NCLEX Practice Questions Exam 1

A nurse is providing care based on Maslow's hierarchy of basic

human needs. For which nursing activities is this approach useful?

a. Making accurate nursing diagnoses

b. Establishing priorities of care

✅✅
c. Communicating concerns more concisely
d. Integrating science into nursing care - -b. Maslow's
hierarchy of basic human needs is useful for establishing priorities
of care.

The nurse is prioritizing nursing care for a patient in a long-term

care facility. Which examples of nursing interventions help meet
physiologic needs? Select all that apply.

a. Preventing falls in the facility

b. Changing a patient's oxygen tank
c. Providing materials for a patient who likes to draw
d. Helping a patient eat his dinner

✅✅
e. Facilitating a visit from a spouse
f. Referring a patient to a cancer support group. - -b, d.
Physiologic needs—oxygen, water, food, elimination, temperature,
sexuality, physical activity, and rest—must be met at least
minimally to maintain life. Providing food and oxygen are examples
of interventions to meet these needs. Preventing falls helps meet
safety and security needs, providing art supplies may help meet
self-actualization needs, facilitating visits from loved ones helps
meet self-esteem needs, and referring a patient to a support group
helps meet love and belonging needs.

The nurse caring for patients postoperatively uses careful hand

hygiene and sterile techniques when handling patients. Which of
Maslow's basic human needs is being met by this nurse?

a. Physiologic
b. Safety and security
c. Self-esteem
d. Love and belonging - ✅✅ -b. By carrying out careful hand
hygiene and using sterile technique, nurses provide safety from
infection. An example of a physiologic need is clearing a patient's
airway. Self-esteem needs may be met by allowing an older adult to
talk about a past career. An example of helping meet a love and
belonging need is contacting a hospitalized patient's family to
arrange a visit.

The nurse caring for patients in a long-term care facility knows that
the highest level on Maslow's hierarchy of needs is
self-actualization needs. Which statements accurately describe the
achievement of self-actualization? Select all that apply.

a. Humans are born with a fully developed sense of

self-actualization.
b. Self-actualization needs are met by depending on others for help.
c. The self-actualization process continues throughout life.
d. Loneliness and isolation occur when self-actualization needs are
unmet.
e. A person achieves self-actualization by focusing on problems
outside self.

✅✅
f. Self-actualization needs may be met by creatively solving
problems. - -c, e, f. Self-actualization, or reaching one's full
potential, is a process that continues throughout life. A person
achieves self-actualization by focusing on problems outside
oneself and using creativity as a guideline for solving problems
and pursuing interests. Humans are not born with a fully developed
sense of self-actualization, and self-actualization needs are not met
specifically by depending on others for help. Loneliness and
isolation are not always the result of unmet self-actualization
needs.

A nurse works with families in crisis at a community mental health

care facility. What is the best broad definition of a family?

a. A father, a mother, and children

b. A group whose members are biologically related
c. A unit that includes aunts, uncles, and cousins

✅✅
d. A group of people who live together and depend on each other
for support - -d. Although all the responses may be true, the
best definition is a group of people who live together and depend
on each other for physical, emotional, or financial support.

A nurse performs an assessment of a family consisting of a single

mother, a grandmother, and two children. Which interview
questions directed to the single mother could the nurse use to
assess the affective and coping family function? Select all that
apply.

a. Who is the person you depend on for emotional support?

b. Who is the breadwinner in your family?
c. Do you plan on having any more children?
d. Who keeps your family together in times of stress?

✅✅
e. What family traditions do you pass on to your children?
f. Do you live in an environment that you consider safe? - -a,
d. The five major areas of family function are physical, economic,
reproductive, affective and coping, and socialization. Asking who
provides emotional support in times of stress assesses the
affective and coping function. Assessing the breadwinner focuses
on the economic function. Inquiring about having more children
assesses the reproductive function, asking about family traditions
assesses the socialization function, and checking the environment
assesses the physical function.

