NURSING DIAGNOSIS EXAM – PRACTICE QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
(VERIFIED ANSWERS) PLUS RATIONALES 2026 Q&A | INSTANT DOWNLOAD PDF.
Core Domains
Assessment and Data Collection
Diagnostic Reasoning and Prioritization
NANDA-I Taxonomy and Terminology
Health Promotion and Wellness Diagnoses
Risk Diagnosis and Prevention
Plan of Care Integration
Clinical Judgment and Decision Making
Ethical and Legal Implications in Documentation
Introduction
This comprehensive assessment is designed to evaluate the proficiency of nursing
professionals and students in the critical application of nursing diagnoses. The exam assesses
the ability to synthesize clinical data, differentiate between medical and nursing diagnoses, and
prioritize patient needs using standardized taxonomies. Consisting of 200 multiple-choice and
scenario-based questions, the assessment emphasizes real-world clinical application and
,evidence-based decision-making. Candidates are expected to demonstrate mastery in
identifying actual, risk, and health promotion diagnoses while ensuring all interventions are
grounded in professional standards and ethical practice to optimize patient outcomes across
diverse healthcare settings.
SECTION ONE: QUESTIONS 1–100
1. A patient presents with a respiratory rate of 28, use of accessory muscles, and audible
wheezing. Which nursing diagnosis is the highest priority?
A. Impaired Gas Exchange
B. Ineffective Airway Clearance
C. Ineffective Breathing Pattern
D. Activity Intolerance
🟢 C. Ineffective Breathing Pattern
🔴 RATIONALE: Ineffective Breathing Pattern is defined as inspiration and/or expiration that
does not provide adequate ventilation. The use of accessory muscles and tachypnea
specifically characterize the effort and pattern of breathing, making it the most immediate
diagnosis to address.
2. Which component of a NANDA-I nursing diagnosis describes the characteristics of the
patient’s condition that respond to nursing interventions?
,A. Definition
B. Related factors
C. Defining characteristics
D. Risk factors
🟢 C. Defining characteristics
🔴 RATIONALE: Defining characteristics are the observable cues or inferences that cluster as
manifestations of an actual or health promotion nursing diagnosis.
3. A nurse identifies that a patient has "Risk for Falls." Which of the following is the most
appropriate way to complete this diagnostic statement?
A. Related to advanced age and gait instability
B. As evidenced by a history of two previous falls
C. Related to use of a walker and sedative medications
D. Secondary to Parkinson's disease
🟢 C. Related to use of a walker and sedative medications
🔴 RATIONALE: A risk diagnosis does not have defining characteristics (as evidenced by)
because the problem has not occurred yet. It must include risk factors that are modifiable or
manageable by nursing care.
4. The nurse is caring for a client who is three days postoperative and has not had a bowel
movement. The client reports abdominal fullness. What is the most accurate nursing
, diagnosis?
A. Constipation
B. Risk for Constipation
C. Perceived Constipation
D. Dysfunctional Gastrointestinal Motility
🟢 A. Constipation
🔴 RATIONALE: Since the patient is currently experiencing symptoms (no bowel movement for
three days and abdominal fullness), this is an actual diagnosis rather than a risk or perceived
problem.
5. Which of the following is a legal requirement for documenting nursing diagnoses?
A. They must be written in pencil to allow for updates
B. They must be based on a medical diagnosis
C. They must be supported by objective and subjective data
D. They must be approved by the attending physician
🟢 C. They must be supported by objective and subjective data
🔴 RATIONALE: For a nursing diagnosis to be legally and professionally defensible, it must be
supported by evidence collected during the assessment phase, documented clearly in the
patient record.
(VERIFIED ANSWERS) PLUS RATIONALES 2026 Q&A | INSTANT DOWNLOAD PDF.
Core Domains
Assessment and Data Collection
Diagnostic Reasoning and Prioritization
NANDA-I Taxonomy and Terminology
Health Promotion and Wellness Diagnoses
Risk Diagnosis and Prevention
Plan of Care Integration
Clinical Judgment and Decision Making
Ethical and Legal Implications in Documentation
Introduction
This comprehensive assessment is designed to evaluate the proficiency of nursing
professionals and students in the critical application of nursing diagnoses. The exam assesses
the ability to synthesize clinical data, differentiate between medical and nursing diagnoses, and
prioritize patient needs using standardized taxonomies. Consisting of 200 multiple-choice and
scenario-based questions, the assessment emphasizes real-world clinical application and
,evidence-based decision-making. Candidates are expected to demonstrate mastery in
identifying actual, risk, and health promotion diagnoses while ensuring all interventions are
grounded in professional standards and ethical practice to optimize patient outcomes across
diverse healthcare settings.
SECTION ONE: QUESTIONS 1–100
1. A patient presents with a respiratory rate of 28, use of accessory muscles, and audible
wheezing. Which nursing diagnosis is the highest priority?
A. Impaired Gas Exchange
B. Ineffective Airway Clearance
C. Ineffective Breathing Pattern
D. Activity Intolerance
🟢 C. Ineffective Breathing Pattern
🔴 RATIONALE: Ineffective Breathing Pattern is defined as inspiration and/or expiration that
does not provide adequate ventilation. The use of accessory muscles and tachypnea
specifically characterize the effort and pattern of breathing, making it the most immediate
diagnosis to address.
2. Which component of a NANDA-I nursing diagnosis describes the characteristics of the
patient’s condition that respond to nursing interventions?
,A. Definition
B. Related factors
C. Defining characteristics
D. Risk factors
🟢 C. Defining characteristics
🔴 RATIONALE: Defining characteristics are the observable cues or inferences that cluster as
manifestations of an actual or health promotion nursing diagnosis.
3. A nurse identifies that a patient has "Risk for Falls." Which of the following is the most
appropriate way to complete this diagnostic statement?
A. Related to advanced age and gait instability
B. As evidenced by a history of two previous falls
C. Related to use of a walker and sedative medications
D. Secondary to Parkinson's disease
🟢 C. Related to use of a walker and sedative medications
🔴 RATIONALE: A risk diagnosis does not have defining characteristics (as evidenced by)
because the problem has not occurred yet. It must include risk factors that are modifiable or
manageable by nursing care.
4. The nurse is caring for a client who is three days postoperative and has not had a bowel
movement. The client reports abdominal fullness. What is the most accurate nursing
, diagnosis?
A. Constipation
B. Risk for Constipation
C. Perceived Constipation
D. Dysfunctional Gastrointestinal Motility
🟢 A. Constipation
🔴 RATIONALE: Since the patient is currently experiencing symptoms (no bowel movement for
three days and abdominal fullness), this is an actual diagnosis rather than a risk or perceived
problem.
5. Which of the following is a legal requirement for documenting nursing diagnoses?
A. They must be written in pencil to allow for updates
B. They must be based on a medical diagnosis
C. They must be supported by objective and subjective data
D. They must be approved by the attending physician
🟢 C. They must be supported by objective and subjective data
🔴 RATIONALE: For a nursing diagnosis to be legally and professionally defensible, it must be
supported by evidence collected during the assessment phase, documented clearly in the
patient record.
