HESI Pediatric Practice Exam with
Answers
The nurse is giving pre-op instructions to a 14 yr old female scheduled for surgery to correct a
spinal curvature. Which stmt best demonstrates that leaning has taken place? - ✔✔"I
understand that I will be in a body cast and I will show you how you taught me to turn"
To take the v/s of a 4 month old, which ordered will give the most accurate results? - ✔✔RR -
HR - rectal temp
During routine screening at a school clinic, an otoscope exam reveals a tympanic mb that is
pearly gray, slightly bulging, and not movable. What action should the nurse take next? -
✔✔Ask the child if they have had a cold, runny nose, or any ear pain lately
Which restraint should be used for a toddler after a cleft palate repair? - ✔✔Elbow
What pre-op nsg intervention should be included in the POC for an infant w/ pyloric stenosis? -
✔✔Observe for projectile vomiting
(remember that projectile vomiting leads to metabolic alkalosis)
A 6 month old returns from surgery w/ elbow restraints in place. What nsg care should be
included when caring for any restrained child? - ✔✔Remove the restraints one at a time and
provide ROM exercises
(Removing them 1 at a time is safer than all at once)
A 2 yr old w/ Down syndrome is brought to the clinic for his regular physical exam. The nurse
knows which problem is requently associated w/ Downs? - ✔✔Congenital heart disease
,(CHD is the most common associated defect w/ Downs. - also, remember Professor Moore said
that heart and ear problems go hand in hand)
When assessing a child w/ asthma, the nurse should expect intercostal retractions during -
✔✔Inspriation
When planning the care for a child who has had a cleft lip repair, the nurse know that crying
should be minimized because it - ✔✔Stresses the suture line
A full-term infant is admitted to the newborn nursery. After careful assessment, the nurse
suspects that the infant may have an esophageal atresia. Which sx's is this newborn likely to
have exhibited? - ✔✔Choking , coughing, and cyanosis
(this answer includes the 3 "C"s of esophageal atresia caused by the overflow of secretions to
the trachea)
Which behavior would the nurse expect a 2 yr old to exhibit? - ✔✔Display possessiveness of
toys
(they are egocentric and unable to share w/ others)
the other of a preschool-aged child asks the nurse if it is all right to administer Pepto Bismol to
her son when he has a tummy ache. After reminding her to check the label of all OTC meds for
the presence of ASA, which instruction should the nurse include when replying to the mom's
question? - ✔✔Do not give if they have chicken pox, the flue, or any other viral illness
(ASA can cause Reye's syndrome)
, the nurse observes a 4 yr old boy in a daycare. Which behavior should the nurse consider
normal for this child? - ✔✔Demonstrates aggressiveness by boasting when telling a story
A burned child is brought to the ER. In estimating the % of body burned, the nurse uses a
modified "Rule of Nines." Which part of the body is calculated as a larger % of total body
surface than an adult? - ✔✔Head and neck
(a child's head and neck are proportionately larger to their body than an adult's)
The nurse receives a lab report stating a child w/ asthma has a theophylline level of 15mcg/dL.