The nurse caring for families in a free health care clinic identifies
psychosocial risk factors for altered family health. Which example
describes one of these risk factors?

a. The family does not have dental care insurance or resources to

pay for it.
b. Both parents work and leave a 12-year old child to care for his
younger brother.
c. Both parents and their children are considerably overweight.
 ✅✅
d. The youngest member of the family has cerebral palsy and needs
assistance from community services. - -b. Inadequate
childcare resources is a psychosocial risk factor. Not having
access to dental care and obese family members are lifestyle risk
factors. Having a family member with birth defects is a biologic risk
factor.

Shuba and Raul are a couple in their late seventies. According to

Duvall, which developmental task is appropriate for this older adult
family?

a. Maintain a supportive home base

b. Strengthen marital relationships

✅✅
c. Cope with loss of energy and privacy
d. Adjust to retirement - -d. The developmental tasks of the
family with older adults are to adjust to retirement and possibly to
adjust to the loss of a spouse and loss of independent living.
Maintaining a supportive home base and strengthening marital
relationships are tasks of the family with adolescents and young
adults. Coping with loss of energy and privacy is a task of the
family with children.

A visiting nurse performs a community assessment in an area of

the city in which the nurse will be working. What is one element of
a healthy community?

a. Meets all the needs of its inhabitants

b. Has mixed residential and industrial areas

✅✅
c. Offers access to health care services
d. Has modern housing and condominiums - -c.A healthy
community offers access to health care services to treat illness and
to promote health. A healthy community does not usually meet all
the needs of its residents, but should be able to help with health
issues such as nutrition, education, recreation, safety, and zoning
regulations to separate residential sections from industrial ones.
The age of housing is irrelevant as long as residences are
maintained properly according to code.
A nurse is practicing community-based nursing in a mobile health
clinic. What would be the central focus of this nurse's care?

a. Individual and family health care needs

b. Populations within the community

✅✅
c. Local health care facilities
d. Families in crisis - -a. In contrast to community health
nursing, whichfocuses on populations within a community,
community-based nursing is centered on individual and family
health care needs. Community-based nurses may help families in
crisis and work in health care facilities, but these are not the focus
of community-based nursing

A nurse is caring for a patient in the ICU who is being monitored for
a possible cerebral aneurysm following a loss of consciousness in
the emergency room. The nurse anticipates preparing the patient
for ordered diagnostic tests. This nurse's knowledge of the
diagnostic procedures for this condition reflects which aspect of
nursing?

a. The art of nursing

b. The science of nursing

✅✅
c. The caring aspect of nursing
d. The holistic approach to nursing - -b. The science of
nursing is the knowledge base for care that is provided. In contrast,
the skilled application of that knowledge is the art of nursing.
Providing holistic care to patients based on the science of nursing
is considered the art of nursing.

Which nurse who was influential in the development of nursing in

North America is regarded as the founder of American nursing?

a. Clara Barton
b. Lillian Wald
c. Lavinia Dock
d. Florence Nightingale -✅✅ -d. Florence Nightingale elevated the
status of nursing to a respected occupation, improved the quality
of nursing care, and founded modern nursing education. Clara
Barton established the Red Cross in the United States in 1882.
Lillian Wald is the founder of public health nursing. Lavinia Dock
was a nursing leader and women's rights activist instrumental in
womens' right to vote.

In early civilizations, the theory of animism attempted to explain the

mysterious changes occurring in bodily functions. Which
statement describes a component of the development of nursing
that occurred in this era?

a. Women who committed crimes were recruited into nursing the

sick in lieu of serving jail sentences.
b. Nurses identified the personal needs of the patient and their role
in meeting those needs.
c. Women called deaconesses made the first visits to the sick and
male religious orders cared for the sick and buried the dead.

✅✅
d. The nurse was the mother who cared for her family during
sickness by using herbal remedies. - -d. The theory of
animism was based on the belief that everything in nature was alive
with invisible forces and endowed with power. In this era, the nurse
usually was the mother who cared for her family during sickness by
providing physical care and herbal remedies. At the beginning of
the 16th century the shortage of nurses led to the recruitment of
women who had committed crimes to provide nursing care instead
of going to jail. In the early Christian period, women called
deaconesses made the first organized visits to sick people, and
members of male religious orders gave nursing care and buried the
dead. The influences of Florence Nightingale were apparent from
the middle of the 19th century to the 20th century; one of her
accomplishments was identifying the personal needs of the patient
and the nurse's role in meeting those needs.

