HESI COMPASS MODULE EXAM 1 STUDY
GUIDE 2026 INFECTION CONTROL AND
PATIENT COMMUNICATION QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS
◉ The nurse is preparing a client for a scheduled surgical procedure.
What client statement should the nurse report to the HCP?
Answer: Recalls drinking a glass of juice after midnight
Risk of aspiration while under GA is increased when stomach is not
empty prior to surgical procedure.
◉ The parents of a 14-year-old boy express concern about their
son's behavior, which ranges from clean-cut and personable to
"grungy" and sullen. They have tried talking with him and
disciplining him, but he continues to demonstrate confusing
behaviors. Which information is best for the nurse to provide?
Answer: Early adolescence is a developmental state of normal
experimentation
Support parents about the stage spurred by hormonal increases in
pubescence and teenage experimentation with values, choices, and
peer acceptance.
,◉ The nurse is interviewing a female client whose spouse is present.
During the interview, the spouse answers most of the questions for
the client. Which action is best for the nurse to implement?
Answer: Ask the spouse to step out for a few minutes
this maintains the client's privacy and allows the client to respond,
without confronting the spouse
◉ The nurse determines that a client's body weight is 105% above
the standardized height-weight scale. Which related factor should
the nurse include in the nursing problem "Imbalanced nutrition:
more than body requirements"?
Answer: Inadequate lifestyle changes in diet and exercise
Obesity is 20% above desirable weight for age/sex/height/body
build/BMI. These best contribute to the formulation of the nursing
diagnosis
◉ The nurse is assessing a client and identifies the presence of
petechiae. Which documentation best describes this finding?
Answer: Purplish-red pinpoint lesions of the skin
,non-blanchable tiny hemorrhages within the dermal or submucosal
layers
◉ The nurse is inspecting the external eye structures for a client.
Which finding is a normal racial variation?
Answer: An African-American client may have slightly yellow sclerae
Helps differentiate early signs of pathology
Normal for AA
◉ During the physical assessment, which finding should the nurse
recognize as a normal finding?
Answer: Regular pulsation at the epigastric area when the client is
supine
The regular and recurrent expansion and contraction of an artery
produced by waves of pressure cause by the ejection of blood from
the left ventricle as it contracts
◉ The nurse is monitoring neurological VS for a male client who lost
consciousness after falling and hitting his head. Which assessment
finding is the earliest and most sensitive indication of altered
cerebral function?
Answer: Change in LOC
, First and most sensitive sign of change in cerebral function
neurologic VS include TPR, BP, glasgow coma scale
(verbal/musculoskeletal and pupillary)
◉ When documenting assessment data, which statement should the
nurse record in the narrative nursing notes?
Answer: S1 murmur auscultated in supine position
Subjective & objective data should be documented using precise,
descriptive, clear & accurate information
◉ A female client reports to the nurse that her sleep was interrupted
by "thoughts of anger toward my husband". What type of thoughts is
this client having?
Answer: Obsessive
thoughts unable to control
◉ The nurse attempts to notify the HCP about a client who is
exhibiting an extrapyramidal reaction to psychotropic meds. When
the receptionist for the answering service offers to take a message,
which nursing action is best for the nurse to take?
Answer: Tell the receptionist to have the HCP return the phone call
GUIDE 2026 INFECTION CONTROL AND
PATIENT COMMUNICATION QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS
◉ The nurse is preparing a client for a scheduled surgical procedure.
What client statement should the nurse report to the HCP?
Answer: Recalls drinking a glass of juice after midnight
Risk of aspiration while under GA is increased when stomach is not
empty prior to surgical procedure.
◉ The parents of a 14-year-old boy express concern about their
son's behavior, which ranges from clean-cut and personable to
"grungy" and sullen. They have tried talking with him and
disciplining him, but he continues to demonstrate confusing
behaviors. Which information is best for the nurse to provide?
Answer: Early adolescence is a developmental state of normal
experimentation
Support parents about the stage spurred by hormonal increases in
pubescence and teenage experimentation with values, choices, and
peer acceptance.
,◉ The nurse is interviewing a female client whose spouse is present.
During the interview, the spouse answers most of the questions for
the client. Which action is best for the nurse to implement?
Answer: Ask the spouse to step out for a few minutes
this maintains the client's privacy and allows the client to respond,
without confronting the spouse
◉ The nurse determines that a client's body weight is 105% above
the standardized height-weight scale. Which related factor should
the nurse include in the nursing problem "Imbalanced nutrition:
more than body requirements"?
Answer: Inadequate lifestyle changes in diet and exercise
Obesity is 20% above desirable weight for age/sex/height/body
build/BMI. These best contribute to the formulation of the nursing
diagnosis
◉ The nurse is assessing a client and identifies the presence of
petechiae. Which documentation best describes this finding?
Answer: Purplish-red pinpoint lesions of the skin
,non-blanchable tiny hemorrhages within the dermal or submucosal
layers
◉ The nurse is inspecting the external eye structures for a client.
Which finding is a normal racial variation?
Answer: An African-American client may have slightly yellow sclerae
Helps differentiate early signs of pathology
Normal for AA
◉ During the physical assessment, which finding should the nurse
recognize as a normal finding?
Answer: Regular pulsation at the epigastric area when the client is
supine
The regular and recurrent expansion and contraction of an artery
produced by waves of pressure cause by the ejection of blood from
the left ventricle as it contracts
◉ The nurse is monitoring neurological VS for a male client who lost
consciousness after falling and hitting his head. Which assessment
finding is the earliest and most sensitive indication of altered
cerebral function?
Answer: Change in LOC
, First and most sensitive sign of change in cerebral function
neurologic VS include TPR, BP, glasgow coma scale
(verbal/musculoskeletal and pupillary)
◉ When documenting assessment data, which statement should the
nurse record in the narrative nursing notes?
Answer: S1 murmur auscultated in supine position
Subjective & objective data should be documented using precise,
descriptive, clear & accurate information
◉ A female client reports to the nurse that her sleep was interrupted
by "thoughts of anger toward my husband". What type of thoughts is
this client having?
Answer: Obsessive
thoughts unable to control
◉ The nurse attempts to notify the HCP about a client who is
exhibiting an extrapyramidal reaction to psychotropic meds. When
the receptionist for the answering service offers to take a message,
which nursing action is best for the nurse to take?
Answer: Tell the receptionist to have the HCP return the phone call
