ATI RN MED SURG PROCTORED RETAKE
EXAM 2026 Edition: Versions 1, 2, & 3
1. A nurse is assessing a client who is 12 hours postoperative
following a colon resection. Which of the following findings
should the nurse report to the surgeon?
A. Heart rate 90/min
B. Absent bowel sounds
C. Blood-tinged drainage on the dressing
D. Pain rating of 4 on a 0-10 scale
Correct Answer: C. Blood-tinged drainage on the dressing is an
unexpected finding that could indicate hemorrhage and should
be reported immediately. Absent bowel sounds are expected after
bowel surgery.
2. A nurse is providing discharge teaching to a client with a
new colostomy. Which statement by the client indicates
understanding?
A. "I will only change my pouch when it leaks."
B. "I can take a bath with my pouch on."
C. "I should expect my stoma to be purple for the first few weeks."
D. "I will irrigate my colostomy every morning to make it work."
Correct Answer: B. A client with a colostomy can bathe or swim
with the pouch on; water will not harm the stoma or the seal.
, 3. A nurse is completing an assessment of an older adult
client and notes reddened areas over bony prominences, but
the client's skin is intact. Which intervention should the nurse
include in the plan of care?
A. Turn and reposition the client every 4 hours.
B. Apply an occlusive dressing.
C. Support bony prominences with pillows.
D. Massage the reddened areas three times a day.
Correct Answer: C. Supporting bony prominences with pillows
relieves pressure. Reddened but intact skin indicates a stage 1
pressure injury, which is reversible. Massaging the area is
contraindicated as it can damage capillaries.
4. A home health nurse is making an initial visit to a client
who has multiple sclerosis. Which action is the priority?
A. Discuss recommendations for eating and swallowing
techniques.
B. List strategies for family coping with role changes.
C. Review the use of adaptive grooming devices.
D. Give the client information about the local MS society.
Correct Answer: A. Airway and safety are priorities. Dysphagia
(difficulty swallowing) is common in MS and can lead to
aspiration, making eating and swallowing techniques the priority.
5. A nurse in an emergency department is assessing a client.
Which action should the nurse take first?
A. Obtain a sputum sample for culture.
, B. Administer ondansetron.
C. Initiate airborne precautions.
D. Prepare the client for a chest x-ray.
Correct Answer: C. Safety is the priority. If airborne precautions
are indicated (e.g., for suspected tuberculosis), they must be
initiated first to prevent the spread of infection.
6. A nurse is discussing the difference between rheumatoid
arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis with a newly licensed nurse.
Which information should the nurse include about
osteoarthritis?
A. "It is an autoimmune disease."
B. "It involves symmetrical joint impairment."
C. "It can impair a joint on a single side of the body."
D. "It typically affects other body organs."
Correct Answer: C. Osteoarthritis is characterized by unilateral
joint involvement (often weight-bearing joints) due to wear and
tear, unlike the symmetrical joint impairment seen in RA.
7. A nurse is caring for a client who has osteomyelitis of an
open wound on his heel. Which information should the nurse
include in the plan of care?
A. "Your provider might prescribe a central catheter line for long-
term antibiotic therapy."
B. "You will need oral antibiotics for two weeks."
C. "The infection will be treated with topical antibiotics only."
D. "You will require surgery to remove the wound."
, Correct Answer: A. Osteomyelitis is a bone infection that requires
weeks to months of IV antibiotic therapy, often necessitating
long-term IV access like a PICC or central line.
8. A nurse is caring for a client who has a depressed skull
fracture of the bone that makes up the larger part of the
upper and side wall of the cranium. This fracture is located on
which bone?
A. Frontal bone
B. Temporal bone
C. Occipital bone
D. Parietal bone
Correct Answer: D. The parietal bones form the majority of the
upper and side walls of the cranium.
9. A client uses a morphine PCA pump postoperatively. The
nurse notes the client is drowsy with a respiratory rate of 8
breaths/min. What is the nurse's priority action?
A. Encourage deep breathing and coughing.
B. Administer naloxone.
C. Notify the provider and prepare to reduce the PCA dose.
D. Increase the oxygen flow rate.
Correct Answer: C. Respiratory depression (rate of 8) with
sedation requires immediate dose adjustment and provider
notification. Naloxone is a rescue medication for severe, life-
threatening respiratory depression.