World War II had a tremendous effect on the nursing profession.

Which development occurred during this period?
a. The role of the nurse was broadened.
b. There was a decreased emphasis on education.

✅✅
c. Nursing was practiced mainly in hospital settings.
d. There was an overabundance of nurses. - -a. During World
War II, large numbers of women worked outside the home. They
became more independent and assertive, which led to an increased
emphasis on education. The war itself created a need for more
nurses and resulted in a knowledge explosion in medicine and
technology. This trend broadened the role of nurses to include
practicing in a wide variety of health care settings.

Which phrase describes a purpose of the ANA's Nursing's Social

Policy Statement? Select all that apply.

a. To describe the nurse as a dependent caregiver

b. To provide standards for nursing educational programs
c. To define the scope of nursing practice
d. To establish a knowledge base for nursing practice

✅✅
e. To describe nursing's social responsibility
f. To regulate nursing research - -c, d, e. The ANA Social
Policy Statement (2010) describes the social context of nursing, a
definition of nursing, the knowledge base for nursing practice, the
scope of nursing practice, standards of professional nursing
practice, and the regulation of professional nursing.

One of the four broad aims of nursing practice is to restore health.

Which examples of nursing interventions reflect this goal? Select
all that apply.

a. A nurse counsels adolescents in a drug rehabilitation program.

b. A nurse performs range-of-motion exercises for a patient on
bedrest.
c. A nurse shows a diabetic patient how to inject insulin.
d. A nurse recommends a yoga class for a busy executive.
e. A nurse provides hospice care for a patient with end-stage
cancer.
f. A nurse teaches a nutrition class at a local high school. -✅✅ -a,
b, c. Activities to restore health focus on the individual with an
illness and range from early detection of a disease to rehabilitation
and teaching during recovery. These activities include drug
counseling, teaching patients how to administer their medications,
and performing range-of-motion exercises for bedridden patients.
Recommending a yoga class for stress reduction is a goal of
preventing illness, and teaching a nutrition class is a goal of
promoting health. A hospice care nurse helps to facilitate coping
with disability and death.

Nursing is recognized increasingly as a profession based on which

defining criteria? Select all that apply.

a. Well defined body of general knowledge

b. Interventions dependent upon the medical practice
c. Recognized authority by a professional group
d. Regulation by the medical industry

✅✅
e. Code of ethics
f. Ongoing research - -c, e, f. Nursing is recognized
increasingly as a profession based on the following defining
criteria: well-defined body of specific and unique knowledge,
strong service orientation, recognized authority by a professional
group, code of ethics, professional organization that sets
standards, ongoing research, and autonomy and self-regulation.

A nurse is practicing as a nurse-midwife in a busy OB-GYN office.

Which degree in nursing is necessary to practice at this level?

a. LPN
b. ADN

✅✅
c. BSN
d. MSN - -d. A master's degree (MSN) prepares advanced
practice nurses. Many master's graduates gain national
certification in their specialty area, for example, as family nurse
practitioners (FNPs) or nurse midwives.
Nurse practice acts are established in each state of the United
States to regulate nursing practice. What is a commonelement of
every state practice act?

a. Defining the legal scope of nursing practice

b. Providing continuing education programs

✅✅
c. Determining the content covered in the NCLEXexamination
d. Creating institutional policies for health care practices - -a.
Nurse practice acts are established in each state to regulate the
practice of nursing by defining the legal scope of nursing practice,
creating a state board of nursing to make and enforce rules and
regulations, define important terms and activities in nursing, and
establish criteria for the education and licensure of nurses. The
acts do not determine the content covered on the NCLEX, but they
do have the legal authority to allow graduates of approved schools
of nursing to take the licensing examination. The acts also may
determine educational requirements for licensure, but do not
provide the education. Institutional policies are created by the
institutions themselves.

