New Life Institute of Nursing

Select the best option

1.A student nurse is learning to assess blood pressure. What does the blood pressure
measure?
a. Flow of blood through the circulation
b. Force of blood against arterial walls
c. Force of blood against venous walls
d. Flow of blood through the heart

2.A patient is having dyspnea. What would the nurse do first?

a. Remove pillows from under the head
b. Elevate the head of the bed
c. Elevate the foot of the bed
d. Take the blood pressure

3.Two nurses are taking an apical-radial pulse and note a difference in pulse rate of 8 beats
per minute. The nurse would document this difference as which of the following?
a. Pulse deficit
b. Pulse amplitude
c. Ventricular rhythm
d. Heart arrhythmia

4.While taking an adult patient's pulse, a nurse finds the rate to be 140 beats/min. What
should the nurse do next?

a. Check the pulse again in 2 hours.

b. Check the blood pressure.
c. Record the information.
d. Report the rate to the primary care provider.
5.A patient who is febrile may lose body heat through perspiration. The nurse recognizes
that this is an example of what mechanism of heat loss?

a. Evaporation
b. Convection
c. Radiation
d. Conduction

6.A nurse assesses an oral temperature for an adult patient. The patient's temperature is
37.5°C (99.5°F). What term would the nurse use to report this temperature?

a. Febrile
b. Hypothermia
c. Hypertension
d. Afebrile

7.A 2+ radial pulse is considered to be __________.

a. An absent pulse
b. A bounding pulse
c. A weak pulse 
d. A normal pulse

8.Which of the following locations is most appropriate for assessing the pulse of an infant?

a. Carotid artery
b. Popliteal artery
c. Radial artery
d. Brachial artery
9.Which of the following is a normal adult respiratory rate?

a.
b.
c.
d.

10.What is a normal respiratory rate for an infant under 1 year of age?

a. 60-90 breaths per minute

b. 30-60 breaths per minute
c. 10-20 breaths per minute
d. 20-30 breaths per minute

11.How might an overlarge cuff affect a blood pressure reading

a. There would be no significant effect

b. The reading would be artificially high
c. The reading may be unstable
d. The reading would be artificially low

12.A nurse is attempting to obtain vital signs from a restless toddler who is clinging to his
mother's legs and asking to go home. Which of the following would be the best nursing
intervention to accomplish this task?
A.Perform the blood pressure assessment first because it is the most frightening
procedure for a child.
B.Perform as many of the assessments as possible with the child seated on the
parent's lap.
C.Do not allow the child to see the instruments until they are ready to be used.
D.Remove any distractions (e.g., toys/dolls from the room to improve concentration).
13.A nurse assesses the rectal temperature of a patient who is postoperative following oral
surgery. What patient assessment needs to be made before taking this temperature?
A.Pain assessment
B.Pulse rate
C.Platelet count
D.Fecal occult blood test

14.A patient informs the nurse that she still uses a mercury thermometer to take the
temperature of her children when they are sick. Which of the following is a
recommended teaching guideline for patients using these types of thermometers?

A.Teach patient safety related to accidental breakage of the thermometer.

B.Tell patients using mercury thermometers to throw them in the trash and buy a new
type of instrument.
C.Encourage patients to use alternative devices to assess temperature in their home.
D.Tell patients that mercury thermometers should be used only in a hospital setting
with appropriate safeguards.
15.A nurse is obtaining vital signs from patients using the tympanic method for measuring
temperature. Which of the following guidelines should be followed when taking a
tympanic temperature?
A.Do not take a tympanic temperature if the patient has an earache.
B.Do not take a tympanic temperature if there is noticeable earwax present.
C.Do not take a tympanic temperature if the patient has an ear infection.
D.If the patient has been sleeping with head to one side, take the temperature in the
ear facing down.