TMC Interventions Practice Questions
Initiation and Modification of Interventions is half of the TMC: 70 of the 140 scored questions, and 30 of them are at the analysis level. It asks what you would do, recommend or change for a patient.
160 questions in 3 hours with 80 from Interventions, scored against the NBRC cut scores, with an explanation for every answer.
Or try the free Interventions drill- 70 of 140 scored questions on the real exam (50%)
- 10 / 30 / 30 recall / application / analysis questions
- 242 practice questions in this section, 80 in every mock
A 14-year-old with asthma uses a multidose dry-powder inhaler for his controller. When asked to demonstrate, he loads a dose, exhales forcefully into the mouthpiece, and then inhales slowly over about 5 seconds. Which instruction should the respiratory therapist give?
What section III covers
The NBRC’s TMC Detailed Content Outline (effective January 2020 through December 31, 2026) splits Initiation and Modification of Interventions into 9 sub-areas and fixes how many of the 140 scored questions each contributes.
- III-A. Maintain a patent airway including the care of artificial airways (10)
- Positioning, difficult airway recognition, oral and nasal airways, supraglottic airways, endotracheal and tracheostomy tubes, speaking valves, tracheostomy care, tube exchange, humidification, VAP prevention and extubation.
- III-B. Perform airway clearance and lung expansion techniques (5)
- Postural drainage, suctioning, oscillation and PEP devices, assisted cough, hyperinflation therapy and inspiratory muscle training.
- III-C. Support oxygenation and ventilation (15)
- Oxygen therapy, positioning, CPAP, ventilator initiation and adjustment (invasive, noninvasive, high-frequency, alarms), dyssynchrony, graphics, recruitment and liberation.
- III-D. Administer medications and specialty gases (4)
- Aerosolized antimicrobials, vasodilators, bronchodilators, mucolytics and steroids; endotracheal instillation; heliox and inhaled nitric oxide.
- III-E. Ensure modifications are made to the respiratory care plan (18)
- Stopping a treatment, recommending treatments and changes to position, oxygen, humidification, airway clearance, hyperinflation and ventilation, and recommending drugs from bronchodilators to surfactant.
- III-F. Utilize evidence-based practice (6)
- Disease severity classification and guideline-driven changes: ARDSNet, NAEPP, GOLD.
- III-G. Provide respiratory care in high-risk situations (5)
- Cardiopulmonary emergencies other than CPR, disaster management, rapid response, interprofessional communication and patient transport.
- III-H. Assist a physician or provider in performing procedures (4)
- Intubation, bronchoscopy, thoracentesis, tracheotomy, chest tube insertion, line insertion, moderate sedation, cardioversion and withdrawal of life support.
- III-I. Conduct patient and family education (3)
- Safety and infection control, home care equipment, lifestyle changes, pulmonary rehabilitation and disease management.
Topic drills that feed this section
Every topic drill mixes questions from all three sections, so the ones below practice this section’s skills alongside the rest of the exam.
Sit all 160 questions under the 3-hour clock
160 questions in 3 hours with 80 from Interventions, scored against the NBRC cut scores, with an explanation for every answer.
Or try the free Interventions drillCommon questions
Why is Interventions worth studying most?
It is 70 of the 140 scored questions, and the outline assigns it 30 analysis-level items, more than the other two sections combined. The largest sub-areas are modifying the care plan (18 items), supporting oxygenation and ventilation (15) and airway management (10).
Which guidelines does the TMC expect me to know?
The outline names ARDSNet, NAEPP and GOLD under evidence-based practice, and lists disease severity classification and recommending changes to a therapeutic plan when guidelines indicate them.
Does the TMC test CPR?
The outline lists cardiopulmonary emergencies excluding CPR, plus disaster management, rapid response teams and patient transport. Our emergency items follow that boundary and do not test compression details.
160 questions in 3 hours with 80 from Interventions, scored against the NBRC cut scores, with an explanation for every answer.
Or try the free Interventions drillMore TMC practice
Sources
Original independent practice written to the NBRC’s published TMC Detailed Content Outline and standard respiratory care references. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC) or PSI.