LPN exams fundamentals practice questions, set 30

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LPN exams fundamentals practice questions set 30

You practice vitals, infection control, documentation, and the first nursing action when a patient is unstable. Five of the 15 questions include the correct answer and rationale. The other ten keep answers in the study hub. Continue with the LPN exams exam guide or more LPN exams practice questions.

Five fundamentals questions with answers

Cover the key. Write the first action. Then open the rationale and name why the other choices fail.

Question 1

The nurse is assessing an adult patient following a motor vehicle accident. The nurse observes that the patient has an increased use of accessory muscles and is complaining of chest pain and shortness of breath. The nurse should recognize the possibility of what condition?

  1. A. Pneumothorax
  2. B. Anxiety
  3. C. Acute bronchitis
  4. D. Aspiration
Show answer and rationale

Correct answer: A — Pneumothorax

Post-trauma symptoms like increased accessory muscle use, chest pain, and shortness of breath suggest a pneumothorax, where air in the pleural space collapses the lung, impairing ventilation. Accessory muscles (e.g., sternocleidomastoid) compensate for reduced lung expansion, while pain arises from pleural irritation or rib fractures, common in motor vehicle accidents. Anxiety may cause rapid breathing, but chest pain and accessory muscle use are less typical unless panic mimics trauma effects, which history rules out. Acute bronchitis, an inflammatory condition, presents with cough and mucus, not trauma-related dyspnea or pain. Aspiration involves inhaling foreign material, causing cough or infection, not immediate post-accident symptoms. The nurse's recognition of pneumothorax prompts urgent imaging (e.g., chest X-ray) and intervention (e.g., chest tube), critical given its potential to progress to tension pneumothorax in a trauma setting.

Question 2

The four major concepts in nursing theory are

  1. A. Person, environment, nursing, health
  2. B. Promotive, preventive, curative, rehabitative
  3. C. Nurse, person, environment, care
  4. D. Person, environment, theory, health
Show answer and rationale

Correct answer: A — Person, environment, nursing, health

Nursing theory revolves around four major concepts: person (the client), environment (external influences), nursing (the profession's actions), and health (the client's well-being). These form a metaparadigm, a foundational framework for models like Roy's Adaptation or Orem's Self-Care, guiding practice and research. Promotive, preventive, curative, and rehabilitative are health care approaches, not core theoretical concepts specific to intervention types, not theory's essence. Nurse, person, environment, care swaps 'health' for 'care,' diluting the holistic focus; 'nursing' encompasses care broadly. Person, environment, theory, health replaces 'nursing' with 'theory,' confusing the framework with its product. The quartet of person, environment, nursing, and health unifies nursing's domain, ensuring theories address the client, their context, the nurse's role, and desired outcomes, making it the widely accepted answer in nursing scholarship.

Question 3

You made a mistake in giving the medicine to the wrong client. You notify the client's doctor and write an incident report. You are demonstrating:

  1. A. Responsibility
  2. B. Accountability
  3. C. Authority
  4. D. Autocracy
Show answer and rationale

Correct answer: B — Accountability

The correct answer is B: Accountability. Accountability refers to taking responsibility for one's actions and decisions. In this scenario, by notifying the client's doctor and writing an incident report after making a mistake, the individual is accepting responsibility for their error. Accountability involves acknowledging mistakes, taking corrective actions, and learning from them to prevent future occurrences. Choice A: Responsibility is the obligation to fulfill one's duties. While notifying the doctor and writing a report demonstrate responsibility, the term accountability better captures the aspect of taking ownership of the mistake. Choice C: Authority is the power or right to give orders or make decisions. This term is not applicable in the context of admitting a mistake and reporting it. Choice D: Autocracy refers to a system of government where one person has absolute power. This term is not relevant to the situation described.

Question 4

An examiner is using an ophthalmoscope to examine a patient's eyes. Which technique indicates that the examination is being correctly performed?

  1. A. Using the large full circle of light when assessing pupils that are not dilated.
  2. B. Rotating the lens selector dial to the black numbers to compensate for astigmatism.
  3. C. Using the grid on the lens aperture dial to visualize the external structures of the eye.
  4. D. Rotating the lens selector dial to the red numbers to compensate for myopia.
Show answer and rationale

Correct answer: D — Rotating the lens selector dial to the red numbers to compensate for myopia.

The correct answer is D: Rotating the lens selector dial to the red numbers to compensate for myopia. This is the correct technique because red numbers on the lens selector dial indicate the adjustment for nearsightedness (myopia) by adding concave lenses. This adjustment helps in achieving a clear view of the retina in myopic patients. A: Using the large full circle of light when assessing pupils that are not dilated is incorrect because a smaller circle of light is preferred for assessing undilated pupils to reduce glare. B: Rotating the lens selector dial to the black numbers to compensate for astigmatism is incorrect because astigmatism is corrected by adjusting the cylindrical power, not by using black numbers on the lens selector dial. C: Using the grid on the lens aperture dial to visualize the external structures of the eye is incorrect as the grid is typically used for focusing and not for visualizing external structures.

Question 5

A patient reports, 'I am overwhelmed by stress.' Which question by the nurse would be most important to use in the initial assessment of this patient?

