RASMUSSEN COLLEGE MDC 1 EXAM 1 QUESTIONS WITH DETAILED ANSWER KEY
FOR (2026) EXAM, A+ SOLUTIONS/NEWEST UPDATE!!!
Question 1
A nurse is caring for a patient who is grieving the loss of a spouse. The nurse states, "I
understand that this is a very difficult time for you, and I am here to listen if you’d like to talk."
Which therapeutic characteristic is the nurse exhibiting?
A) Genuineness
B) Concreteness
C) Respect
D) Empathy
E) Confrontation
Correct Answer: D) Empathy
Rationale: Empathy is the desire to understand and be sensitive to the feelings, beliefs, and
situation of another person. It differs from sympathy in that the nurse remains objective
while acknowledging the patient's internal state. Genuineness involves being truthful, while
respect involves valuing the patient's unique situation.
Question 2
During an assessment, the nurse adapts the plan of care to allow a patient to perform morning
prayers at a specific time. This action best demonstrates which element of the therapeutic
relationship?
A) Concreteness
B) Confrontation
C) Respect
D) Socialization
E) Ethnocentrism
Correct Answer: C) Respect
Rationale: Respect is the expression of value and flexibility to meet the patient’s needs based
on their unique situation. By adjusting the hospital routine to accommodate a patient's
spiritual needs, the nurse shows that the patient’s values are prioritized over institutional
convenience.
Question 3
Which communication technique is being used when a nurse says to a patient, "You told me you
would use the call light before getting up, but I just found you walking to the bathroom alone.
Can you help me understand why you didn't call?"
A) Empathy
B) Concreteness
C) Confrontation
D) Directing
E) Validation
Correct Answer: C) Confrontation
, 2
Rationale: Confrontation is used to clarify the message received or to decode the actual
meaning when there is a discrepancy between what a patient says and what they do. In this
scenario, the nurse is pointing out the inconsistency between the patient's agreement and
their actions to ensure safety.
Question 4
A nurse is preparing to enter a patient’s room for the first time. The nurse reviews the patient’s
medical record and speaks with the previous shift nurse about the patient's history. Which phase
of the therapeutic relationship is the nurse in?
A) Orientation phase
B) Working phase
C) Termination phase
D) Pre-interaction phase
E) Evaluation phase
Correct Answer: D) Pre-interaction phase
Rationale: The pre-interaction phase begins before the nurse ever meets the patient. It
involves the collection of data, reviewing the chart, and preparing for the first encounter.
The orientation phase begins when the nurse first makes contact with the patient.
Question 5
A patient newly immigrated to the United States begins to dress, speak, and act like members of
the local community while slowly letting go of their previous cultural markers. This process is
known as:
A) Socialization
B) Acculturation
C) Assimilation
D) Ethnocentrism
E) Cultural Blindness
Correct Answer: C) Assimilation
Rationale: Assimilation occurs when a new member learns and takes on the essential values,
beliefs, and behaviors of the dominant culture gradually until they are indistinguishable
from that culture. Acculturation is similar but usually involves assuming characteristics of
the new culture while still maintaining some original traits.
Question 6
A nurse believes that the scientific, hospital-based approach to medicine used in the United
States is the only "correct" way to treat illness and views a patient's use of herbal remedies as
"ignorant." This nurse is exhibiting:
A) Cultural Blindness
B) Cultural Imposition
C) Ethnocentrism
, 3
D) Stereotyping
E) Culture Shock
Correct Answer: C) Ethnocentrism
Rationale: Ethnocentrism is the belief that the ideas, beliefs, and practices of one’s own
culture are superior to those of another’s culture. Cultural imposition, while related, is the
specific act of believing everyone should conform to your own belief system.
Question 7
An Asian American patient is being treated for hypertension. When providing diet counseling,
the nurse should be most aware that this cultural group traditionally has a diet high in:
A) Sugar
B) Saturated Fats
C) Salt
D) Protein
E) Fiber
Correct Answer: C) Salt
Rationale: In many Asian cultures, the traditional diet may be high in sodium due to the use
of soy sauce and other seasonings. Diet counseling for hypertension in this population
should focus on salt restriction and finding lower-sodium alternatives for flavor.
Question 8
Which health belief system views the need for harmony and balance between the body and
nature through practices like yoga and meditation?
