[NURS 323 HESI COMMUNITY HEALTH PUBLIC HEALTH] QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
ANSWERS (VERIFIED ANSWERS) PLUS RATIONALES 2026 Q&A |LATEST EXAM UPDATE
2026/2027
SECTION ONE: QUESTIONS 1-100
1. A public health nurse is conducting a community assessment. Which of the
following data sources would provide the most comprehensive information about the
leading causes of morbidity in the community?
A. Hospital discharge records
B. State vital statistics reports
C. Local police reports
D. A community health survey
🟢 B. State vital statistics reports
🔴 RATIONALE: State vital statistics reports compile data on births, deaths, and often
include morbidity data from reportable diseases and hospitalizations, providing a broad
and standardized overview of community health problems. Hospital records only
capture treated cases, surveys are subjective, and police reports are not health-specific.
,2. A nurse is implementing a tertiary prevention strategy for a community with a high
incidence of diabetes. Which intervention best exemplifies this level of prevention?
A. Screening at-risk populations for elevated blood glucose levels
B. Providing nutrition education to the general public
C. Establishing a support group for clients with diabetic retinopathy
D. Administering influenza vaccines at a community clinic
🟢 C. Establishing a support group for clients with diabetic retinopathy
🔴 RATIONALE: Tertiary prevention focuses on reducing disability and complications
from an existing disease. A support group for those with a complication (retinopathy)
aims to improve quality of life and prevent further disability. Screening and
immunizations are primary/secondary prevention; nutrition education for the general
public is primary prevention.
3. A community health nurse is planning a primary prevention program to address
cardiovascular disease. Which of the following actions should be the priority?
A. Organizing a community-wide campaign to promote physical activity and healthy
eating
B. Performing blood pressure and cholesterol screenings at local businesses
,C. Teaching a cardiac rehabilitation class for post-MI patients
D. Conducting a home safety assessment for elderly clients
🟢 A. Organizing a community-wide campaign to promote physical activity and healthy
eating
🔴 RATIONALE: Primary prevention aims to prevent the disease from occurring.
Promoting healthy lifestyles addresses key risk factors for CVD before they develop.
Screenings (B) are secondary prevention, and rehabilitation (C) is tertiary prevention.
Home safety (D) is unrelated to CVD.
4. A public health nurse is working with a migrant farmworker population. Which of
the following is the most significant barrier to healthcare access for this population?
A. Lack of health insurance
B. Mobility and transportation issues
C. Cultural beliefs about illness
D. A high rate of chronic illness
🟢 B. Mobility and transportation issues
🔴 RATIONALE: While all are barriers, mobility and the transient nature of migrant farm
work create a primary, structural barrier to consistent care. Their itinerant lifestyle makes
, it difficult to establish a medical home or follow a treatment plan, more so than the
other listed factors.
5. The nurse is evaluating the effectiveness of a community-based smoking cessation
program. Which outcome indicator is the most direct measure of success?
A. Increased participant knowledge of the risks of smoking
B. A decrease in self-reported smoking rates in the community
C. Increased participant satisfaction with the program
D. A decrease in the number of local stores selling cigarettes
🟢 B. A decrease in self-reported smoking rates in the community
🔴 RATIONALE: The ultimate goal of a smoking cessation program is to reduce smoking
behavior. A decrease in self-reported rates is a direct measure of that behavioral
outcome. Knowledge (A) and satisfaction (C) are process measures, not outcome
measures. Store availability (D) is a policy-level change.
6. According to the Health Belief Model, which of the following factors is most critical
for an individual to take a recommended health action?
A. A belief that the disease is severe
B. A belief that they are susceptible to the disease
ANSWERS (VERIFIED ANSWERS) PLUS RATIONALES 2026 Q&A |LATEST EXAM UPDATE
2026/2027
SECTION ONE: QUESTIONS 1-100
1. A public health nurse is conducting a community assessment. Which of the
following data sources would provide the most comprehensive information about the
leading causes of morbidity in the community?
A. Hospital discharge records
B. State vital statistics reports
C. Local police reports
D. A community health survey
🟢 B. State vital statistics reports
🔴 RATIONALE: State vital statistics reports compile data on births, deaths, and often
include morbidity data from reportable diseases and hospitalizations, providing a broad
and standardized overview of community health problems. Hospital records only
capture treated cases, surveys are subjective, and police reports are not health-specific.
,2. A nurse is implementing a tertiary prevention strategy for a community with a high
incidence of diabetes. Which intervention best exemplifies this level of prevention?
A. Screening at-risk populations for elevated blood glucose levels
B. Providing nutrition education to the general public
C. Establishing a support group for clients with diabetic retinopathy
D. Administering influenza vaccines at a community clinic
🟢 C. Establishing a support group for clients with diabetic retinopathy
🔴 RATIONALE: Tertiary prevention focuses on reducing disability and complications
from an existing disease. A support group for those with a complication (retinopathy)
aims to improve quality of life and prevent further disability. Screening and
immunizations are primary/secondary prevention; nutrition education for the general
public is primary prevention.
3. A community health nurse is planning a primary prevention program to address
cardiovascular disease. Which of the following actions should be the priority?
A. Organizing a community-wide campaign to promote physical activity and healthy
eating
B. Performing blood pressure and cholesterol screenings at local businesses
,C. Teaching a cardiac rehabilitation class for post-MI patients
D. Conducting a home safety assessment for elderly clients
🟢 A. Organizing a community-wide campaign to promote physical activity and healthy
eating
🔴 RATIONALE: Primary prevention aims to prevent the disease from occurring.
Promoting healthy lifestyles addresses key risk factors for CVD before they develop.
Screenings (B) are secondary prevention, and rehabilitation (C) is tertiary prevention.
Home safety (D) is unrelated to CVD.
4. A public health nurse is working with a migrant farmworker population. Which of
the following is the most significant barrier to healthcare access for this population?
A. Lack of health insurance
B. Mobility and transportation issues
C. Cultural beliefs about illness
D. A high rate of chronic illness
🟢 B. Mobility and transportation issues
🔴 RATIONALE: While all are barriers, mobility and the transient nature of migrant farm
work create a primary, structural barrier to consistent care. Their itinerant lifestyle makes
, it difficult to establish a medical home or follow a treatment plan, more so than the
other listed factors.
5. The nurse is evaluating the effectiveness of a community-based smoking cessation
program. Which outcome indicator is the most direct measure of success?
A. Increased participant knowledge of the risks of smoking
B. A decrease in self-reported smoking rates in the community
C. Increased participant satisfaction with the program
D. A decrease in the number of local stores selling cigarettes
🟢 B. A decrease in self-reported smoking rates in the community
🔴 RATIONALE: The ultimate goal of a smoking cessation program is to reduce smoking
behavior. A decrease in self-reported rates is a direct measure of that behavioral
outcome. Knowledge (A) and satisfaction (C) are process measures, not outcome
measures. Store availability (D) is a policy-level change.
6. According to the Health Belief Model, which of the following factors is most critical
for an individual to take a recommended health action?
A. A belief that the disease is severe
B. A belief that they are susceptible to the disease
