BSN Study Guide 2026
Everything you need to pass the BSN exam in one place: the exam format, every topic to study, real practice questions with explanations, flashcards, and full-length practice tests. Free, no sign-up needed.
📋 BSN Exam Format at a Glance
📚 BSN Topics to Study (21)
✍️ Sample BSN Questions & Answers
1. A child is diagnosed with Tetralogy of Fallot and experiences a hypercyanotic ('Tet') spell. Which position should the nurse place the child in?
The knee-chest position increases systemic vascular resistance, reduces right-to-left shunting, and improves pulmonary blood flow, thereby relieving the hypercyanotic spell.
2. Which electrolyte imbalance increases a patient's risk for digoxin toxicity?
Hypokalemia potentiates digoxin toxicity because low potassium levels increase myocardial sensitivity to the drug.
3. A patient receiving epidural analgesia during labor develops sudden hypotension. What is the nurse's priority action?
Epidural-induced sympathetic blockade causes vasodilation and hypotension; IV fluid bolus and lateral positioning restore cardiac preload and maternal BP.
4. A patient at 38 weeks' gestation presents with sudden, painless, bright red vaginal bleeding. The nurse suspects which condition?
Placenta previa classically presents with painless bright red vaginal bleeding in the third trimester as the low-lying placenta separates.
5. The sedative found naturally in meat and dairy products, particularly warm milk, which can aid in inducing sleep is:
Tryptophan is a natural sedative; hypnotic sedatives include flurazepam (Dalmane), temazepam (Restoril), and methotrimeprazine (Levoprome). Tryptophan, an amino acid that induces sleep, is found in protein-rich foods like milk and milk products. Warm milk is a soothing way to rest and a fantastic approach to help you consume the recommended number of servings of Milk and Alternatives each day. All protein-rich foods contain trace levels of tryptophan, an amino acid that helps with sleep. It is a precursor of the neurotransmitters serotonin, which induces sleep, and melatonin, a hormone that also functions as a neurotransmitter.
6. The nurse is teaching a patient about warfarin therapy. Which food should the patient be instructed to consume consistently rather than avoid entirely?
Patients on warfarin should maintain a consistent vitamin K intake rather than eliminating it, because sudden changes alter INR.
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📖 BSN Guides & Articles
- What Does a BSN Nurse Do? Roles, Duties, and Career Overview
- BSN Essentials: What Every Nursing Student Needs to Know
- Traditional BSN: Complete Guide to Requirements, Curriculum, and Career Outcomes
- BSN Admission: Complete Guide to Requirements, Application Steps, and What to Expect
- Accelerated BSN Prerequisites: Complete Guide to Courses, GPA, and Requirements
- BSN Degree Classes: Complete Guide to Every Course You'll Take
- Top RN to BSN Programs: Complete Guide to Requirements, Costs, and How to Choose
- BSN Education: Complete Training Guide and Degree Requirements