A) Scientific
B) Magico-religious
C) Holistic
D) Biomedical
E) Folk healing
Correct Answer: C) Holistic
Rationale: The holistic health belief system focuses on the need for harmony and balance of
the body with nature and the environment. Scientific beliefs focus on hospitals/medications,
while magico-religious beliefs focus on supernatural forces or divine intervention.
Question 9
A nurse is using the SBAR tool to notify a provider about a patient’s dropping blood pressure.
Which part of the SBAR involves the nurse stating the patient’s current vital signs and mental
status?
A) Situation
B) Background
C) Assessment
D) Recommendation
, 4
E) Evaluation
Correct Answer: C) Assessment
Rationale: In SBAR, the Assessment phase is where the nurse communicates what they
think the problem is, including clinical data like vital signs and physical findings. The
Situation is why the nurse is calling, the Background is the patient's history, and the
Recommendation is what the nurse wants done.
Question 10
A patient complains of a sharp, localized pain on the surface of the skin after accidentally
touching a hot lightbulb. The nurse would document this as:
A) Visceral pain
B) Deep somatic pain
C) Cutaneous pain
D) Phantom pain
E) Radiating pain
Correct Answer: C) Cutaneous pain
Rationale: Cutaneous pain arises from the skin or subcutaneous tissue (e.g., burns or cuts).
Visceral pain comes from internal organs, and deep somatic pain comes from ligaments,
tendons, or bones.
Question 11
A patient experiencing a myocardial infarction (heart attack) reports feeling intense pressure in
their chest as well as pain shooting down their left arm and into the jaw. The arm and jaw pain
are examples of:
A) Visceral pain
B) Referred pain
C) Cutaneous pain
D) Phantom pain
E) Neuropathic pain
Correct Answer: B) Referred pain
Rationale: Referred pain occurs in an area distant from the site of origin (e.g., jaw pain
during a heart attack). Radiating pain starts at an origin but extends to other locations
(e.g., the chest pain moving to the arm).
Question 12
Which laboratory value is most critical for a nurse to monitor when assessing a patient’s risk for
poor wound healing and pressure injury development?
A) White blood cell count
B) Hemoglobin
C) Serum Albumin and Pre-albumin
D) Blood Glucose
FOR (2026) EXAM, A+ SOLUTIONS/NEWEST UPDATE!!!
Question 1
A nurse is caring for a patient who is grieving the loss of a spouse. The nurse states, "I
understand that this is a very difficult time for you, and I am here to listen if you’d like to talk."
Which therapeutic characteristic is the nurse exhibiting?
A) Genuineness
B) Concreteness
C) Respect
D) Empathy
E) Confrontation
Correct Answer: D) Empathy
Rationale: Empathy is the desire to understand and be sensitive to the feelings, beliefs, and
situation of another person. It differs from sympathy in that the nurse remains objective
while acknowledging the patient's internal state. Genuineness involves being truthful, while
respect involves valuing the patient's unique situation.
Question 2
During an assessment, the nurse adapts the plan of care to allow a patient to perform morning
prayers at a specific time. This action best demonstrates which element of the therapeutic
relationship?
A) Concreteness
B) Confrontation
C) Respect
D) Socialization
E) Ethnocentrism
Correct Answer: C) Respect
Rationale: Respect is the expression of value and flexibility to meet the patient’s needs based
on their unique situation. By adjusting the hospital routine to accommodate a patient's
spiritual needs, the nurse shows that the patient’s values are prioritized over institutional
convenience.
Question 3
Which communication technique is being used when a nurse says to a patient, "You told me you
would use the call light before getting up, but I just found you walking to the bathroom alone.
Can you help me understand why you didn't call?"
A) Empathy
B) Concreteness
C) Confrontation
D) Directing
E) Validation
Correct Answer: C) Confrontation
, 2
Rationale: Confrontation is used to clarify the message received or to decode the actual
meaning when there is a discrepancy between what a patient says and what they do. In this
scenario, the nurse is pointing out the inconsistency between the patient's agreement and
their actions to ensure safety.
Question 4
A nurse is preparing to enter a patient’s room for the first time. The nurse reviews the patient’s
medical record and speaks with the previous shift nurse about the patient's history. Which phase
of the therapeutic relationship is the nurse in?
