Medical Tests CEN Online Practice Questions and Exam Preparation

Medical Tests CEN Online Questions & Answers

• Question 161:

  When caring for a patient with glaucoma, which of the following symptoms would you not expect to see on the patient's chart?

  A. Severe eye pain
  B. Frequent pink-eye infections
  C. Blurred vision
  D. Nausea and vomiting
  B. Frequent pink-eye infections

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  Frequent pink-eye infections are not symptomatic of glaucoma, but reddening of the eyes is a common sympton.

• Question 162:

  A hurricane is coming, and nurses have been activated to open a shelter. What items should the public be encouraged to bring to the shelter?

  A. Food and clothing
  B. Cats and dogs
  C. Medication and records
  D. Radios, televisions and other electronics
  C. Medication and records

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  The public should be encouraged to bring all medications and medical records to the shelter. Space will be limited at the shelter so they should not bring food, clothing or any type of electronics. Animals will not be allowed at the shelter.

• Question 163:

  You are reviewing an arterial blood gas for a patient. Which result would lead you to believe this patient has respiratory acidosis?

  A. pH of 7.48
  B. PCO2 of 32 mm Hg
  C. pH of 7.30
  D. HCO3 of 20 mEq/L
  C. pH of 7.30

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  A pH level of 7.30 would indicate an acid base imbalance. The normal pH is 7.35 and 7.45. Anything less than 7.35 would indicate acidosis, and anything greater than 7.45 would indicate an alkaline state. The normal PCO2 is 35 to 45 mm Hg. Bicarbonate is usually associated with a metabolic state.

• Question 164:

  Your patient in the emergency department has been sexually assaulted. The patient is withdrawn, confused and at times physically withdrawn. You realize that these behaviors are:

  A. Sign of the patients increased risk for suicide
  B. An indication of the patient's need for admission
  C. Signs of depression
  D. Normal reactions to sexual assault
  D. Normal reactions to sexual assault

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  These symptoms are normal for a patient who has been through such a traumatic event. During the acute phase of rape crisis, the patient can display a wide variety of emotional responses. The patient should be observed closely, but the patient may not need to be admitted to the hospital. The patient is not necessarily suicidal or depressed at this point.

• Question 165:

  You are caring for a patient with hypothermia who is undergoing the rewarming process. What nursing diagnosis would you want to include in this patient's care plan?

  A. Deficient knowledge
  B. Risk for injury
  C. Risk for infection
  D. Pain
  B. Risk for injury

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  The patient is at highest risk for injury during the rewarming process. The nurse should make this the priority nursing diagnosis for the care plan. All other diagnoses may be relevant to the patient but are not priorities.

• Question 166:

  What adverse effect would you observe in a patient who is taking an excessive amount of bupropion (Wellbutrin)?

  A. Dizziness when getting up
  B. Seizure activity
  C. Increased weight
  D. Constipation
  B. Seizure activity

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  The patient would begin to have seizures if they are taking an excess amount of bupropion (Wellbutrin). A dosage of more than 450 mg daily is considered to be excessive. Weight gain and constipation are common side effects of this medication. Orthostatic hypotension is not a side effect of this medication.

• Question 167:

  What is the maximum suction time for a patient with a tracheostomy?

  A. 5 seconds
  B. 10 seconds
  C. 30 seconds
  D. 1 minute
  B. 10 seconds

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  The nurse would want to limit suctioning to 10 seconds through a tracheostomy. Hypoxemia can be caused by prolonged suctioning and will stimulate the pacemaker cells in the heart. This could lead to a vasovagal response, which will cause bradycardia. The patient will need to be preoxygenated prior to suctioning.

• Question 168:

  You are caring for a toddler with croup. Which of the following clinical manifestations would you not see with croup?

  A. Worsening symptoms at night, that improve during the day
  B. Worsening symptoms during the day that improve with sleep
  C. Harsh, brassy cough
  D. Inspiratory stridor and low grade fever
  B. Worsening symptoms during the day that improve with sleep

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  All of the above are correct except worsening symptoms during the day that improve with sleep. Usually, a child develops croup after several days of respiratory infection. Croup begins with a harsh, brassy cough, sore throat and inspiratory stridor. The patient may develop a low grade fever, but in some cases the fever will get as high as 104 degrees.

• Question 169:

  When a registered nurse (RN) decides to delegate care to unlicensed personnel, what should the RN take into consideration when delegating care?

  A. Amount of support from RN
  B. Complexity of nursing tasks
  C. Amount of time the staff member will need to complete care
  D. Capability of the staff member to perform assessments
  B. Complexity of nursing tasks

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  The RN needs to take the complexity of the nursing tasks into consideration when delegating care to unlicensed personnel. The nurse would need to consider the amount of education, skill, knowledge, and judgment of the unlicensed staff. The nurse would not consider the amount of support, but rather the amount of supervision that the staff member would need.

• Question 170:

  You are working with a child and suspect physical abuse. What is your primary legal responsibility?

  A. Document your assessment thoroughly and accurately.
  B. Report the abuse to local authorities.
  C. Refer the family to support groups.
  D. Assist the family in identifying resources and support systems.
  B. Report the abuse to local authorities.

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  The nurse should report her suspicions to the local authorities so they can investigate. The law makes it mandatory to report any suspected child abuse. All other options are important in dealing with patient and the family, but they would not be the priority of the nurse.