NCLEX-PN Power Review – A High-Yield Q&A Study Guide (2025 Edition, USA) – Rapid-Fire Questions for Exam Mastery

NCLEX-PN Power Review: A High-Yield Q&A Study
Guide (2025 Edition)

This comprehensive study guide is designed for aspiring Licensed Practical Nurses
preparing for the NCLEX-PN exam in 2025. Featuring a dynamic question-and-
answer format, this resource covers a broad spectrum of high-yield nursing topics
essential for exam success.

Key areas of focus include:

 Clinical Procedures: Step-by-step guidance on critical nursing skills,
including IV therapy, chest tube management, catheterization, and post-
operative care.
 Pharmacology: An overview of key drug classes, medication
administration, side effects, and client teaching for commonly used
medications.
 Fundamental Nursing Care: Core concepts of the nursing process, patient
positioning, vital signs, and safety protocols, including the use of restraints
and triage.

,  Medical-Surgical Topics: High-yield questions on cardiovascular,
respiratory, gastrointestinal, and endocrine disorders, with a focus on
nursing interventions and patient assessment.
 Laboratory Values & Diagnostics: Essential normal lab values and nursing
implications for blood glucose, electrolytes (magnesium, potassium), blood
counts, and more.
 Infection Control: Critical information on PPE, isolation precautions, and
preventing healthcare-associated infections.
 Ethical and Legal Principles: Key concepts of patient rights, legal
responsibilities, and professional conduct in nursing.

Cardiovascular & Hematology

 What is an EARLY sign of digoxin toxicity?
o Answer: Anorexia
 What is a concern when a patient is taking Warfarin?
o Answer: Bleeding easily (Educate patient on using a straight razor)
 How soon after the administration of nitroglycerin should the patient
see relief?
o Answer: 5 mins (Burning sensation/vertigo are common side effects)
 What is the normal RBC for a male and female?
o Answer: Female: 4.0 - 5.5 million/µL; Male: 4.5 - 6.2 million/µL
 If the aPTT value is prolonged longer than ___ seconds in a patient
receiving heparin, initiate bleeding precautions?
o Answer: 90 seconds
 If the PT value is longer than ___ seconds in a patient receiving
warfarin, initiate bleeding precautions?
o Answer: 30 seconds

,  How long should you hold pressure on a draw site if patients are taking
anticoagulants?
o Answer: 5-10 mins (3-5 mins for a coagulation defect)
 What is a common adverse reaction to medication in the older patient?
o Answer: Change in mental health status
 A client with hyperparathyroidism is likely to have elevated calcium
levels, which foods should they avoid?
o Answer: Dairy products such as milk, cheese, ice cream, or yogurt.
 What does a Pericardial friction rub sound like?
o Answer: Loud booming/muffled heartbeat

Pulmonary & Respiratory

 When removing a chest tube, what should you instruct the patient to
do?
o Answer: Hold breath and bear down (Valsalva maneuver)
 What is the "immediate" action to take after a heart failure patient
presents with shortness of breath/dyspnea?
o Answer: Raise the head of the bed
 What is the most common post-operative complication?
o Answer: Atelectasis, the collapse of the alveoli (occurs 1-2 days after
surgery)
 What is Autonomic Dysreflexia, and which position should the patient
be placed in?
o Answer: Caused when a painful stimulus occurs below the level of
spinal cord injury. Place the patient in High Fowlers position.
 What should you do if a chest tube is accidentally pulled from the site?