization.
A nurse is caring for a patient receiving mechanical ventilation. The nurse is concerned about
ventilator-induced lung injury. Which of the following interventions is most appropriate?
✔✔Use smaller tidal volumes and lower plateau pressures to minimize the risk of injury to the
lungs.
A nurse is caring for a patient on mechanical ventilation who has been sedated for comfort. The
nurse is monitoring the patient for signs of over-sedation. Which of the following is a common
complication of over-sedation?
✔✔Respiratory depression, leading to inadequate ventilation and oxygenation.
4
Questions and Answers Latest Version
Already Passed
A nurse is caring for a patient receiving mechanical ventilation. The nurse understands that the
primary purpose of mechanical ventilation is to:
✔✔Provide respiratory support and ensure adequate gas exchange when the patient is unable to
breathe effectively on their own.
A nurse is assessing a patient on mechanical ventilation and notices the ventilator settings show a
high pressure alarm. Which of the following could be causing this alarm?
✔✔A blocked or kinked endotracheal tube, increased airway resistance, or a buildup of
secretions in the airway.
A nurse is caring for a patient receiving mechanical ventilation and notices an increase in the
peak inspiratory pressure (PIP). Which of the following actions should the nurse take first?
✔✔Check the patient’s airway for obstructions or secretions.
A nurse is monitoring a patient on a mechanical ventilator in the volume-controlled mode. The
nurse understands that this mode delivers:
1
,✔✔A set tidal volume with each breath, regardless of the pressure required to deliver that
volume.
A nurse is caring for a patient on mechanical ventilation and notices the patient’s oxygen
saturation levels are decreasing. What is the nurse’s priority action?
✔✔Check the ventilator settings, the patient’s airway, and assess for any signs of atelectasis or
disconnection.
A nurse is reviewing the patient’s mechanical ventilation settings and notices that the tidal
volume is set too high. The nurse understands this could lead to:
✔✔Ventilator-associated lung injury (VILI) due to overdistention of the lungs.
A nurse is caring for a patient on mechanical ventilation and observes that the patient’s
respiratory rate is higher than the set rate. What does this indicate?
✔✔The patient is initiating additional breaths, which may indicate they are breathing
spontaneously in addition to the mandatory breaths delivered by the ventilator.
A nurse is educating a family member of a patient on mechanical ventilation. The nurse explains
that positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) is used to:
2
,✔✔Prevent alveolar collapse during expiration and improve oxygenation by keeping the alveoli
open.
A nurse is monitoring a patient on a mechanical ventilator and observes that the patient’s chest is
not rising symmetrically. What should the nurse check next?
✔✔Check for possible problems with the ventilator’s settings, such as a disconnected circuit or a
leak in the endotracheal tube.
A nurse is assessing a patient on mechanical ventilation in the assist-control (AC) mode. The
nurse understands that this mode:
✔✔Delivers a set number of breaths and assists the patient with each spontaneous breath to
ensure that the patient receives adequate ventilation.
A nurse is caring for a patient on mechanical ventilation and notices that the patient is not being
ventilated despite the ventilator being set to deliver breaths. What is the nurse’s first action?
✔✔Check for an obstruction or disconnection in the patient’s airway or ventilator circuit.
A nurse is caring for a patient on mechanical ventilation with a set respiratory rate and tidal
volume. The nurse understands that increasing the tidal volume can lead to:
3
, ✔✔Increased risk of barotrauma and volutrauma due to excessive pressure and volume in the
lungs.
A nurse is caring for a patient on mechanical ventilation who has developed ventilator-associated
pneumonia (VAP). The nurse knows that the most effective prevention method for VAP is:
✔✔Maintaining proper oral hygiene and suctioning the airway regularly to reduce bacterial
colonization.
A nurse is caring for a patient receiving mechanical ventilation. The nurse is concerned about
ventilator-induced lung injury. Which of the following interventions is most appropriate?
✔✔Use smaller tidal volumes and lower plateau pressures to minimize the risk of injury to the
lungs.
A nurse is caring for a patient on mechanical ventilation who has been sedated for comfort. The
nurse is monitoring the patient for signs of over-sedation. Which of the following is a common
complication of over-sedation?
✔✔Respiratory depression, leading to inadequate ventilation and oxygenation.
4