The National Advisory Council on Nurse Education and Practice

identifies critical challenges to nursing practice in the 21st century.
What is a current health care trend contributing to these
challenges?

a. Decreased numbers of hospitalized patients

b. Older and more acutely ill patients
c. Decreasing health care costs due to managed care

✅✅
d. Slowed advances in medical knowledge and technology -
-b. The National Advisory Council on Nurse Education and
Practice identifies the following critical challenges to nursing
practice in the 21st century: A growing population of hospitalized
patients who are older and more acutely ill, increasing health care
costs, and the need to stay current with rapid advances in medical
knowledge and technology.
. A nurse assesses patients in a physician's office who are
experiencing different levels of health and illness. Which
statements best define the concepts of health and illness? Select
all that apply.

a. Health and illness are the same for all people.

b. Health and illness are individually defined by each person.
c. People with acute illnesses are actually healthy.
d. People with chronic illnesses have poor health beliefs.

✅✅
e. Health is more than the absence of illness.
f. Illness is the response of a person to a disease. - -b, e, f.
Each person defines health and illness individually, based on a
number of factors. Health is more than just the absence of illness;
it is an active process in which a person moves toward one's
maximum potential. An illness is the response of the person to a
disease.

The student nurse learns that illnesses are classified as either

acute or chronic. Which are examples of chronic illnesses? Select
all that apply.

a. Diabetes mellitus
b. Bronchial pneumonia
c. Rheumatoid arthritis
d. Cystic fibrosis

✅✅
e. Fractured hip
f. Otitis media - -a, c, d. Diabetes, arthritis, and cystic fibrosis
are chronic diseases because they are permanent changes caused
by irreversible alterations in normal anatomy and physiology, and
they require patient education along with a long period of care or
support. Pneumonia, fractures, and otitis media are acute illnesses
because they have a rapid onset of symptoms that last a relatively
short time.

Despite a national focus on health promotion, nurses working with

patients in inner-city clinics continue to see disparities in health
care for vulnerable populations. Which patients would be
considered vulnerable populations? Select all that apply.

a. A White male diagnosed with HIV

b. An African American teenager who is 6 months pregnant
c. A Hispanic male who has type II diabetes
d. A low-income family living in rural America

✅✅
e. A middle-class teacher living in a large city
f. A White baby who was born with cerebral palsy - -b, c, d, f.
National trends in the prevention of health disparities are focused
on vulnerable populations, such as racial and ethnic minorities,
those living in poverty, women, children, older adults, rural and
inner-city residents, and people with disabilities and special health
care needs.

A nurse has volunteered to give influenza immunizations at a local

clinic. What level of care is the nurse demonstrating?

a. Tertiary
b. Secondary

✅✅
c. Primary
d. Promotive - -c. Giving influenza injections is an example of
primary health promotion and illness prevention.

A nurse's neighbor tells the nurse, "I have a high temperature, feel
awful, and I am not going to work." What stage of illness behavior
is the neighbor exhibiting?

a. Experiencing symptoms
b. Assuming the sick role

✅✅
c. Assuming a dependent role
d. Achieving recovery and rehabilitation - -b. When people
assume the sick role, they define themselves as ill, seek validation
of this experience from others, and give up normal activities. In
stage 1: experiencing symptoms, the first indication of an illness
usually is recognizing one or more symptoms that are incompatible
with one's personal definition of health. The stage of assuming a
dependent role is characterized by the patient's decision to accept
the diagnosis and follow the prescribed treatment plan. In the
achieving recovery and rehabilitation role, the person gives up the
dependent role and resumes normal activities and responsibilities.

Which clinic patient is most likely to have annual breast

examinations and mammograms based on the physical human
dimension?

a. Jane, whose her best friend had a benign breast lump removed
b. Sarah, who lives in a low-income neighborhood
c. Tricia, who has a family history of breast cancer

✅✅
d. Nancy, whose family encourages regular physical examinations -
-c. The physical dimension includes genetic inheritance, age,
developmental level, race, and gender. These components strongly
influence the person's health status and health practices. A family
history of breast cancer is a major risk factor.

Health promotion activities may occur on a primary, secondary, or

tertiary level. Which activities are considered tertiary health
promotion? Select all that apply.

a. A nurse runs an immunization clinic in the inner city.

b. A nurse teaches a patient with an amputation how to care for the
residual limb.
c. A nurse provides range-of-motion exercises for a paralyzed
patient.
d. A nurse teaches parents of toddlers how to childproof their
homes.
e. A school nurse provides screening for scoliosis for the students.

