HESI FUNDAMENTALS PRACTICE QUESTIONS
WITH DETAILED SOLUTIONS 2026
◉ The nurse is assisting a client to the bathroom. When the client is
5 feet from the bathroom door, he states, "I feel faint." Before the
nurse can get the client to a chair, the client starts to fall. Which is
the priority action for the nurse to take?
A. Check the client's carotid pulse.
B. Encourage the client to get to the toilet.
C. In a loud voice, call for help.
D. Gently lower the client to the floor. Answer: D
Rationale: Option D is the most prudent intervention and is the
priority nursing action to prevent injury to the client and the nurse.
Lowering the client to the floor should be done when the client
cannot support his own weight. The client should be placed in a bed
or chair only when sufficient help is available to prevent injury.
Option A is important but should be done after the client is in a safe
position. Because the client is not supporting himself, option B is
impractical. Option C is likely to cause chaos on the unit and might
alarm the other clients.
◉ A male client is laughing at a television program with his wife
when the evening nurse enters the room. He says his foot is hurting
and he would like a pain pill. How should the nurse respond?
A. Ask him to rate his pain on a scale of 1 to 10.
,B. Encourage him to wait until bedtime so the pill can help him
sleep.
C. Attend to an acutely ill client's needs first because this client is
laughing.
D. Instruct him in the use of deep breathing exercises for pain
control. Answer: A
Rationale: Obtaining a subjective estimate of the pain experience by
asking the client to rate his pain helps the nurse determine which
pain medication should be administered and also provides a
baseline for evaluating the effectiveness of the medication.
Medicating for pain should not be delayed so that it can be used as a
sleep medication. Option C is judgmental. Option D should be used
as an adjunct to pain medication, not instead of medication.
◉ During a routine assessment, an obese 50-year-old female client
expresses concern about her sexual relationship with her husband.
Which is the best response by the nurse?
A. Reassure the client that many obese people have concerns about
sex.
B. Remind the client that sexual relationships need not be affected
by obesity.
C. Determine the frequency of sexual intercourse.
D. Ask the client to talk about specific concerns. Answer: D
Rationale: Option D provides an opportunity for the client to
verbalize her concerns and provides the nurse with more
assessment data. Options A and B may not be related to her current
,concern, assume that obesity is the problem, and are communication
blocks. Option C may be appropriate after discussing the concerns
she is having.
◉ The nurse determines that a postoperative client's respiratory
rate has increased from 18 to 24 breaths/min. Based on this
assessment finding, which intervention is most important for the
nurse to implement?
A. Encourage the client to increase ambulation in the room.
B. Offer the client a high-carbohydrate snack for energy.
C. Force fluids to thin the client's pulmonary secretions.
D. Determine if pain is causing the client's tachypnea. Answer: D
Rationale: Pain, anxiety, and increasing fluid accumulation in the
lungs can cause tachypnea (increased respiratory rate). Encouraging
the client to increase ambulation when the respiratory rate is rising
above normal limits puts the client at risk for further oxygen
desaturation. Option B can increase the client's carbon metabolism,
so an alternative source of energy, such as Pulmocare liquid
supplement, should be offered instead. Option C could increase
respiratory congestion in a client with a poorly functioning
cardiopulmonary system, placing the client at risk of fluid overload.
◉ A nurse is assigned to care for a close friend in the hospital
setting. Which action should the nurse take first when given the
assignment?
, A. Notify the friend that all medical information will be kept
confidential.
B. Explain the relationship to the charge nurse and ask for
reassignment.
C. Approach the client and ask if the assignment is uncomfortable.
D. Accept the assignment but protect the client's confidentiality.
Answer: B
Rationale: Caring for a close friend can violate boundaries for nurses
and should be avoided when possible (B). If the assignment is
unavoidable (there are no other nurses to care for the client) then C,
A, and D should be addressed.
◉ The nurse-manager of a skilled nursing (chronic care) unit is
instructing UAPs on ways to prevent complications of immobility.
Which intervention should be included in this instruction?
A. Perform range-of-motion exercises to prevent contractures.
B. Decrease the client's fluid intake to prevent diarrhea.
C. Massage the client's legs to reduce embolism occurrence.
D. Turn the client from side to back every shift. Answer: A
Rationale: Performing range-of-motion exercises is beneficial in
reducing contractures around joints. Options B, C, and D are all
potentially harmful practices that place the immobile client at risk of
complications.
