RN VATI Adult Medical Surgical Assessment Exam with Correct
Verified Answers Latest Update (2024/2025)
A nurse collects data on a client who returned to the unit four hr ago following a partial
colectomy. Which of the following conditions should the nurse attend to first?
A) Change the moderately saturated dressing.
B) Administer analgesic medication for incisional pain.
C) Catheterize for a distended bladder.
D) Cough and deep breathe client. - B) Administer analgesic medication for incisional
pain.
Rationale: Administer pain medication to establish comfort and then attend to the other
reported condition.
A nurse is reinforcing discharge teaching on actions that improve gas exchange to a
client diagnosed with emphysema. Which of the following instructions should be
included in the teaching?
A) Resting in a supine position
B) Elevating arms while performing ADLs
C) Breathing in through the nose and out through pursed lips.
D) Increasing oxygen delivery to 5 L/min during times of distress. - C) Breathing in
through the nose and out through pursed lips.
A nurse is assessing a client who is African-American and who is jaundice. Which of the
following areas are the most reliable for the nurse to inspect?
A) Palms of hands
B) Hard palate
C) Sclera
D) Nail beds - Hard palate
A nurse is reinforcing teaching with a client who has ulcerative colitis and requires a low
fiber diet. The nurse should instruct the client to avoid which of the following foods?
A) Cooked carrots
B) Dried apricots
C) Ripe bananas
D) White rice - B) Dried apricots
A nurse is caring for a client who just had a endoscopic procedure. Which of the
following is the monitoring priority for this client?
,A) Pain
B) Nausea
C) Gag reflex
D) Level of consciousness - C) Gag reflex
A nurse is reinforcing discharge teaching for a client who has chronic pancreatitis.
Which of the following statements by the nurse is appropriate?
A)"You should decrease your caloric intake when abdominal pain is present."
B) "You should increase your daily protein intake."
C) "You should increase fat intake when experiencing loose stools."
D) "You should limit alcohol intake to 2-2 drinks per week." - B) "You should increase
your daily protein intake."
A nurse is caring for a client who has a large wound that has a vacuum-assisted closure
device placed over it. Which of the following findings by the nurse indicated healing of
the wound.
A) Granulation tussue on the surface of the wound
B) Musty odor from the foam dressing upon removal
C) Sanguineous drainage in the suction device.
D) Peeling of the edges of the transparent dressing - A) Granulation tussue on the
surface of the wound
A nurse is caring for a toddler admitted to the hospital with acute gastroenteritis. Which
of the following findings has the highest priority?
A) Weightloss 3% of total body weight.
B) Blood glucose 150 mg/dL
C)Potassium 2.5 mEq/L
D) Urine specific gravity 1.035 - C)Potassium 2.5 mEq/L
A nurse is reinforcing teaching about preventing long-term complications of retinopathy
and neuropathy with an older adult client who has diabetes mellitus. Which of the
following actions is the most important for the nurse to include in the teaching?
A) "Plan to have an eye examination once per year."
B) "Examine your feet carefully every day".
C) "Wear closed toed shoes daily."
D) "Maintain stable blood glucose levels." - D) "Maintain stable blood glucose levels."
A nurse is reinforcing teaching to the family of a client who has multiple myeloma and is
admitted to the unit with a WBC count of 2,200/mm3. Which of the following food items
brought by the family should the nurse prohibit from being given to the client?
,A) Fried chicken
B) Bagels
C) A factory-sealed box of chocolates
D) Fresh fruit basket - D) Fresh fruit basket
A nurse is reviewing the preadmission laboratory test results of a client who is
scheduled for a carotid endarterectomy in 3 days. Which of the following results should
the nurse resport to the provider?
A) Sodium 151 mEq/L
B) Chloride 105 mEq/L
C) Potassium 3.8 mEq/L
D) Calcium 9.6 mEq/L - A) Sodium 151 mEq/L
A nurse is caring for a client who has unilateral leg edema with associated pain and a
low-grade temperature. Which of the following action should the nurse take?
A) Elevate the affected leg
B) Apply cold compresses to the client's leg
C) Place a pillow under the client's knees.
D) Massage the painful area of the leg. - A) Elevate the affected leg
A nurse is reinforcing teaching with a class about preventing deep-vein thrombosis. The
nurse should include in the teaching that which of the following is a risk factor for this
disorder? Select all that apply.
