DHA License for Nurses: Updated 2025 Exam Questions
DHA License for Nurses: Updated 2025 Exam Questions
For nurses around the world, securing a DHA license to practice in Dubai is a career-defining goal. The city’s futuristic healthcare landscape, multicultural environment, and commitment to excellence offer an unparalleled professional experience. The gateway to this world-class system is the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) Prometric Exam for Nurses—a comprehensive and challenging assessment designed to ensure that only the most competent and clinically astute nurses join its ranks.
The DHA exam is not a test of textbook memorization. It is a sophisticated evaluation of your critical thinking, clinical judgment, and ability to prioritize care in complex, real-world scenarios. The Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs) are crafted to make you think like a seasoned nurse, applying foundational knowledge to ensure patient safety and optimal outcomes. The best and only way to prepare for such an exam is to immerse yourself in high-quality, updated practice questions that mirror the style and difficulty of the real test.
This ultimate 2025 guide has been meticulously updated to serve as your definitive resource for the DHA nursing exam. We will provide a collection of fresh, relevant sample questions, each with a detailed, evidence-based rationale that dissects not only the correct answer but also the flawed logic of the distractors. We will delve into high-yield topics, outline a winning study strategy, and provide a comprehensive 10-point FAQ to answer every question you have about the process. This is your blueprint for success.
Key Takeaways for the 2025 DHA Nursing Exam
- Prioritization is Everything: The most frequently tested skill is your ability to identify the most critical patient or action using frameworks like ABCs (Airway, Breathing, Circulation) and Maslow’s Hierarchy.
- Patient Safety is the Golden Thread: Every question, from pharmacology to infection control, is woven with the theme of patient safety. Always choose the option that best protects the patient from harm.
- Master Pharmacology Calculations: Dosage calculation questions are a given. They require 100% accuracy and are an easy way to gain—or lose—points.
- Infection Control is High-Yield: Know your precautions (Standard, Contact, Droplet, Airborne) inside and out, including the specific PPE required for each.
- Think, Don’t Just Recall: The exam rewards nurses who can analyze a clinical situation and make a sound judgment, not those who can only recite facts.
Core Domains of the DHA Nursing Exam (Updated for 2025)
A successful strategy for your DHA Prometric exam preparation must be built on a clear understanding of the exam’s content blueprint. The test is a comprehensive assessment of the core competencies required of a registered nurse.
| Core Nursing Domain | High-Yield Topics and Key Concepts for 2025 |
|---|---|
| Fundamentals of Nursing | The Nursing Process (ADPIE), Therapeutic Communication, Ethical and Legal Principles (Consent, Confidentiality, Negligence), Documentation, Vital Signs Interpretation, Fluid & Electrolyte Imbalances (Hyper/Hypokalemia, Hyper/Hyponatremia), IV Therapy and its complications (Phlebitis, Infiltration, Extravasation). |
| Medical-Surgical Nursing | This is the largest domain. It covers the management of patients with Cardiovascular (MI, HF, HTN), Respiratory (COPD, Asthma, Pneumonia), Endocrine (Diabetes, DKA, Thyroid Storm), Neurological (Stroke, Seizures, Increased ICP), and Gastrointestinal (PUD, Pancreatitis, Liver Cirrhosis) disorders. Pre-operative and post-operative care is a major focus. |
| Pharmacology & Medication Administration | Dosage Calculations (Oral, IV push, IV infusions/drip rates), the “10 Rights” of Medication Administration, major drug classes (Anticoagulants, Antihypertensives, Diuretics, Antibiotics, Insulin), recognizing and managing adverse effects, and understanding therapeutic drug monitoring. |
| Patient Safety & Infection Control | Standard, Contact, Droplet, and Airborne Precautions (including specific diseases like TB, Measles, C. diff, MRSA). Correct Donning/Doffing of PPE. Fall prevention strategies, use of restraints, and recognizing early signs of sepsis and anaphylaxis. |
| Maternal & Child Health (Pediatrics & OB/GYN) | Antepartum, Intrapartum, and Postpartum care (recognizing PPH). Newborn assessment (Apgar scoring). Pediatric growth and development milestones, pediatric medication safety (dose by weight), and management of common childhood illnesses like dehydration and respiratory infections. |
| Leadership, Management & Delegation | Prioritization of care among a group of patients. Appropriate delegation of tasks to Unlicensed Assistive Personnel (UAP) or Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN). Principles of inter-professional communication (SBAR technique). |
Updated 2025 DHA Exam Questions and In-Depth Answers
The best way to prepare is to practice with high-quality, case-based questions. The following examples reflect the style and complexity you will face on the exam. For more comprehensive practice, using a dedicated bank of Nursing MCQs is the most effective strategy.
Question 1: Prioritization of Care
A nurse on a medical-surgical unit has just received the morning report. Which of the following patients should the nurse assess FIRST?
- A 68-year-old patient with COPD who has an oxygen saturation of 91% on 2L of oxygen via nasal cannula.
- A 45-year-old patient who had a cholecystectomy yesterday and is requesting pain medication for 7/10 incisional pain.
- A 76-year-old patient with heart failure who has 2+ pitting edema in the lower extremities and a weight gain of 0.5 kg overnight.
- A 50-year-old patient with a recent diagnosis of a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) who is now complaining of shortness of breath and chest pain.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: This is a classic prioritization question that requires you to identify the most life-threatening situation. The patient with a DVT who is now experiencing shortness of breath and chest pain is exhibiting classic signs of a pulmonary embolism (PE), a life-threatening complication where the clot has dislodged and traveled to the lungs. This represents an immediate threat to Airway, Breathing, and Circulation (ABCs) and requires immediate assessment and intervention.