WITH DETAILED SOLUTIONS 2026
◉ The nurse is assisting a client to the bathroom. When the client is
5 feet from the bathroom door, he states, "I feel faint." Before the
nurse can get the client to a chair, the client starts to fall. Which is
the priority action for the nurse to take?
A. Check the client's carotid pulse.
B. Encourage the client to get to the toilet.
C. In a loud voice, call for help.
D. Gently lower the client to the floor. Answer: D
Rationale: Option D is the most prudent intervention and is the
priority nursing action to prevent injury to the client and the nurse.
Lowering the client to the floor should be done when the client
cannot support his own weight. The client should be placed in a bed
or chair only when sufficient help is available to prevent injury.
Option A is important but should be done after the client is in a safe
position. Because the client is not supporting himself, option B is
impractical. Option C is likely to cause chaos on the unit and might
alarm the other clients.
◉ A male client is laughing at a television program with his wife
when the evening nurse enters the room. He says his foot is hurting
and he would like a pain pill. How should the nurse respond?
A. Ask him to rate his pain on a scale of 1 to 10.
,B. Encourage him to wait until bedtime so the pill can help him
sleep.
C. Attend to an acutely ill client's needs first because this client is
laughing.
D. Instruct him in the use of deep breathing exercises for pain
control. Answer: A
Rationale: Obtaining a subjective estimate of the pain experience by
asking the client to rate his pain helps the nurse determine which
pain medication should be administered and also provides a
baseline for evaluating the effectiveness of the medication.
Medicating for pain should not be delayed so that it can be used as a
sleep medication. Option C is judgmental. Option D should be used
as an adjunct to pain medication, not instead of medication.
◉ During a routine assessment, an obese 50-year-old female client
expresses concern about her sexual relationship with her husband.
Which is the best response by the nurse?
A. Reassure the client that many obese people have concerns about
sex.
B. Remind the client that sexual relationships need not be affected
by obesity.
C. Determine the frequency of sexual intercourse.
D. Ask the client to talk about specific concerns. Answer: D
Rationale: Option D provides an opportunity for the client to
verbalize her concerns and provides the nurse with more
assessment data. Options A and B may not be related to her current
,concern, assume that obesity is the problem, and are communication
blocks. Option C may be appropriate after discussing the concerns
she is having.
◉ The nurse determines that a postoperative client's respiratory
rate has increased from 18 to 24 breaths/min. Based on this
assessment finding, which intervention is most important for the
nurse to implement?
A. Encourage the client to increase ambulation in the room.
B. Offer the client a high-carbohydrate snack for energy.
C. Force fluids to thin the client's pulmonary secretions.
D. Determine if pain is causing the client's tachypnea. Answer: D
Rationale: Pain, anxiety, and increasing fluid accumulation in the
lungs can cause tachypnea (increased respiratory rate). Encouraging
the client to increase ambulation when the respiratory rate is rising
above normal limits puts the client at risk for further oxygen
desaturation. Option B can increase the client's carbon metabolism,
so an alternative source of energy, such as Pulmocare liquid
supplement, should be offered instead. Option C could increase
respiratory congestion in a client with a poorly functioning
cardiopulmonary system, placing the client at risk of fluid overload.
◉ A nurse is assigned to care for a close friend in the hospital
setting. Which action should the nurse take first when given the
assignment?
, A. Notify the friend that all medical information will be kept
confidential.
B. Explain the relationship to the charge nurse and ask for
reassignment.
C. Approach the client and ask if the assignment is uncomfortable.
D. Accept the assignment but protect the client's confidentiality.
Answer: B
Rationale: Caring for a close friend can violate boundaries for nurses
and should be avoided when possible (B). If the assignment is
unavoidable (there are no other nurses to care for the client) then C,
A, and D should be addressed.
◉ The nurse-manager of a skilled nursing (chronic care) unit is
instructing UAPs on ways to prevent complications of immobility.
Which intervention should be included in this instruction?
A. Perform range-of-motion exercises to prevent contractures.
B. Decrease the client's fluid intake to prevent diarrhea.
C. Massage the client's legs to reduce embolism occurrence.
D. Turn the client from side to back every shift. Answer: A
Rationale: Performing range-of-motion exercises is beneficial in
reducing contractures around joints. Options B, C, and D are all
potentially harmful practices that place the immobile client at risk of
complications.
