Nclex RN Practice Questions 2 A Client With Cardiovascular Disorder

1. Which of the following conditions can cause right-sided heart failure?
 A. A ventricular septal defect
 B. An anterior MI
 C. An atrial septal defect
 D. Constrictive pericarditis

2. When caring for a patient with arterial occlusive disease, which of the following home health care
instructions is most appropriate for the nurse to give to the patient?
A. “You should massage your legs to relieve pain.”
B. “It’s best to sit and rest for several hours a day.”
C. “Make sure the head of your bed is slightly elevated when sleeping.”
D. “It’s best to wear tight socks instead of no socks.”

3. The nurse prepares to administer an ACE inhibitor to a patient with an acute MI
for which reason?
A. To minimize platelet aggregation
B. To reduce preload and afterload
C. To reduce myocardial oxygen consumption
D. To decrease myocardial oxygen demand

4. A patient is receiving captopril for heart failure. The nurse should notify the practitioner that the
medication therapy is ineffective if an assessment reveals:
A. a skin rash.
B. peripheral edema.
C. a dry cough.
D. postural hypotension.

5. When locating Erb’s point to hear aortic and pulmonic sounds, the nurse should place the stethoscope at the:
A. fi fth intercostal space near the midclavicular line.
B. fi fth intercostal space along the left sternal border.
C. second intercostal space at the left sternal border.
D. third intercostal space at the left sternal border.

6. A 60-year-old male patient is suspected of having coronary artery disease. Which noninvasive diagnostic
method would the nurse expect to be ordered to evaluate cardiac changes?
A. Cardiac biopsy
B. Cardiac catheterization
C. MRI
D. Pericardiocentesis

7. When evaluating an ECG strip of a patient on a telemetry unit, the nurse notices  the patient is having premature ventricular contractions (PVCs). What criterion on the ECG strip does the nurse use to evaluate the presence of PVCs?
A. An indiscernible PR interval
B. P waves that appear erratic
C. P waves that have a sawtooth confi guration
D. A QRS complex followed by a compensatory pause

8. While auscultating the heart sounds of a patient with mitral insuffi ciency, the nurse hears an extra heart
sound immediately after the second heart sound (S2). The nurse should document this  extra heart sound as:
A. a fi rst heart sound (S1).
B. a third heart sound (S3).
C. a fourth heart sound (S4).
D. a mitral murmur.

9. The nurse is administering warfarin (Coumadin) to a patient with deep vein thrombophlebitis. Which laboratory value indicates warfarin is at therapeutic levels?
A. PTT 1½ to 2 times the control
B. PT 1½ to 2 times the control
C. INR of 3 to 4
D. Hematocrit of 32%

10. A 55-year-old black male is found to have a blood pressure of 150/90 mm Hg during a work site health
screening. What should the nurse do?
A. Consider this to be a normal fi nding for his age and race.
B. Recommend he have his blood pressure rechecked in 1 year.
C. Recommend he have his blood pressure rechecked within 2 weeks.
D. Recommend he go to the emergency department for further evaluation.
Answers and Rationals