NUR 417 EXAM 3 2026 QUESTIONS WITH
ANSWERS GRADED A+
◉ Which item would the nurse zero to establish accurate
hemodynamic monitoring for a patient?
a. Pressure monitoring system to phlebostatic axis
b. Pressure monitoring system to the level of the midclavicular line
c. Cardiac output monitoring system to the level of the left
ventricle
d. Pressure monitoring system to the level of the catheter
tip in the patient. Answer: A
◉ What factor will cause a decrease in cardiac output (CO)?
a. Decreased afterload
b. Decreased heart rate (HR)
c. Increased stroke volume (SV)
d. Decreased systemic vascular resistance (SVR). Answer: b.
Decreased heart rate (HR) causes decreased cardiac output (CO
◉ The patient has experienced an increased preload, which supports
an increase in CO.
What nursing action contributes to an increased preload?
,a. Diuretic administration
b. Dopamine administration
c. Increased fluid administration
d. Calcium channel blocker administration. Answer: c. Increased
fluid administration increases preload, which will increase CO
◉ During hemodynamic monitoring, the nurse finds that the patient
has a decreased CO
with unchanged pulmonary artery wedge pressure (PAWP), HR, and
SVR. The nurse
identifies that the patient has a decrease in what?
a. Preload
b. Afterload
c. Contractility
d. Stroke volume. Answer: c. CO is dependent on HR and SV. SV is
determined by preload, afterload, and
contractility. If CO is decreased and HR is unchanged, SV is the
variable factor. If the
preload (determined by pulmonary artery wedge pressure [PAWP])
and the afterload
(determined by SVR) are unchanged, the factor that is changed is the
contractility of
the myocardium.
,◉ Before taking hemodynamic measurements, how must the nurse
reference the
monitoring equipment?
a. Position the stopcock nearest the transducer level with the
phlebostatic axis.
b. Place the transducer on the left side of the chest at the fourth
intercostal space.
c. Confirm that when pressure in the system is zero, the equipment
is functioning.
d. Place the patient in a left lateral position with the transducer level
with the top surface of the mattress.. Answer: A
◉ What is a rationale for the use of arterial pressure-based CO
(APCO) monitoring
instead of a pulmonary artery catheter?
a. Dysrhythmia
b. Atrial fibrillation
c. Less invasive technique
d. Mechanical atrial or mitral valve. Answer: c. Arterial pressure-
based CO (APCO) monitoring is used because of decreased risk with
this less invasive technology than pulmonary artery pressure (PAP)
monitoring. PAP monitoring is contraindicated for patients with
coagulopathy and mechanical tricuspid or pulmonic valves.
, ◉ The nurse observes a PAWP waveform on the monitor when the
balloon of the
patient's pulmonary artery catheter is deflated. What should the
nurse recognize
about this situation?
a. The patient is at risk for embolism because of occlusion of the
catheter with a thrombus.
b. The patient is developing pulmonary edema that has increased
the pulmonary artery pressure.
c. The patient is at risk for an air embolus because the injected air
cannot be withdrawn into the syringe.
d. The catheter must be immediately repositioned to prevent
pulmonary infarction or pulmonary artery rupture. Answer: D
◉ A patient with which disorder would benefit from the use of the
intraaortic balloon
pump (IABP)?
a. An insufficient aortic valve
b. A dissecting thoracic aortic aneurysm
c. Generalized peripheral vascular disease
d. Acute myocardial infarction (MI) with cardiogenic shock. Answer:
D
◉ Which statement about the function of the IABP is accurate?
ANSWERS GRADED A+
◉ Which item would the nurse zero to establish accurate
hemodynamic monitoring for a patient?
a. Pressure monitoring system to phlebostatic axis
b. Pressure monitoring system to the level of the midclavicular line
c. Cardiac output monitoring system to the level of the left
ventricle
d. Pressure monitoring system to the level of the catheter
tip in the patient. Answer: A
◉ What factor will cause a decrease in cardiac output (CO)?
a. Decreased afterload
b. Decreased heart rate (HR)
c. Increased stroke volume (SV)
d. Decreased systemic vascular resistance (SVR). Answer: b.
Decreased heart rate (HR) causes decreased cardiac output (CO
◉ The patient has experienced an increased preload, which supports
an increase in CO.
What nursing action contributes to an increased preload?
,a. Diuretic administration
b. Dopamine administration
c. Increased fluid administration
d. Calcium channel blocker administration. Answer: c. Increased
fluid administration increases preload, which will increase CO
◉ During hemodynamic monitoring, the nurse finds that the patient
has a decreased CO
with unchanged pulmonary artery wedge pressure (PAWP), HR, and
SVR. The nurse
identifies that the patient has a decrease in what?
a. Preload
b. Afterload
c. Contractility
d. Stroke volume. Answer: c. CO is dependent on HR and SV. SV is
determined by preload, afterload, and
contractility. If CO is decreased and HR is unchanged, SV is the
variable factor. If the
preload (determined by pulmonary artery wedge pressure [PAWP])
and the afterload
(determined by SVR) are unchanged, the factor that is changed is the
contractility of
the myocardium.
,◉ Before taking hemodynamic measurements, how must the nurse
reference the
monitoring equipment?
a. Position the stopcock nearest the transducer level with the
phlebostatic axis.
b. Place the transducer on the left side of the chest at the fourth
intercostal space.
c. Confirm that when pressure in the system is zero, the equipment
is functioning.
d. Place the patient in a left lateral position with the transducer level
with the top surface of the mattress.. Answer: A
◉ What is a rationale for the use of arterial pressure-based CO
(APCO) monitoring
instead of a pulmonary artery catheter?
a. Dysrhythmia
b. Atrial fibrillation
c. Less invasive technique
d. Mechanical atrial or mitral valve. Answer: c. Arterial pressure-
based CO (APCO) monitoring is used because of decreased risk with
this less invasive technology than pulmonary artery pressure (PAP)
monitoring. PAP monitoring is contraindicated for patients with
coagulopathy and mechanical tricuspid or pulmonic valves.
, ◉ The nurse observes a PAWP waveform on the monitor when the
balloon of the
patient's pulmonary artery catheter is deflated. What should the
nurse recognize
about this situation?
a. The patient is at risk for embolism because of occlusion of the
catheter with a thrombus.
b. The patient is developing pulmonary edema that has increased
the pulmonary artery pressure.
c. The patient is at risk for an air embolus because the injected air
cannot be withdrawn into the syringe.
d. The catheter must be immediately repositioned to prevent
pulmonary infarction or pulmonary artery rupture. Answer: D
◉ A patient with which disorder would benefit from the use of the
intraaortic balloon
pump (IABP)?
a. An insufficient aortic valve
b. A dissecting thoracic aortic aneurysm
c. Generalized peripheral vascular disease
d. Acute myocardial infarction (MI) with cardiogenic shock. Answer:
D
◉ Which statement about the function of the IABP is accurate?
