CCRN Practice Test 1 Exam Questions with
Complete Solutions (Latest 2025/2026).
After attending an educational session that reviewed drug dosing and provided a review of the
literature, the nurse would like to start using the admission weight to calculate drug dosing during
titration of vasoactive drugs rather than the current practice of using daily weights. What would be the
most effective next step for the nurse to take to implement this change?
(A) Begin the adaptation of the practice by using the admission weight for patients.
(B) Identify the key stakeholders related to the proposed change in practice.
(C) Ask the attending physician on rounds what her thoughts are about the practice.
(D) Discuss the educational session with nurse colleagues. - CORRECT ANSWERS (B) Identify
the key stakeholders related to the proposed change in practice.
A patient presents with a productive cough, hypoxemia, a fever, hypotension, tachycardia, and
tachypnea. Hypoxemia was corrected with the administration of oxygen. Which of the following should
be done next?
(A) Administer antibiotics.
(B) Start a vasopressor.
(C) Collect a sputum culture.
(D) Initiate 0.9 normal saline. - CORRECT ANSWERS (D) Initiate 0.9 normal saline.
A patient with a urinary tract infection presented with a temperature of 39°C (102.2°F), a heart rate of
132 beats/minute, a respiratory rate of 24 breaths/minute, a BP of 78/49 (a MAP of 59 mmHg), and a
lactate of 2.8 mmol/L. The patient received 2 L of 0.9 NS within 1 hour. The BP is now 100/52 (the MAP
is 68 mmHg), the heart rate is 118 beats/minute, the respiratory rate is 20 breaths/minute, and the
lactate is 2.1 mmol/L. The patient requires treatment for:
(A) bacteremia.
(B) sepsis.
(C) SIRS.
,(D) septic shock. - CORRECT ANSWERS (B) sepsis.
A patient is 48 hours post aortic valve replacement. Which of the following would be a major goal for
this patient?
(A) diuretic therapy
(B) stabilizing the blood pressure
(C) prophylactic antibiotics
(D) preventing a thrombus - CORRECT ANSWERS (D) preventing a thrombus
A patient with hypoxic encephalopathy has been opening his eyes to touch for the past 24 hours. The
patient now withdraws to painful stimuli, has developed unequal pupils, and has a positive Babinski
reflex. Which of the following interventions should the nurse anticipate?
(A) ventriculostomy, oxygen, steroids
(B) sedation, vasopressin (Pitressin), thiazide diuretic
(C) osmotic diuretic, intubation, and monitor the pCO2
(D) lumbar puncture and increase the FiO2 - CORRECT ANSWERS (C) osmotic diuretic,
intubation, and monitor the pCO2
A 19-year-old patient who was admitted with sickle cell crisis and acute kidney injury requests to use a
phone to update her friends on her condition. The nurse's best response would be to:
(A) explain to the patient that calls can be made when she is transferred out of the critical care unit.
(B) allow the patient to make the calls in order to meet the patient's need for social support.
(C) explain to the patient that she needs to rest in order for the analgesic medication to take effect.
(D) allow the patient to make the calls in order to reduce the patient's anxiety. - CORRECT ANSWERS
(B) allow the patient to make the calls in order to meet the patient's need for social support.
The unit quality council wants to reduce the number of CAUTIS. Which of the following strategies has
been demonstrated to reduce incidences of CAUTIS?
,(A) Remove the indwelling urinary catheter on day 3 post-op.
(B) Place the drainage collection system on the patient's abdomen during transport.
(C) Assess the competency of the staff using a simulated environment.
(D) Avoid the use of intermittent straight catheterization. - CORRECT ANSWERS (C) Assess the
competency of the staff using a simulated environment.
A patient has cardiogenic shock and cardiogenic pulmonary edema. Which of the following therapies
would be most effective for this patient?
(A) an intra-aortic balloon pump to increase coronary artery perfusion
(B) a beta blocker to increase cardiac contractility
(C) an alpha-adrenergic drug to increase coronary artery perfusion
(D) angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors to decrease afterload - CORRECT ANSWERS (A)
an intra-aortic balloon pump to increase coronary artery perfusion
The care team is considering whether a patient is a candidate for hospice care. Which of the following is
a specific service provided by hospice care?
