, CHAPTER LIST
Chapter 23: Safety and Falls
UNIT 1: The Theory and Application Chapter 24: Self-Care Ability and Hygiene
of Nursing Practice Chapter 25: Medication Administration
Chapter 26: Teaching and Learning
Chapter 1: The Nursing Profession and
Practice
Chapter 2: Critical Thinking and the Nursing
Process
UNIT 4: Supporting Physiological
Chapter 3: Nursing Process: Assessment
Chapter 4: Nursing Process: Nursing Functioning
Diagnosis
Chapter 5: Nursing Process: Planning Chapter 27: Stress, Coping, and Adaptation
Outcomes Chapter 28: Nutrition
Chapter 6: Nursing Process: Planning Chapter 29: Urinary Elimination
Interventions Chapter 30: Bowel Elimination:
Chapter 7: Nursing Process: Evaluation Constipation
Chapter 8: Nursing Process: Implementation Chapter 31: Bowel Elimination: Diarrhea
Chapter 9: Nursing Theory Chapter 32: Sensory Perception
Chapter 10: Research Chapter 33: Pain Management
Chapter 34: Activity and Exercise
Chapter 35: Sexual Health
Chapter 36: Sleep and Rest
Chapter 37: Skin Integrity
UNIT 2: Factors Affecting Health Chapter 38: Oxygenation
Chapter 39: Perfusion
Chapter 11: Growth and Development Chapter 40: Fluid, Electrolyte, and Acid–
Chapter 12: Health and Illness Base Balance
Chapter 13: Psychosocial Health and Illness
Chapter 14: Family
Chapter 15: Culture and Ethnicity
Chapter 16: Spirituality
Chapter 17: Loss, Grief, and Dying UNIT 5: Nursing Functions
Chapter 41: Leading and Management
Chapter 42: Informatics
Chapter 43: Holism
UNIT 3: Essential Nursing Chapter 44: Health Promotion
Interventions
Chapter 18: Documenting and Reporting
Chapter 19: Vital Signs
UNIT 6: Context for Nurses’ Work
Chapter 20: Communication and
Therapeutic Relationships
Chapter 45: Perioperative Nursing
Chapter 21: Health Assessment
Chapter 46: Community-Based Care
Chapter 22: Promoting Asepsis and
Chapter 47: Ethics and Values
Preventing Infection
Chapter 48: Legal Issues
,Chapter 1: The Nursing Profession and Practice
Test Bank: Chapter 1
Question 1
A newly licensed nurse is caring for a postoperative patient who suddenly develops
shortness of breath and chest pain. The nurse suspects a pulmonary embolism. What is
the nurse’s MOST appropriate initial action?
A. Notify the charge nurse and document the findings
B. Administer oxygen and call the healthcare provider
C. Request a STAT CT scan from radiology
D. Reassure the patient and reassess in 15 minutes
Answer: B
Very Deep Rationale:
The nurse is professionally accountable for recognizing a life-threatening change in
patient condition and initiating immediate nursing actions within scope of practice.
Administering oxygen addresses airway and oxygenation needs, which are independent
nursing interventions, while notifying the provider initiates collaborative care. Waiting,
delegating responsibility upward without action, or independently ordering diagnostic
tests exceeds or neglects professional role expectations.
Key words: scope of practice, accountability, independent nursing action, professional
judgment
Question 2
A nurse administers a medication without checking the patient’s allergy history,
resulting in an anaphylactic reaction. Which professional principle was MOST directly
violated?
A. Advocacy
B. Accountability
C. Autonomy
D. Fidelity
,Answer: B
Very Deep Rationale:
Accountability refers to the nurse’s responsibility for their actions and omissions. Failing
to verify allergies represents a breach in professional responsibility for safe care. While
advocacy and fidelity relate to patient support and loyalty, and autonomy concerns
patient decision-making, the core failure here is the nurse’s responsibility for ensuring
safe medication administration.
Key words: accountability, patient safety, professional responsibility, medication error
Question 3
A nurse refuses to carry out a provider’s order because it appears unsafe for the
patient’s condition. This action BEST demonstrates which professional role?
A. Subordinate team member
B. Task-oriented caregiver
C. Patient advocate
D. Policy enforcer
Answer: C
Very Deep Rationale:
Professional nursing practice requires advocacy when patient safety is threatened.
Nurses are not passive followers of orders; they are ethically and legally obligated to
question and clarify potentially harmful directives. This action reflects autonomous
professional judgment grounded in ethical responsibility, not insubordination.
