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Med-Surg Practice Questions With Rationales
Med-surg is the biggest course in most nursing programs and the backbone of the NCLEX. Exams test whether you can spot a complication early and pick the safest first action.
These questions cover post-operative complications and conditions that appear on almost every med-surg exam.
What med-surg exams test
- Post-operative complications: DVT, bleeding, airway problems
- Neurological emergencies: increased intracranial pressure
- GI and liver: pancreatitis, cirrhosis
- Endocrine surgery: thyroidectomy
- Priority first actions
5 med-surg practice questions with rationales
Answer each one before opening the rationale. Every option is explained, including the wrong ones.
- Hoarse voice
- Incisional pain of 4/10
- Inspiratory stridor
- Mild sore throat
Show answer and rationale
Answer: C
A. Mild hoarseness is common after surgery; report it if it persists or worsens.
B. Expected post-op pain.
C. Correct. Stridor suggests airway obstruction from swelling, bleeding or laryngeal spasm from hypocalcemia.
D. Expected after intubation.
- Massage the calf to relieve the pain
- Encourage walking to improve circulation
- Keep the client in bed and notify the provider
- Apply a cold compress and recheck in four hours
Show answer and rationale
Answer: C
A. Massage could dislodge a clot and cause a pulmonary embolism.
B. Activity is limited until a DVT is ruled out.
C. Correct. These findings suggest DVT; limit movement and notify the provider.
D. Delaying assessment is unsafe.
- Decreasing level of consciousness
- Widening pulse pressure
- Tachycardia
- Irregular respirations
- Headache with vomiting
Show answer and rationale
Answer: A, B, D, E
A. Correct. LOC is the earliest and most sensitive sign.
B. Correct. Part of Cushing's triad.
C. Rising ICP causes bradycardia (Cushing's triad), not tachycardia.
D. Correct. Part of Cushing's triad.
E. Correct.
- Elevated serum lipase
- Low serum amylase
- Elevated troponin
- Low white blood cell count
Show answer and rationale
Answer: A
A. Correct. Lipase (and amylase) rise when the pancreas is inflamed.
B. Amylase rises, not falls, in pancreatitis.
C. Troponin indicates cardiac injury.
D. WBC is usually elevated.
- Weigh the client daily
- Measure abdominal girth
- Encourage a high-sodium diet
- Position in semi-Fowler's
- Monitor for confusion
Show answer and rationale
Answer: A, B, D, E
A. Correct. Tracks fluid shifts.
B. Correct. Tracks ascites.
C. Sodium is restricted to limit fluid retention.
D. Correct. Eases breathing against the fluid-filled abdomen.
E. Correct. Confusion can signal hepatic encephalopathy from rising ammonia.
How to study for a med-surg exam
- For every condition, learn the complication you fear most and its earliest sign.
- In "first action" questions, assessment comes before intervention unless the client is in clear danger.
- Practise on your instructor's slides: med-surg exams follow the lecture closely.
Frequently asked questions
Many students find it the most demanding because it covers the most content, but its questions follow predictable patterns: complications, priorities and safety.
Group content by body system, focus on complications and priority actions, and do practice questions with rationales rather than rereading notes.
Yes. Upload your slides to NurseQuizAI and it writes exam-style questions from them, including select all that apply.