NLN NACE Adult Health case studies
NLN NACE Adult Health · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The NLN NACE Adult Health exam is a specialty achievement examination developed by the National League for Nursing for students completing the adult health (medical-surgical) portion of an associate or baccalaureate nursing program. It is typically used by schools as an end-of-course measure of how well a student can apply medical-surgical nursing content to realistic clinical scenarios, and strong performance can support progression, remediation decisions, and NCLEX readiness. The exam is multiple choice and, like other NLN achievement tests, emphasizes clinical judgment rather than isolated recall: expect questions that ask you to interpret assessment findings, prioritize care, anticipate complications, and evaluate whether a patient is improving. Content spans health promotion, safety and infection control, basic care and comfort, pharmacology and parenteral therapy, risk reduction, physiologic adaptation, psychosocial integrity, management of care, and the nursing process. The NLN NACE Adult Health case studies are 5 cases and about 2,137 words.
1Postoperative Fever and Tachycardia
J is a 68-year-old male who is 48 hours post open cholecystectomy. He has a history of type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and obesity (BMI 34).
427 words, about 2 min2Elderly Patient with Polypharmacy and Fall Risk
L is an 82-year-old female admitted to the medical unit after a fall at home. She has a history of atrial fibrillation, heart failure, hypertension, and osteoarthritis.
423 words, about 2 min3Pediatric Patient with Asthma Exacerbation
Tommy is a 10-year-old boy brought to the emergency department by his mother with complaints of shortness of breath and wheezing for the past 2 days. He has a history of asthma and uses an albuterol inhaler as needed.
373 words, about 2 min4Patient with Heart Failure and Fluid Overload
R is a 75-year-old male admitted with a diagnosis of acute decompensated heart failure. He has a history of hypertension, chronic kidney disease stage 3, and type 2 diabetes.
463 words, about 2 min5Postoperative Pain Management in a Patient with Substance Use Disorder
K is a 32-year-old female who is 24 hours postoperative after an appendectomy. She has a history of opioid use disorder and is currently on methadone maintenance therapy (30 mg daily).
451 words, about 2 min