NCLEX-RN: Cardiovascular Practice Questions with Verified Answers
Graded A+
1. A nurse assesses clients on a. A 36-year-old woman with aortic stenosis
a cardiac unit. Which client
should the nurse identify as Although most people with heart failure will
being at greatest risk for have failure that progresses from left to right,
the development of left-sided it is possible to have left-sided failure alone for
heart failure? a short period. It is also possible to have heart
failure that progresses from right to left. Caus-
a. A 36-year-old woman with es of left ventricular failure include mitral or
aortic stenosis aortic valve disease, coronary artery disease,
b. A 42-year-old man with and hypertension. Pulmonary hypertension
pulmonary hypertension and chronic cigarette smoking are risk factors
c. A 59-year-old woman who for right ventricular failure. A cerebral vascular
smokes cigarettes daily accident does not increase the risk of heart
d. A 70-year-old man who failure.
had a cerebral vascular acci-
dent
2. A nurse assesses a client c. I must stop halfway up the stairs to catch
in an outpatient clinic. Which my breath.
statement alerts the nurse to
the possibility of left-sided Clients with left-sided heart failure report
heart failure? weakness or fatigue while performing normal
activities of daily living, as well as difficulty
a. I have been drinking more breathing, or catching their breath. This oc-
water than usual. curs as fluid moves into the alveoli. Nocturia is
b. I am awakened by the need often seen with right-sided heart failure. Thirst
to urinate at night. and blurred vision are not related to heart
c. I must stop halfway up the failure.
stairs to catch my breath.
d. I have experienced blurred
vision on several occasions.
3. A nurse assesses a client b. My shoes fit really tight lately.
admitted to the cardiac unit.
Which statement by the Signs of systemic congestion occur with
client alerts the nurse to right-sided heart failure. Fluid is retained,
the possibility of right-sided pressure builds in the venous system, and pe-
heart failure? ripheral edema develops. Left-sided heart fail-
ure symptoms include respiratory symptoms.
,NCLEX-RN: Cardiovascular Practice Questions with Verified Answers
Graded A+
a. I sleep with four pillows at Orthopnea, coughing, and difficulty breathing
night. all could be results of left-sided heart failure.
b. My shoes fit really tight
lately.
c. I wake up coughing every
night.
d. I have trouble catching my
breath.
4. While assessing a client on a. Assess for symptoms of left-sided heart
a cardiac unit, a nurse iden- failure.
tifies the presence of an S3
gallop. Which action should The presence of an S3 gallop is an early
the nurse take next? diastolic filling sound indicative of increasing
left ventricular pressure and left ventricular
a. Assess for symptoms of failure. The other actions are not warranted.
left-sided heart failure.
b. Document this as a normal
finding.
c. Call the health care
provider immediately.
d. Transfer the client to the
intensive care unit.
5. A nurse cares for a client a. Weight is the best indication that you are
with right-sided heart failure. gaining or losing fluid.
The client asks, Why do I
need to weigh myself every Daily weights are needed to document fluid
day? How should the nurse retention or fluid loss. One liter of fluid equals
respond? 2.2 pounds. The other responses do not ad-
dress the importance of monitoring fluid re-
a. Weight is the best indica- tention or loss.
tion that you are gaining or
losing fluid.
b. Daily weights will help us
make sure that you're eating
properly.
c. The hospital requires that
all inpatients be weighed dai-
, NCLEX-RN: Cardiovascular Practice Questions with Verified Answers
Graded A+
ly.
d. You need to lose weight
to decrease the incidence of
heart failure.
6. A nurse is teaching a client a. Avoid using salt substitutes.
with heart failure who has
been prescribed enalapril Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) in-
(Vasotec). Which statement hibitors such as enalapril inhibit the excre-
should the nurse include in tion of potassium. Hyperkalemia can be a
this clients teaching? life-threatening side effect, and clients should
be taught to limit potassium intake. Salt sub-
a. Avoid using salt substi- stitutes are composed of potassium chloride.
tutes. ACE inhibitors do not need to be taken with
b. Take your medication with food and have no impact on the clients pulse
food. rate. Aspirin is often prescribed in conjunction
c. Avoid using aspirin-con- with ACE inhibitors and is not contraindicated.
taining products.
d. Check your pulse daily.
7. After administering new- b. Instruct the client to ask for assistance
ly prescribed captopril when rising from bed.
(Capoten) to a client with
heart failure, the nurse imple- Administration of the first dose of an-
ments interventions to de- giotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors
crease complications. Which is often associated with hypotension, usual-
priority intervention should ly termed first-dose effect. The nurse should
the nurse implement for this instruct the client to seek assistance be-
client? fore arising from bed to prevent injury from
postural hypotension. ACE inhibitors do not
a. Provide food to decrease need to be taken with food. Collaboration
nausea and aid in absorp- with unlicensed assistive personnel to pro-
tion. vide hygiene is not a priority. The client should
b. Instruct the client to ask be encouraged to complete activities of dai-
for assistance when rising ly living as independently as possible. The
from bed. nurse should monitor for hyperkalemia, not
c. Collaborate with unli- hypokalemia, especially if the client has renal
censed assistive personnel insufficiency secondary to heart failure.
to bathe the client.
