NUR-504 EXAM 1 | COMPREHENSIVE NURSING STUDY GUIDE, PRACTICE
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS 2026/2027
What is the first organ affected when there is a cardiac issue? - ANS ✔✔Kidneys- the kidneys require a
lot of blood
What is Central Venous Pressure (CVP)? - ANS ✔✔It's the preload, comes into the blood from the right
side of the heart
What's an A-line? - ANS ✔✔a thin, flexible tube that is placed into an artery that takes the most accurate
blood pressure
If the blood pressure is low, what is the CVP? - ANS ✔✔low CVP
How do you increase CVP and increase BP? - ANS ✔✔Constrict the vessels
What is the cardiovascular focused assessment? - ANS ✔✔Med history, allergies, aspirin/anticoagulants,
skin color, mouth, sclera, skin temperature, pulses
What is preload? - ANS ✔✔what comes into right atrium from the body- aka CVP
What is the pathway of blood in the heart? - ANS ✔✔Into right atrium (preload-what comes in aka CVP),
goes to right ventricle, pulmonary arteries (only artery with deoxygenated blood- MUST KNOW), goes
into left atria, then left ventricle
What is afterload? - ANS ✔✔resistance left ventricle must overcome to circulate blood throughout body
If CVP is high or BP is high, will there be a high resistance? - ANS ✔✔Yes, more afterload
Where is the A-line placed? - ANS ✔✔Usually radial artery, hooked up to sensor that gives you the MAP
What are the normals for the MAP? - ANS ✔✔65 or greater (heart is great)
What kind of blood is the pulmonary arteries carrying to the lungs? - ANS ✔✔Deoxygenated blood (she
mentioned this multiple times!!)
What brings CVP up with extremely low BP? - ANS ✔✔They need a constrictor
DOPAMINE FIRST LINE
Norepi, epi, dopamine
What if someone's blood pressure is too high? - ANS ✔✔vasodilator nitro- (Sublingual, IV)
What does dopamine do? - ANS ✔✔constrict (fast acting)
What does dobutamine do? - ANS ✔✔dilate (slow acting)
What is Levophed? - ANS ✔✔norepinephrine
, What does inotrope mean? - ANS ✔✔helps the heart pump
What is the P wave? - ANS ✔✔atrial depolarization/contracting- sinus node, also known as the sinoatrial
node, creates an action potential
What is the QRS wave? - ANS ✔✔ventricular electricity- represents ventricular
depolarization/contracting
What is the T wave? - ANS ✔✔relaxing- repolarization of the ventricles
When is the heart pumping? - ANS ✔✔depolarization
When is the heart resting? - ANS ✔✔repolarization
What does each box represent on an EKG strip? - ANS ✔✔Time (you want at least 6 seconds)
What is the best way to count heart rate from an EKG strip? - ANS ✔✔Count the QSRs and times by 10
What does 30 large boxes on EKG strip mean? - ANS ✔✔6 seconds
What does 5 large boxes on a rhythm strip equal? - ANS ✔✔1 second
How to read an EKG strip? - ANS ✔✔See if there's a PQRST with rest, rate, check rhythm if it's regular
What are nursing interventions for sinus bradycardia? - ANS ✔✔Low fowler, call provider (risk for
fainting)
What is depolarization? - ANS ✔✔Contraction
What is repolarization? - ANS ✔✔Relaxing
What's the primary pacemaker for the heart? - ANS ✔✔SA node
How do you know the SA node is working properly? - ANS ✔✔60-100 HR
How do you know the AV node is working? - ANS ✔✔40-60 HR
How to calculate heart rate on an ekg strip? - ANS ✔✔QRS x 10
What do we want to be mindful of when putting on EKG leads? - ANS ✔✔Mindful of sweating patients,
hairy chest can cause artifact (fake reading), place new ones on your shift to make sure reading is
accurate.
