NCLEX-RN
NCLEX RN Practice Questions With Rationale
1. A 3-year-old pediatric patient's mother would like to stay at the patient's bedside throughout the night as the patient seems calmer when she is present. What is the most caring and appropriate response?
- A. Reinforce visiting hours
- B. Allow her to stay for a short period beyond normal hours
- C. Allow her to stay throughout the night
- D. Offer to get bedding for a couch in the waiting room
Correct answer: C
Rationale: Allowing the mother to stay throughout the night is the most caring and appropriate response in this situation. Pediatric facilities often recognize the crucial role parents play in their child's care and are supportive of unlimited visitation. Allowing the mother to stay can help maintain the child's calmness and enhance the bond between the family and healthcare team. Reinforcing visiting hours (Choice A) may not address the specific needs of this situation where the child benefits from the mother's presence. Allowing her to stay for a short period beyond normal hours (Choice B) may not fully address the need for her continuous presence. Offering to get bedding for a couch in the waiting room (Choice D) may not be necessary if the mother can stay with her child in the patient's room.
2. When a mother is inquiring about her child's ability to potty train, what is the most critical aspect of toilet training?
- A. The age of the child
- B. The child's ability to understand instructions
- C. The overall mental and physical abilities of the child
- D. Consistent attempts with positive reinforcement
Correct answer: C
Rationale: The most critical aspect of toilet training is the overall mental and physical abilities of the child. While age can play a role, it is not the sole determining factor. Understanding instructions is important but may not be the most critical aspect. Consistent attempts with positive reinforcement can be helpful, but without considering the child's abilities, it may not lead to successful potty training.
3. A client with hyperkalemia may exhibit peaked T waves on an electrocardiogram. This manifestation is an early sign of high potassium levels, but the diagnosis should not be based on this aspect alone. Untreated, hyperkalemia can lead to progressively worsening cardiac instability.
- A. A lumbar puncture takes a sample of cerebrospinal fluid from the back, which will be analyzed by the lab.
- B. The physician will insert a needle at the level of L4-L5 in the spinal cord.
- C. The client should lie flat on their back for a specific period following the procedure.
- D. The risks of the procedure include headache, back pain, and infection.
Correct answer: B
Rationale: A lumbar puncture is performed to obtain cerebrospinal fluid for analysis to investigate various conditions affecting the client. During the procedure, the client is typically positioned on their side or sitting leaning over a table with their back rounded. The physician inserts a needle into the back around the L4-L5 vertebrae to collect the sample. Option A is incorrect because a lumbar puncture does not draw blood but instead collects cerebrospinal fluid. Option C is incorrect as the client should not necessarily lie flat for 24 hours post-procedure. Option D is incorrect as the common risks of a lumbar puncture include headache, back pain, and potential infection, not nausea, rash, or hypotension.
4. Select the age group that is coupled with an infectious disease that is most common in this age group.
- A. Infants: High bilirubin
- B. Pre-School and School Age Children: Shingles
- C. Young Adults and Teenagers: Sexually transmitted diseases
- D. The Elderly: Malaria
Correct answer: C
Rationale: Young adults and teenagers are at the highest risk for sexually transmitted diseases due to their sexual activity. High bilirubin is a laboratory finding related to jaundice and not an infectious disease. Shingles is more common in the elderly population, not in pre-school and school-age children. Malaria is not most common in the elderly; it is prevalent in regions with specific mosquito vectors. Therefore, the correct answer is that young adults and teenagers are most commonly associated with sexually transmitted diseases.
5. The clinic nurse teaches a patient with a 42 pack-year history of cigarette smoking about lung disease. Which information will be most important for the nurse to include?
- A. Options for smoking cessation
- B. Reasons for annual sputum cytology testing
- C. Erlotinib (Tarceva) therapy to prevent tumor risk
- D. Computed tomography (CT) screening for lung cancer
Correct answer: A
Rationale: The most critical information for the nurse to provide to a patient with a significant smoking history is options for smoking cessation. Smoking is the primary cause of lung cancer, making smoking cessation essential in reducing the risk of developing the disease. Annual sputum cytology testing is not a standard screening test for lung cancer; instead, CT scanning is being explored for this purpose. Erlotinib therapy is used in lung cancer treatment but not for preventing tumor risk in individuals without cancer. CT screening for lung cancer is still under investigation and is not primarily aimed at prevention but rather early detection in high-risk individuals.
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