10 exam-style questions with answers and explanations, straight from our 1,038-question bank. Tap an answer to check yourself. When you're ready, take the scored version in the free practice test.
The RNC-NIC exam has 175 questions and runs 3 hours.
These 10 free RNC-NIC questions are organized by exam domain, so you can see how each part of the Neonatal Intensive Care Nursing blueprint is tested. Reveal the answer and explanation under each question.
A term newborn's heart rate remains 40 bpm after 30 seconds of positive-pressure ventilation that visibly moves the chest. What is the team's NEXT action?
Correct answer: D - Begin chest compressions coordinated with ventilation
A newborn with a prenatally diagnosed congenital diaphragmatic hernia is apneic at birth. Which action is MOST appropriate for initial stabilization?
Correct answer: B - Intubate and place an orogastric tube to decompress the stomach
A ventilated preterm infant has an arterial blood gas: pH 7.21, PaCO2 61 mmHg, HCO3 24 mEq/L. This result BEST represents:
Correct answer: C - Uncompensated respiratory acidosis
During the first hours of life, which infant is at the HIGHEST risk for hypoglycemia?
Correct answer: B - A large-for-gestational-age infant of a mother with poorly controlled diabetes
Caffeine citrate is preferred over theophylline for apnea of prematurity PRIMARILY because caffeine:
Correct answer: A - Has a wider therapeutic index and longer half-life
A nurse places a naked newborn directly on a cold, uncovered metal scale. This scenario represents heat loss primarily through which mechanism?
Correct answer: D - Conduction
Which intervention is the MOST appropriate non-pharmacologic measure to reduce pain during a heel stick in a stable preterm infant?
Correct answer: A - Offering oral sucrose with non-nutritive sucking just before the stick
A term infant has a preductal (right hand) oxygen saturation of 94% and a postductal (foot) saturation of 80%. This gradient is MOST consistent with:
Correct answer: B - Persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn
A neonate with a ductal-dependent congenital heart lesion becomes increasingly cyanotic and acidotic as the ductus arteriosus closes. Which medication is indicated?
Correct answer: B - Prostaglandin E1 (alprostadil)
A mechanically ventilated infant with respiratory distress syndrome suddenly deteriorates with a drop in oxygen saturation, absent breath sounds on the left, and a shift of the point of maximal impulse to the right. The PRIORITY action is to:
Correct answer: D - Prepare for immediate needle decompression of the chest
The RNC-NIC exam also covers these domains. Drill them in the full free practice test:
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