ATI CMS CRITICAL CARE EXAM PREP 2026
ACTUAL QUESTIONS WITH VERIFIED ANSWERS
COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW GUIDE SCENARIOS
AND SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
◉What test must you do before performing an arterial puncture?
Answer: Allen's test; patency of the ulnar artery- if blood returns to hand
in 15s, then the radial artery can be used for the puncture
◉How long should one apply pressure after an arterial puncture?
Answer: 5 minutes (20 min if the patient is on anticoagulant therapy)
◉What are the normal ranges for ABG's?
(pH, PAO2, PACO2, HCO3, and SAO2) Answer: pH: 7.35-7.45
PAO2: 80-100 mm Hg
PACO2: 35-45 mm Hg
HCO3: 21-28 mEq/L
SAO2: 95-100%
◉In what position should you place a patient if air embolism is
expected? Answer: left side in trendelenburg
,◉How long must a patient be NPO before a bronchoscopy? Answer: 4-
8 hr
◉What types of medications might one administer prior to a
bronchoscopy? Answer: anxiolytics
atropine (to treat bradycardia)
viscous lidocaine
local anesthetic throat spray
◉What should you be monitoring a patient for after a bronchoscopy?
Answer: significant fever (mild is ok up to 24 hrs after the procedure),
productive cough, significant blood in sputum (small amounts are to be
expected), hypoxemia, laryngspasm
◉Prior to a thoracentesis what diagnostic procedure must be done?
Answer: CXR
◉What position should the patient be in for a thoracentesis? Answer:
sitting up over the bedside table
◉What are possible complications of a thoracentesis? How do we tell
patients to identify pneumothorax? Answer: mediastinal shifts
,pneumothorax (deviated trachea, pain at the end of inhalation or
exhalation, affected side not moving with breath, increased HR, shallow
respirations, nagging cough, air hunger)
◉In what chest tube chamber (ONLY) should you see bubbling?
Answer: suction
◉What is excessive drainage from a chest tube? Answer: more than 70
ml/hr
◉How should the nurse document for care following a chest tube? How
often? Answer: color and amount of drainage qh for 24h after insertion,
then q8h
mark date, hour, and drainage level on the container at the end of each
shift
◉What supplies should be kept at the side of a bed for a patient with a
chest tube? Answer: 2 enclosed hemostats, sterile water, occlusive
dressing
◉What should the nurse instruct the patient to do during chest tube
removal? Answer: valsalva maneuver
, ◉What should the nurse do in the case that a chest tube is disconnected?
Answer: 1. have the client exhale as much as they can to remove air
from the pleural space
2. immerse the end of the chest tube in sterile water to restore the water
seal
3. apply dry sterile gauze
◉What is the FiO2 and the flow rate for a nasal cannula? at what rate do
we need to administer humidification? Answer: 24-44%
1-6 L/min
humidification at 4 L/min
◉What is the FiO2 and the flow rate for a simple face mask? Answer:
40-60%
5-8 L/min (less than this causes the patient to rebreathe CO2)
◉What is the FiO2 and the flow rate for a partial rebreather mask?
Answer: 40-75%
6-11 L/min
◉What is the FiO2 and the flow rate for a non-rebreather? Answer: 80-
95%
10-15 L/min
ACTUAL QUESTIONS WITH VERIFIED ANSWERS
COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW GUIDE SCENARIOS
AND SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
◉What test must you do before performing an arterial puncture?
Answer: Allen's test; patency of the ulnar artery- if blood returns to hand
in 15s, then the radial artery can be used for the puncture
◉How long should one apply pressure after an arterial puncture?
Answer: 5 minutes (20 min if the patient is on anticoagulant therapy)
◉What are the normal ranges for ABG's?
(pH, PAO2, PACO2, HCO3, and SAO2) Answer: pH: 7.35-7.45
PAO2: 80-100 mm Hg
PACO2: 35-45 mm Hg
HCO3: 21-28 mEq/L
SAO2: 95-100%
◉In what position should you place a patient if air embolism is
expected? Answer: left side in trendelenburg
,◉How long must a patient be NPO before a bronchoscopy? Answer: 4-
8 hr
◉What types of medications might one administer prior to a
bronchoscopy? Answer: anxiolytics
atropine (to treat bradycardia)
viscous lidocaine
local anesthetic throat spray
◉What should you be monitoring a patient for after a bronchoscopy?
Answer: significant fever (mild is ok up to 24 hrs after the procedure),
productive cough, significant blood in sputum (small amounts are to be
expected), hypoxemia, laryngspasm
◉Prior to a thoracentesis what diagnostic procedure must be done?
Answer: CXR
◉What position should the patient be in for a thoracentesis? Answer:
sitting up over the bedside table
◉What are possible complications of a thoracentesis? How do we tell
patients to identify pneumothorax? Answer: mediastinal shifts
,pneumothorax (deviated trachea, pain at the end of inhalation or
exhalation, affected side not moving with breath, increased HR, shallow
respirations, nagging cough, air hunger)
◉In what chest tube chamber (ONLY) should you see bubbling?
Answer: suction
◉What is excessive drainage from a chest tube? Answer: more than 70
ml/hr
◉How should the nurse document for care following a chest tube? How
often? Answer: color and amount of drainage qh for 24h after insertion,
then q8h
mark date, hour, and drainage level on the container at the end of each
shift
◉What supplies should be kept at the side of a bed for a patient with a
chest tube? Answer: 2 enclosed hemostats, sterile water, occlusive
dressing
◉What should the nurse instruct the patient to do during chest tube
removal? Answer: valsalva maneuver
, ◉What should the nurse do in the case that a chest tube is disconnected?
Answer: 1. have the client exhale as much as they can to remove air
from the pleural space
2. immerse the end of the chest tube in sterile water to restore the water
seal
3. apply dry sterile gauze
◉What is the FiO2 and the flow rate for a nasal cannula? at what rate do
we need to administer humidification? Answer: 24-44%
1-6 L/min
humidification at 4 L/min
◉What is the FiO2 and the flow rate for a simple face mask? Answer:
40-60%
5-8 L/min (less than this causes the patient to rebreathe CO2)
◉What is the FiO2 and the flow rate for a partial rebreather mask?
Answer: 40-75%
6-11 L/min
◉What is the FiO2 and the flow rate for a non-rebreather? Answer: 80-
95%
10-15 L/min
