NMNC 3110 Introduction to Nursing Concepts Exam 1 Practice

The rate at which an adult breathes at rest should be about 12 to 20 breaths per minute. This range is used as the standard reference for a normal resting respiratory rate. To measure it, observe the chest rising for 30 seconds and multiply by two (or count for a full minute if the rate is irregular), making sure the person is quiet and not talking.

Several factors can shift this rate temporarily, such as fever, anxiety, pain, exercise, medications, or altitude. If the rate is consistently below the normal range, it’s bradypnea; if it’s consistently above, it’s tachypnea. Among the given options, the 12–20 breaths per minute range fits the typical resting rate, while a lower range would suggest bradypnea and a higher range would suggest tachypnea, so those options do not represent the normal resting rate.