(A) advance care planning
(B) symptom management
(C) care for a terminal illness
(D) consideration of patient/family wishes - CORRECT ANSWERS (C) care for a terminal illness
A patient has a history of chronic respiratory failure secondary to COPD and now has acute respiratory
failure secondary to pneumonia. Upon arrival at the critical care unit, his ABGs were a pH of 7.29, a
PaCO2 of 77, a PaO2 of 51, and an HCO3 of 31. He is receiving noninvasive ventilation with settings that
read as follows: FiO2 0.40, IPAP 12 cm, and EPAP 5 cm. After 1 hour of therapy, the patient's ABG results
are a pH of 7.20, a PaCO2 of 89, a PaO2 of 48, and an HCO3 of 32.
What is the correct evaluation of this data?
(A) Alveolar hyperventilation is getting worse; the BiPAP settings need adjustment.
(B) Metabolic acidosis is worse; the FiO, needs to be increased.
, (C) Alveolar hypoventilation is getting worse; the patient needs to be intubated.
(D) The pH is acceptable for a patient with COPD; continue the current therapy. - CORRECT ANSWERS
(C) Alveolar hypoventilation is getting worse; the patient needs to be intubated.
Which of the following is true regarding plateau pressure?
(A) It is a pressure that is used to calculate static compliance and reflects pressure in the lungs.
(B) It is a pressure that is used to calculate vital capacity and reflects pressure in the lungs.
(C) It is a pressure that is used to calculate dynamic compliance and reflects pressure in the airways.
(D) It is a pressure that is used to measure tidal volume and reflects pressure in the airways. - CORRECT
ANSWERS (A) It is a pressure that is used to calculate static compliance and reflects pressure
in the lungs.
A patient is admitted with a salicylate overdose. Which of the following treatments is most effective for
this patient?
(A) N-acetylcysteine, support the airway, fluids
(B) gastric lavage, an antidote, fluids
(C) activated charcoal, urine alkalinization, dialysis
(D) support the airway, gastric lavage, ethanol - CORRECT ANSWERS (C) activated charcoal,
urine alkalinization, dialysis
Which of the following patients who have sustained multiple trauma is most likely how to have a poor
outcome based on patient characteristics?
(A) the college graduate
(B) the owner of a successful business
(C) the married man
(D) the homeless man - CORRECT ANSWERS (D) the homeless man
Which of the following may be a reason to use restraints for a patient?
Complete Solutions (Latest 2025/2026).
After attending an educational session that reviewed drug dosing and provided a review of the
literature, the nurse would like to start using the admission weight to calculate drug dosing during
titration of vasoactive drugs rather than the current practice of using daily weights. What would be the
most effective next step for the nurse to take to implement this change?
(A) Begin the adaptation of the practice by using the admission weight for patients.
(B) Identify the key stakeholders related to the proposed change in practice.
(C) Ask the attending physician on rounds what her thoughts are about the practice.
(D) Discuss the educational session with nurse colleagues. - CORRECT ANSWERS (B) Identify
the key stakeholders related to the proposed change in practice.
A patient presents with a productive cough, hypoxemia, a fever, hypotension, tachycardia, and
tachypnea. Hypoxemia was corrected with the administration of oxygen. Which of the following should
be done next?
(A) Administer antibiotics.
(B) Start a vasopressor.
(C) Collect a sputum culture.
(D) Initiate 0.9 normal saline. - CORRECT ANSWERS (D) Initiate 0.9 normal saline.
A patient with a urinary tract infection presented with a temperature of 39°C (102.2°F), a heart rate of
132 beats/minute, a respiratory rate of 24 breaths/minute, a BP of 78/49 (a MAP of 59 mmHg), and a
lactate of 2.8 mmol/L. The patient received 2 L of 0.9 NS within 1 hour. The BP is now 100/52 (the MAP
is 68 mmHg), the heart rate is 118 beats/minute, the respiratory rate is 20 breaths/minute, and the
lactate is 2.1 mmol/L. The patient requires treatment for:
(A) bacteremia.
(B) sepsis.
(C) SIRS.
,(D) septic shock. - CORRECT ANSWERS (B) sepsis.
A patient is 48 hours post aortic valve replacement. Which of the following would be a major goal for
this patient?
(A) diuretic therapy
(B) stabilizing the blood pressure
(C) prophylactic antibiotics
(D) preventing a thrombus - CORRECT ANSWERS (D) preventing a thrombus
A patient with hypoxic encephalopathy has been opening his eyes to touch for the past 24 hours. The
patient now withdraws to painful stimuli, has developed unequal pupils, and has a positive Babinski
reflex. Which of the following interventions should the nurse anticipate?
(A) ventriculostomy, oxygen, steroids
(B) sedation, vasopressin (Pitressin), thiazide diuretic
(C) osmotic diuretic, intubation, and monitor the pCO2
(D) lumbar puncture and increase the FiO2 - CORRECT ANSWERS (C) osmotic diuretic,
intubation, and monitor the pCO2
A 19-year-old patient who was admitted with sickle cell crisis and acute kidney injury requests to use a
phone to update her friends on her condition. The nurse's best response would be to:
(A) explain to the patient that calls can be made when she is transferred out of the critical care unit.
(B) allow the patient to make the calls in order to meet the patient's need for social support.
(C) explain to the patient that she needs to rest in order for the analgesic medication to take effect.
(D) allow the patient to make the calls in order to reduce the patient's anxiety. - CORRECT ANSWERS
(B) allow the patient to make the calls in order to meet the patient's need for social support.
The unit quality council wants to reduce the number of CAUTIS. Which of the following strategies has
been demonstrated to reduce incidences of CAUTIS?
,(A) Remove the indwelling urinary catheter on day 3 post-op.
(B) Place the drainage collection system on the patient's abdomen during transport.
(C) Assess the competency of the staff using a simulated environment.
(D) Avoid the use of intermittent straight catheterization. - CORRECT ANSWERS (C) Assess the
competency of the staff using a simulated environment.
A patient has cardiogenic shock and cardiogenic pulmonary edema. Which of the following therapies
would be most effective for this patient?
(A) an intra-aortic balloon pump to increase coronary artery perfusion
(B) a beta blocker to increase cardiac contractility
(C) an alpha-adrenergic drug to increase coronary artery perfusion
(D) angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors to decrease afterload - CORRECT ANSWERS (A)
an intra-aortic balloon pump to increase coronary artery perfusion
The care team is considering whether a patient is a candidate for hospice care. Which of the following is
a specific service provided by hospice care?
(A) advance care planning
(B) symptom management
(C) care for a terminal illness
(D) consideration of patient/family wishes - CORRECT ANSWERS (C) care for a terminal illness
A patient has a history of chronic respiratory failure secondary to COPD and now has acute respiratory
failure secondary to pneumonia. Upon arrival at the critical care unit, his ABGs were a pH of 7.29, a
PaCO2 of 77, a PaO2 of 51, and an HCO3 of 31. He is receiving noninvasive ventilation with settings that
read as follows: FiO2 0.40, IPAP 12 cm, and EPAP 5 cm. After 1 hour of therapy, the patient's ABG results
are a pH of 7.20, a PaCO2 of 89, a PaO2 of 48, and an HCO3 of 32.
What is the correct evaluation of this data?
(A) Alveolar hyperventilation is getting worse; the BiPAP settings need adjustment.
(B) Metabolic acidosis is worse; the FiO, needs to be increased.
, (C) Alveolar hypoventilation is getting worse; the patient needs to be intubated.
(D) The pH is acceptable for a patient with COPD; continue the current therapy. - CORRECT ANSWERS
(C) Alveolar hypoventilation is getting worse; the patient needs to be intubated.
Which of the following is true regarding plateau pressure?
(A) It is a pressure that is used to calculate static compliance and reflects pressure in the lungs.
(B) It is a pressure that is used to calculate vital capacity and reflects pressure in the lungs.
(C) It is a pressure that is used to calculate dynamic compliance and reflects pressure in the airways.
(D) It is a pressure that is used to measure tidal volume and reflects pressure in the airways. - CORRECT
ANSWERS (A) It is a pressure that is used to calculate static compliance and reflects pressure
in the lungs.
A patient is admitted with a salicylate overdose. Which of the following treatments is most effective for
this patient?
(A) N-acetylcysteine, support the airway, fluids
(B) gastric lavage, an antidote, fluids
(C) activated charcoal, urine alkalinization, dialysis
(D) support the airway, gastric lavage, ethanol - CORRECT ANSWERS (C) activated charcoal,
urine alkalinization, dialysis
Which of the following patients who have sustained multiple trauma is most likely how to have a poor
outcome based on patient characteristics?
(A) the college graduate
(B) the owner of a successful business
(C) the married man
(D) the homeless man - CORRECT ANSWERS (D) the homeless man
Which of the following may be a reason to use restraints for a patient?
