Sample Nurse Practice Tests 2 

1. Cells in the pancreas that secrete glucagon and insulin are which of the following?

  • a.  A and B cells
  • b.  acinar cells
  • c.  D cells 
  • d. pancreatic D1 cells
  • e. pancreatic polypeptide cells

2. A 57-year-old female patient has suffered a major stroke and as a result is in a coma. The attending neurologist is very concerned because the patient is developing ataxic breathing. The pneumotaxic center and apneustic centers of the brain are located in which of the following?

  • a. diencephalon
  • b. midbrain 
  • c.  pons
  • d.  spinal cord
  • e.  telencephalon

3. A 14-year-old boy presents with weight loss and diarrhea. His tongue becomes sore and blistery after eating oatmeal or rye bread, which leads to the diagnosis of celiac disease. The boy and his parents are advised to be sensitive to symptoms of tetany and paresthesias, since they can occur as a consequence of malabsorption of which of the following?

  • a. calcium
  • b. carbohydrates
  • c. fat
  • d. iron
  • e. water

4. Lack of oxygen (hypoxia) will cause reflex vasoconstriction in the circulation supplying which of the following organs?

  • a. brain
  • b. heart muscle
  • c. kidney
  • d. lungs
  • e. skeletal muscle

5. A patient with newly diagnosed schizophrenia is given chlorpromazine. It is a drug that has amongst other effects moderate anticholinergic activity. As a consequence, which of the following is an expected side effect of this medication?

  • a. bradycardia
  • b. decreased GI sphincter tone
  • c.  dry mouth
  • d.  emptying of urinary bladder
  • e. increased GI motility

6. Which of the following statements concerning total body energy storage is correct?

  • (A) Most of the body’s energy store is held as carbohydrate.
  • (B) Most of the body’s energy store is held as lipid.
  • (C) Most of the body’s energy store is held as plasma glucose.
  • (D) Most of the body’s energy store is held as protein.
  • (E) Total body’s energy storage approximately equals resting metabolic rate.

7. Heparin is a rapidly acting, potent anticoagulant that has many important clinical uses.Which of the following is an action of heparin?

  • (A) activates prothrombin
  • (B) acts with antithrombin to inhibit thrombin activity
  • (C) decreases prothrombin time
  • (D) inhibits calcium action
  • (E) promotes vitamin K activity

8. Following an automobile accident a patient suffers a pelvic fracture and significant internal blood loss resulting in hemorrhagic shock. Which of the following organs has the largest specific blood flow (blood flow per gram of tissue) under resting conditions and is especially vulnerable during the shock phase?

  • (A) brain
  • (B) heart muscle
  • (C) kidneys
  • (D) skeletal muscle
  • (E) skin

9. A 68-year-old woman presents with sleep disturbances and memory loss. After careful analysis, she is diagnosed with early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Her pharmacological treatment plan includes acetylcholine esterase inhibitors. One week after starting treatment, the woman’s daughter calls in, reporting that her mom has developed new symptoms that might be related to her new medicine. Which of the following is a likely side effect of the drug?

  • (A) dry mouth
  • (B) forgetting to urinate
  • (C) muscle weakness
  • (D) nausea and diarrhea
  • (E) vertigo

10. A 52-year-old woman has had rheumatoid arthritis for many years. She now comes to you complaining of the development in the past few months of redness, burning, and itching of her eyes and a dry mouth, making swallowing difficult. This newly developing condition gives the patient a greatly increased risk for which of the following?

  • (A) esophageal carcinoma
  • (B) leukemia
  • (C) lymphoma
  • (D) melanoma
  • (E) pleomorphic adenoma