✅✅
f. A nurse teaches new parents how to choose and use an infant
car seat. - -b, c. Tertiary health promotion and disease
prevention begins after an illness is diagnosed and treated to
reduce disability and to help rehabilitate patients to a maximum
level of functioning. These activities include providing ROM
exercises and patient teaching for residual limb care. Providing
immunizations and teaching parents how to childproof their homes
and use an appropriate car seat are primary health promotion
activities. Providing screenings is a secondary health promotion
activity.

The agent-host-environment model of health and illness is based

on what concept?

a. Risk factors
b. Demographic variables

✅✅
c. Behaviors to promote health
d. Stages of illness - -a. The interaction of the agent, host, and
environment creates risk factors that increase the probability of
disease.

When providing health promotion classes, a nurse uses concepts

from models of health. What do both the health-illness continuum
and the high-level wellness models demonstrate?

a. Illness as a fixed point in time

b. The importance of family

✅✅
c. Wellness as a passive state
d. Health as a constantly changing state - -d. Both these
models view health as a dynamic (constantly changing state).

A nurse follows accepted guidelines for a healthy lifestyle. How can

this promote health in others?

a. By being a role model for healthy behaviors

b. By not requiring sick days from work

✅✅
c. By never exposing others to any type of illness
d. By spending less money on food - -a. Good personal health
enables the nurse to serve as a role model for patients and families.

Nursing students are reviewing information about health care

delivery systems in preparation for a quiz the next day. Which
statements describe current U.S. health care delivery practices?
Select all that apply.
a. Access to care depends only on the ability to pay, not the
availability of services.
b. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act provides private
health care insurance to the underserved populations.
c. Every health insurance plan in the Marketplace offers
comprehensive coverage, from doctors to medications to hospital
visits.
d. The uninsured pay for more than one-third of their care out of
pocket and are usually charged lower amounts for their care than
the insured pay.
e. Fifty years ago, half of the doctors in America practiced primary
care, but today fewer than one in three do.

✅✅
f. Quality of care can be defined as the right care for the right
person at the right time. - -c, e, f. The Marketplace is designed
to help people more easily find health insurance that fits their
budget. Every health insurance plan in the Marketplace offers
comprehensive coverage, from doctors to medications to hospital
visits. Fifty years ago, half of the doctors in America practiced
primary care, but today fewer than one in three do. Quality is the
right care for the right person at the right time. Access to care
depends on both the ability to pay and the availability of services.
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act provides Medicaid
or subsidized coverage to qualifying people with incomes up to
400% of poverty. The uninsured pay for more than one-third of their
care out of pocket and are often charged higher amounts for their
care than the insured pay.

A nurse is providing secondary health care to patients in a health

care facility. Which patients are receiving this level of care? Select
all that apply.

a. A patient enters a community clinic with signs of strep throat.

b. A patient is admitted to the hospital following a myocardial
infarction.
c. A mother brings her son to the emergency department following
a seizure.
d. A patient with osteogenesis imperfecta is being treated in a
medical center.
e. A mother brings her son to a specialist to correct a congenital
heart defect.

✅✅
f. A woman has a hernia repair in an ambulatory care center. -
-b, c, f. Secondary health care treats problems that require
specialized clinical expertise, such as an MI, a seizure, and a hernia
repair. Treating strep throat is primary health care.Tertiary health
care involves management of rare and complex disorders, such as
osteogenesis imperfecta and congenital heart malformations.

A nurse working in a physician's office prepares insurance forms in

which the provider is given a fixed amount per enrollee of the
health plan. What is the term for this type of reimbursement?

a. Capitation
b. Prospective payment system

✅✅
c. Bundled payment
d. Rate setting - -a. Capitation plans give providers a fixed
amount per enrollee in the health plan in an effort to build a
payment plan that consists of the best standards of care at the
lowest cost. The prospective payment system groups inpatient
hospital services for Medicare patients into DRGs. With bundled
payments, providers receive a fixed sum of money to provide a
range of services. Rate setting means that the government could
set targets or caps for spending on health care services.