What is a normal sinus rhythm? - ANS ✔✔Comes from SA node, ekg looks good
Why does sinus tachycardia occur? - ANS ✔✔Exercise, stimulants, anxiety
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS 2026/2027
What is the first organ affected when there is a cardiac issue? - ANS ✔✔Kidneys- the kidneys require a
lot of blood
What is Central Venous Pressure (CVP)? - ANS ✔✔It's the preload, comes into the blood from the right
side of the heart
What's an A-line? - ANS ✔✔a thin, flexible tube that is placed into an artery that takes the most accurate
blood pressure
If the blood pressure is low, what is the CVP? - ANS ✔✔low CVP
How do you increase CVP and increase BP? - ANS ✔✔Constrict the vessels
What is the cardiovascular focused assessment? - ANS ✔✔Med history, allergies, aspirin/anticoagulants,
skin color, mouth, sclera, skin temperature, pulses
What is preload? - ANS ✔✔what comes into right atrium from the body- aka CVP
What is the pathway of blood in the heart? - ANS ✔✔Into right atrium (preload-what comes in aka CVP),
goes to right ventricle, pulmonary arteries (only artery with deoxygenated blood- MUST KNOW), goes
into left atria, then left ventricle
What is afterload? - ANS ✔✔resistance left ventricle must overcome to circulate blood throughout body
If CVP is high or BP is high, will there be a high resistance? - ANS ✔✔Yes, more afterload
Where is the A-line placed? - ANS ✔✔Usually radial artery, hooked up to sensor that gives you the MAP
What are the normals for the MAP? - ANS ✔✔65 or greater (heart is great)
What kind of blood is the pulmonary arteries carrying to the lungs? - ANS ✔✔Deoxygenated blood (she
mentioned this multiple times!!)
What brings CVP up with extremely low BP? - ANS ✔✔They need a constrictor
DOPAMINE FIRST LINE
Norepi, epi, dopamine
What if someone's blood pressure is too high? - ANS ✔✔vasodilator nitro- (Sublingual, IV)
What does dopamine do? - ANS ✔✔constrict (fast acting)
What does dobutamine do? - ANS ✔✔dilate (slow acting)
What is Levophed? - ANS ✔✔norepinephrine
, What does inotrope mean? - ANS ✔✔helps the heart pump
What is the P wave? - ANS ✔✔atrial depolarization/contracting- sinus node, also known as the sinoatrial
node, creates an action potential
What is the QRS wave? - ANS ✔✔ventricular electricity- represents ventricular
depolarization/contracting
What is the T wave? - ANS ✔✔relaxing- repolarization of the ventricles
When is the heart pumping? - ANS ✔✔depolarization
When is the heart resting? - ANS ✔✔repolarization
What does each box represent on an EKG strip? - ANS ✔✔Time (you want at least 6 seconds)
What is the best way to count heart rate from an EKG strip? - ANS ✔✔Count the QSRs and times by 10
What does 30 large boxes on EKG strip mean? - ANS ✔✔6 seconds
What does 5 large boxes on a rhythm strip equal? - ANS ✔✔1 second
How to read an EKG strip? - ANS ✔✔See if there's a PQRST with rest, rate, check rhythm if it's regular
What are nursing interventions for sinus bradycardia? - ANS ✔✔Low fowler, call provider (risk for
fainting)
What is depolarization? - ANS ✔✔Contraction
What is repolarization? - ANS ✔✔Relaxing
What's the primary pacemaker for the heart? - ANS ✔✔SA node
How do you know the SA node is working properly? - ANS ✔✔60-100 HR
How do you know the AV node is working? - ANS ✔✔40-60 HR
How to calculate heart rate on an ekg strip? - ANS ✔✔QRS x 10
What do we want to be mindful of when putting on EKG leads? - ANS ✔✔Mindful of sweating patients,
hairy chest can cause artifact (fake reading), place new ones on your shift to make sure reading is
accurate.
What is a normal sinus rhythm? - ANS ✔✔Comes from SA node, ekg looks good
Why does sinus tachycardia occur? - ANS ✔✔Exercise, stimulants, anxiety
