Skip to ContentGo to accessibility page
Clinical Nursing Skills

Review Questions

Clinical Nursing SkillsReview Questions

Review Questions

1 .
What laboratory result is indicative of hypercapnia?
  1. PaO2 68 mm Hg
  2. PaCO2 24 mm Hg
  3. HCO3 24 mEq/L
  4. PaCO2 50 mm Hg
2 .
Diffusion works by which method of molecular movement?
  1. Molecules move from the intravascular space to the surrounding tissue.
  2. Movement of molecules is from interstitial to intravascular space.
  3. Molecular movement is from high to low concentration along a gradient.
  4. Molecules are moved across a filter by expenditure of ATP.
3 .
What substance is a powerful vasoconstrictor, synthesized by reactions of the kidneys and the lungs?
  1. aldosterone
  2. angiotensin II
  3. renin
  4. angiotensin I
4 .
What substance reduces alveolar surface tension, thereby preventing the collapse of alveoli?
  1. surfactant
  2. macrophage
  3. bradykinin
  4. prostaglandin
5 .
What patient’s respiratory status would a nurse in the emergency department be most concerned about?
  1. 68-year-old with fifty-pack-year smoking history
  2. 52-year-old with brainstem infarction
  3. 45-year-old with right lower lobe pneumonia
  4. 34-year-old with latent tuberculosis
6 .
A nursing student who is preparing to educate a patient on the use of the incentive spirometer practices by telling the preceptor the patient will be told to use what technique?
  1. “Inhale through the mouthpiece like a thick milkshake through a straw.”
  2. “Blow into the mouthpiece as hard as you can for as long as you can.”
  3. “Breathe in and out through the mouthpiece quickly ten times in ten seconds.”
  4. “Cough into the mouthpiece to see if the regulator rises to the goal.”
7 .
Norepinephrine enhances perfusion by what mechanism?
  1. dilates blood vessels
  2. produces hypotension
  3. causes vasoconstriction
  4. normalizes temperature
8 .
The combined processes of cellular respiration and gas exchange are referred to by what terminology?
  1. ventilation
  2. perfusion
  3. internal respiration
  4. Kreb cycle
9 .
The impulse of the normal cardiac electrical cycle travels from the SA node to the AV node, then to which structure?
  1. Purkinje fibers
  2. bundle of His
  3. ventricular wall
  4. interventricular septum
10 .
A nurse anticipates what symptom from a patient who has low CO?
  1. clammy skin
  2. clear mentation
  3. bradycardia
  4. robust pedal pulses
11 .
Metabolic syndrome is associated with what combination of diagnoses?
  1. hyperglycemia, central obesity, hypertension
  2. high triglycerides, high HDL, hyperglycemia
  3. hypertension and severe obesity
  4. high triglycerides, low HDL, hypoglycemia
12 .
Acid-base balance is reflected by what factor?
  1. PaCO2
  2. pH
  3. PaO2
  4. HCO3
13 .
A nurse is educating a patient about lifestyle choices; what behavior is of most concern for respiratory implications?
  1. sedentary activity level
  2. high sodium intake
  3. 150 minutes of moderate walking
  4. smoking
14 .
The amount and rate of inspiration and expiration of air are measured by what test?
  1. oximetry
  2. capnography
  3. spirometry
  4. PEFR
15 .
The telemetry nurse notices a patient’s HR has slowed to 45 beats/minute; upon reviewing the continuous ECG monitor, no P-waves are visible, but the QRS complexes are regular. The nurse prepares to call to inform the cardiologist of what suspected issue?
  1. The patient is in HF.
  2. An MI is occurring.
  3. A-fib has developed.
  4. The SA node is not firing.
16 .
A nurse reads a postintubation chest x-ray report that indicates a patient has subcutaneous emphysema in the anterior right chest, near the clavicle. What assessment finding should the nurse anticipate in this region?
  1. no breath sounds
  2. crepitus
  3. alkalosis
  4. wheezing
17 .
A patient is admitted for an acute-on-chronic exacerbation of emphysema. What powerful class of drugs does the nurse expect to be prescribed to treat the acute inflammatory process?
  1. decongestant
  2. expectorant
  3. corticosteroid
  4. antitussive
18 .
An unresponsive patient who is not breathing and whose cardiac rhythm is identified as VF is a candidate for what emergency intervention?
  1. cardioversion
  2. O2 by CPAP
  3. IV sedation
  4. defibrillation
19 .
A patient with secretions in bilateral anterior upper lobes of the lungs has been taking guaifenesin, has undergone chest physiotherapy to include percussion of the upper anterior chest, and is now to be positioned for postural drainage. In what position will the nurse place the patient?
  1. Trendelenburg
  2. supine and flat
  3. prone
  4. high Fowler
Citation/Attribution
Reuse and redistribution of this content in digital or print format:
  • This book may not be used in the training of large language models or otherwise be ingested into large language models or generative AI offerings without OpenStax's prior written permission.
  • This book uses the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License, which means that you can reuse and modify the material only for noncommercial purposes, must attribute OpenStax, and must distribute any derivative works under the same license.
  • Any commercial printing of this textbook, including using a local or custom printer, must be approved by OpenStax, and proper citation provided.
  • OpenStax-copyrighted images, activities, assessments, and similar components of this book are subject to the same licensing – CC-BY-NC-SA. They can be used for noncommercial purposes with attribution. Commercial use requires permission.
  • Permission requests: Anyone who intends to incorporate this content (including text, images, and other components) into large language models, use it in AI offerings, use it commercially (including in print), and/or has questions about another use case is welcome to complete our reuse request form.
Attribution information
  • If you are redistributing all or part of this book in a noncommercial print format, then you must include on every physical page the following attribution:

    Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/clinical-nursing-skills/pages/1-introduction

  • If you are redistributing all or part of this book in a noncommercial digital format, then for every page that includes OpenStax content, you must license the derivative work under the same CC-BY-NC-SA license as the original, and include on every digital page view the following attribution:

    Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/clinical-nursing-skills/pages/1-introduction

Citation information

The information below includes the information needed to generate citations in most major styles (APA, MLA, etc.); you must reformat and organize the information as needed to fit the requirements of the style. Use the information below to generate a citation. We recommend using a citation tool such as this one.

© Jul 23, 2026 OpenStax. Textbook content produced by OpenStax is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License. The OpenStax name, OpenStax logo, OpenStax book covers, OpenStax CNX name, and OpenStax CNX logo, and Rice University name, and Rice University logo trademarks, or wordmarks are not subject to the Creative Commons license and may not be reproduced without the prior and express written consent of Rice University.