Registered Nurse 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 Registered Nurse flashcards as text
A nurse is caring for a patient with increased intracranial pressure (ICP). Which nursing position provides the best outcome?
Answer: Head of bed elevated 30 degrees with head midline
Elevating the HOB 30 degrees and keeping the head midline promotes venous drainage from the skull, reducing ICP.
A nurse notes a patient on heparin infusion has an aPTT of 180 seconds (therapeutic range 60–100 seconds). What is the priority intervention?
Answer: Stop the infusion and notify the provider
An aPTT of 180 seconds indicates supratherapeutic anticoagulation and bleeding risk; the infusion must be stopped and the provider notified for dose adjustment.
A patient with acute pancreatitis is prescribed nothing by mouth (NPO). The patient asks why they cannot eat. What is the nurse's best response?
Answer: 'Eating stimulates the pancreas to release enzymes that worsen inflammation.'
Oral intake stimulates pancreatic enzyme secretion, which causes autodigestion and worsens pancreatitis; NPO status allows the pancreas to rest.
A nurse is preparing a patient for a colonoscopy. Which finding in the patient's history requires immediate communication to the provider?
Answer: Daily aspirin use for cardiac prophylaxis
Antiplatelet agents like aspirin increase bleeding risk during colonoscopy with potential polypectomy; the provider must decide whether to hold the medication.
A nurse is performing a newborn assessment and notes the infant's skin is yellow at 10 hours of life. How should the nurse interpret this finding?
Answer: Pathologic jaundice requiring immediate evaluation
Jaundice appearing within the first 24 hours of life is always pathologic and requires immediate evaluation for conditions such as hemolytic disease.
A patient recovering from a total hip arthroplasty (THA) tries to pick up an object from the floor by bending forward at the hip. What should the nurse do?
Answer: Instruct the patient to stop; hip flexion beyond 90 degrees is restricted
After THA, hip flexion beyond 90 degrees is contraindicated to prevent prosthetic dislocation; patients must use adaptive equipment like reachers.
A nurse is administering a medication via a nasogastric (NG) tube. Which action is most important before instilling the medication?
Answer: Verify tube placement by checking gastric pH or x-ray confirmation
Confirming NG tube placement before any instillation prevents aspiration or medication delivery into the lungs.