HESI LPN
Practice HESI Fundamentals Exam
1. A male Native American presents to the clinic with complaints of frequent abdominal cramping and nausea. He states that he has chronic constipation and had not had a bowel movement in five days, despite trying several home remedies. Which intervention is most important for the nurse to implement?
- A. Evaluate the stool samples for the presence of blood
- B. Assess for the presence of an impaction
- C. Determine which home remedies were used
- D. Obtain a list of prescribed medications
Correct answer: B
Rationale: Assessing for impaction is crucial as it is a common cause of constipation and abdominal discomfort. In this scenario, the patient's symptoms of chronic constipation and no bowel movement for five days despite trying home remedies indicate a potential impaction that needs to be assessed. Evaluating stool samples for blood, determining the home remedies used, or obtaining a list of prescribed medications, while potentially relevant, are not as urgent as assessing for impaction in this situation.
2. A client with chronic kidney disease is receiving hemodialysis. Which assessment finding should the nurse report to the healthcare provider immediately?
- A. Decreased urine output
- B. Weight loss of 1 kg
- C. Blood pressure of 150/90 mm Hg
- D. Presence of a bruit over the fistula
Correct answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is C. An elevated blood pressure in clients with chronic kidney disease undergoing hemodialysis can indicate fluid overload or poor dialysis efficacy and should be reported immediately. This finding could lead to complications such as heart failure or pulmonary edema. Choices A, B, and D are not as critical in this situation. Decreased urine output may be expected due to the kidney disease, a weight loss of 1 kg is within an acceptable range, and the presence of a bruit over the fistula is a common finding in clients undergoing hemodialysis and does not require immediate reporting.
3. What is the priority intervention for a client with major depressive disorder admitted to the psychiatric unit with suicidal ideation?
- A. Conduct a thorough suicide risk assessment.
- B. Encourage the client to verbalize their feelings.
- C. Provide the client with positive affirmations.
- D. Refer the client to group therapy.
Correct answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is to conduct a thorough suicide risk assessment. When a client with major depressive disorder presents with suicidal ideation, the priority is to assess the level of risk to ensure the client's safety. This assessment helps determine the appropriate interventions, level of care, and monitoring needed. Encouraging the client to verbalize their feelings (choice B) is important, but not the priority when immediate safety is a concern. Providing positive affirmations (choice C) and referring the client to group therapy (choice D) may be beneficial interventions later on but do not address the immediate risk of harm to the client.
4. Which task could the nurse safely delegate to the UAP?
- A. Oral feeding of a two-year-old child after application of a hip spica cast
- B. Assessment of the placement and patency of an NG tube
- C. Participation in staff rounds to record notes regarding client goals
- D. Evaluation of a client's incisional pain following narcotic administration
Correct answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is A because oral feeding of a stable child is a task that can be safely delegated to a UAP. This task does not require nursing assessment or clinical judgment. Choice B involves assessment, which requires the nurse's clinical judgment. Choice C involves recording client goals during staff rounds, which may require interpretation and understanding of the goals set. Choice D involves evaluating a client's pain following medication administration, which requires assessment and clinical judgment by a nurse.
5. 4 hours after administration of 20U of regular insulin, the client becomes shaky and diaphoretic. What action should the nurse take?
- A. Encourage the client to eat crackers and milk
- B. Administer a PRN dose of 10U of regular insulin
- C. Give the client crackers and milk
- D. Record the client's reaction in the diabetic flow sheet
Correct answer: C
Rationale: The correct action for the nurse to take when a client becomes shaky and diaphoretic after insulin administration, indicating hypoglycemia, is to provide the client with carbohydrates like crackers and milk. Carbohydrates help raise blood glucose levels quickly. Encouraging the client to eat crackers and milk (Choice A) is the appropriate immediate action to address the hypoglycemia. Administering more insulin (Choice B) would worsen hypoglycemia, and recording the reaction (Choice D) is important but not the immediate action needed to treat the hypoglycemia.