NCLEX health promotion and maintenance practice questions
- questions
- 96 questions
- of the exam
- 6–12% of the exam
- test-plan category
- Health promotion and maintenance test-plan category
- last updated
- August 2026 last updated
Health promotion and maintenance covers the whole lifespan, and on the exam it is dominated by maternity and pediatrics — expected findings, danger signs, and age-appropriate teaching. 96 questions, five free below.
Written and reviewed by Dana Whitfield, RN, MSN · Updated August 2026
Health promotion and maintenance
5 free health promotion questions
Playable here, no account. Rationales expand in place.
Health promotion · free set
1 of 5A client at 30 weeks' gestation reports a headache that will not resolve, blurred vision, and swelling of the hands. Blood pressure is 158/104 mm Hg. Which action should the nurse take first?
Rationale
Headache that will not resolve, visual changes, and a blood pressure of 158/104 after 20 weeks are severe features of preeclampsia — the client is at risk of seizing. Notify and prepare for magnesium sulfate, which is given for seizure prophylaxis rather than for the blood pressure itself. Resting and rechecking in an hour delays treatment, and a urine culture answers a different question entirely.
Answer: B
A nurse is preparing to feed a client who had a stroke and has mild dysphagia. Which action best reduces the risk of aspiration?
Rationale
Upright at 90 degrees with a chin tuck narrows the airway entrance and directs the bolus toward the esophagus — it is the single highest-yield positioning intervention for dysphagia. Thin liquids and straws move fastest and aspirate most easily, side-lying removes the gravity you want, and large bites overwhelm a swallow that is already impaired.
Answer: B
A client admitted with major depressive disorder tells the nurse, "Everyone would be better off without me." Which response is most appropriate?
Rationale
Ask directly. Asking about suicide does not plant the idea, and a veiled statement like this one has to be converted into an assessable answer before anything else happens — including exploring feelings. Reassurance dismisses the statement, deferring to group delays a safety assessment, and 'what made you feel this way' is a therapeutic question in the wrong order: safety first, then exploration.
Answer: B
Which tasks may the registered nurse delegate to unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP)? Select all that apply.
Rationale
Delegate tasks, never the nursing process. Vital signs on a stable client, ambulation of a stable client, and recording intake and output are standardized, predictable, and have a known outcome — all delegable. Teaching and assessment belong to the RN, and the word that gives it away is 'newly': a new inhaler and a new admission both require judgement the UAP is not licensed to make.
Answer: A, C, E
A client with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease has an oxygen saturation of 88% on 2 L/min via nasal cannula and is alert with no distress. What should the nurse do first?
Rationale
In COPD a saturation of 88–92% is the therapeutic target, not an emergency, and this client is alert with no distress. The first action is the independent nursing intervention that is least invasive and most likely to help: sit them up and reassess. Turning the oxygen up to 6 L/min risks blunting the hypoxic drive, and calling rapid response or drawing an ABG escalates ahead of an assessment you have not finished.
Answer: B
Breakdown
What is tested in health promotion
How the questions in this set are distributed, so you can see what you are buying before you buy it.
| Subtopic | Questions |
|---|---|
| Antepartum and postpartum | 28 |
| Newborn care | 20 |
| Growth and development | 20 |
| Screening and prevention | 16 |
| Health and wellness teaching | 12 |
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