ANCC MEDSURG-BC Certification Sample Questions

The ANCC Medical-Surgical Nursing Certification Certification Sample Question Set on this page is designed to familiarize you with the actual ANCC MEDSURG-BC exam format and question types. These sample questions help you understand how questions are structured and what to expect on test day. While they provide a useful starting point, they represent only a limited preview of the real exam experience.

These sample questions are intended for evaluation and familiarization only. To understand exam style, pacing, and reasoning patterns more clearly, we recommend trying our online sample practice environment. If you are preparing for the ANCC Medical-Surgical Nursing-Board Certified (MEDSURG-BC) and want to assess your readiness more rigorously, structured, timed, scenario-based practice is recommended. This approach aligns with the cognitive demands and professional expectations typically associated with Registered nurses, Medical-surgical nurses, Acute care nurses and related roles working in settings such as Hospitals and inpatient units, Surgical and medical wards, Acute care clinical settings.

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The demo introduces core concepts, while full-length premium simulations provide deeper, scenario-based coverage that more closely reflects the actual cognitive demands of the ANCC Medical-Surgical Nursing Certification exam, particularly in areas such as Patient assessment and diagnosis, Clinical care planning and evaluation, Professional nursing practice. You can use these sample questions as a starting point, then progress to the ANCC MEDSURG-BC Certification Practice Exam for stronger readiness. Our premium simulations are designed to mirror real exam conditions, helping you refine reasoning, pacing, and decision-making before your official exam attempt.

ANCC MEDSURG-BC Sample Questions:

01. A nurse delegates several routine tasks to assistive personnel at the start of a shift.
Which statement best describes the nurse's responsibility after delegating?
a) The nurse should verify each completed task personally before documenting it.
b) The nurse's responsibility ends once clear instructions have been given and understood.
c) The assistive personnel become responsible for the tasks, the timing, and any problems.
d) The nurse remains accountable for the outcome and must supervise and follow up.

02. A patient with advanced dementia can no longer answer questions reliably, and grimaces and guards the abdomen when repositioned.
Which approach to pain assessment is most appropriate?
a) Use a validated behavioral observation tool and reassess after an intervention.
b) Ask the family to estimate the patient's pain based on how the patient usually behaves.
c) Ask the patient yes-or-no questions about pain and accept whichever answer is given.
d) Document that pain cannot be assessed because the patient is unable to report it.

03. Strong evidence supports a self-management program for a patient's chronic condition. The patient tells the nurse that the program requires travel they cannot manage and time away from work they cannot take.
Which action by the nurse is most appropriate?
a) Document that the patient declined the program and continue with the usual plan of care.
b) Explore alternatives that deliver the same components within the patient's circumstances.
c) Explain the strength of the evidence and encourage the patient to find a way to attend.
d) Recommend a different intervention that has less supporting evidence but is easier to attend.

04. A cardiac monitor has alarmed several times during the shift on a patient who is alert and comfortable. Each time the nurse has found the tracing to be obscured by artifact.
Which action is most appropriate?
a) Silence the alarm each time it sounds so the patient is not disturbed by the noise.
b) Widen the alarm limits so that the artifact no longer triggers the alarm.
c) Review the device history, and report the alarms so the monitor can be exchanged.
d) Assess the patient, then correct the cause of the artifact and reassess the tracing.

05. A patient who takes several long-term prescription medicines asks why the nurse needs to know about over-the-counter products.
Which explanation is MOST appropriate?
a) “Non-prescription products are tested for safety, so the pharmacist has already screened them against your prescriptions.”
b) “Non-prescription products matter mainly because of when they are taken in relation to food.”
c) “Non-prescription products act on the same body systems as your prescriptions.”
d) “Non-prescription products are reviewed once a reaction is reported, which is when the pattern becomes clear.”

06. While preparing medications the nurse notices that two products stored beside each other have names that look and sound very similar, and only one is prescribed for this patient.
Which action is most appropriate?
a) Compare the product label against the original order and the patient's record before selecting.
b) Identify the product by its usual position on the shelf for this medication.
c) Select the product and confirm the choice with another nurse before giving it.
d) Ask the pharmacy to separate the two products so the confusion does not recur.

07. A patient with a bowel obstruction has had a nasogastric tube connected to continuous suction for two days, and drainage has been substantial throughout.
Which combination of problems should the nurse anticipate?
a) Loss of circulating volume with retention of bicarbonate and of calcium.
b) Loss of circulating volume with depletion of potassium and chloride.
c) Loss of circulating volume with retention of potassium and of hydrogen ions.
d) Expansion of circulating volume with dilution of sodium and of chloride.

08. A patient with heart failure becomes breathless after walking a short distance and needs to stop and rest. The patient also reports poor sleep, worry about finances, and a dislike of hospital food.
Which related factor should the nurse use in the diagnosis of activity intolerance for this patient?
a) Related to anxiety about the financial consequences of the hospital admission.
b) Related to reduced dietary intake associated with dislike of the food provided.
c) Related to disrupted sleep, and to daytime tiredness, in an unfamiliar hospital environment.
d) Related to the imbalance between oxygen supply and the demand of activity.

09. A confused hospitalized patient repeatedly attempts to get out of bed unassisted.
Which intervention is MOST appropriate for the nurse to implement first?
a) Implement the least restrictive safety measures and increase observation
b) Apply a physical restraint now and reassess the need next shift
c) Administer prescribed sedation to eliminate repeated standing attempts
d) Raise all four side rails and remind the patient to use the call light instead

10. A urine specimen for culture is ordered for a patient who has an indwelling urinary catheter.
How should the nurse obtain the specimen?
a) Pour the specimen from the drainage bag into a sterile container.
b) Clean the sampling port and withdraw urine with a sterile syringe.
c) Examine the tubing, disconnect the catheter, and collect from the open end.
d) Remove the catheter and ask the patient to provide a midstream specimen.

Answers:

For full-length, timed, scenario-based practice aligned with the official exam framework - and to build pacing, consistency, and confidence - explore our Premium ANCC MEDSURG-BC Certification Practice Exam.

Note: These sample questions are not official exam questions and are intended only for familiarization and study purposes. If you find any typos or data entry errors in these ANCC Medical-Surgical Nursing Certification (MEDSURG-BC) sample questions, please let us know by emailing us at feedback@medicoexam.com