A) Orientation phase
B) Working phase
C) Termination phase
D) Pre-interaction phase
E) Evaluation phase
Correct Answer: D) Pre-interaction phase
Rationale: The pre-interaction phase begins before the nurse ever meets the patient. It
involves the collection of data, reviewing the chart, and preparing for the first encounter.
The orientation phase begins when the nurse first makes contact with the patient.
Question 5
A patient newly immigrated to the United States begins to dress, speak, and act like members of
the local community while slowly letting go of their previous cultural markers. This process is
known as:
A) Socialization
B) Acculturation
C) Assimilation
D) Ethnocentrism
E) Cultural Blindness
Correct Answer: C) Assimilation
Rationale: Assimilation occurs when a new member learns and takes on the essential values,
beliefs, and behaviors of the dominant culture gradually until they are indistinguishable
from that culture. Acculturation is similar but usually involves assuming characteristics of
the new culture while still maintaining some original traits.
Question 6
A nurse believes that the scientific, hospital-based approach to medicine used in the United
States is the only "correct" way to treat illness and views a patient's use of herbal remedies as
"ignorant." This nurse is exhibiting:
A) Cultural Blindness
B) Cultural Imposition
C) Ethnocentrism
, 3
D) Stereotyping
E) Culture Shock
Correct Answer: C) Ethnocentrism
Rationale: Ethnocentrism is the belief that the ideas, beliefs, and practices of one’s own
culture are superior to those of another’s culture. Cultural imposition, while related, is the
specific act of believing everyone should conform to your own belief system.
Question 7
An Asian American patient is being treated for hypertension. When providing diet counseling,
the nurse should be most aware that this cultural group traditionally has a diet high in:
A) Sugar
B) Saturated Fats
C) Salt
D) Protein
E) Fiber
Correct Answer: C) Salt
Rationale: In many Asian cultures, the traditional diet may be high in sodium due to the use
of soy sauce and other seasonings. Diet counseling for hypertension in this population
should focus on salt restriction and finding lower-sodium alternatives for flavor.
Question 8
Which health belief system views the need for harmony and balance between the body and
nature through practices like yoga and meditation?
A) Scientific
B) Magico-religious
C) Holistic
D) Biomedical
E) Folk healing
Correct Answer: C) Holistic
Rationale: The holistic health belief system focuses on the need for harmony and balance of
the body with nature and the environment. Scientific beliefs focus on hospitals/medications,
while magico-religious beliefs focus on supernatural forces or divine intervention.
Question 9
A nurse is using the SBAR tool to notify a provider about a patient’s dropping blood pressure.
Which part of the SBAR involves the nurse stating the patient’s current vital signs and mental
status?
A) Situation
B) Background
C) Assessment
D) Recommendation
, 4
E) Evaluation
Correct Answer: C) Assessment
Rationale: In SBAR, the Assessment phase is where the nurse communicates what they
think the problem is, including clinical data like vital signs and physical findings. The
Situation is why the nurse is calling, the Background is the patient's history, and the
Recommendation is what the nurse wants done.
Question 10
A patient complains of a sharp, localized pain on the surface of the skin after accidentally
touching a hot lightbulb. The nurse would document this as:
A) Visceral pain
B) Deep somatic pain
C) Cutaneous pain
D) Phantom pain
E) Radiating pain
Correct Answer: C) Cutaneous pain
Rationale: Cutaneous pain arises from the skin or subcutaneous tissue (e.g., burns or cuts).
Visceral pain comes from internal organs, and deep somatic pain comes from ligaments,
tendons, or bones.
Question 11
A patient experiencing a myocardial infarction (heart attack) reports feeling intense pressure in
their chest as well as pain shooting down their left arm and into the jaw. The arm and jaw pain
are examples of:
A) Visceral pain
B) Referred pain
C) Cutaneous pain
D) Phantom pain
E) Neuropathic pain
Correct Answer: B) Referred pain
Rationale: Referred pain occurs in an area distant from the site of origin (e.g., jaw pain
during a heart attack). Radiating pain starts at an origin but extends to other locations
(e.g., the chest pain moving to the arm).
Question 12
Which laboratory value is most critical for a nurse to monitor when assessing a patient’s risk for
poor wound healing and pressure injury development?
A) White blood cell count
B) Hemoglobin
C) Serum Albumin and Pre-albumin
D) Blood Glucose
