NCLEX Genetics Questions and

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NCLEX – Genetics Questions and Answers | Latest Version | 2025/2026 | Correct & Verified

A nurse is counseling a couple where both partners are carriers of cystic fibrosis. What is the chance their child will inherit the disease?

A. 100%

B. 50%

✔✔C. 25%

• 0%

Which statement best describes an autosomal dominant disorder?✔✔A. Only one mutated gene from either parent is needed for the disorder to be expressed

• The disorder always skips a generation
• Both parents must be affected for the child to inherit the disorder
• Only males are affected

A client with Huntington's disease asks about the genetic pattern of inheritance. How should the nurse respond? 1 / 4

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• "It is a multifactorial inheritance."

✔✔B. "It is inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern."

• "It only affects males through X-linked inheritance."
• "It is inherited through mitochondrial DNA."

A nurse is caring for a newborn with ambiguous genitalia. What is the priority action?

• Begin hormone replacement therapy

✔✔B. Withhold assigning a gender until further genetic testing is done

• Consult a speech therapist
• Prepare for immediate surgical correction

A pregnant client is found to be a carrier for Tay-Sachs disease. What should the nurse anticipate?

• Reassure the client the child will not be affected

✔✔B. Recommend genetic testing for the father

• Recommend termination of the pregnancy
• Administer prophylactic treatment to the fetus
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Which of the following disorders is X-linked recessive?✔✔A. Hemophilia A

• Cystic fibrosis
• Huntington’s disease
• Marfan syndrome

A nurse is caring for a client undergoing genetic testing. What is the nurse’s role in the testing process?✔✔A. Provide emotional support and reinforce information given by the genetic counselor

• Interpret the genetic test results
• Perform the DNA analysis
• Prescribe follow-up diagnostic procedures

Which statement indicates understanding of carrier screening?

• "It confirms whether my baby has a genetic disorder."

✔✔B. "It tells me if I carry a gene that could be passed to my child."

• "It shows if I have a genetic condition."
• "It prevents any genetic condition from affecting my baby." 3 / 4

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A client asks the nurse, “If my father has an autosomal dominant condition and my mother does not, what are my chances of having it?”

A. 100%

✔✔B. 50%

C. 25%

• 0%

A client asks how Down syndrome occurs. What is the nurse’s best response?✔✔A. "It results from an extra chromosome 21."

• "It is caused by a missing X chromosome."
• "It is a mitochondrial DNA mutation."
• "It results from a deletion on chromosome 5."

Which prenatal test provides the most definitive diagnosis for a chromosomal disorder?

• Ultrasound
• Maternal serum screening

✔✔C. Amniocentesis

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