Lancaster's Community Health Nursing Updated 2026 |
190+ Questions and Answers | Community Health
Nursing Comprehensive Study Guide, Practice Exam,
Exam Prep Test Bank, Public Health Nursing Review,
Population Health, Health Promotion, Disease
Prevention, Epidemiology, Community Assessment,
Environmental Health, Vulnerable Populations,
Disaster Preparedness, NCLEX-Style Practice
Questions, Detailed Rationales and Complete Revision
Material
Question 1: A community health nurse is planning a primary prevention
strategy to address cardiovascular disease. Which of the following
interventions best exemplifies this level of prevention?
A. Screening adults for hypertension at a community health fair
B. Providing dietary counseling to a client newly diagnosed with hyperlipidemia
C. Teaching a heart-healthy cooking class to middle-aged adults
D. Leading a cardiac rehabilitation exercise group for post-MI clients
CORRECT ANSWER: C. Teaching a heart-healthy cooking class to middle-aged
adults
Rationale: Primary prevention aims to prevent disease before it occurs by reducing risk
factors. Teaching healthy cooking habits to a general population of middle-aged adults is
a primary prevention strategy. Screening (A) is secondary prevention. Dietary
counseling for a diagnosed condition (B) and cardiac rehabilitation (D) are tertiary
prevention.
Question 2: A nurse is using the epidemiological triangle to investigate an
outbreak of salmonella. Which component would the nurse identify as the
"agent"?
A. The contaminated food handling practices
B. The Salmonella bacterium
C. The restaurant where the food was consumed
D. The immunocompromised status of the patrons
CORRECT ANSWER: B. The Salmonella bacterium
Rationale: The epidemiological triangle consists of agent, host, and environment. The
agent is the causative factor, which in this case is the Salmonella bacterium.
Contaminated practices (A) and the restaurant (C) are environmental factors, while the
immunocompromised status (D) is a host factor.
,Question 3: A community health nurse is evaluating the effectiveness of a
smoking cessation program. Which indicator is the most sensitive measure of
the program's long-term success?
A. The number of participants who attended all sessions
B. The percentage of participants who reported a decrease in cigarette use at the 6-
month follow-up
C. The number of brochures distributed at the initial recruitment event
D. The participants' satisfaction scores on the post-program survey
CORRECT ANSWER: B. The percentage of participants who reported a
decrease in cigarette use at the 6-month follow-up
Rationale: Outcome evaluation measures the ultimate impact of the program on health
status or behavior. A sustained decrease in cigarette use at 6 months is a direct measure
of behavioral change and long-term success. Attendance (A) and satisfaction (D) are
process measures, and brochures distributed (C) is an input measure.
Question 4: According to the principles of epidemiology, which of the following
best defines "incidence rate"?
A. The total number of existing cases of a disease in a population at a given time
B. The number of new cases of a disease occurring in a population during a specified
period
C. The number of deaths from a disease in a population during a specified period
D. The proportion of people with a positive test who actually have the disease
CORRECT ANSWER: B. The number of new cases of a disease occurring in a
population during a specified period
Rationale: Incidence rate specifically measures new cases that develop in a population
at risk during a defined time period. Prevalence (A) measures existing cases. Mortality
(C) measures deaths. Positive predictive value (D) is a measure of test validity.
Question 5: A nurse is conducting a community assessment using the
"Community-as-Partner" model. Which component of the model focuses on
the community's ability to solve its own problems?
A. Core (people)
B. Subsystems (e.g., housing, education)
C. Perceptions
D. Coping and adaptation
CORRECT ANSWER: D. Coping and adaptation
,Rationale: In the Community-as-Partner model, the "coping" component refers to the
community's ability to solve problems and adapt to change. The core (A) is the people,
subsystems (B) are the community structures, and perceptions (C) are the community's
views and beliefs.
Question 6: A community health nurse is planning a program for migrant
farmworkers. Which of the following considerations is most critical for
ensuring the program's cultural competence?
A. Providing all educational materials in English only to promote assimilation
B. Scheduling activities during the harvest season when the workers are available
C. Collaborating with community leaders and using bilingual, culturally tailored
materials
D. Focusing solely on acute care needs rather than health promotion
CORRECT ANSWER: C. Collaborating with community leaders and using
bilingual, culturally tailored materials
Rationale: Cultural competence involves adapting services to the cultural context of the
population, which includes language, beliefs, and values. Collaborating with leaders and
using tailored materials (C) is essential. Providing materials in English only (A) is
ethnocentric. Scheduling (B) is logistical, not cultural. Focusing only on acute care (D)
ignores the full scope of community health nursing.
Question 7: A nurse is investigating a cluster of gastrointestinal illness in a
daycare center. Which type of study design would be most appropriate to
conduct first to identify the source of the outbreak?
A. A randomized controlled trial
B. A cohort study
C. A case-control study
D. A descriptive epidemiological study
CORRECT ANSWER: D. A descriptive epidemiological study
Rationale: In an outbreak investigation, the first step is to conduct a descriptive study to
characterize the outbreak by time, place, and person. This helps generate hypotheses
about the source. Case-control (C) and cohort (B) studies are analytic and used later to
test hypotheses. Randomized trials (A) are not used in outbreak investigations.
Question 8: A nurse is using the PRECEDE-PROCEED model for program
planning. During which phase does the nurse assess the quality of life and
health status of the community?
, A. Phase 1: Social Assessment
B. Phase 2: Epidemiological Assessment
C. Phase 3: Behavioral and Environmental Assessment
D. Phase 4: Educational and Ecological Assessment
CORRECT ANSWER: A. Phase 1: Social Assessment
Rationale: In the PRECEDE-PROCEED model, Phase 1 is the social assessment, which
focuses on identifying the community's quality of life, social problems, and health status.
Phase 2 (B) assesses specific health problems, Phase 3 (C) assesses behaviors and
environment, and Phase 4 (D) assesses predisposing, reinforcing, and enabling factors.
Question 9: A community health nurse is advocating for a policy to ban
smoking in public parks. This action is an example of which level of
prevention?
A. Primary prevention
B. Secondary prevention
C. Tertiary prevention
D. Primordial prevention
CORRECT ANSWER: D. Primordial prevention
Rationale: Primordial prevention aims to prevent the development of risk factors
themselves by changing social and environmental conditions. Banning smoking in public
parks prevents the initiation of smoking behavior and exposure to secondhand smoke,
targeting the root societal causes. Primary prevention (A) targets individuals at risk,
while secondary (B) and tertiary (C) focus on early detection and management.
Question 10: A nurse is preparing to administer a tuberculin skin test (TST) to
a client. The nurse should interpret the test as positive if the induration
measures how many millimeters in diameter for a client with no known risk
factors?
A. 5 mm or greater
B. 10 mm or greater
C. 15 mm or greater
D. 20 mm or greater
CORRECT ANSWER: C. 15 mm or greater
Rationale: For individuals with no known risk factors for tuberculosis, a TST induration
of 15 mm or greater is considered positive. For high-risk groups (e.g., HIV-positive,
recent contacts), a 5 mm induration (A) is positive. For other risk groups (e.g.,
immigrants, healthcare workers), 10 mm (B) is positive.