Key words: advocacy, professional autonomy, ethical duty, patient safety
Question 4
Which situation BEST illustrates nursing accountability rather than collaboration?
A. Consulting a physical therapist for mobility planning
B. Documenting care after completing an intervention
,C. Asking another nurse to verify a high-alert medication
D. Participating in interdisciplinary rounds
Answer: B
Very Deep Rationale:
Accountability involves owning one’s actions, including accurate and timely
documentation. While consultation, verification, and interdisciplinary rounds represent
collaboration, documentation reflects the nurse’s personal responsibility for care
provided and professional legal recordkeeping.
Key words: accountability, documentation, professional responsibility, legal record
Question 5
A nurse delegates ambulation of a stable patient to an unlicensed assistive personnel
(UAP). Which factor is MOST important in determining if this delegation is appropriate?
A. The nurse’s workload
B. The UAP’s willingness to perform the task
C. The nurse’s responsibility to supervise and evaluate
D. The time available on the unit
Answer: C
Very Deep Rationale:
Professional nursing accountability remains with the nurse even after delegation. Safe
delegation depends on appropriate supervision, evaluation, and assurance that the task
matches the UAP’s role. Workload and time constraints never override accountability for
patient outcomes.
Key words: delegation, accountability, supervision, scope of practice
Question 6
A nurse discusses a patient’s condition with friends outside the hospital but does not
mention the patient’s name. Which professional principle is MOST compromised?
,A. Justice
B. Beneficence
C. Confidentiality
D. Veracity
Answer: C
Very Deep Rationale:
Confidentiality extends beyond names to any identifiable patient information.
Professional nursing ethics require safeguarding patient privacy at all times. Intentional
or casual disclosure violates professional standards even if identifiers seem indirect.
Key words: confidentiality, ethics, professional boundaries, privacy
Question 7
Which action BEST reflects professional nursing autonomy?
A. Performing tasks assigned by the provider
B. Independently prioritizing patient care based on assessment
C. Following unit routines without question
D. Deferring all decisions to the charge nurse
Answer: B
Very Deep Rationale:
Autonomy in nursing refers to independent clinical judgment within scope of practice.
Prioritizing care based on assessment demonstrates professional decision-making.
Blindly following orders or routines undermines the nurse’s professional role.
Key words: autonomy, clinical judgment, professional role, independent decision-
making
Question 8
A nurse identifies a medication error made by another nurse but hesitates to report it to
avoid conflict. Which professional value is MOST at risk?
,A. Collegiality
B. Integrity
C. Compassion
D. Loyalty
Answer: B
Very Deep Rationale:
Integrity requires honesty and adherence to ethical standards, even when
uncomfortable. Failing to report errors compromises patient safety and professional
accountability. Loyalty to colleagues never outweighs ethical obligations to patients.
Key words: integrity, ethical responsibility, error reporting, professionalism
Question 9
Which statement BEST reflects the professional scope of nursing practice?
A. Nurses implement only provider-directed care
B. Nurses independently diagnose medical conditions
C. Nurses provide care within defined legal and professional boundaries
D. Nurses function solely as members of the healthcare team
Answer: C
Very Deep Rationale:
Scope of practice defines what nurses are legally and professionally authorized to do. It
includes independent, dependent, and collaborative roles, but always within regulatory
boundaries. Nurses neither function independently of the team nor merely as task
executors.
Key words: scope of practice, legal boundaries, professional standards
Question 10
A nurse notices unsafe staffing levels but takes no action because “management will
handle it.” This reflects a failure in which professional responsibility?
, A. Advocacy
B. Autonomy
C. Accountability
D. Justice
Answer: A
Very Deep Rationale:
Advocacy requires nurses to speak up when conditions threaten patient safety. While
accountability and autonomy are relevant, the primary lapse is failure to advocate for
safe care environments.
Key words: advocacy, patient safety, professional responsibility, systems awareness
Question 11
A nurse follows a questionable order without clarification and the patient is harmed.
Legally, the nurse is MOST likely accountable because:
A. Providers are never responsible for outcomes
B. Nurses are obligated to question unsafe orders
C. Documentation protects the nurse
D. Errors are unavoidable in healthcare
Answer: B
Very Deep Rationale:
Professional accountability requires nurses to question and clarify unsafe orders. Blind
compliance does not absolve responsibility. Nurses are legally and ethically expected to
exercise judgment in patient care.
Key words: accountability, legal responsibility, unsafe orders, professional judgment
Question 12
Which scenario BEST demonstrates professional role clarity?
