NURS 110 Professional Nursing Comprehensive Exam (Week 11) 2026
|WCU
1. A nurse is faced with a situation where a patient refuses a life-saving blood
transfusion due to religious beliefs. Which ethical principle is the nurse
upholding by respecting the patient’s decision?
A. Beneficence
B. Nonmaleficence
C. Autonomy
D. Justice
Answer: C
Rationale: Autonomy refers to the right of patients to make their own decisions about
their medical care without their healthcare provider trying to influence the decision.
2. Which of the following elements is NOT required to prove nursing malpractice
in a court of law?
A. Duty to the patient
B. Intentional harm
C. Breach of duty
D. Damages or injury
Answer: B
Rationale: Malpractice is professional negligence, which does not require intent to harm; it
only requires that a breach of duty caused injury.
,3. A nurse is delegating tasks to an Unlicensed Assistive Personnel (UAP). Which
task is appropriate for the nurse to delegate?
A. Assessing a patient’s pain level
B. Educating a patient on insulin administration
C. Evaluating the effectiveness of an antiemetic
D. Assisting a stable patient with ambulation
Answer: D
Rationale: UAPs can perform routine tasks such as ADLs and ambulation for stable
patients, but cannot perform assessment, teaching, or evaluation.
4. In Benner’s ‘Novice to Expert’ model, at which stage does the nurse begin to
see actions in terms of long-range goals and plan according to conscious,
abstract, and analytical thinking?
A. Advanced Beginner
B. Expert
C. Proficient
D. Competent
Answer: D
Rationale: The Competent nurse (typically 2-3 years experience) is characterized by a
sense of mastery and the ability to rely on long-range planning.
5. Which component of a PICO question refers to the ‘I’ in the mnemonic?
A. Intervention
B. Inquiry
C. Implementation
D. Incident
Answer: A
Rationale: In Evidence-Based Practice, PICO stands for Patient/Population, Intervention,
Comparison, and Outcome.
, 6. According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, which patient should the nurse
assess first?
A. A patient needing emotional support after a diagnosis
B. A patient requesting information about their discharge medications
C. A patient who feels unsafe in their home environment
D. A patient complaining of difficulty breathing
Answer: D
Rationale: Physiological needs, specifically airway and breathing, take priority over safety,
love/belonging, and self-actualization.
7. The nurse is practicing ‘Just Culture.’ What is the primary focus when a
medication error occurs?
A. Assigning blame to the individual nurse
B. Reporting the nurse to the State Board of Nursing immediately
C. Analyzing system failures that contributed to the error
D. Hiding the error from the patient to maintain trust
Answer: C
Rationale: Just Culture focuses on identifying system issues and human factors rather than
purely punitive action for human error.
8. Which nursing theorist developed the ‘Theory of Human Caring,’ emphasizing
the transpersonal relationship between the nurse and patient?
A. Virginia Henderson
B. Jean Watson
C. Dorothea Orem
D. Imogene King
Answer: B
Rationale: Jean Watson’s theory focuses on the carative factors and the holistic, spiritual
connection in nursing care.
|WCU
1. A nurse is faced with a situation where a patient refuses a life-saving blood
transfusion due to religious beliefs. Which ethical principle is the nurse
upholding by respecting the patient’s decision?
A. Beneficence
B. Nonmaleficence
C. Autonomy
D. Justice
Answer: C
Rationale: Autonomy refers to the right of patients to make their own decisions about
their medical care without their healthcare provider trying to influence the decision.
2. Which of the following elements is NOT required to prove nursing malpractice
in a court of law?
A. Duty to the patient
B. Intentional harm
C. Breach of duty
D. Damages or injury
Answer: B
Rationale: Malpractice is professional negligence, which does not require intent to harm; it
only requires that a breach of duty caused injury.
,3. A nurse is delegating tasks to an Unlicensed Assistive Personnel (UAP). Which
task is appropriate for the nurse to delegate?
A. Assessing a patient’s pain level
B. Educating a patient on insulin administration
C. Evaluating the effectiveness of an antiemetic
D. Assisting a stable patient with ambulation
Answer: D
Rationale: UAPs can perform routine tasks such as ADLs and ambulation for stable
patients, but cannot perform assessment, teaching, or evaluation.
4. In Benner’s ‘Novice to Expert’ model, at which stage does the nurse begin to
see actions in terms of long-range goals and plan according to conscious,
abstract, and analytical thinking?
A. Advanced Beginner
B. Expert
C. Proficient
D. Competent
Answer: D
Rationale: The Competent nurse (typically 2-3 years experience) is characterized by a
sense of mastery and the ability to rely on long-range planning.
5. Which component of a PICO question refers to the ‘I’ in the mnemonic?
A. Intervention
B. Inquiry
C. Implementation
D. Incident
Answer: A
Rationale: In Evidence-Based Practice, PICO stands for Patient/Population, Intervention,
Comparison, and Outcome.
, 6. According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, which patient should the nurse
assess first?
A. A patient needing emotional support after a diagnosis
B. A patient requesting information about their discharge medications
C. A patient who feels unsafe in their home environment
D. A patient complaining of difficulty breathing
Answer: D
Rationale: Physiological needs, specifically airway and breathing, take priority over safety,
love/belonging, and self-actualization.
7. The nurse is practicing ‘Just Culture.’ What is the primary focus when a
medication error occurs?
A. Assigning blame to the individual nurse
B. Reporting the nurse to the State Board of Nursing immediately
C. Analyzing system failures that contributed to the error
D. Hiding the error from the patient to maintain trust
Answer: C
Rationale: Just Culture focuses on identifying system issues and human factors rather than
purely punitive action for human error.
8. Which nursing theorist developed the ‘Theory of Human Caring,’ emphasizing
the transpersonal relationship between the nurse and patient?
A. Virginia Henderson
B. Jean Watson
C. Dorothea Orem
D. Imogene King
Answer: B
Rationale: Jean Watson’s theory focuses on the carative factors and the holistic, spiritual
connection in nursing care.
