Always remember, that when a question requires prioritization, all options can be correct and you must determine the correct order of actions. However, if you find an offending cause, eliminate the offending cause first.

• Airway, Breathing, and Circulation (ABC)
• Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (Physiological, Safety, Love and Belonging, Self-Esteem, Self-Actualization)
• Nursing Process: Assessment, Diagnosis, Planning, Intervention, and Evaluation (ADPIE)
• Rescue, Alarm, Confine, and Extinguish (RACE) in cases of fire
• Airway, Breathing, Circulation, and Disability or Dysfunstion in some cases

Sample Question:

1. Assess the client for underlying conditions
2. Administer Paracetamol 500mg, P.O.
3. Give the client a Tepid Sponge Bath(TSB)
4. Alert the attending physician of the clients condition

All of the choices are nursing actions, but one must focus on the priority action of the nurse which is to DECREASE the client’s elevated temperature. While some choices pertain to actions that may decrease the temperature, one particular choice emphasizes the nurses’ autonomy and the ability think critically.

Sample Question:

1. Assess the client for underlying conditions
2. Administer Paracetamol 500mg, P.O.
3. Give the client a Tepid Sponge Bath(TSB)
4. Alert the attending physician of the clients condition

Performing a Tepid Sponge Bath on a client is an immediate action of nurses, to reduce a client’s elevated temperature that most often does not need a doctor’s order unless contraindicated. If the client is given a TSB and the client’s temperature does not go down, then the nurse can now administer other nursing procedures such as administration of ordered medication.

Remember to only use this test taking strategy if you DO NOT KNOW the correct answer and is UNSURE of the choices. If you know the answer and it contradicts any test taking strategy, please follow what you know.

Sample Question

A client is diagnosed with hypothyroidism and is prescribed to take Levothyroxine. The nurse expects the outcome of the medication is to:

1. Suppress Thyroid Stimulating Hormone
2. Control protein synthesis
3. Achieve normal thyroid hormone levels
4. Increase basal metabolic rate

All choices seem to be the correct action of Levothyroxine but if you are to observed choice no. 3 pertain to the action of Levothyroxine and the other three choices fall under it.

Sample Question

A client is diagnosed with hypothyroidism and is prescribed to take Levothyroxine. The nurse expects the outcome of the medication is to:

1. Suppress Thyroid Stimulating Hormone
2. Control protein synthesis
3. Achieve normal thyroid hormone levels
4. Increase basal metabolic rate

Also, if administration of Levothyroxine is successful, it will cause a decrease in the thyroid-stimulating hormone levels. as it progress these levels will proceed to drop and plasma levels of thyroid hormone increase.

Remember to only use this test taking strategy if you DO NOT KNOW the correct answer and is UNSURE of the choices. If you know the answer and it contradicts any test taking strategy, please follow what you know.

Sample Question:

A depressed client says to a nurse “My family would not miss me. They’re better off if I’m gone.” The nurse would best respond by saying:

1. Everybody feels the same when they are depressed.
2. You will feel better once you take your medication.
3. Have you and your family talked about this?
4. You seem very upset. Are you thinking about hurting yourself?

You can observe that option no. 4 asks the client to expound more on his feelings. This also acknowledges that the client’s feelings. options no. 1, 2, and 3 does not directly acknowledge the client’s feelings. Also these are close-ended sentences which do not allow the client to verbalize his feelings.

Sample Question:

A depressed client says to a nurse “My family would not miss me. They’re better off if I’m gone.” The nurse would best respond by saying:

1. Everybody feels the same when they are depressed.
2. You will feel better once you take your medication.
3. Have you and your family talked about this?
4. You seem very upset. Are you thinking about hurting yourself?

The correct answer is option no. 4

Remember to only use this test taking strategy if you DO NOT KNOW the correct answer and is UNSURE of the choices. If you know the answer and it contradicts any test taking strategy, please follow what you know.

Sample Question:

You are instructing the client on how to perform breast self-examination. You tell the client to lie down and to examine her left breast. you then instruct the client that in performing breast self-examination while lying down, she should place a pillow on what side of the body?

1. Under the left shoulder.
2. Under the right shoulder
3. Under the right scapula.
4. Under the right arm.

You can notice that three of the four choice pertain to the right side of the body. It is safe to deduce that no.1 is the correct answer.

Sample Question:

You are instructing the client on how to perform breast self-examination. You tell the client to lie down and to examine her left breast. you then instruct the client that in performing breast self-examination while lying down, she should place a pillow on what side of the body?

1. Under the left shoulder.
2. Under the right shoulder
3. Under the right scapula.
4. Under the right arm.

No. 1 is the correct answer because the pillow is always placed under the breast to be examined.

