PROGRESSIVE CARE RN A EXAM 2025
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
You want to assess for jugular vein distention (JVD). What position would be BEST? -
ANS Position patient on their back with head of bed at 30 to 45 degrees.
Your patient with triple cardiac bypass surgery is post-op day 3. Chest tubes have been
removed. They suddenly report palpitations. Their blood pressure is 130/76 and heart rate is
140 bpm. What would you do NEXT? - ANS Perform a bedside EKG
Your patient has a history of renal insufficiency. What class of analgesics would MOST likely be
contraindicated for them? - ANS Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications
Your patient is acutely ill. What route of medication administration would likely be LEAST
effective? - ANS Intramuscular
You are working with the code team to resuscitate a patient in ventricular fibrillation. Chest
compressions are ongoing and the patient has been shocked twice. What emergency
medication, if any, would you administer at this juncture? - ANS Epinephrine (Adrenaline) 1
mg IV
Your patient is on anticoagulant medication. You are discharging them and provide patient
education.
Which statement by your patient indicates an understanding of the education? - ANS I will
not take ibuprofen (Motrin®) every day
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, Your non-verbal patient is alert. What type of pain assessment would be appropriate? -
ANS • Visual pain scale
• Verbal descriptive scale
• Vital signs assessment to approximate pain
• Behavioral pain scale (Wrong)
Your patient has returned from the cath lab post angioplasty. Upon assessment you note a
large hematoma at the sheath site. What would be your immediate action? - ANS Apply
manual pressure to the site and call for help.
Your patient has new onset seizures. They ask you what they should know about taking
levetiracetam (Keppra®). What would be your BEST response? - ANS Common side effects
are fatigue and depression
Your patient with cardiac bypass surgery is post-op day 2. The nursing assistant reports that
your patient has a temp of 101.3°F and blood pressure of 82/56. Their urine output has
decreased to less than 30 mL in the past 4 hours. You suspect a post-surgery complication. After
calling the physician you receive orders for STAT CBC, CMP, and coagulation test. What results
would you expect to see after these labs are completed? - ANS WBC greater than 19,000
What is an adequate amount of urine output? - ANS 30 mL/hr
Your patient has left ventricular failure. What clinical manifestations would you expect to see? -
ANS Dyspnea, distant heart sounds, bilateral crackles
You are caring for your patient with an order for furosemide (Lasix®) 80 mg BID. What would be
your MOST appropriate action? - ANS Call provider to clarify the order.
Your patient is in cardiac arrest. Chest compressions are being performed. Capnography
indicates the end-tidal CO2 is 18 mmg. What do the capnography results indicate about the
chest compressions? - ANS No changes. These are high quality compressions.
COPYRIGHT © 2025 THESTAR ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
You want to assess for jugular vein distention (JVD). What position would be BEST? -
ANS Position patient on their back with head of bed at 30 to 45 degrees.
Your patient with triple cardiac bypass surgery is post-op day 3. Chest tubes have been
removed. They suddenly report palpitations. Their blood pressure is 130/76 and heart rate is
140 bpm. What would you do NEXT? - ANS Perform a bedside EKG
Your patient has a history of renal insufficiency. What class of analgesics would MOST likely be
contraindicated for them? - ANS Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications
Your patient is acutely ill. What route of medication administration would likely be LEAST
effective? - ANS Intramuscular
You are working with the code team to resuscitate a patient in ventricular fibrillation. Chest
compressions are ongoing and the patient has been shocked twice. What emergency
medication, if any, would you administer at this juncture? - ANS Epinephrine (Adrenaline) 1
mg IV
Your patient is on anticoagulant medication. You are discharging them and provide patient
education.
Which statement by your patient indicates an understanding of the education? - ANS I will
not take ibuprofen (Motrin®) every day
COPYRIGHT © 2025 THESTAR ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1
, Your non-verbal patient is alert. What type of pain assessment would be appropriate? -
ANS • Visual pain scale
• Verbal descriptive scale
• Vital signs assessment to approximate pain
• Behavioral pain scale (Wrong)
Your patient has returned from the cath lab post angioplasty. Upon assessment you note a
large hematoma at the sheath site. What would be your immediate action? - ANS Apply
manual pressure to the site and call for help.
Your patient has new onset seizures. They ask you what they should know about taking
levetiracetam (Keppra®). What would be your BEST response? - ANS Common side effects
are fatigue and depression
Your patient with cardiac bypass surgery is post-op day 2. The nursing assistant reports that
your patient has a temp of 101.3°F and blood pressure of 82/56. Their urine output has
decreased to less than 30 mL in the past 4 hours. You suspect a post-surgery complication. After
calling the physician you receive orders for STAT CBC, CMP, and coagulation test. What results
would you expect to see after these labs are completed? - ANS WBC greater than 19,000
What is an adequate amount of urine output? - ANS 30 mL/hr
Your patient has left ventricular failure. What clinical manifestations would you expect to see? -
ANS Dyspnea, distant heart sounds, bilateral crackles
You are caring for your patient with an order for furosemide (Lasix®) 80 mg BID. What would be
your MOST appropriate action? - ANS Call provider to clarify the order.
Your patient is in cardiac arrest. Chest compressions are being performed. Capnography
indicates the end-tidal CO2 is 18 mmg. What do the capnography results indicate about the
chest compressions? - ANS No changes. These are high quality compressions.
COPYRIGHT © 2025 THESTAR ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2
