HESI A2 Critical Thinking
Practice Questions & Answers
2025, Digital PDF
1. The nurse is working in Rationale
the emergency
department (ED) of a Correct - 3-The child hit by a car should be assessed
children's medical first because he or she may have life- threatening
center. Which client injuries that must be assessed and treated promptly.
should the nurse assess
first?
1. The 1-month-old
infant who has
developed colic
and is crying.
2. The 2-year-old toddler who
was bitten by another child
at the day-care center. 3.
The 6-year-old school-age
child who was hit by a car
while riding a bicycle.
4. The 14-year-old
adolescent whose mother
suspects her child is sexually
active.
,1. In an interview, the A) Note-taking may impede the nurse's observation of
nurse may find it the patient's nonverbal behaviors.
necessary to take notes to
aid his or her memory Page: 31 Some use of history forms and note-taking
later. Which statement may be unavoidable. But be aware that note-taking
is true regarding note- during the interview has disadvantages. It breaks eye
taking? contact too often, and it shifts attention away from the
patient, which diminishes his or her sense of
A) Note-taking may importance. It also may interrupt the patient's
impede the nurse's narrative flow, and it impedes the observation of the
observation of the patient's nonverbal behavior.
patient's nonverbal
behaviors.
B) Note-taking allows
the patient to continue
at his or her own pace as
the nurse records what
is said.
C) Note-taking allows the
nurse to shift attention
away from the patient,
resulting in an increased
comfort level.
D) Note-taking allows the
nurse to break eye contact
with the patient, which
may
increase his or her level of
comfort.
,2. The 8-year-old client Rationale
diagnosed with a vaso- Correct - 2-Because the client is complaining of a
occlusive sickle cell headache, the nurse should first rule out
crisis is complaining of a cerebrovascular accident (CVA) by assess- ing the
severe headache. Which client's neurological status and then determine
intervention should the whether it is a headache that can be treated with
nurse implement first? medication.
1. Administer 6 L of
oxygen via nasal
cannula.
2. Assess the client's
neurological status.
3. Administer a narcotic
analgesic by intravenous
push (IVP). 4. Increase
the client's intravenous
(IV) rate.
2. During an interview, the D) Open-ended question
nurse states, "You
mentioned shortness of Page: 32 The open-ended question asks for narrative
breath. Tell me more about information. It states the topic to be discussed but only
that." Which verbal skill is in general terms. The nurse should use it to begin the
used with this statement? interview, to introduce a new section of questions,
and whenever the person introduces a new topic.
A) Reflection
B) Facilitation
C) Direct question
D) Open-ended question
, 3. The 6-year-old client Rationale
who has undergone
abdominal surgery is Correct -1. The nurse should always praise the child for
attempting to make a attempts at cooperation even if the child did not
pinwheel spin by blowing accomplish what the nurse asked.
on it with the nurse's
assistance. The child starts
crying because the
pinwheel won't spin.
Which action should the
nurse implement first?
1. Praise the child for the
attempt to make the
pinwheel spin.
2. Notify the respiratory
therapist to implement
incentive spirometry. 3.
Encourage the child to
turn from side to side
and cough.
4. Demonstrate how to make
the pinwheel
spin by blowing on it.
3. A nurse is taking C) using biased or leading questions.
complete health histories
on all of the patients Page: 36 This is an example of using leading or biased
attending a wellness questions. Asking, "You don't smoke, do you?" implies
workshop. On the history that one answer is "better" than another. If the person
form, one of the written wants to please someone, he or she is either forced to
questions asks, "You don't answer in a way corresponding to their implied
smoke, drink, or take drugs, values or is made to feel guilty when admitting the
do you?" This question is other answer.
an example of:
Practice Questions & Answers
2025, Digital PDF
1. The nurse is working in Rationale
the emergency
department (ED) of a Correct - 3-The child hit by a car should be assessed
children's medical first because he or she may have life- threatening
center. Which client injuries that must be assessed and treated promptly.
should the nurse assess
first?
1. The 1-month-old
infant who has
developed colic
and is crying.
2. The 2-year-old toddler who
was bitten by another child
at the day-care center. 3.
The 6-year-old school-age
child who was hit by a car
while riding a bicycle.
4. The 14-year-old
adolescent whose mother
suspects her child is sexually
active.
,1. In an interview, the A) Note-taking may impede the nurse's observation of
nurse may find it the patient's nonverbal behaviors.
necessary to take notes to
aid his or her memory Page: 31 Some use of history forms and note-taking
later. Which statement may be unavoidable. But be aware that note-taking
is true regarding note- during the interview has disadvantages. It breaks eye
taking? contact too often, and it shifts attention away from the
patient, which diminishes his or her sense of
A) Note-taking may importance. It also may interrupt the patient's
impede the nurse's narrative flow, and it impedes the observation of the
observation of the patient's nonverbal behavior.
patient's nonverbal
behaviors.
B) Note-taking allows
the patient to continue
at his or her own pace as
the nurse records what
is said.
C) Note-taking allows the
nurse to shift attention
away from the patient,
resulting in an increased
comfort level.
D) Note-taking allows the
nurse to break eye contact
with the patient, which
may
increase his or her level of
comfort.
,2. The 8-year-old client Rationale
diagnosed with a vaso- Correct - 2-Because the client is complaining of a
occlusive sickle cell headache, the nurse should first rule out
crisis is complaining of a cerebrovascular accident (CVA) by assess- ing the
severe headache. Which client's neurological status and then determine
intervention should the whether it is a headache that can be treated with
nurse implement first? medication.
1. Administer 6 L of
oxygen via nasal
cannula.
2. Assess the client's
neurological status.
3. Administer a narcotic
analgesic by intravenous
push (IVP). 4. Increase
the client's intravenous
(IV) rate.
2. During an interview, the D) Open-ended question
nurse states, "You
mentioned shortness of Page: 32 The open-ended question asks for narrative
breath. Tell me more about information. It states the topic to be discussed but only
that." Which verbal skill is in general terms. The nurse should use it to begin the
used with this statement? interview, to introduce a new section of questions,
and whenever the person introduces a new topic.
A) Reflection
B) Facilitation
C) Direct question
D) Open-ended question
, 3. The 6-year-old client Rationale
who has undergone
abdominal surgery is Correct -1. The nurse should always praise the child for
attempting to make a attempts at cooperation even if the child did not
pinwheel spin by blowing accomplish what the nurse asked.
on it with the nurse's
assistance. The child starts
crying because the
pinwheel won't spin.
Which action should the
nurse implement first?
1. Praise the child for the
attempt to make the
pinwheel spin.
2. Notify the respiratory
therapist to implement
incentive spirometry. 3.
Encourage the child to
turn from side to side
and cough.
4. Demonstrate how to make
the pinwheel
spin by blowing on it.
3. A nurse is taking C) using biased or leading questions.
complete health histories
on all of the patients Page: 36 This is an example of using leading or biased
attending a wellness questions. Asking, "You don't smoke, do you?" implies
workshop. On the history that one answer is "better" than another. If the person
form, one of the written wants to please someone, he or she is either forced to
questions asks, "You don't answer in a way corresponding to their implied
smoke, drink, or take drugs, values or is made to feel guilty when admitting the
do you?" This question is other answer.
an example of:
