ACTUAL EXAM 180 QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
(PROFESSOR VERIFIED) | ALREADY GRADED A+
NCLEX-RN Preparation | Key Domains: Management of Care, Safety & Infection Control, Health
Promotion & Maintenance, Psychosocial Integrity, Basic Care & Comfort, Pharmacological &
Parenteral Therapies, Reduction of Risk Potential, Physiological Adaptation, Nursing Fundamentals,
and Critical Thinking for Clinical Judgment | Expert-Aligned Structure | Exam-Ready Format
Introduction
This structured ATI RN Comprehensive 2025 Predictor Exam provides a comprehensive set of 180
high-quality exam-style questions with correct answers and rationales. It emphasizes the clinical
judgment model, prioritization (ABCs, Maslow, least restrictive), nursing interventions,
pathophysiology, medication safety, and patient-centered care critical for predicting NCLEX-RN
readiness.
Answer Format
All correct answers must appear in bold and cyan blue, accompanied by concise rationales
explaining nursing clinical judgment, priority-setting frameworks, physiological principles, and why
alternative options are incorrect or less appropriate.
1. A nurse is caring for a client who has a serum potassium level of 6.2 mEq/L. Which of the
following actions should the nurse take first?
A. Administer sodium polystyrene sulfonate
B. Prepare the client for dialysis
C. Place the client on a cardiac monitor
, D. Obtain a 12-lead ECG
Rationale: The priority is to monitor for life-threatening cardiac dysrhythmias due to hyperkalemia
(normal K⁺: 3.5–5.0 mEq/L). Placing the client on a cardiac monitor is the immediate action per the
ABCs (Airway, Breathing, Circulation)—specifically Circulation. ECG and medications follow after
continuous monitoring is initiated.
2. A client with heart failure is prescribed furosemide 40 mg IV push. Before administration, the
nurse should check which laboratory value?
A. Hemoglobin
B. Potassium
C. Calcium
D. Platelet count
Rationale: Furosemide is a loop diuretic that causes potassium wasting, increasing risk for
hypokalemia and cardiac dysrhythmias. Potassium must be assessed before and during therapy.
While other electrolytes may be affected, potassium is the priority due to cardiac implications.
3. A nurse is assessing a client who is postoperative day 1 following abdominal surgery. The client
has absent bowel sounds, abdominal distension, and nausea. The nurse should suspect which
complication?
A. Peritonitis
B. Paralytic ileus
C. Bowel obstruction
, D. Gastroenteritis
Rationale: Paralytic ileus (adynamic ileus) is a common postoperative complication caused by
anesthesia and opioid use, characterized by absent bowel sounds, distension, and nausea without
mechanical obstruction. Peritonitis would present with fever and rigid abdomen; obstruction would
have high-pitched bowel sounds initially.
4. A client with type 1 diabetes mellitus reports feeling shaky, sweaty, and anxious. The nurse
should first:
A. Administer glucagon IM
B. Check the client's blood glucose level
C. Provide 4 oz of regular soda
D. Notify the provider
Rationale: The priority is assessment before intervention. Symptoms suggest hypoglycemia, but
confirmation via blood glucose is required per the nursing process. Administering sugar or glucagon
without confirmation could cause harm if the cause is not hypoglycemia.
5. A nurse is preparing to administer digoxin 0.25 mg IV to a client. The client’s apical pulse is 58
beats/min. What action should the nurse take?
A. Administer the medication as prescribed
B. Withhold the dose and notify the provider
C. Administer half the dose