- Dehyrdration
- Oral contraceptive use
- Hypertension
- High calcium intake
- Immobility - -Dehydration
-Oral contraceptive
- Immobility
A nurse is caring for a client who has an acute exacerbation of ulcerative colitis. The
nurse should recognize that which of the following is the most important nursing action
for this client?
A) Preventing skin breakdown
B) Maintain fluid and electrolyte balance
C) Providing emotional support
D) Promoting physical mobility - B) Maintain fluid and electrolyte balance
A nurse is assigned to care for a client suspected of having diabetes insipidus. The
nurse should frequently check the client for the development of :
, A) hypotension
B) polyphagia
C) hyperglycemia
D) bradycardia - A) hypotension
A nurse is caring for a client following a CT scan with dye who has an anaphylaxis
reaction. Which of the following conditions requires a priority nursing response?
A) Urticaria
B) Stridor
C) Tachypnea
D) Angioedema - B) Stridor
A nurse in a health clinic is assisting in the planning of an educational program on skin
cancer. Which of the following statements should be included in the presentation?
A) Squamous cell carcinoma occurs most often on the face and trunk
B) Radiation therapy is the treatment of choice for mestatic skin cancer.
C) Sun exposure as a child is a significant risk factor for skin cancer.
D) Basal cell carcinoma is an aggressive cancer with a high rate of metastasis. - C) Sun
exposure as a child is a significant risk factor for skin cancer.
A nurse is collecting data from a client who has atrial fibrillation. When documenting the
quality of the client's pulse, which of the following terms should the nurse use?
A) Slow
B) Not palpable
C) Irregular
D) Bounding - C) Irregular
A nurse is reinforcing teaching for a middle-age client who is at high risk for
osteoporosis and is taking a calcium supplement. Which of the following instructions
should the nurse include?
A) Take the calcium suplement on an empty stomach.
B) Take vitamin D supplements.
C) Take the calcium supplement with green tea.
D) Take iron supplements - B) Take vitamin D supplements.
A nurse is collecting data from a client who has increased intracranial pressure and is
informed by the charge nurse that the client demonstrates decoricate posturing. Which
of the following findings should the nurse expect to observe?
A) Extension of the extremities
B) Pronation of the hands
C) Plantar flexion of the legs
Verified Answers Latest Update (2024/2025)
A nurse collects data on a client who returned to the unit four hr ago following a partial
colectomy. Which of the following conditions should the nurse attend to first?
A) Change the moderately saturated dressing.
B) Administer analgesic medication for incisional pain.
C) Catheterize for a distended bladder.
D) Cough and deep breathe client. - B) Administer analgesic medication for incisional
pain.
Rationale: Administer pain medication to establish comfort and then attend to the other
reported condition.
A nurse is reinforcing discharge teaching on actions that improve gas exchange to a
client diagnosed with emphysema. Which of the following instructions should be
included in the teaching?
A) Resting in a supine position
B) Elevating arms while performing ADLs
C) Breathing in through the nose and out through pursed lips.
D) Increasing oxygen delivery to 5 L/min during times of distress. - C) Breathing in
through the nose and out through pursed lips.
A nurse is assessing a client who is African-American and who is jaundice. Which of the
following areas are the most reliable for the nurse to inspect?
A) Palms of hands
B) Hard palate
C) Sclera
D) Nail beds - Hard palate
A nurse is reinforcing teaching with a client who has ulcerative colitis and requires a low
fiber diet. The nurse should instruct the client to avoid which of the following foods?
A) Cooked carrots
B) Dried apricots
C) Ripe bananas
D) White rice - B) Dried apricots
A nurse is caring for a client who just had a endoscopic procedure. Which of the
following is the monitoring priority for this client?
,A) Pain
B) Nausea
C) Gag reflex
D) Level of consciousness - C) Gag reflex
A nurse is reinforcing discharge teaching for a client who has chronic pancreatitis.
Which of the following statements by the nurse is appropriate?
A)"You should decrease your caloric intake when abdominal pain is present."
B) "You should increase your daily protein intake."
C) "You should increase fat intake when experiencing loose stools."
D) "You should limit alcohol intake to 2-2 drinks per week." - B) "You should increase
your daily protein intake."
A nurse is caring for a client who has a large wound that has a vacuum-assisted closure
device placed over it. Which of the following findings by the nurse indicated healing of
the wound.
