NCLEX-RN Flashcards
7 cards from real RN practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 NCLEX-RN flashcards as text
A nurse is caring for a client in active labor whose fetal heart rate (FHR) shows late decelerations with each contraction. What is the priority nursing action?
Answer: Reposition the client to her left side
Repositioning to the left lateral position relieves aortocaval compression, improving uteroplacental blood flow and is the first nursing action for late decelerations.
A client with Addison's disease is admitted in adrenal crisis. Which IV fluid and medication does the nurse anticipate administering?
Answer: 0.9% NaCl and hydrocortisone
Adrenal crisis is treated with isotonic saline to correct hypotension and dehydration, plus hydrocortisone to replace deficient glucocorticoids.
A nurse administers the wrong medication to a client who experiences no adverse effects. What is the nurse's first action after recognizing the error?
Answer: Assess the client and monitor for adverse effects
Client safety is always the priority; the nurse must first assess the client for any adverse reactions before reporting or documenting the error.
A nurse is assessing a client with suspected pulmonary embolism (PE). Which clinical finding is most characteristic of PE?
Answer: Sudden onset of pleuritic chest pain and dyspnea
Sudden-onset pleuritic chest pain and dyspnea are hallmark symptoms of pulmonary embolism due to abrupt obstruction of pulmonary vasculature.
A nurse is caring for a client receiving total parenteral nutrition (TPN). Which complication requires the most immediate intervention?
Answer: Temperature of 39.2°C (102.6°F) with chills
Fever and chills in a TPN client suggest catheter-related bloodstream infection, a life-threatening complication requiring immediate assessment and blood cultures.
A nurse is teaching a client with COPD pursed-lip breathing. What is the primary goal of this technique?
Answer: Prevent airway collapse and promote CO2 elimination
Pursed-lip breathing creates positive back-pressure that keeps airways open longer, facilitating more complete exhalation and CO2 removal.
A nurse is caring for a client who is 12 hours post-thyroidectomy. The client reports tingling around the mouth and in the fingertips. What should the nurse assess next?
Answer: Trousseau's sign for hypocalcemia
Perioral and digital tingling after thyroidectomy suggest inadvertent parathyroid removal causing hypocalcemia; Trousseau's sign confirms neuromuscular irritability.