NU 170 Exam 4 – Professional Nursing questions verified with correct answers
2026/2027 version
1. A nurse is caring for a patient who has just received a new diagnosis. Which
nursing action best demonstrates patient advocacy?
A. Making decisions for the patient
B. Providing information so the patient can make informed choices
C. Telling the patient what treatment to accept
D. Avoiding discussions about treatment options
Correct Answer: B
Rationale:
Patient advocacy involves supporting patients' rights, providing accurate information, and
helping them make informed healthcare decisions.
2. A nurse demonstrates accountability by:
A. Accepting responsibility for actions and decisions
B. Allowing others to complete all nursing tasks
C. Avoiding documentation of errors
D. Blaming coworkers for mistakes
Correct Answer: A
Rationale:
Accountability means being responsible for one's professional actions, decisions, and outcomes.
3. Which action by the nurse violates patient confidentiality?
A. Discussing patient information with the healthcare team involved in care
B. Sharing patient information with a friend outside the hospital
C. Documenting care in the medical record
D. Reporting changes to the provider
Correct Answer: B
Rationale:
Patient information must remain confidential and should only be shared with authorized
individuals involved in care.
,4. A nurse receives a medication order that appears incorrect. What should the
nurse do first?
A. Administer the medication as prescribed
B. Question and clarify the order with the provider
C. Ask another patient for advice
D. Ignore the concern
Correct Answer: B
Rationale:
Nurses have a responsibility to question unclear or unsafe orders to protect patient safety.
5. The nurse-patient relationship is primarily based on:
A. Trust and professional boundaries
B. Personal friendship
C. Financial relationships
D. Sharing personal problems
Correct Answer: A
Rationale:
Professional nursing relationships require trust, respect, and clear boundaries.
6. A nurse is caring for a patient from a different cultural background. Which
action demonstrates cultural competence?
A. Asking about the patient's beliefs and preferences
B. Assuming all patients have the same values
C. Ignoring cultural differences
D. Forcing personal beliefs on the patient
Correct Answer: A
Rationale:
Culturally competent care respects individual beliefs, values, and healthcare practices.
,7. Which nursing action demonstrates effective communication?
A. Using active listening skills
B. Interrupting the patient frequently
C. Ignoring nonverbal cues
D. Using medical terms the patient does not understand
Correct Answer: A
Rationale:
Active listening improves understanding and strengthens therapeutic communication.
8. A nurse is assigned a task outside their scope of practice. What should the
nurse do?
A. Perform the task anyway
B. Refuse and notify the appropriate person
C. Ask another patient to assist
D. Ignore safety concerns
Correct Answer: B
Rationale:
Nurses must practice within their legal scope and protect patients from unsafe care.
9. Which ethical principle supports a patient's right to make their own
healthcare decisions?
A. Autonomy
B. Justice
C. Fidelity
D. Nonmaleficence
Correct Answer: A
Rationale:
Autonomy refers to respecting a patient's right to make independent decisions about their care.
10. Which ethical principle means "do no harm"?
, A. Beneficence
B. Nonmaleficence
C. Autonomy
D. Veracity
Correct Answer: B
Rationale:
Nonmaleficence requires healthcare providers to avoid causing harm to patients.
11. A nurse documents care provided to a patient. Which documentation practice
is appropriate?
A. Document care immediately after it is provided
B. Record information before providing care
C. Use unclear abbreviations
D. Document another nurse’s assessment findings
Correct Answer: A
Rationale:
Timely and accurate documentation creates a legal record of care and improves communication
among healthcare providers.
12. A nurse makes an error while documenting in the patient's medical record.
What should the nurse do?
A. Follow agency policy to correct the error
B. Delete the entire entry
C. Hide the error from the healthcare team
D. Ask another nurse to change the documentation
Correct Answer: A
Rationale:
Documentation errors should be corrected according to policy while maintaining the integrity of
the medical record.