Graded A+
1. A nurse assesses clients on a. A 36-year-old woman with aortic stenosis
a cardiac unit. Which client
should the nurse identify as Although most people with heart failure will
being at greatest risk for have failure that progresses from left to right,
the development of left-sided it is possible to have left-sided failure alone for
heart failure? a short period. It is also possible to have heart
failure that progresses from right to left. Caus-
a. A 36-year-old woman with es of left ventricular failure include mitral or
aortic stenosis aortic valve disease, coronary artery disease,
b. A 42-year-old man with and hypertension. Pulmonary hypertension
pulmonary hypertension and chronic cigarette smoking are risk factors
c. A 59-year-old woman who for right ventricular failure. A cerebral vascular
smokes cigarettes daily accident does not increase the risk of heart
d. A 70-year-old man who failure.
had a cerebral vascular acci-
dent
2. A nurse assesses a client c. I must stop halfway up the stairs to catch
in an outpatient clinic. Which my breath.
statement alerts the nurse to
the possibility of left-sided Clients with left-sided heart failure report
heart failure? weakness or fatigue while performing normal
activities of daily living, as well as difficulty
a. I have been drinking more breathing, or catching their breath. This oc-
water than usual. curs as fluid moves into the alveoli. Nocturia is
b. I am awakened by the need often seen with right-sided heart failure. Thirst
to urinate at night. and blurred vision are not related to heart
c. I must stop halfway up the failure.
stairs to catch my breath.
d. I have experienced blurred
vision on several occasions.
3. A nurse assesses a client b. My shoes fit really tight lately.
admitted to the cardiac unit.
Which statement by the Signs of systemic congestion occur with
client alerts the nurse to right-sided heart failure. Fluid is retained,
the possibility of right-sided pressure builds in the venous system, and pe-
heart failure? ripheral edema develops. Left-sided heart fail-
ure symptoms include respiratory symptoms.
,NCLEX-RN: Cardiovascular Practice Questions with Verified Answers
Graded A+
a. I sleep with four pillows at Orthopnea, coughing, and difficulty breathing
night. all could be results of left-sided heart failure.
b. My shoes fit really tight
lately.
c. I wake up coughing every
night.
d. I have trouble catching my
breath.
4. While assessing a client on a. Assess for symptoms of left-sided heart
a cardiac unit, a nurse iden- failure.
tifies the presence of an S3
gallop. Which action should The presence of an S3 gallop is an early
the nurse take next? diastolic filling sound indicative of increasing
left ventricular pressure and left ventricular
a. Assess for symptoms of failure. The other actions are not warranted.
left-sided heart failure.
b. Document this as a normal
finding.
c. Call the health care
provider immediately.
d. Transfer the client to the
intensive care unit.
5. A nurse cares for a client a. Weight is the best indication that you are
with right-sided heart failure. gaining or losing fluid.
The client asks, Why do I
need to weigh myself every Daily weights are needed to document fluid
day? How should the nurse retention or fluid loss. One liter of fluid equals
respond? 2.2 pounds. The other responses do not ad-
dress the importance of monitoring fluid re-
a. Weight is the best indica- tention or loss.
tion that you are gaining or
losing fluid.
b. Daily weights will help us
make sure that you're eating
properly.
c. The hospital requires that
all inpatients be weighed dai-
, NCLEX-RN: Cardiovascular Practice Questions with Verified Answers
Graded A+
ly.
d. You need to lose weight
to decrease the incidence of
heart failure.
6. A nurse is teaching a client a. Avoid using salt substitutes.
with heart failure who has
been prescribed enalapril Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) in-
(Vasotec). Which statement hibitors such as enalapril inhibit the excre-
should the nurse include in tion of potassium. Hyperkalemia can be a
this clients teaching? life-threatening side effect, and clients should
be taught to limit potassium intake. Salt sub-
a. Avoid using salt substi- stitutes are composed of potassium chloride.
tutes. ACE inhibitors do not need to be taken with
b. Take your medication with food and have no impact on the clients pulse
food. rate. Aspirin is often prescribed in conjunction
c. Avoid using aspirin-con- with ACE inhibitors and is not contraindicated.
taining products.
d. Check your pulse daily.
7. After administering new- b. Instruct the client to ask for assistance
ly prescribed captopril when rising from bed.
(Capoten) to a client with
heart failure, the nurse imple- Administration of the first dose of an-
ments interventions to de- giotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors
crease complications. Which is often associated with hypotension, usual-
priority intervention should ly termed first-dose effect. The nurse should
the nurse implement for this instruct the client to seek assistance be-
client? fore arising from bed to prevent injury from
postural hypotension. ACE inhibitors do not
a. Provide food to decrease need to be taken with food. Collaboration
nausea and aid in absorp- with unlicensed assistive personnel to pro-
tion. vide hygiene is not a priority. The client should
b. Instruct the client to ask be encouraged to complete activities of dai-
for assistance when rising ly living as independently as possible. The
from bed. nurse should monitor for hyperkalemia, not
c. Collaborate with unli- hypokalemia, especially if the client has renal
censed assistive personnel insufficiency secondary to heart failure.
to bathe the client.
