TIA Study Guide 2026
Everything you need to pass the TIA 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.
📋 TIA Exam Format at a Glance
📚 TIA Topics to Study (23)
✍️ Sample TIA Questions & Answers
1. A nurse assesses a patient's chest tube drainage system and notices continuous bubbling in the water-seal chamber. This indicates:
Continuous bubbling in the water-seal chamber indicates an air leak either in the patient's lung or in the drainage system connections.
2. A newborn has not passed meconium within 48 hours of birth. The nurse should assess for:
Failure to pass meconium within 24–48 hours suggests intestinal obstruction such as Hirschsprung's disease or imperforate anus.
3. A nurse witnesses a colleague make a medication error that caused patient harm. The nurse should first:
Patient safety is the first priority — assess the patient, notify the provider, then complete the required incident report.
4. Which of these can be considered thinking critically?
Thinking critically involves actively engaging with information, questioning it, and being aware of any potential problems or biases. It requires analyzing and evaluating evidence, considering different perspectives, and making reasoned judgments. Thinking emotionally is not the same as thinking critically, as it involves being influenced by emotions rather than using rational and logical reasoning. Thinking logically is a component of critical thinking, but it is not the only aspect. Therefore, the option "Think actively and be aware of potential problems in the information you encounter" is the answer as it aligns with the principles of critical thinking.
5. Which strategy is most effective for improving HCAHPS (patient satisfaction) scores related to nurse communication?
Hourly rounding proactively addresses patient needs, reduces call lights, and improves communication scores on HCAHPS surveys.
6. A patient with anorexia nervosa is admitted weighing 82 lbs at 5'4". Which initial intervention is the priority?
Physiologic stabilization — addressing electrolyte imbalances, hypotension, and cardiac dysrhythmias — is the priority in severe anorexia nervosa.