HESI A2 Elsevier (HESI): HESI Admission Assessment - Set 1 - Part 1

Correct Answer: Hand hygiene works but compliance lags.

the passage establishes hygiene's effectiveness, then pivots to the disappointing compliance rate, and a faithful main idea must capture both halves of that contrast in one tight statement that mirrors the writer's emphasis. Option a is incorrect because the passage does not compare soap with alcohol rub or rank one above the other, so naming a winner introduces a comparison the writer never sets up and misses the central tension the excerpt develops. Option b is incorrect because no dollar figure appears anywhere in the excerpt, and even if cost were stated it would only support the larger argument about effectiveness paired with poor compliance rather than serve as the integrating claim itself. Option d is incorrect because fines are nowhere proposed in the passage, and adding a punitive recommendation goes beyond what the writer actually claims about the compliance shortfall the excerpt describes for staff working on the unit.

Correct Answer: Balance depends on proportion, not exclusion.

the passage rejects exclusion and elevates proportion and variety as the organizing principle, which is precisely the central claim a faithful main-idea answer must mirror without distortion or unsupported additions to the writer's words. Option b is incorrect because no nutrient is ranked above the others in the excerpt, and the writer explicitly avoids elevating any single food category over the rest of a varied dietary pattern across daily meals. Option c is incorrect because deficiency from fad dieting is one consequence the passage mentions in passing, not the framing claim around which the entire excerpt is organized for the reader trying to grasp its central point. Option d is incorrect because the Mediterranean diet is not even named in this excerpt, so calling it healthiest introduces information the passage does not actually supply at any point in its short argument about balance.

Correct Answer: Triage prioritizes erring toward urgency.

the closing principle frames triage as a deliberate bias toward overtreatment of benign symptoms over undertreatment of serious ones, and that asymmetric logic is the integrating claim of the entire passage. Option a is incorrect because the passage never claims chest pain always indicates infarction; it only describes how triage handles the possibility, which is a separate and more measured claim about the work that triage actually performs. Option b is incorrect because the passage explicitly draws a line between triage decisions and physician diagnosis, and a main idea must preserve rather than violate that distinction between assessment speed and the diagnostic work that follows it. Option c is incorrect because no advice is offered about whether patients should visit an emergency department, so this option imports a recommendation the passage does not make and shifts focus away from the triage practice it describes.

Correct Answer: Sleep is biologically active maintenance work.

the passage corrects the old myth and replaces it with a list of active maintenance functions, and this option captures both the correction and its substance in one tight integrating statement for the reader. Option a is incorrect because the passage directly rejects the inactivity view, so an answer that affirms it contradicts the very correction the writer was making about how sleep should now be understood by an informed reader. Option c is incorrect because REM sleep is not specified in the excerpt, and the passage attributes consolidation to deep sleep generally rather than singling out one specific stage of the larger nightly sleep cycle as essential. Option d is incorrect because the immune system is not even named in this excerpt, and isolating any single hormonal function narrows the claim and drops the broader maintenance argument the passage gives equal weight to in its sentences.

Correct Answer: Lifestyle change beats medication for prevention.

the passage builds toward the comparison that no medication matched lifestyle's effect on incidence, and that comparison is the integrating claim the writer wants the reader to take away from the brief. Option a is incorrect because the passage frames diabetes as preventable and tied to modifiable risks, so calling the disease mainly genetic directly contradicts the central claim about how new adult cases actually develop in the population. Option b is incorrect because sedentary behavior is one risk factor mentioned in the broader 90 percent modifiable category, but the passage does not single it out as the leading cause, and that overstatement narrows the integrating claim. Option d is incorrect because the trial's duration is not given in the passage and would be incidental detail anyway, since a main idea must capture the substantive finding rather than logistical features of the underlying study itself.

Correct Answer: The dermis

the passage explicitly states that the dermis holds blood vessels, nerves, and sweat glands, which is exactly what the question asks about, so this option matches the supporting detail provided directly in the text. Option b is incorrect because the passage describes the epidermis as the outermost layer responsible for waterproofing and barrier function, but it makes no mention of nerves residing in that specific outer layer of skin. Option c is incorrect because the hypodermis is described in the passage as the deepest layer that stores fat and anchors the skin, with no nerve content attributed to it in the text the reader has been given. Option d is incorrect because the passage never names a keratin layer at all, so this option introduces terminology the writer did not use and cannot serve as a faithful answer to a supporting-detail question about skin anatomy.