EXAM 2026 Edition: Versions 1, 2, & 3
1. A nurse is assessing a client who is 12 hours postoperative
following a colon resection. Which of the following findings
should the nurse report to the surgeon?
A. Heart rate 90/min
B. Absent bowel sounds
C. Blood-tinged drainage on the dressing
D. Pain rating of 4 on a 0-10 scale
Correct Answer: C. Blood-tinged drainage on the dressing is an
unexpected finding that could indicate hemorrhage and should
be reported immediately. Absent bowel sounds are expected after
bowel surgery.
2. A nurse is providing discharge teaching to a client with a
new colostomy. Which statement by the client indicates
understanding?
A. "I will only change my pouch when it leaks."
B. "I can take a bath with my pouch on."
C. "I should expect my stoma to be purple for the first few weeks."
D. "I will irrigate my colostomy every morning to make it work."
Correct Answer: B. A client with a colostomy can bathe or swim
with the pouch on; water will not harm the stoma or the seal.
, 3. A nurse is completing an assessment of an older adult
client and notes reddened areas over bony prominences, but
the client's skin is intact. Which intervention should the nurse
include in the plan of care?
A. Turn and reposition the client every 4 hours.
B. Apply an occlusive dressing.
C. Support bony prominences with pillows.
D. Massage the reddened areas three times a day.
Correct Answer: C. Supporting bony prominences with pillows
relieves pressure. Reddened but intact skin indicates a stage 1
pressure injury, which is reversible. Massaging the area is
contraindicated as it can damage capillaries.
4. A home health nurse is making an initial visit to a client
who has multiple sclerosis. Which action is the priority?
A. Discuss recommendations for eating and swallowing
techniques.
B. List strategies for family coping with role changes.
C. Review the use of adaptive grooming devices.
D. Give the client information about the local MS society.
Correct Answer: A. Airway and safety are priorities. Dysphagia
(difficulty swallowing) is common in MS and can lead to
aspiration, making eating and swallowing techniques the priority.
5. A nurse in an emergency department is assessing a client.
Which action should the nurse take first?
A. Obtain a sputum sample for culture.
, B. Administer ondansetron.
C. Initiate airborne precautions.
D. Prepare the client for a chest x-ray.
Correct Answer: C. Safety is the priority. If airborne precautions
are indicated (e.g., for suspected tuberculosis), they must be
initiated first to prevent the spread of infection.
6. A nurse is discussing the difference between rheumatoid
arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis with a newly licensed nurse.
Which information should the nurse include about
osteoarthritis?
A. "It is an autoimmune disease."
B. "It involves symmetrical joint impairment."
C. "It can impair a joint on a single side of the body."
D. "It typically affects other body organs."
Correct Answer: C. Osteoarthritis is characterized by unilateral
joint involvement (often weight-bearing joints) due to wear and
tear, unlike the symmetrical joint impairment seen in RA.
7. A nurse is caring for a client who has osteomyelitis of an
open wound on his heel. Which information should the nurse
include in the plan of care?
A. "Your provider might prescribe a central catheter line for long-
term antibiotic therapy."
B. "You will need oral antibiotics for two weeks."
C. "The infection will be treated with topical antibiotics only."
D. "You will require surgery to remove the wound."
, Correct Answer: A. Osteomyelitis is a bone infection that requires
weeks to months of IV antibiotic therapy, often necessitating
long-term IV access like a PICC or central line.
8. A nurse is caring for a client who has a depressed skull
fracture of the bone that makes up the larger part of the
upper and side wall of the cranium. This fracture is located on
which bone?
A. Frontal bone
B. Temporal bone
C. Occipital bone
D. Parietal bone
Correct Answer: D. The parietal bones form the majority of the
upper and side walls of the cranium.
9. A client uses a morphine PCA pump postoperatively. The
nurse notes the client is drowsy with a respiratory rate of 8
breaths/min. What is the nurse's priority action?
A. Encourage deep breathing and coughing.
B. Administer naloxone.
C. Notify the provider and prepare to reduce the PCA dose.
D. Increase the oxygen flow rate.
Correct Answer: C. Respiratory depression (rate of 8) with
sedation requires immediate dose adjustment and provider
notification. Naloxone is a rescue medication for severe, life-
threatening respiratory depression.