Why other options are incorrect:
A: An oxygen saturation of 91% is low but is an expected finding for a patient with COPD (their baseline is often lower). This patient needs assessment but is not in immediate crisis.
B: Post-operative pain is an expected finding and needs to be managed, but it is not life-threatening.
C: A 0.5 kg weight gain and pitting edema are expected findings in a heart failure exacerbation and require intervention, but they are not as immediately life-threatening as a potential PE.
Question 2: Pharmacology Calculation
A physician orders an intravenous infusion of amiodarone. The order is to administer a loading dose of 150 mg over the first 10 minutes. The pharmacy supplies a premixed bag containing 150 mg of amiodarone in 100 mL of D5W. The nurse should set the infusion pump to what rate in mL/hr?
- 150 mL/hr
- 300 mL/hr
- 600 mL/hr
- 900 mL/hr
Correct Answer: C (600 mL/hr)
Rationale: This is a rate calculation that requires converting minutes to hours.
Step 1: Identify the total volume to be infused. The total volume is 100 mL.
Step 2: Identify the total time in minutes. The time is 10 minutes.
Step 3: Set up the proportion to find the rate in mL per hour. There are 60 minutes in an hour.
(100 mL / 10 minutes) = (X mL / 60 minutes)
Step 4: Solve for X.
X = (100 * 60) / 10
X = 6000 / 10
X = 600 mL/hr. The nurse should set the pump to 600 mL/hr to deliver the 100 mL volume over 10 minutes.
Question 3: Infection Control
A nurse is preparing to enter the room of a patient who has been placed on airborne precautions for suspected pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). Which combination of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is mandatory for the nurse to wear?
- Surgical mask and gloves
- N95 respirator mask
- Gown, gloves, and surgical mask
- N95 respirator mask, gown, gloves, and eye protection
Correct Answer: B (N95 respirator mask)
Rationale: Airborne precautions are used for diseases transmitted by small droplets (aerosols) that can remain suspended in the air for long periods. Tuberculosis is the classic example. The only way to filter these small particles is with a specially fitted N95 respirator mask. While other PPE might be needed based on the risk of contact with body fluids, the N95 is the absolute minimum and mandatory piece of equipment for respiratory protection.
Why other options are incorrect:
A & C: A standard surgical mask is not sufficient to protect against airborne pathogens; it only protects against larger droplets.
D: While a full set of PPE might be required if extensive contact or splashing is anticipated, only the N95 respirator is mandatory for simply entering the room of a patient on airborne precautions.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for the DHA Nursing Exam
The exam is graded as Pass/Fail. The DHA does not publish an official percentage, but the generally accepted passing score is around 60%. To be safe, you should aim to consistently score above 70% in high-quality mock exams. For a detailed breakdown, please see our guide on understanding the DHA exam passing score.
Both are comprehensive nursing exams, but they have key differences. The DHA is a knowledge-based exam with 150 standalone MCQs. The NCLEX is a Computerized Adaptive Test (CAT), where the difficulty of each question changes based on your previous answer, and the number of questions can vary. The clinical content is similar, but the testing format is very different. For more information on the NCLEX format, you can visit the official NCSBN website.
While the exact number varies, you can expect approximately 5-10% of the exam (7-15 questions) to be related to pharmacology, with a significant portion of those being dosage calculations. This is a high-yield area where you can score easy points with practice.
No, the clinical portion of the exam is based on international, evidence-based nursing standards and practices. You will not be tested on local hospital policies or specific UAE laws. The focus is purely on universal nursing competence.
Primary Source Verification (PSV) by the DataFlow Group is a mandatory credential check. After you pass the exam, DataFlow will contact your university, nursing council, and past employers to verify that your documents are authentic. A positive DataFlow report is required before your DHA license will be issued.
The DHA typically allows a candidate three attempts to pass the exam. If you are unsuccessful after three tries, you may be required to undergo a period of additional training before being eligible to re-apply. It is critical to take each attempt seriously and prepare thoroughly.
No, as of the current format, the DHA nursing exam consists only of standard multiple-choice questions, each with four options and only one correct answer. This is a key difference from the NCLEX.
While textbooks are good for building foundational knowledge, the most effective preparation strategy for the DHA exam is active learning with a high-quality online question bank (QBank). This method directly trains the clinical reasoning and test-taking skills you need to pass.
Once you pass, you will receive an eligibility letter, which is typically valid for one year. Within this year, you must secure a job with a DHA-licensed facility, which will then activate your professional license.
Prioritization. More than any other single skill, the ability to rapidly assess a clinical situation and determine the most urgent need or the most critical patient is what the exam tests repeatedly. If you master prioritization, you are well on your way to passing.
Conclusion: Your Journey to Becoming a DHA Nurse
The DHA nursing exam is a rigorous but conquerable challenge. It is a gateway designed to ensure that nurses practicing in Dubai are among the best in the world. Success is not about memorizing thousands of facts, but about developing a deep understanding of core nursing principles and applying them with sound clinical judgment. By focusing on high-yield topics, committing to a strategy of active learning with high-quality MCQs, and mastering the art of prioritization, you can walk into the Prometric center with the skills and confidence needed to earn your license and begin an exciting new chapter in your nursing career.
Ready to Pass Your DHA Exam on the First Attempt?
Our premium collection of DHA nursing MCQs is designed to mirror the 2025 exam, with hundreds of high-yield clinical scenarios and detailed rationales to build your confidence and guarantee your success.