Remember to only use this test taking strategy if you DO NOT KNOW the correct answer and is UNSURE of the choices. If you know the answer and it contradicts any test taking strategy, please follow what you know.

Sample Question:

Mr. X was diagnosed having panic disorder with agoraphobia and is admitted to the psychiatric unit. Until the client’s admission, he had been a virtual prisoner in his home for 5 weeks, afraid to go outside even to buy food. What is the nurse’s overall goal when planning care for the client?

1. To help the client perform all self-care activities
2. To help the client function effectively in her environment
3. To help control only the client’s symptoms
4. To help the client to always participate in group therapy

One can observe the presence of the modifiers all, only, and always, in choice 1, 2, and 4 which hints that the choices are incorrect.

Sample Question:

Mr. X was diagnosed having panic disorder with agoraphobia and is admitted to the psychiatric unit. Until the client’s admission, he had been a virtual prisoner in his home for 5 weeks, afraid to go outside even to buy food. What is the nurse’s overall goal when planning care for the client?

1. To help the client perform all self-care activities
2. To help the client function effectively in her environment
3. To help control only the client’s symptoms
4. To help the client to always participate in group therapy

The correct answer is choice no. 2 because clients with panic disorder typically confine movements to increasingly smaller areas to avoid confrontation, which may dominate the client’s life and limit everyday activities. The overall goal of care is to help the client function within the environment as effectively as possible.

Sample Question:

Mr. X was diagnosed having panic disorder with agoraphobia and is admitted to the psychiatric unit. Until the client’s admission, he had been a virtual prisoner in his home for 5 weeks, afraid to go outside even to buy food. What is the nurse’s overall goal when planning care for the client?

1. To help the client perform all self-care activities
2. To help the client function effectively in her environment
3. To help control only the client’s symptoms
4. To help the client to always participate in group therapy

Remember to only use this test taking strategy if you DO NOT KNOW the correct answer and is UNSURE of the choices. If you know the answer and it contradicts any test taking strategy, please follow what you know.

Sample question:

In a client with thrombophlebitis of the leg or the inflammation of the vein due to blood clots, which of the following is an appropriate nursing intervention?

1. Apply heat
2. Massage the affected area
3. Administer warfarin as prescribed
4. Elevate the leg to lessen the inflammation of the veins and prevent dislodging of the clots

You can observe from the question that a phrase reappears in the option.

Sample question:

In a client with thrombophlebitis of the leg or the inflammation of the vein due to blood clots, which of the following is an appropriate nursing intervention?

1. Apply heat
2. Massage the affected area
3. Administer warfarin as prescribed
4. Elevate the leg to lessen the inflammation of the veins and prevent dislodging of the clots

You can now deduce that no.4 is the correct answer. Application of heat is correct but is not a a priority intervention. Warfarin administration is correct but it needs doctor’s orders. Massaging the affected site is contraindicated because it may dislodge the thrombus and may further worsen the inflammation.

Sample question:

In a client with thrombophlebitis of the leg or the inflammation of the vein due to blood clots, which of the following is an appropriate nursing intervention?

1. Apply heat
2. Massage the affected area
3. Administer warfarin as prescribed
4. Elevate the leg to lessen the inflammation of the veins and prevent dislodging of the clots

Remember to only use this test taking strategy if you DO NOT KNOW the correct answer and is UNSURE of the choices. If you know the answer and it contradicts any test taking strategy, please follow what you know.

Sample question:

The client underwent surgery to repair a fractured right hip. The nurse gathers what item from the storage area to use in repositioning the client from side to side?

1. Abductor splint
2. Adductor splint
3. Blanket
4. Crutches

Based on the principle of contradiction, we will eliminate nos. 3 and 4 because nos. 1 and 2 contradict one another. You now have a fifty (50) percent chance of getting the correct answer.

Sample question:

The client underwent surgery to repair a fractured right hip. The nurse gathers what item from the storage area to use in repositioning the client from side to side?

1. Abductor splint
2. Adductor splint
3. Blanket
4. Crutches

With the application of your nursing knowledge, you can now choose between the two remaining choices the correct answer. The correct answer is no.1 because following surgery an abductor splint is used to maintain the affected extremity in good alignment especially when the client is turned side to side.

Sample question:

The client underwent surgery to repair a fractured right hip. The nurse gathers what item from the storage area to use in repositioning the client from side to side?

1. Abductor splint
2. Adductor splint
3. Blanket
4. Crutches

Remember to only use this test taking strategy if you DO NOT KNOW the correct answer and is UNSURE of the choices. If you know the answer and it contradicts any test taking strategy, please follow what you know.