HURST REVIEW NCLEX RN READINESS
EXAM 3 MEDICAL SURGICAL CRITICAL
CARE SCENARIOS 2026 FULL PRACTICE
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
◉ Which pediatric client should the nurse see first?
1. Six year old with a femur fracture.
2. Two year old with a fever of 102 ° F (38.8 ° C)
3. Three year old with wheezes in right lower lobe.
4. Two year old whose gastrostomy tube came out.
Answer: 3
◉ A client has been prescribed chlorpromazine for the treatment of
schizophrenia. The nurse makes afternoon rounds and finds the
client's temperature to be 104.7º F/40.4º C. The client has extreme
muscle rigidity, and the vital signs have been fluctuating for the last
four hours. What should the nurse do first?
1. Provide a tepid sponge bath.
2. Notify the primary healthcare provider immediately.
3. Administer an antipyretic immediately.
,4. Administer the chlorpromazine as prescribed.
Answer: 2
◉ A client with chronic alcoholism has been admitted to the
intensive care unit after overdosing on alcohol. Which medication
should the nurse prepare to administer?
1. Disulfiram 250 mg po daily
2. Thiamine 100 mg IV twice a day
3. Naloxone 0.4 mg IV prn
4. Clonidine TTS patch 2.5 mg per week
Answer: 2
◉ Which observations by the nurse indicate that a mother is
protecting her two day old female newborn from infection?
1. Cleans perineum from front to back after newborn soils diaper.
2. Makes certain the umbilical cord remains dry with each diaper
change.
3. Places the top of the diaper just above the umbilicus.
4. Wraps sterile petroleum gauze around umbilical cord.
5. Submerges newborn in warm water up to the chest for first bath.
Answer: 1,2
,◉ A nurse is calling the primary healthcare provider about a client
who is experiencing dyspnea and chest pain two days post total knee
replacement. Which statements by the nurse are appropriate
according to the communication tool SBAR (Situation, Background,
Assessment and Recommendation)?
1. "Hello Dr, I am calling about one of your clients."
2. "Jane Doe is having increasing dyspnea and is reporting chest
pain."
3. "Jane Doe had a total knee replacement two days ago. Pulse is 120,
BP 128/54, Resp 32. She is restless."
4. "From my assessment, I think she may be having a cardiac event
or a pulmonary embolism."
5. "I recommend that you see the client immediately and that we
start oxygen stat. Do you agree?"
Answer: 2,3,4,5
◉ The nurse is teaching a client regarding buspirone. The nurse
recognizes that teaching has been effective when the client makes
which statements?
1. "I should start feeling better in two or three days."
2. "I should not drink alcohol while taking this medication."
, 3. "I will rise slowly from lying to sitting or standing."
4. "I will notify my primary healthcare provider of any unusal facial
movements."
5. "I need to keep the medication in a closed container in the
refrigerator."
Answer: 2,3,4
◉ The primary healthcare provider prescribes a combination of
pyrazinamide and isoniazid to treat a client with tuberculosis. The
client asks the nurse, "Why am I taking two drugs?" Which
explanation should the nurse give the client?
1. One diminishes the side effects of the other.
2. Hepatoxicity is reduced.
3. Bacterial resistance is decreased.
4. One kills the live bacteria, and the other the spores.
Answer: 3
◉ The nurse is teaching a newly diagnosed diabetic about proper
foot care. Which statements by the nurse are correct?
1. Cut the toenails in a rounded fashion.
2. Wash the feet with warm water and betadine.
EXAM 3 MEDICAL SURGICAL CRITICAL
CARE SCENARIOS 2026 FULL PRACTICE
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
◉ Which pediatric client should the nurse see first?
1. Six year old with a femur fracture.
2. Two year old with a fever of 102 ° F (38.8 ° C)
3. Three year old with wheezes in right lower lobe.
4. Two year old whose gastrostomy tube came out.
Answer: 3
◉ A client has been prescribed chlorpromazine for the treatment of
schizophrenia. The nurse makes afternoon rounds and finds the
client's temperature to be 104.7º F/40.4º C. The client has extreme
muscle rigidity, and the vital signs have been fluctuating for the last
four hours. What should the nurse do first?
1. Provide a tepid sponge bath.
2. Notify the primary healthcare provider immediately.
3. Administer an antipyretic immediately.
,4. Administer the chlorpromazine as prescribed.
Answer: 2
◉ A client with chronic alcoholism has been admitted to the
intensive care unit after overdosing on alcohol. Which medication
should the nurse prepare to administer?
1. Disulfiram 250 mg po daily
2. Thiamine 100 mg IV twice a day
3. Naloxone 0.4 mg IV prn
4. Clonidine TTS patch 2.5 mg per week
Answer: 2
◉ Which observations by the nurse indicate that a mother is
protecting her two day old female newborn from infection?
1. Cleans perineum from front to back after newborn soils diaper.
2. Makes certain the umbilical cord remains dry with each diaper
change.
3. Places the top of the diaper just above the umbilicus.
4. Wraps sterile petroleum gauze around umbilical cord.
5. Submerges newborn in warm water up to the chest for first bath.
Answer: 1,2
,◉ A nurse is calling the primary healthcare provider about a client
who is experiencing dyspnea and chest pain two days post total knee
replacement. Which statements by the nurse are appropriate
according to the communication tool SBAR (Situation, Background,
Assessment and Recommendation)?
1. "Hello Dr, I am calling about one of your clients."
2. "Jane Doe is having increasing dyspnea and is reporting chest
pain."
3. "Jane Doe had a total knee replacement two days ago. Pulse is 120,
BP 128/54, Resp 32. She is restless."
4. "From my assessment, I think she may be having a cardiac event
or a pulmonary embolism."
5. "I recommend that you see the client immediately and that we
start oxygen stat. Do you agree?"
Answer: 2,3,4,5
◉ The nurse is teaching a client regarding buspirone. The nurse
recognizes that teaching has been effective when the client makes
which statements?
1. "I should start feeling better in two or three days."
2. "I should not drink alcohol while taking this medication."
, 3. "I will rise slowly from lying to sitting or standing."
4. "I will notify my primary healthcare provider of any unusal facial
movements."
5. "I need to keep the medication in a closed container in the
refrigerator."
Answer: 2,3,4
◉ The primary healthcare provider prescribes a combination of
pyrazinamide and isoniazid to treat a client with tuberculosis. The
client asks the nurse, "Why am I taking two drugs?" Which
explanation should the nurse give the client?
1. One diminishes the side effects of the other.
2. Hepatoxicity is reduced.
3. Bacterial resistance is decreased.
4. One kills the live bacteria, and the other the spores.
Answer: 3
◉ The nurse is teaching a newly diagnosed diabetic about proper
foot care. Which statements by the nurse are correct?
1. Cut the toenails in a rounded fashion.
2. Wash the feet with warm water and betadine.
