HESI Med Surg Final Exam Questions and Answers
1. A client with a productive cough has obtained a sputum specimen
for culture as instructed. What is the best initial nursing action?
A. Administer the first dose of antibiotic therapy
B. Observe the color, consistency, and amount of sputum
C. Encourage the client to consume plenty of warm liquids
D. Send the specimen to the lab for analysis✔✔ B. Observe the color,
consistency, and amount of sputum
2. A client is brought to the ED by ambulance in cardiac arrest with car-
diopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in progress. The client is intubated and
is receiving 100% oxygen per self-inflating (ambu) bag. The nurse
determines that the client is cyanotic, cold, and diaphoretic. Which
assessment is most important for the nurse to obtain?
A. Breath sounds over bilateral lung fields.
B. Carotid pulsation during compressions
C. Deep tendon reflexes
D. Core body temperature✔✔ A. Breath sounds over bilateral lung fields.
,3. After a hospitalization for Syndrome of Inappropriate Antidiuretic Hor-
mone (SIADH), a client develops pontine myselinolysis. Which
intervention should the nurse implement first?
A. Reorient client to his room
B. Place a patch on one eye
C. Evaluate client's ability to swallow
D. Perform range of motion exercises✔✔ A. Reorient client to his room
4. A male client with heart failure (HF) calls the clinic and reports that he
can- not put his shoes on because they are too tight. Which additional
information should the nurse obtain?
A. What time did he take his last medications?
B. Has his weight changed in the last several days?
C. Is he still able to tighten his belt buckle?
D. How many hours did he sleep last night?✔✔ B. Has his weight
changed in the last several days?
5. An older adult woman with a long history of chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease (COPD) is admitted with progressive shortness of
breath and a persistent cough. She is anxious and is complaining of a dry
mouth. Which
,intervention should the nurse implement?
A. Administer a prescribed sedative
B. Encourage client to drink water
C. Apply a high-flow venturi mask
D. Assist her to an upright position✔✔ D. Assist her to an upright position
6. A client with a history of asthma and bronchitis arrives at the clinic
with shortness of breath, productive cough with thickened tenacious
mucous, and the inability to walk up a flight of stairs without experiencing
breath- lessness. Which action is most important for the nurse to instruct
the client about self-care?
A. Increase the daily intake of oral fluids to liquefy secretions
B. Avoid crowded enclosed areas to reduce pathogen exposure
C. Call the clinic if undesirable side effects of mediations occur
D. Teach anxiety reduction methods for feelings of suffocation✔✔ A.
Increase the daily intake of oral fluids to liquefy secretions
7. A cardiac catherterization of a client with heart disease indicates the
following blockages✔✔ 95% proximal left anterior descending (LAD), 99%
prox- imal circumflex, and ? % proximal right coronary artery (RCA). The
client later asks the nurse "what does all this mean for me?" What
information should the nurse provide?
, A. Blood supply to the heart is diminished by artherosclerotic lesions,
which necessitate lifestyle changes.
B. Blood vessels supplying the pumping chamber have blockages
indicating a past heart attack.
C. Three main arteries have major blockages, with only 1 to 5% of blood
flow getting through to the heart muscle.
D. The heart is not receiving enough blood, so there is a risk of heart
failure and fluid retention.✔✔ C. Three main arteries have major
blockages, with only 1 to 5% of blood flow getting through to the heart
muscle.
8. A client who weighs 175 pounds is receiving IV bolus dose of heparin 80
units/kg. The heparin is available in a 2 ml vial, labeled 10,000 units/ml.
How many ml should the nurse administer? (Enter numeric value only. If
rounding is required, round to the nearest tenth.)✔✔ 0.6 ml
9. What information should the nurse include in the teaching plan of a
client diagnosed with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)?
1. A client with a productive cough has obtained a sputum specimen
for culture as instructed. What is the best initial nursing action?
A. Administer the first dose of antibiotic therapy
B. Observe the color, consistency, and amount of sputum
C. Encourage the client to consume plenty of warm liquids
D. Send the specimen to the lab for analysis✔✔ B. Observe the color,
consistency, and amount of sputum
2. A client is brought to the ED by ambulance in cardiac arrest with car-
diopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in progress. The client is intubated and
is receiving 100% oxygen per self-inflating (ambu) bag. The nurse
determines that the client is cyanotic, cold, and diaphoretic. Which
assessment is most important for the nurse to obtain?
A. Breath sounds over bilateral lung fields.
B. Carotid pulsation during compressions
C. Deep tendon reflexes
D. Core body temperature✔✔ A. Breath sounds over bilateral lung fields.
,3. After a hospitalization for Syndrome of Inappropriate Antidiuretic Hor-
mone (SIADH), a client develops pontine myselinolysis. Which
intervention should the nurse implement first?
A. Reorient client to his room
B. Place a patch on one eye
C. Evaluate client's ability to swallow
D. Perform range of motion exercises✔✔ A. Reorient client to his room
4. A male client with heart failure (HF) calls the clinic and reports that he
can- not put his shoes on because they are too tight. Which additional
information should the nurse obtain?
A. What time did he take his last medications?
B. Has his weight changed in the last several days?
C. Is he still able to tighten his belt buckle?
D. How many hours did he sleep last night?✔✔ B. Has his weight
changed in the last several days?
5. An older adult woman with a long history of chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease (COPD) is admitted with progressive shortness of
breath and a persistent cough. She is anxious and is complaining of a dry
mouth. Which
,intervention should the nurse implement?
A. Administer a prescribed sedative
B. Encourage client to drink water
C. Apply a high-flow venturi mask
D. Assist her to an upright position✔✔ D. Assist her to an upright position
6. A client with a history of asthma and bronchitis arrives at the clinic
with shortness of breath, productive cough with thickened tenacious
mucous, and the inability to walk up a flight of stairs without experiencing
breath- lessness. Which action is most important for the nurse to instruct
the client about self-care?
A. Increase the daily intake of oral fluids to liquefy secretions
B. Avoid crowded enclosed areas to reduce pathogen exposure
C. Call the clinic if undesirable side effects of mediations occur
D. Teach anxiety reduction methods for feelings of suffocation✔✔ A.
Increase the daily intake of oral fluids to liquefy secretions
7. A cardiac catherterization of a client with heart disease indicates the
following blockages✔✔ 95% proximal left anterior descending (LAD), 99%
prox- imal circumflex, and ? % proximal right coronary artery (RCA). The
client later asks the nurse "what does all this mean for me?" What
information should the nurse provide?
, A. Blood supply to the heart is diminished by artherosclerotic lesions,
which necessitate lifestyle changes.
B. Blood vessels supplying the pumping chamber have blockages
indicating a past heart attack.
C. Three main arteries have major blockages, with only 1 to 5% of blood
flow getting through to the heart muscle.
D. The heart is not receiving enough blood, so there is a risk of heart
failure and fluid retention.✔✔ C. Three main arteries have major
blockages, with only 1 to 5% of blood flow getting through to the heart
muscle.
8. A client who weighs 175 pounds is receiving IV bolus dose of heparin 80
units/kg. The heparin is available in a 2 ml vial, labeled 10,000 units/ml.
How many ml should the nurse administer? (Enter numeric value only. If
rounding is required, round to the nearest tenth.)✔✔ 0.6 ml
9. What information should the nurse include in the teaching plan of a
client diagnosed with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)?