What action will the nurse take? - ✔✔Pass the info on in the report
(therapeutic level is 10-20)
A 12 month old is admitted w/ a respiratory infection and possible pneumonia. He is placed in a
mist tent w/ O2. Which nsg intervention has the greatest priority? - ✔✔Have a bulb syringe
readily available to remove secretions
(patent airway has the highest priority. Humidification will liquefy the nasal secretions - thereby
increasing the amt of secretions and making that a priority)
All of the following interventions can be used to eval the effectiveness of nsg and medical
interventions used to tx diarrhea. Which intervention is the least useful in the nurse's eval of a
20 month old child? - ✔✔Assessing the fontanels
(Weighing diapers, checking skin turgor, and observing mucous mb's for moisture evaluate fluid
status in infants. But how old is this child? Posterior fontanel closes at 2 months and anterior
closes by 18 months)
Answers
The nurse is giving pre-op instructions to a 14 yr old female scheduled for surgery to correct a
spinal curvature. Which stmt best demonstrates that leaning has taken place? - ✔✔"I
understand that I will be in a body cast and I will show you how you taught me to turn"
To take the v/s of a 4 month old, which ordered will give the most accurate results? - ✔✔RR -
HR - rectal temp
During routine screening at a school clinic, an otoscope exam reveals a tympanic mb that is
pearly gray, slightly bulging, and not movable. What action should the nurse take next? -
✔✔Ask the child if they have had a cold, runny nose, or any ear pain lately
Which restraint should be used for a toddler after a cleft palate repair? - ✔✔Elbow
What pre-op nsg intervention should be included in the POC for an infant w/ pyloric stenosis? -
✔✔Observe for projectile vomiting
(remember that projectile vomiting leads to metabolic alkalosis)
A 6 month old returns from surgery w/ elbow restraints in place. What nsg care should be
included when caring for any restrained child? - ✔✔Remove the restraints one at a time and
provide ROM exercises
(Removing them 1 at a time is safer than all at once)
A 2 yr old w/ Down syndrome is brought to the clinic for his regular physical exam. The nurse
knows which problem is requently associated w/ Downs? - ✔✔Congenital heart disease
,(CHD is the most common associated defect w/ Downs. - also, remember Professor Moore said
that heart and ear problems go hand in hand)
When assessing a child w/ asthma, the nurse should expect intercostal retractions during -
✔✔Inspriation
When planning the care for a child who has had a cleft lip repair, the nurse know that crying
should be minimized because it - ✔✔Stresses the suture line
A full-term infant is admitted to the newborn nursery. After careful assessment, the nurse
suspects that the infant may have an esophageal atresia. Which sx's is this newborn likely to
have exhibited? - ✔✔Choking , coughing, and cyanosis
(this answer includes the 3 "C"s of esophageal atresia caused by the overflow of secretions to
the trachea)
Which behavior would the nurse expect a 2 yr old to exhibit? - ✔✔Display possessiveness of
toys
(they are egocentric and unable to share w/ others)
the other of a preschool-aged child asks the nurse if it is all right to administer Pepto Bismol to
her son when he has a tummy ache. After reminding her to check the label of all OTC meds for
the presence of ASA, which instruction should the nurse include when replying to the mom's
question? - ✔✔Do not give if they have chicken pox, the flue, or any other viral illness
(ASA can cause Reye's syndrome)
, the nurse observes a 4 yr old boy in a daycare. Which behavior should the nurse consider
normal for this child? - ✔✔Demonstrates aggressiveness by boasting when telling a story
A burned child is brought to the ER. In estimating the % of body burned, the nurse uses a
modified "Rule of Nines." Which part of the body is calculated as a larger % of total body
surface than an adult? - ✔✔Head and neck
(a child's head and neck are proportionately larger to their body than an adult's)
The nurse receives a lab report stating a child w/ asthma has a theophylline level of 15mcg/dL.
What action will the nurse take? - ✔✔Pass the info on in the report
(therapeutic level is 10-20)
A 12 month old is admitted w/ a respiratory infection and possible pneumonia. He is placed in a
mist tent w/ O2. Which nsg intervention has the greatest priority? - ✔✔Have a bulb syringe
readily available to remove secretions
(patent airway has the highest priority. Humidification will liquefy the nasal secretions - thereby
increasing the amt of secretions and making that a priority)
All of the following interventions can be used to eval the effectiveness of nsg and medical
interventions used to tx diarrhea. Which intervention is the least useful in the nurse's eval of a
20 month old child? - ✔✔Assessing the fontanels
(Weighing diapers, checking skin turgor, and observing mucous mb's for moisture evaluate fluid
status in infants. But how old is this child? Posterior fontanel closes at 2 months and anterior
closes by 18 months)
