HESI A2 Entrance Exam

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Sample questions from HESI A2 Entrance Exam

This material has 90 questions with answers and rationales. Here are the first 5.

1. 1.A 42-year-old patient at an outpatient clinic has a headache rated 5/10 and a temperature of 37.0 C. The prescription is acetaminophen 650 mg orally once. The available tablets contain 325 mg each. How many tablets should the nurse administer?

   • A.0.5 tablet
   • B.1 tablet
   • C.2 tablets
   • D.3 tablets

   Rationale: Divide the prescribed dose by the tablet strength: 650 mg / 325 mg = 2 tablets. Half a tablet supplies only 162.5 mg, and one tablet supplies only 325 mg. Three tablets supply 975 mg, which exceeds the prescription. The exam takeaway is to match units before dividing the desired dose by the available dose.

2. 2.A 9-year-old child at an urgent care clinic weighs 66 lb and has a bacterial infection. A prescribed medication dose is 10 mg/kg per dose. Using 1 kg = 2.2 lb, how many milligrams should the child receive per dose?

   • A.30 mg
   • B.300 mg
   • C.660 mg
   • D.1,452 mg

   Rationale: The child weighs 66 / 2.2 = 30 kg, and 30 kg x 10 mg/kg = 300 mg. The 30 mg option stops after converting the weight without calculating the dose. The 660 mg option incorrectly uses pounds as kilograms, while 1,452 mg results from multiplying rather than dividing during conversion. Convert pounds to kilograms before calculating a weight-based medication dose.

3. 3.A 6-year-old child in a pediatric clinic has otitis media and a temperature of 38.2 C. The prescription is amoxicillin 400 mg orally per dose, and the suspension contains 250 mg per 5 mL. What volume should be administered per dose?

   • A.5 mL
   • B.6.25 mL
   • C.10 mL
   • D.8 mL

   Rationale: Calculate the volume as 400 mg x 5 mL / 250 mg = 8 mL. Five milliliters provides only 250 mg, and 6.25 mL provides only 312.5 mg. Ten milliliters provides 500 mg, which is more than prescribed. Use dimensional analysis so that milligrams cancel and the final unit is milliliters.

4. 4.A 70-year-old patient in the emergency department is receiving IV fluid for dehydration. The prescription is to infuse 1,000 mL over 8 hours using an infusion pump. At what rate should the nurse program the pump?

   • A.125 mL/hr
   • B.80 mL/hr
   • C.100 mL/hr
   • D.150 mL/hr

   Answer and rationale are in the full material.

5. 5.A 58-year-old patient on a medical unit is being monitored for fluid balance. During one shift, the patient drinks 8 oz of water, 6 oz of juice, and 4 oz of broth. Using 1 oz = 30 mL, what oral intake should be recorded?

   • A.360 mL
   • B.420 mL
   • C.540 mL
   • D.600 mL

   Answer and rationale are in the full material.