Chapter 23: Safety and Falls
UNIT 1: The Theory and Application Chapter 24: Self-Care Ability and Hygiene
of Nursing Practice Chapter 25: Medication Administration
Chapter 26: Teaching and Learning
Chapter 1: The Nursing Profession and
Practice
Chapter 2: Critical Thinking and the Nursing
Process
UNIT 4: Supporting Physiological
Chapter 3: Nursing Process: Assessment
Chapter 4: Nursing Process: Nursing Functioning
Diagnosis
Chapter 5: Nursing Process: Planning Chapter 27: Stress, Coping, and Adaptation
Outcomes Chapter 28: Nutrition
Chapter 6: Nursing Process: Planning Chapter 29: Urinary Elimination
Interventions Chapter 30: Bowel Elimination:
Chapter 7: Nursing Process: Evaluation Constipation
Chapter 8: Nursing Process: Implementation Chapter 31: Bowel Elimination: Diarrhea
Chapter 9: Nursing Theory Chapter 32: Sensory Perception
Chapter 10: Research Chapter 33: Pain Management
Chapter 34: Activity and Exercise
Chapter 35: Sexual Health
Chapter 36: Sleep and Rest
Chapter 37: Skin Integrity
UNIT 2: Factors Affecting Health Chapter 38: Oxygenation
Chapter 39: Perfusion
Chapter 11: Growth and Development Chapter 40: Fluid, Electrolyte, and Acid–
Chapter 12: Health and Illness Base Balance
Chapter 13: Psychosocial Health and Illness
Chapter 14: Family
Chapter 15: Culture and Ethnicity
Chapter 16: Spirituality
Chapter 17: Loss, Grief, and Dying UNIT 5: Nursing Functions
Chapter 41: Leading and Management
Chapter 42: Informatics
Chapter 43: Holism
UNIT 3: Essential Nursing Chapter 44: Health Promotion
Interventions
Chapter 18: Documenting and Reporting
Chapter 19: Vital Signs
UNIT 6: Context for Nurses’ Work
Chapter 20: Communication and
Therapeutic Relationships
Chapter 45: Perioperative Nursing
Chapter 21: Health Assessment
Chapter 46: Community-Based Care
Chapter 22: Promoting Asepsis and
Chapter 47: Ethics and Values
Preventing Infection
Chapter 48: Legal Issues
,Chapter 1: The Nursing Profession and Practice
Test Bank: Chapter 1
Question 1
A newly licensed nurse is caring for a postoperative patient who suddenly develops
shortness of breath and chest pain. The nurse suspects a pulmonary embolism. What is
the nurse’s MOST appropriate initial action?
A. Notify the charge nurse and document the findings
B. Administer oxygen and call the healthcare provider
C. Request a STAT CT scan from radiology
D. Reassure the patient and reassess in 15 minutes
Answer: B
Very Deep Rationale:
The nurse is professionally accountable for recognizing a life-threatening change in
patient condition and initiating immediate nursing actions within scope of practice.
Administering oxygen addresses airway and oxygenation needs, which are independent
nursing interventions, while notifying the provider initiates collaborative care. Waiting,
delegating responsibility upward without action, or independently ordering diagnostic
tests exceeds or neglects professional role expectations.
Key words: scope of practice, accountability, independent nursing action, professional
judgment
Question 2
A nurse administers a medication without checking the patient’s allergy history,
resulting in an anaphylactic reaction. Which professional principle was MOST directly
violated?
A. Advocacy
B. Accountability
C. Autonomy
D. Fidelity
,Answer: B
Very Deep Rationale:
Accountability refers to the nurse’s responsibility for their actions and omissions. Failing
to verify allergies represents a breach in professional responsibility for safe care. While
advocacy and fidelity relate to patient support and loyalty, and autonomy concerns
patient decision-making, the core failure here is the nurse’s responsibility for ensuring
safe medication administration.
Key words: accountability, patient safety, professional responsibility, medication error
Question 3
A nurse refuses to carry out a provider’s order because it appears unsafe for the
patient’s condition. This action BEST demonstrates which professional role?
A. Subordinate team member
B. Task-oriented caregiver
C. Patient advocate
D. Policy enforcer
Answer: C
Very Deep Rationale:
Professional nursing practice requires advocacy when patient safety is threatened.
Nurses are not passive followers of orders; they are ethically and legally obligated to
question and clarify potentially harmful directives. This action reflects autonomous
professional judgment grounded in ethical responsibility, not insubordination.