  1. A. Tell me about your family history. Do you have any relatives who have problems with stress?'
  2. B. Tell me about your exercise. How much activity do you typically get in a day?'
  3. C. Tell me about the kinds of things you do to reduce or cope with your stress.'
  4. D. Stress can interfere with sleep. How much did you sleep last night?'
Show answer and rationale

Correct answer: C — Tell me about the kinds of things you do to reduce or cope with your stress.'

The most important data to collect during an initial assessment is that which reflects how stress is affecting the patient and how he is coping with stress at present. This data would indicate whether or not his distress is placing him in danger (e.g., by elevating his blood pressure dangerously or via maladaptive responses, such as drinking) and would help the nurse understand how he copes and how well his coping strategies and resources serve him. Of the choices presented, the highest priority would be to determine what he is doing to cope at present, preferably via an open-ended inquiry. Family history, the extent of his use of exercise, and how much sleep he is getting are all helpful but seek data that is less of a priority. Also, the manner in which such data is sought here is likely to provide only brief responses (e.g., how much sleep he got on one particular night is probably less important than how much he is sleeping in general).

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Question 6

When a patient diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia was discharged from the unit 6 months ago, the plan was for him to take chlorpromazine (Thorazine), a conventional (first generation) antipsychotic medication, 300 mg po daily. He tells the nurse he stopped taking his pills after a few months because they made him feel like a 'zombie.' What other common side effects should the nurse determine if the patient experienced?

  1. A. Sweating, nausea, and weight gain
  2. B. Sedation, tremor, and muscle stiffness
  3. C. Headache, watery eyes, and runny nose
  4. D. Mild fever, sore throat, and skin rash
Answer and rationale unlock in the Nursier study hub. Unlock answers

Question 7

One way for a nursing assistant to communicate effectively with a resident who has a visual impairment is to

  1. A. Wait until the resident speaks to her before identifying herself
  2. B. Touch the resident on the arm before identifying herself to let her know the NA is there
  3. C. Speak as little as possible while providing care
  4. D. Use the face of an imaginary clock to explain the position of objects
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Question 8

Which theory emphasizes the relationships between the whole and the parts, and describes how parts function and behave?

  1. A. Nursing theory
  2. B. Adaptation theory
  3. C. General systems theory
  4. D. Developmental theory
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Question 9

When assessing a patient's pulse, the nurse notes that the amplitude is weaker during inspiration and stronger during expiration. When the nurse measures the blood pressure, the reading decreases 20 mm Hg during inspiration and increases with expiration. This patient is experiencing pulsus:

  1. A. Alternans.
  2. B. Bisferiens.
  3. C. Bigeminus.
  4. D. Paradoxus.
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Question 10

In the hospital, your department is using the functional method of patient care modality. What is it all about?

  1. A. One nurse is responsible for giving bedside care, another one for administering medications and another one for treatments and so on
  2. B. It is a one on one constant patient care for a period of time.
  3. C. The nurse has the responsibility for giving nursing care to the client from admission until discharge
  4. D. A team leader has the task of coordinating the total care of a group of patients.
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Question 11

A young woman is giving her menstrual history to the nurse. She is concerned about a short-lived pain that sometimes occurs on either the right or left side of her lower abdomen about 2 weeks before her period is due to begin. What is the nurse’s best response?

  1. A. “This pain is probably related to ovulation and is not uncommon.”
  2. B. “The pain may be caused by abnormal hormone levels, so the levels should be checked.”
  3. C. “Don’t worry, this is to be expected in young women.”
  4. D. “There might be some structural abnormality that should be assessed further.”
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Question 12

A long-term care facility is seeking an advanced practice nurse to educate the staff about palliative care for the residents. The facility would benefit most by hiring which advanced practice nurse?

  1. A. Clinical nurse specialist
  2. B. Nurse practitioner
  3. C. Nurse researcher
  4. D. Nurse administrator
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Question 13

Which key motivational factor should the nurse leader focus on to influence nurse retention and recruitment?

  1. A. Nurse competency
  2. B. Nurse knowledge
  3. C. Nurse caring
  4. D. Nurse salary
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Question 14

A 45-year-old woman presents with a complaint of chronic back pain. She describes the pain as dull, aching, and constant, with no radiation. She has a history of rheumatoid arthritis and takes nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. On examination, she has tenderness over the lower lumbar spine. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?

  1. A. Osteoporotic fracture
  2. B. Herniated disc
  3. C. Spinal stenosis
  4. D. Mechanical low back pain
Answer and rationale unlock in the Nursier study hub. Unlock answers

Question 15

A client is having a lumbar puncture performed. The nurse would plan to place the client in which position?

  1. A. Side-lying, with a pillow under the hip.
  2. B. Prone, with a pillow under the abdomen.
  3. C. Prone, in slight-Trendelenburg's position.
  4. D. Side-lying, with the legs pulled up and head bent down onto chest.
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About these LPN exams fundamentals questions

LPN exams fundamentals practice questions, set 30 for nursing students in the United States. Fifteen items. Five include answers and rationales in American English.

No. Nursier is independent practice. Register through the official path named on the LPN exams exam guide.

The first five questions already include the rationale. Start full practice to unlock the remaining keys, missed-question review, and the rest of the bank.

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Missed-question review, longer banks, and the rest of 20,000+ nursing practice questions open when you start studying.