13. Which statement about informed consent is correct?
A. The provider performing the procedure explains risks and benefits
B. The nurse can force the patient to sign
2026/2027 version
1. A nurse is caring for a patient who has just received a new diagnosis. Which
nursing action best demonstrates patient advocacy?
A. Making decisions for the patient
B. Providing information so the patient can make informed choices
C. Telling the patient what treatment to accept
D. Avoiding discussions about treatment options
Correct Answer: B
Rationale:
Patient advocacy involves supporting patients' rights, providing accurate information, and
helping them make informed healthcare decisions.
2. A nurse demonstrates accountability by:
A. Accepting responsibility for actions and decisions
B. Allowing others to complete all nursing tasks
C. Avoiding documentation of errors
D. Blaming coworkers for mistakes
Correct Answer: A
Rationale:
Accountability means being responsible for one's professional actions, decisions, and outcomes.
3. Which action by the nurse violates patient confidentiality?
A. Discussing patient information with the healthcare team involved in care
B. Sharing patient information with a friend outside the hospital
C. Documenting care in the medical record
D. Reporting changes to the provider
Correct Answer: B
Rationale:
Patient information must remain confidential and should only be shared with authorized
individuals involved in care.
,4. A nurse receives a medication order that appears incorrect. What should the
nurse do first?
A. Administer the medication as prescribed
B. Question and clarify the order with the provider
C. Ask another patient for advice
D. Ignore the concern
Correct Answer: B
Rationale:
Nurses have a responsibility to question unclear or unsafe orders to protect patient safety.
5. The nurse-patient relationship is primarily based on:
A. Trust and professional boundaries
B. Personal friendship
C. Financial relationships
D. Sharing personal problems
Correct Answer: A
Rationale:
Professional nursing relationships require trust, respect, and clear boundaries.
6. A nurse is caring for a patient from a different cultural background. Which
action demonstrates cultural competence?
A. Asking about the patient's beliefs and preferences
B. Assuming all patients have the same values
C. Ignoring cultural differences
D. Forcing personal beliefs on the patient
Correct Answer: A
Rationale:
Culturally competent care respects individual beliefs, values, and healthcare practices.
,7. Which nursing action demonstrates effective communication?
A. Using active listening skills
B. Interrupting the patient frequently
C. Ignoring nonverbal cues
D. Using medical terms the patient does not understand
Correct Answer: A
Rationale:
Active listening improves understanding and strengthens therapeutic communication.
8. A nurse is assigned a task outside their scope of practice. What should the
nurse do?
A. Perform the task anyway
B. Refuse and notify the appropriate person
C. Ask another patient to assist
D. Ignore safety concerns
Correct Answer: B
Rationale:
Nurses must practice within their legal scope and protect patients from unsafe care.
9. Which ethical principle supports a patient's right to make their own
healthcare decisions?
A. Autonomy
B. Justice
C. Fidelity
D. Nonmaleficence
Correct Answer: A
Rationale:
Autonomy refers to respecting a patient's right to make independent decisions about their care.
10. Which ethical principle means "do no harm"?
, A. Beneficence
B. Nonmaleficence
C. Autonomy
D. Veracity
Correct Answer: B
Rationale:
Nonmaleficence requires healthcare providers to avoid causing harm to patients.
11. A nurse documents care provided to a patient. Which documentation practice
is appropriate?
A. Document care immediately after it is provided
B. Record information before providing care
C. Use unclear abbreviations
D. Document another nurse’s assessment findings
Correct Answer: A
Rationale:
Timely and accurate documentation creates a legal record of care and improves communication
among healthcare providers.
12. A nurse makes an error while documenting in the patient's medical record.
What should the nurse do?
A. Follow agency policy to correct the error
B. Delete the entire entry
C. Hide the error from the healthcare team
D. Ask another nurse to change the documentation
Correct Answer: A
Rationale:
Documentation errors should be corrected according to policy while maintaining the integrity of
the medical record.
13. Which statement about informed consent is correct?
A. The provider performing the procedure explains risks and benefits
B. The nurse can force the patient to sign
