NCLEX - National Council Licensure Examination Test #24 1

Question 1

A nurse is preparing to administer digoxin to a client with heart failure. Which assessment finding should prompt the nurse to withhold the medication and notify the provider?

Accepted Answer

Apical pulse of 54 beats per minute

Answer

Digoxin should be withheld if the apical pulse is below 60 bpm in adults before administration. Bradycardia can indicate digoxin toxicity or heightened sensitivity, and the provider must be notified before continuing therapy.

Question 2

A nurse is caring for a postpartum client 2 hours after vaginal delivery. Assessment reveals a boggy uterus displaced to the right of the midline. Which action should the nurse take first?

Accepted Answer

Assist the client to urinate

Answer

A boggy uterus displaced to the right of the midline most commonly indicates a full bladder preventing uterine contraction and involution. Assisting the client to void is the priority first action before fundal massage or medications.

Question 3

A nurse is monitoring a client who has been taking lithium carbonate for bipolar disorder. Which serum lithium level indicates toxicity requiring immediate intervention?

Accepted Answer

2.2 mEq/L

Answer

The therapeutic range for lithium is 0.6–1.2 mEq/L (up to 1.5 mEq/L during acute mania). A level of 2.2 mEq/L falls well above this range and indicates toxicity, which can cause tremors, confusion, seizures, and cardiac dysrhythmias.

Question 4

A nurse is assessing a client 12 hours after a thyroidectomy. Which finding requires immediate intervention?

Accepted Answer

Positive Chvostek's sign

Answer

A positive Chvostek's sign (facial twitching when the cheek is tapped) indicates hypocalcemia, which can occur after thyroidectomy due to inadvertent removal or damage to the parathyroid glands. Severe hypocalcemia can lead to tetany and laryngospasm and requires immediate treatment.

Question 5

A nurse is caring for a client with chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage 4. Which dietary instruction is most appropriate?

Accepted Answer

Limit foods high in potassium and phosphorus

Answer

In CKD, impaired kidneys cannot adequately excrete potassium and phosphorus, leading to hyperkalemia and hyperphosphatemia, which cause cardiac and bone complications. Restricting these electrolytes is essential to managing the disease.

NCLEX Practice Test

NCLEX Practice Test

NCLEX - National Council Licensure Examination Test #24 1