Key words: advocacy, professional autonomy, ethical duty, patient safety
Question 4
Which situation BEST illustrates nursing accountability rather than collaboration?
A. Consulting a physical therapist for mobility planning
B. Documenting care after completing an intervention
,C. Asking another nurse to verify a high-alert medication
D. Participating in interdisciplinary rounds
Answer: B
Very Deep Rationale:
Accountability involves owning one’s actions, including accurate and timely
documentation. While consultation, verification, and interdisciplinary rounds represent
collaboration, documentation reflects the nurse’s personal responsibility for care
provided and professional legal recordkeeping.
Key words: accountability, documentation, professional responsibility, legal record
Question 5
A nurse delegates ambulation of a stable patient to an unlicensed assistive personnel
(UAP). Which factor is MOST important in determining if this delegation is appropriate?
A. The nurse’s workload
B. The UAP’s willingness to perform the task
C. The nurse’s responsibility to supervise and evaluate
D. The time available on the unit
Answer: C
Very Deep Rationale:
Professional nursing accountability remains with the nurse even after delegation. Safe
delegation depends on appropriate supervision, evaluation, and assurance that the task
matches the UAP’s role. Workload and time constraints never override accountability for
patient outcomes.
Key words: delegation, accountability, supervision, scope of practice
Question 6
A nurse discusses a patient’s condition with friends outside the hospital but does not
mention the patient’s name. Which professional principle is MOST compromised?
,A. Justice
B. Beneficence
C. Confidentiality
D. Veracity
Answer: C
Very Deep Rationale:
Confidentiality extends beyond names to any identifiable patient information.
Professional nursing ethics require safeguarding patient privacy at all times. Intentional
or casual disclosure violates professional standards even if identifiers seem indirect.
Key words: confidentiality, ethics, professional boundaries, privacy
Question 7
Which action BEST reflects professional nursing autonomy?
A. Performing tasks assigned by the provider
B. Independently prioritizing patient care based on assessment
C. Following unit routines without question
D. Deferring all decisions to the charge nurse
Answer: B
Very Deep Rationale:
Autonomy in nursing refers to independent clinical judgment within scope of practice.
Prioritizing care based on assessment demonstrates professional decision-making.
Blindly following orders or routines undermines the nurse’s professional role.
Key words: autonomy, clinical judgment, professional role, independent decision-
making
Question 8
A nurse identifies a medication error made by another nurse but hesitates to report it to
avoid conflict. Which professional value is MOST at risk?
,A. Collegiality
B. Integrity
C. Compassion
D. Loyalty
Answer: B
Very Deep Rationale:
Integrity requires honesty and adherence to ethical standards, even when
uncomfortable. Failing to report errors compromises patient safety and professional
accountability. Loyalty to colleagues never outweighs ethical obligations to patients.
Key words: integrity, ethical responsibility, error reporting, professionalism
Question 9
Which statement BEST reflects the professional scope of nursing practice?
A. Nurses implement only provider-directed care
B. Nurses independently diagnose medical conditions
C. Nurses provide care within defined legal and professional boundaries
D. Nurses function solely as members of the healthcare team
Answer: C
Very Deep Rationale:
Scope of practice defines what nurses are legally and professionally authorized to do. It
includes independent, dependent, and collaborative roles, but always within regulatory
boundaries. Nurses neither function independently of the team nor merely as task
executors.
Key words: scope of practice, legal boundaries, professional standards
Question 10
A nurse notices unsafe staffing levels but takes no action because “management will
handle it.” This reflects a failure in which professional responsibility?
, A. Advocacy
B. Autonomy
C. Accountability
D. Justice
Answer: A
Very Deep Rationale:
Advocacy requires nurses to speak up when conditions threaten patient safety. While
accountability and autonomy are relevant, the primary lapse is failure to advocate for
safe care environments.
Key words: advocacy, patient safety, professional responsibility, systems awareness
Question 11
A nurse follows a questionable order without clarification and the patient is harmed.
Legally, the nurse is MOST likely accountable because:
A. Providers are never responsible for outcomes
B. Nurses are obligated to question unsafe orders
C. Documentation protects the nurse
D. Errors are unavoidable in healthcare
Answer: B
Very Deep Rationale:
Professional accountability requires nurses to question and clarify unsafe orders. Blind
compliance does not absolve responsibility. Nurses are legally and ethically expected to
exercise judgment in patient care.
Key words: accountability, legal responsibility, unsafe orders, professional judgment
Question 12
Which scenario BEST demonstrates professional role clarity?
