12,241 verified 4-option questions Double-checked by independent solution

NCLEX-RN Emergency response plan practice questions

4 questions · answers open · no sign-up

These are original practice items written to the NCLEX-RN blueprint (4 options, no penalty for wrong answers), not actual exam questions. Try each one before you open the answer.

What this topic covers

Emergency response plan sits inside the Safety and Infection Control category of the NCLEX-RN. Our bank holds 33 verified items tagged to it, and the 4 below are a fixed sample so the page stays the same every time you open it. Each one shows the reasoning, not just the letter.

The topic tag comes from our own items rather than from a published syllabus, so treat it as a map of what we cover. For the official category breakdown see the NCLEX-RN page.

Emergency response plan sample questions

Question 1

During a community health fair at a senior center, a 66-year-old participant suddenly collapses and becomes unresponsive. The nurse finds no pulse and witnesses the event. As part of the emergency response plan, what action must the nurse take immediately after activating the emergency medical services (EMS) system?

  1. A Place the client in the recovery position and open the airway with a head-tilt-chin-lift
  2. B Begin chest compressions at a rate of 100 to 120 per minute and a depth of at least 2 inches
  3. C Leave the client to retrieve an automated external defibrillator (AED) from the adjacent room
  4. D Check the client's blood glucose level with a fingerstick device to rule out hypoglycemia
Show the answer and explanation

Correct answer: B

For a witnessed, pulseless adult, high-quality chest compressions should begin immediately after EMS is activated, at 100 to 120 per minute and at least 2 inches deep. At a health fair, another bystander can be sent for the AED so compressions are not delayed.

Why the other options are wrong:
A: The recovery position is for an unresponsive client who has a pulse and is breathing normally; this client needs CPR.
C: With bystanders present, someone else should get the AED so the nurse can begin compressions without leaving the client.
D: Checking glucose delays CPR; a pulseless client needs compressions and defibrillation first.

Question 2

During a fire drill in a hospital, the nurse is caring for a 34-year-old client on a mechanical ventilator in the intensive care unit. The fire alarm sounds and the overhead announces a fire in the storage room on the same floor. Which action should the nurse take first?

  1. A Begin evacuating the client to the nearest stairwell
  2. B Call the hospital operator to confirm the drill is real
  3. C Disconnect the ventilator and use a manual resuscitation bag
  4. D Close the client's door and all fire doors in the unit
Show the answer and explanation

Correct answer: D

The fire is in a storage room, not the client's room, so the client is not in immediate danger and the alarm has already sounded. The next step in RACE (rescue, alarm, contain, extinguish or evacuate) is to contain smoke and fire by closing the client's door and the unit's fire doors.

Why the other options are wrong:
A: A ventilated client is moved only when directly threatened or when evacuation is ordered, and horizontal evacuation comes before stairwells.
B: Every alarm must be treated as a real fire; calling to confirm wastes critical time.
C: Disconnecting the ventilator is unnecessary unless the client must be moved, and manual ventilation adds risk.

Question 3

A fire breaks out in a patient room on a medical-surgical unit. The nurse discovers flames coming from a trash can near the bed of a 50-year-old client who is ambulatory. Which action should the nurse take first?

  1. A Remove the client from the room and then activate the fire alarm.
  2. B Pull the nearest fire alarm and then evacuate the client from the room.
  3. C Close the door to the room and retrieve a fire extinguisher immediately.
  4. D Use the fire extinguisher to put out the flames before evacuating anyone.
Show the answer and explanation

Correct answer: A

In the RACE sequence, rescue comes first. The ambulatory client next to the burning trash can is in immediate danger, so the nurse removes the client from the room and then activates the alarm.

Why the other options are wrong:
B: Pulling the alarm first leaves the client in danger longer.
C: Closing the door before removing the client leaves the client trapped; containment follows rescue.
D: Fighting the fire before moving the client exposes the client to smoke and flames.

Question 4

During a night shift on a medical-surgical unit, a fire alarm sounds and smoke is seen coming from a soiled utility room. The nurse is caring for four clients. Which action should the nurse take first according to the RACE acronym?

  1. A Rescue any clients in immediate danger by moving them away from the smoke area.
  2. B Attempt to extinguish the fire using the nearest fire extinguisher after removing clients.
  3. C Close the doors to all client rooms and move ambulatory clients to the stairwell.
  4. D Activate the fire alarm system by pulling the manual pull station in the hallway.
Show the answer and explanation

Correct answer: A

In RACE (rescue, alarm, contain, extinguish or evacuate), the first step is to rescue anyone in immediate danger. The alarm is already sounding, so the nurse moves clients near the smoke to safety first.

Why the other options are wrong:
B: Extinguishing is attempted only after rescue, alarm, and containment.
C: Closing doors is the contain step, which follows rescue, and moving clients to the stairwell is premature.
D: The alarm is already sounding, and rescue of clients in danger comes before activating an alarm.

The whole NCLEX-RN bank

2,666 verified questions with explanations, timed category tests and an 85-item full-length practice test, a review pool that brings back what you missed until you get it right, and an AI tutor that explains why. One payment per exam, or one bundle for all of them.

NCLEX-RN practice opens soon: 2,666 questions verified so far. Purchase opens automatically when the bank is complete. About the NCLEX-RN

Related pages

All NCLEX-RN sample questions 8 categorys All Safety and Infection Control questions 5 topics Standard and transmission-based precautions with explanations Infection control with explanations Medication error prevention with explanations TEAS 7 sample questions with explanations HESI A2 sample questions with explanations

TEAS is a registered trademark of Assessment Technologies Institute, LLC; HESI is a registered trademark of Elsevier Inc. NCLEX and NCLEX-RN are registered trademarks of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc. (NCSBN). AdmitNurse is an independent practice service, not affiliated with or endorsed by any of these organizations.