Correct Answer: It usually has no early symptoms.

the passage directly states that most patients have no symptoms until organ damage appears, which is precisely what makes the disease silent in the writer's framing and answers the question the stem poses. Option a is incorrect because the passage states that most patients have no symptoms until organ damage appears, which is the opposite of immediate severe pain and contradicts the very reason the writer offers for the silent killer label. Option b is incorrect because the passage names routine clinic measurement as the reliable way to detect hypertension early, so claiming home detection only is the sole route reverses the writer's actual recommendation about screening. Option c is incorrect because kidney failure appears in the passage as one possible outcome of untreated disease, not as a guaranteed result, and using always overstates a hedged claim and fails any careful supporting-detail check.

Correct Answer: 58 percent

the passage directly states that the lifestyle group reduced new diabetes cases by 58 percent compared with placebo, which is exactly the figure the question asks for, so this option matches the supporting detail. Option a is incorrect because the 31 percent figure in the passage belongs to the metformin group, not the lifestyle group, so picking it confuses the two arms of the trial that the writer carefully distinguishes for the reader. Option c is incorrect because the 90 percent figure does not appear anywhere in this passage, so picking it imports a number the writer did not provide and fails the basic textual check that supporting-detail items always require. Option d is incorrect because the passage does not claim that any group eliminated diabetes entirely, so 100 percent overstates the trial result and contradicts the specific reduction figures the writer provides for both intervention arms.

Correct Answer: Liver and kidneys

the passage explicitly states that the body converts the precursor into the active hormonal form through steps in the liver and kidneys, which is exactly the pair the question asks about in the stem. Option a is incorrect because the pancreas and stomach are not mentioned in the passage at all in connection with vitamin D activation, so picking them imports organs the writer did not name and fails the basic textual check. Option b is incorrect because the heart and lungs do not appear in the passage as conversion sites, and respiratory or cardiac organs play no described role in the vitamin D pathway the writer outlines for the reader. Option d is incorrect because the spleen and thymus are not mentioned in the passage as conversion sites for vitamin D, so this option introduces immune-related organs the writer did not include in the synthesis pathway described.

Correct Answer: Deep rapid breathing

the passage explicitly lists deep rapid breathing among the signs of diabetic ketoacidosis, alongside fruity breath, dehydration, and altered consciousness, so this option matches the supporting detail directly named in the text. Option b is incorrect because slow shallow breathing is the opposite of what the passage describes, since the writer attributes deep rapid breathing to the condition as the body tries to blow off acidic carbon dioxide. Option c is incorrect because wheezing on exhalation is not mentioned anywhere in the passage and would suggest an obstructive airway problem rather than the metabolic acidosis the writer is actually describing for the reader. Option d is incorrect because periods of apnea do not appear in the passage as a feature of ketoacidosis, so picking this option introduces a respiratory pattern the writer never associates with the metabolic emergency described.

Correct Answer: Fearful uncertainty

the surrounding details of shaking hands, unsteady voice, and relief once the situation resolved point clearly to fearful uncertainty as the meaning of the word in this nursing context, which is the closest synonym available. Option a is incorrect because the passage describes shaking hands, an unsteady voice, and tense shoulders, all of which signal the absence of confidence rather than its presence, so this synonym contradicts the surrounding context clues. Option b is incorrect because while excitement can produce shaking, the passage frames the response as relief once the patient stabilized, which fits an anxious rather than eager state and rules out a positive emotion synonym here. Option c is incorrect because indifference would not produce shaking hands or a voice that returns to normal only after the patient stabilizes, so the passage's description of the body's response rules out an emotionally neutral reading.

Correct Answer: Drowsy and sluggish

the details of drifting in and out of sleep, slow answers, and little effort to move all point to drowsy and sluggish as the meaning, and the energy recovery on day two confirms the contrast. Option a is incorrect because the passage contrasts the first-day state with the next morning's returned energy, so the word the writer needs must mean the opposite of energetic and alert rather than match it. Option c is incorrect because the passage describes minimal movement and slow responses, which are the opposite of restless behavior, so anxious and restless would not match the body language the writer is depicting on the first day. Option d is incorrect because hunger and irritability are not described in the passage at all, and inserting emotional or appetite content here introduces meaning the surrounding context never supports for the targeted word in the brief excerpt given.

Correct Answer: Unwillingness

the passage shows nurses arguing the extra steps would slow care and openly resisting the change, which are clear signs of unwillingness, so this synonym matches the behavior the surrounding context describes. Option b is incorrect because enthusiasm would mean staff welcomed the policy, but the passage describes argument and resistance, so this synonym contradicts the very behavior the writer uses to define the targeted word for the reader. Option c is incorrect because confusion implies staff did not understand the new policy, but the passage shows they understood it well enough to argue against specific extra steps, so this option misses the surrounding context entirely. Option d is incorrect because forgetfulness would mean staff simply failed to follow the policy without intent, but the passage describes deliberate argument and open resistance, which are active rather than absent-minded responses to the change.

