NCLEX PN Practice Questions 11-20

Read each NCLEX PN Practice Questions carefully and choose the best answer.

11. The client has an order for gentamycin to be administered. Which lab results should be reported to the doctor before beginning the medication?

A. Hematocrit
B. Creatinine
C. White blood cell count
D. Erythrocyte count

12. The nurse is caring for the client with a mastectomy. Which action would be contraindicated?

A. Taking the blood pressure in the side of the mastectomy
B. Elevating the arm on the side of the mastectomy
C. Positioning the client on the unaffected side
D. Performing a dextrostix on the unaffected side

13. NCLEX PN Practice Questions about the charge nurse who is making assignments for the day. After accepting the assignment to a client with leukemia, the nurse tells the charge nurse that her child has chickenpox. Which action should the charge nurse take?

A. Change the nurse’s assignment to another client
B. Explain to the nurse that there is no risk to the client
C. Ask the nurse if the chickenpox have scabbed
D. Ask the nurse if she has ever had the chickenpox

14. The client with brain cancer refuses to care for herself. Which action by the nurse would be best?

A. Alternate nurses caring for the client so that the staff will not get tired of caring for this client
B. Talk to the client and explain the need for self-care
C. Explore the reason for the lack of motivation seen in the client
D. Talk to the doctor about the client’s lack of motivation

15. The nurse is caring for the client who has been in a coma for 2 months. He has signed a donor card, but the wife is opposed to the idea of organ donation. How should the nurse handle the topic of organ donation with the wife?

A. Contact organ retrieval to come talk to the wife
B. Tell her that because her husband signed a donor card, the hospital has the right to take the organs upon the death of her husband
C. Drop the subject until a later time
D. Refrain from talking about the subject until after the death of her husband

16. NCLEX PN Practice Questions about the nurse who is assessing the abdomen. The nurse knows the best sequence to perform the assessment is:

A. Inspection, auscultation, palpation
B. Auscultation, palpation, inspection
C. Palpation, inspection, auscultation
D. Inspection, palpation, auscultation

17. The nurse is assisting in the assessment of the patient admitted with abdominal pain. Why should the nurse ask about medications that the client is taking?

A. Interactions between medications can be identified.
B. Various medications taken by mouth can affect the alimentary tract.
C. This will provide an opportunity to educate the patient regarding the medications used.
D. The types of medications might be attributable to an abdominal pathology not already identified.

18. The nurse is asked by the nurse aide, “Are peptic ulcers really caused by stress?” The nurse would be correct in replying with which of the following:

A. “Peptic ulcers result from overeating fatty foods.”
B. “Peptic ulcers are always caused from exposure to continual stress.”
C. “Peptic ulcers are like all other ulcers, which all result from stress.”
D. “Peptic ulcers are associated with H. pylori, although there are other ulcers that are associated with stress.”

19. The client is newly diagnosed with juvenile onset diabetes. Which of the following nursing diagnoses is a priority?

A. Anxiety
B. Pain
C. Knowledge deficit
D. Altered thought process

20. The nurse understands that the diagnosis of oral cancer is confirmed with:
A. Biopsy
B. Gram Stain
C. Scrape cytology
D. Oral washings for cytology



Answers to NCLEX PN Practice Questions

11) B
- Gentamycin is a drug from the aminoglycocide classification. These drugs are toxic to the auditory nerve and the kidneys. The hematocrit is not of significant consideration in this client; therefore, answer A is incorrect. Answer C is incorrect because we would expect the white blood cell count to be elevated in this client because gentamycin is an antibiotic. Answer D is incorrect because the erythrocyte count is also particularly significant

12) A
- The nurse should not take the blood pressure on the affected side. Also, venopunctures and IVs should not be used in the affected area. Answers B, C, and D are all indicated for caring for the client. The arm should be elevated to decrease edema. It is best to position the client on the unaffected side and perform a dextrostix on the unaffected side.

13) D

- NCLEX PN Practice Questions Rationale: The nurse who has had the chickenpox has immunity to the illness. Answer A is incorrect because more information is needed to determine whether a change in assignment is necessary.Answer B is incorrect because there could be a risk to the immune-suppressed client. Answer C is incorrect because the client who is immune-suppressed could still be at risk from the nurse’s exposure to the chickenpox, even if scabs are present.

14) C

- The nurse should explore the cause for the lack of motivation. The client might be anemic and lack energy, might be in pain, or might be depressed. Alternating staff, as stated in answer A, will prevent a bond from being formed with the nurse. Answer B is not enough, and answer D is not necessary.

15) A

- Contacting organ retrieval to talk to the family member is the best choice because a trained specialist has the knowledge to assist the wife with making the decision to donate or not to donate the client’s organs. The hospital will certainly honor the wishes of family members even if the patient has signed a donor card. Answer B is incorrect; answer C might be done, but there might not be time; and answer D is not good nursing etiquette and, therefore, is incorrect.

16) A

- NCLEX PN Practice Questions Rationale: The nurse should inspect first, then auscultate, and finally palpate. If the nurse palpates first, the assessment might be unreliable. Therefore, answers B, C, and D are incorrect.

17) B
- Many medications can irritate the stomach and contribute to abdominal pain. For answer A, the primary reason for asking about medications is not to identify interactions between medication. Although this might provide an opportunity for teaching, this is not the best time to teach. Therefore, answers C and D are incorrect.

18) D

- H. pylori bacteria and stress are directly related to peptic ulcers. Answers A and B are incorrect because peptic ulcers are not caused by overeating or always caused by continued stress. Answer C is incorrect because peptic ulcers are related to but not directly caused by stress.

19) C

- The new diabetic has a knowledge deficit. Answers A, B, and D are not supported within the stem and so are incorrect.

20) A

- The best diagnostic tool for cancer is the biopsy. Other assessment includes checking the lymph nodes. Answers B, C, and D will not confirm a diagnosis of oral cancer.


After you reviewed your answers through its rationale, you can also go back to the first page to start from the beginning:

NCLEX PN Practice Questions 1-10


Or proceed to the next set of questions:

NCLEX PN Practice Questions 21-30