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NCLEX-RN: Lab Values and Critical Ranges — quiz
14 multiple-choice questions covering Sodium, Potassium, Potassium critical values, Calcium, Magnesium. One answer each; you get a score at the end and the explanation for every question. No account needed.
Updated 2026-11-03. Keys 1–4 pick an answer, Enter moves on. Redo it any time, in order or shuffled.
The questions
Answers and explanations are shown after you finish.
- Sodium
A patient's serum sodium result is 148 mEq/L. How should the nurse interpret this value and anticipate correction?
- Hypernatremia; administer hypertonic saline rapidly
- Normal; no intervention needed
- Hypernatremia; administer hypotonic fluids slowly
- Hyponatremia; administer hypertonic saline slowly
- Potassium
A nurse receives an order for IV potassium chloride replacement for a patient with hypokalemia. Which action reflects safe administration?
- Give the full dose as an IM injection
- Dilute and infuse via an IV pump while monitoring cardiac rhythm
- Administer undiluted IV push for rapid correction
- Administer rapidly through a peripheral IV without monitoring
- Potassium critical values
Which of the following potassium levels requires the most urgent intervention due to risk of fatal dysrhythmia?
- 4.9 mEq/L
- 5.8 mEq/L
- 3.2 mEq/L
- 6.9 mEq/L
- Calcium
A nurse notes facial twitching when tapping the cheek and carpal spasm with blood pressure cuff inflation. These findings are most consistent with which electrolyte imbalance?
- Hypercalcemia
- Hypocalcemia
- Hyperkalemia
- Hypermagnesemia
- Magnesium
A patient receiving magnesium sulfate for preeclampsia develops absent patellar reflexes and a respiratory rate of 10. What should the nurse do first?
- Give an additional magnesium sulfate bolus
- Increase the infusion rate
- Encourage the patient to ambulate
- Stop the infusion and prepare to give calcium gluconate
- Phosphate
A patient with renal failure has elevated phosphate levels and is prescribed a phosphate binder. When should this medication be taken for best effect?
- With meals to bind dietary phosphate
- With milk products only
- On an empty stomach for best absorption
- At bedtime only
- Renal function
Which lab value is considered the most reliable indicator of renal function because it is minimally affected by diet or hydration status?
- BUN
- Hematocrit
- Creatinine
- Sodium
- Glucose
A conscious diabetic patient is shaky, diaphoretic, and has a glucose level of 58 mg/dL. What is the nurse's first action using the Rule of 15?
- Administer insulin per sliding scale
- Administer IM glucagon immediately
- Give an IV dextrose bolus
- Give 15 g of fast-acting carbohydrate and recheck glucose in 15 minutes
- HbA1c
A patient's HbA1c result is 6.8%. How should the nurse interpret this value?
- Prediabetes
- Normal glucose control
- Indicates an episode of hypoglycemia
- Diabetes diagnosis
- CBC - WBC
A patient's WBC count returns at 2,000/mm³. Which precaution should the nurse initiate?
- Seizure precautions
- Bleeding precautions
- Fall precautions
- Neutropenic precautions
- CBC - platelets
A patient's platelet count is 15,000/mm³. This places the patient at highest risk for which complication?
- Infection
- Bleeding only with trauma
- Thrombosis
- Spontaneous bleeding
- Coagulation - INR
A patient on long-term warfarin therapy has an INR of 2.5. How should the nurse interpret this result?
- Therapeutic range for standard anticoagulation
- Normal value with no anticoagulant effect
- Subtherapeutic, requiring an increased dose
- Toxic level requiring vitamin K
- Coagulation - antidotes
A patient receiving heparin develops significant active bleeding. Which medication should the nurse anticipate administering?
- Vitamin K
- Sodium polystyrene sulfonate
- Calcium gluconate
- Protamine sulfate
- ABGs
An ABG shows pH 7.28, PaCO2 55 mmHg, and HCO3 24 mEq/L. Which acid-base disorder does this represent?
- Metabolic acidosis
- Respiratory acidosis
- Metabolic alkalosis
- Respiratory alkalosis
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