ATI Critical Care Exam Actual
Questions and Answers 2026
Before PFT's how long should a patient refrain from smoking? Using
an inhaler? -
correct answer ✅smoking: 6-8 h
inhaler: 4-6 h
What test must you do before performing an arterial puncture? -
correct 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? -
correct 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) -
correct answer ✅pH: 7.35-7.45
PAO2: 80-100 mm Hg
PACO2: 35-45 mm Hg
HCO3: 21-28 mEq/L
SAO2: 95-100%
,ATI Critical Care Exam Actual
Questions and Answers 2026
In what position should you place a patient if air embolism is
expected? -
correct answer ✅left side in trendelenburg
How long must a patient be NPO before a bronchoscopy? -
correct answer ✅4-8 hr
What types of medications might one administer prior to a
bronchoscopy? -
correct answer ✅anxiolytics
atropine (to treat bradycardia)
viscous lidocaine
local anesthetic throat spray
What should you be monitoring a patient for after a bronchoscopy?
-
correct 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
,ATI Critical Care Exam Actual
Questions and Answers 2026
Prior to a thoracentesis what diagnostic procedure must be done? -
correct answer ✅CXR
What position should the patient be in for a thoracentesis? -
correct answer ✅sitting up over the bedside table
What are possible complications of a thoracentesis? How do we tell
patients to identify pneumothorax? -
correct 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? -
correct answer ✅suction
What is excessive drainage from a chest tube? -
correct answer ✅more than 70 ml/hr
How should the nurse document for care following a chest tube?
How often? -
, ATI Critical Care Exam Actual
Questions and Answers 2026
correct 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? -
correct answer ✅2 enclosed hemostats, sterile water, occlusive
dressing
What should the nurse instruct the patient to do during chest tube
removal? -
correct answer ✅valsalva maneuver
What should the nurse do in the case that a chest tube is
disconnected? -
correct 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
Questions and Answers 2026
Before PFT's how long should a patient refrain from smoking? Using
an inhaler? -
correct answer ✅smoking: 6-8 h
inhaler: 4-6 h
What test must you do before performing an arterial puncture? -
correct 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? -
correct 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) -
correct answer ✅pH: 7.35-7.45
PAO2: 80-100 mm Hg
PACO2: 35-45 mm Hg
HCO3: 21-28 mEq/L
SAO2: 95-100%
,ATI Critical Care Exam Actual
Questions and Answers 2026
In what position should you place a patient if air embolism is
expected? -
correct answer ✅left side in trendelenburg
How long must a patient be NPO before a bronchoscopy? -
correct answer ✅4-8 hr
What types of medications might one administer prior to a
bronchoscopy? -
correct answer ✅anxiolytics
atropine (to treat bradycardia)
viscous lidocaine
local anesthetic throat spray
What should you be monitoring a patient for after a bronchoscopy?
-
correct 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
,ATI Critical Care Exam Actual
Questions and Answers 2026
Prior to a thoracentesis what diagnostic procedure must be done? -
correct answer ✅CXR
What position should the patient be in for a thoracentesis? -
correct answer ✅sitting up over the bedside table
What are possible complications of a thoracentesis? How do we tell
patients to identify pneumothorax? -
correct 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? -
correct answer ✅suction
What is excessive drainage from a chest tube? -
correct answer ✅more than 70 ml/hr
How should the nurse document for care following a chest tube?
How often? -
, ATI Critical Care Exam Actual
Questions and Answers 2026
correct 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? -
correct answer ✅2 enclosed hemostats, sterile water, occlusive
dressing
What should the nurse instruct the patient to do during chest tube
removal? -
correct answer ✅valsalva maneuver
What should the nurse do in the case that a chest tube is
disconnected? -
correct 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