A) Granulation tussue on the surface of the wound
B) Musty odor from the foam dressing upon removal
C) Sanguineous drainage in the suction device.
D) Peeling of the edges of the transparent dressing - A) Granulation tussue on the
surface of the wound
A nurse is caring for a toddler admitted to the hospital with acute gastroenteritis. Which
of the following findings has the highest priority?
A) Weightloss 3% of total body weight.
B) Blood glucose 150 mg/dL
C)Potassium 2.5 mEq/L
D) Urine specific gravity 1.035 - C)Potassium 2.5 mEq/L
A nurse is reinforcing teaching about preventing long-term complications of retinopathy
and neuropathy with an older adult client who has diabetes mellitus. Which of the
following actions is the most important for the nurse to include in the teaching?
A) "Plan to have an eye examination once per year."
B) "Examine your feet carefully every day".
C) "Wear closed toed shoes daily."
D) "Maintain stable blood glucose levels." - D) "Maintain stable blood glucose levels."
A nurse is reinforcing teaching to the family of a client who has multiple myeloma and is
admitted to the unit with a WBC count of 2,200/mm3. Which of the following food items
brought by the family should the nurse prohibit from being given to the client?
,A) Fried chicken
B) Bagels
C) A factory-sealed box of chocolates
D) Fresh fruit basket - D) Fresh fruit basket
A nurse is reviewing the preadmission laboratory test results of a client who is
scheduled for a carotid endarterectomy in 3 days. Which of the following results should
the nurse resport to the provider?
A) Sodium 151 mEq/L
B) Chloride 105 mEq/L
C) Potassium 3.8 mEq/L
D) Calcium 9.6 mEq/L - A) Sodium 151 mEq/L
A nurse is caring for a client who has unilateral leg edema with associated pain and a
low-grade temperature. Which of the following action should the nurse take?
A) Elevate the affected leg
B) Apply cold compresses to the client's leg
C) Place a pillow under the client's knees.
D) Massage the painful area of the leg. - A) Elevate the affected leg
A nurse is reinforcing teaching with a class about preventing deep-vein thrombosis. The
nurse should include in the teaching that which of the following is a risk factor for this
disorder? Select all that apply.
- Dehyrdration
- Oral contraceptive use
- Hypertension
- High calcium intake
- Immobility - -Dehydration
-Oral contraceptive
- Immobility
A nurse is caring for a client who has an acute exacerbation of ulcerative colitis. The
nurse should recognize that which of the following is the most important nursing action
for this client?
A) Preventing skin breakdown
B) Maintain fluid and electrolyte balance
C) Providing emotional support
D) Promoting physical mobility - B) Maintain fluid and electrolyte balance
A nurse is assigned to care for a client suspected of having diabetes insipidus. The
nurse should frequently check the client for the development of :
, A) hypotension
B) polyphagia
C) hyperglycemia
D) bradycardia - A) hypotension
A nurse is caring for a client following a CT scan with dye who has an anaphylaxis
reaction. Which of the following conditions requires a priority nursing response?
A) Urticaria
B) Stridor
C) Tachypnea
D) Angioedema - B) Stridor
A nurse in a health clinic is assisting in the planning of an educational program on skin
cancer. Which of the following statements should be included in the presentation?
A) Squamous cell carcinoma occurs most often on the face and trunk
B) Radiation therapy is the treatment of choice for mestatic skin cancer.
C) Sun exposure as a child is a significant risk factor for skin cancer.
D) Basal cell carcinoma is an aggressive cancer with a high rate of metastasis. - C) Sun
exposure as a child is a significant risk factor for skin cancer.
A nurse is collecting data from a client who has atrial fibrillation. When documenting the
quality of the client's pulse, which of the following terms should the nurse use?
A) Slow
B) Not palpable
C) Irregular
D) Bounding - C) Irregular
A nurse is reinforcing teaching for a middle-age client who is at high risk for
osteoporosis and is taking a calcium supplement. Which of the following instructions
should the nurse include?
A) Take the calcium suplement on an empty stomach.
B) Take vitamin D supplements.
C) Take the calcium supplement with green tea.
D) Take iron supplements - B) Take vitamin D supplements.
A nurse is collecting data from a client who has increased intracranial pressure and is
informed by the charge nurse that the client demonstrates decoricate posturing. Which
of the following findings should the nurse expect to observe?
A) Extension of the extremities
B) Pronation of the hands
C) Plantar flexion of the legs