A nursing instructor is teaching students about the utilization of

health care services and how the U.S. health care dollar is spent.
Place the following care areas in order from the highest percentage
of health care money spent to the lowest.

a. Physician/clinical services
b. Home health care
c. Long-term care facility services
d. Retail prescription drugs
e. Government administration
f. Hospital care -✅✅ -f, a, d, c, b, e. The national health
expenditures in 2010 were hospital care 31%, physician/clinical
services 20%, retail prescription drugs 10%, long-term care facility
services 5%, home health care 3%, and government administration
1%.

A nurse researcher keeps current on the trends to watch in

healthcare delivery. What trends are likely included? Select all that
apply.

a. Globalization of economy and society

b. Slowdown in technology development
c. Decreasing diversity
d. Increasing complexity of patient care
e. Changing demographics

✅✅
f. Shortages of key health care professionals and educators -
-a, d, e, f. Trends to watch in health care delivery include:
globalization of the economy and society, increasing complexity of
patient care, changing demographics, shortages of key health care
professionals and educators, technology explosion, and increasing
diversity.

A nurse is caring for patients in a primary care center. What is the

most likely role of this nurse based on the setting?

a. Assisting with major surgery

b. Performing a health assessment

✅✅
c. Maintaining patients' function and independence
d. Keeping student immunization records up to date - -b.
Performing patient assessments is a common role of the nurse in a
primary care center. Assisting with major surgery is a role of the
nurse in the hospital setting. Maintaining patients' function and
independence is a role of the nurse in an extended-care facility, and
keeping student immunization records up to date is a role of the
school nurse.
A caregiver asks a nurse to explain respite care. How would the
nurse respond?

a. "A service that allows time away for caregivers"

b. "A special service for the terminally ill and their family"

✅✅
c. "Direct care provided to individuals in a long-term care facility"
d. "Living units for people without regular shelter" - -a.
Respite care is provided to enable a primary caregiver time away
from the day-to-day responsibilities of homebound patients.

A nurse caring for patients in a primary care setting submits

paperwork for reimbursement from managed care plans for
services performed. Which purpose best describes managed care
as a framework for health care?

a. A design to control the cost of care while maintaining the quality

of care
b. Care coordination to maximize positive outcomes to contain
costs
c. The delivery of services from initial contact through ongoing
care

✅✅
d. Based on a philosophy of ensuring death in comfort and dignity -
-a. Managed care is a way of providing care designed to
control costs while maintaining the quality of care.

A nurse cares for dying patients by providing physical,

psychological, social, and spiritual care for the patients, their
families, and other loved ones. This service is known as:

a. Respite care
b. Palliative care

✅✅
c. Hospice care
d. Extended care - -c. The hospice nurse combines the skills
of the home care nurse with the ability to provide daily emotional
support to dying patients and their families. Respite care is a type
of care provided for caregivers of homebound ill, disabled, or older
patients. Palliative care, which can be used inconjunction with
medical treatment and in all types of health care settings, is
focused on the relief of physical, mental, and spiritual distress.
Extended-care facilities include transitional subacute care,
assisted-living facilities, intermediate and long-term care, homes
for medically fragile children, retirement centers, and residential
institutions for mentally and developmentally or physically disabled
patients of all ages.

A nurse is evaluating a patient diagnosed with renaldisease for

treatment in a Hospital at Home program. Whichstatement
accurately describes a step in this program?

a. The patient is evaluated upon hospital admission and is given

daily nursing care in the home after discharge for as long as
necessary.
b. Any urgent or emergent situation requires an ambulance trip
from the home to the hospital.
c. Patients are transported to physicians' offices from the home for
weekly evaluations.

✅✅
d. The clinicians use care pathways, clinical outcome evaluations,
and specific discharge criteria. - -d. In the Hospital at Home
program, the clinicians use care pathways including
illness-specific care maps, clinical outcome evaluations, and
specific discharge criteria. A patient requiring admission for one of
the target illnesses is identified in the emergency department or
ambulatory site. Staff assess whether the patient is a good
candidate for the program using validated criteria. If the patient is
eligible and consents to participate, the Hospital at Home physician
evaluates the patient, who is then transported home, usually by
ambulance. Nurses are available 24 hours a day/7 days a week for
any urgent or emergent situations. The patient is evaluated daily in
the home by the Hospital at Home physician, who completes an
assessment and continues to implement appropriate diagnostic
and therapeutic measures.