Correct Answer: Nearly empty

the surrounding details of a single nurse's footsteps, quieted monitors, and the contrast with a morning full of visitors all point to nearly empty as the meaning the writer intends with this word. Option a is incorrect because the passage describes a single nurse's footsteps and quieted monitors, which is the opposite of a crowded family scene, so this option contradicts the very atmosphere the writer takes care to set up. Option b is incorrect because bright light is contradicted by the passage's mention of a dim hallway light, and the targeted word concerns occupancy rather than illumination, so this option misses the relevant attribute entirely. Option d is incorrect because storage use is not implied at any point in the passage, which still describes an active ward with crib rails and monitors running, just lightly populated, so this option imports meaning the text never supports.

Correct Answer: Affecting only the surface

the passage explicitly states the wound involved only the outermost skin and did not reach deeper layers, which matches affecting only the surface and uses example clues that confirm this synonym directly. Option a is incorrect because infection is not mentioned anywhere in the passage, and the wound is described as healing quickly without sutures, so adding infected and painful introduces meaning the surrounding context never supports for the word. Option b is incorrect because the passage does not describe the shape of the wound at all, and width is not the attribute the targeted word concerns, so this option points to an unrelated dimension of the injury. Option c is incorrect because deep and serious is the direct opposite of what the passage describes, since the writer specifies the wound did not reach deeper layers, which rules out this antonym as a possible synonym here.

Correct Answer: High blood pressure

the prefix hyper means above or excessive and tension here refers to vascular pressure, so the term means high blood pressure, which fits the dietary referral about reducing sodium that the chart describes. Option a is incorrect because the prefix hyper means above or excessive rather than below or low, so reading the term as low blood pressure inverts the prefix's standard meaning and does not match the surrounding context about sodium intake. Option c is incorrect because irregular rhythm would be described by terms involving rhythm or beat rather than tension, and the prefix hyper does not point to rhythm at all, so this option misses both the prefix and the root. Option d is incorrect because slow heart rate is described by bradycardia rather than hypertension, and the root tension does not refer to heart rate, so this option fails on both the prefix and the root in the medical word.

Correct Answer: Difficulty swallowing

the prefix dys means difficult or impaired and the root phag refers to eating or swallowing, so the term means difficulty swallowing, which matches the swallowing studies and thickened liquids the team prescribed. Option a is incorrect because difficulty breathing is described by the term dyspnea, where the root pnea refers to breath, and the root phag in this question refers instead to eating or swallowing, so this option misses the relevant root. Option b is incorrect because painful urination is described by the term dysuria, where the root refers to urine, and the root phag in this question is unrelated to urinary function, so this option misses the actual word part used. Option d is incorrect because excessive sweating is described by hyperhidrosis, where roots refer to water and sweat, and the root phag does not refer to sweat at all, so this option fails the word-part analysis the question requires.

Correct Answer: Slow heart rate

the prefix brady means slow and the root cardia refers to the heart, so the term means slow heart rate, which matches the workup for reversible causes and the possible pacemaker the team is considering. Option b is incorrect because fast heart rate is described by the prefix tachy, not brady, so this option inverts the prefix's standard meaning and does not match the workup the passage describes for this elderly patient. Option c is incorrect because enlarged heart is described by the root cardia combined with megaly or another size root, not with brady, so this option misreads the prefix that actually appears in the medical word given. Option d is incorrect because inflammation of the heart muscle is described by the suffix itis as in myocarditis, not by the prefix brady, so this option misses the relevant word parts present in the term entirely.

Correct Answer: Paralysis of one side

the prefix hemi means half and the root pleg refers to paralysis, so the term means paralysis of one side of the body, which matches the right-hemisphere stroke and the range-of-motion exercises described. Option a is incorrect because loss of speech is described by aphasia, where the root refers to speech, and the prefix hemi and root pleg here concern movement rather than spoken language, so this option misses the roots involved. Option b is incorrect because loss of vision is described by terms with roots such as opia, not pleg, and hemi modifies the side of body affected, so this option does not match the word parts in the term. Option c is incorrect because paralysis of all four limbs is described by quadriplegia, where the prefix quadri means four, and hemi means half rather than four, so this option misreads the prefix that appears in the actual medical word.

Correct Answer: Reduced urine output

the prefix olig means few and the root uria refers to urine, so the term means reduced urine output, which matches the team's concern about kidney injury and the rising creatinine the note describes here. Option a is incorrect because painful urination is described by dysuria, where the prefix dys means difficult or painful, and olig means few or scant rather than painful, so this option misreads the prefix used in the actual medical term. Option b is incorrect because frequent urination is described by polyuria, where poly means many or excessive, and olig means the opposite of poly, so this option inverts the prefix's standard meaning in a way that fails the analysis. Option d is incorrect because blood in urine is described by hematuria, where hemat refers to blood, and olig in this question refers to amount rather than blood content, so this option misses the actual word parts in use.