NC JURISPRUDENCE EXAM QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS (VERIFIED ANSWERS) PLUS RATIONALES
2026 Q&A | LATEST EXAM UPDATE 2026/2027
SECTION ONE: QUESTIONS 1-100
Question 1
A nurse is caring for a client who refuses a prescribed medication. The nurse forcibly administers the
medication. This action is an example of which of the following?
A. Assault
B. Battery
C. Slander
D. Libel
🟢 B. Battery
🔴 RATIONALE: Battery is the intentional and unauthorized touching of another person. By forcibly
administering the medication, the nurse has committed battery. Assault is the threat of harm, while slander and
libel are forms of defamation (spoken and written, respectively).
Question 2
Under the North Carolina Nursing Practice Act, which of the following is the primary responsibility of the North
Carolina Board of Nursing (NCBON)?
A. To represent the interests of nurses in the state legislature.
B. To protect the public's health, safety, and welfare.
C. To negotiate nursing salaries and working conditions.
D. To accredit nursing education programs.
🟢 B. To protect the public's health, safety, and welfare.
🔴 RATIONALE: The primary mandate of the NCBON is to protect the public. While the Board does regulate
,nursing practice and education, its overarching purpose is public protection, not advocacy for the profession
itself.
Question 3
A nurse's license is set to expire on May 31st. The nurse completes the required continuing education and
submits the renewal application and fee on June 2nd. Which of the following is true regarding the nurse's
licensure status?
A. The license is valid and the nurse can continue to practice as the renewal was within the grace period.
B. The license has lapsed, and the nurse must cease practicing until the renewal is processed.
C. The license is valid, but the nurse must pay a late fee.
D. The license is automatically extended for 30 days.
🟢 B. The license has lapsed, and the nurse must cease practicing until the renewal is processed.
🔴 RATIONALE: In North Carolina, there is no grace period for license renewal. If the renewal application and
fee are not received by the Board on or before the expiration date, the license lapses, and the nurse is not
authorized to practice until the license is reinstated.
Question 4
Which of the following actions constitutes unprofessional conduct according to the North Carolina
Administrative Code?
A. Refusing to work an extra shift when requested by the charge nurse.
B. Failing to maintain accurate nursing records.
C. Providing care that deviates from the established plan of care without proper authorization.
D. Both B and C.
🟢 D. Both B and C.
🔴 RATIONALE: Failing to maintain accurate records and providing care that deviates from the plan of care
,without authorization are both violations of the standards of nursing practice and constitute unprofessional
conduct. Refusing an extra shift is not, in itself, unprofessional conduct.
Question 5
A registered nurse (RN) is delegating a task to a certified nursing assistant (CNA). According to the NCBON,
which of the following tasks cannot be delegated to a CNA?
A. Ambulating a stable patient.
B. Taking a patient's vital signs.
C. Administering an oral medication.
D. Assisting a patient with hygiene needs.
🟢 C. Administering an oral medication.
🔴 RATIONALE: The administration of medication, including oral medications, is a nursing act that requires the
clinical judgment and skill of a licensed nurse (RN or LPN) and cannot be delegated to a CNA. The other options
are tasks commonly delegated to CNAs.
Question 6
A nurse is named in a lawsuit for negligence. The plaintiff's attorney alleges the nurse failed to act as a
reasonably prudent nurse would in a similar situation. This legal standard is known as:
A. Res ipsa loquitur.
B. Standard of care.
C. Respondent superior.
D. Assumption of risk.
🟢 B. Standard of care.
🔴 RATIONALE: The "standard of care" is the legal definition of the level of care a reasonably prudent nurse
with similar education and experience would provide in a similar situation. A breach of this standard is a key
element in proving negligence. Res ipsa loquitur means "the thing speaks for itself."
, Question 7
The North Carolina Board of Nursing has the authority to issue a "stay" on a disciplinary action. What does a
"stay" typically mean?
A. The disciplinary action is permanently removed from the nurse's record.
B. The disciplinary action is put on hold, often conditionally, and may be lifted if the nurse complies with certain
requirements.
C. The disciplinary action is immediately enforced.
D. The nurse is required to surrender their license permanently.
🟢 B. The disciplinary action is put on hold, often conditionally, and may be lifted if the nurse complies with
certain requirements.
🔴 RATIONALE: A "stay" is a suspension of the disciplinary action, usually with conditions that the nurse must
meet. If the nurse meets the conditions, the stay may be lifted, and the discipline may be reduced or removed. It
is not a permanent removal or immediate enforcement.
Question 8
A nurse is reviewing the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) model for nursing regulation. This
model is based on which of the following core principles?
A. Federalism and state rights.
B. Protection of the public and assuring safe practice.
C. Economic efficiency and healthcare cost reduction.
D. Promoting the nursing profession and its image.
🟢 B. Protection of the public and assuring safe practice.
🔴 RATIONALE: The NCSBN's model for nursing regulation is fundamentally based on protecting the public by
ensuring that nurses are competent and practice safely. This is the central purpose of nursing regulation in the
U.S.
2026 Q&A | LATEST EXAM UPDATE 2026/2027
SECTION ONE: QUESTIONS 1-100
Question 1
A nurse is caring for a client who refuses a prescribed medication. The nurse forcibly administers the
medication. This action is an example of which of the following?
A. Assault
B. Battery
C. Slander
D. Libel
🟢 B. Battery
🔴 RATIONALE: Battery is the intentional and unauthorized touching of another person. By forcibly
administering the medication, the nurse has committed battery. Assault is the threat of harm, while slander and
libel are forms of defamation (spoken and written, respectively).
Question 2
Under the North Carolina Nursing Practice Act, which of the following is the primary responsibility of the North
Carolina Board of Nursing (NCBON)?
A. To represent the interests of nurses in the state legislature.
B. To protect the public's health, safety, and welfare.
C. To negotiate nursing salaries and working conditions.
D. To accredit nursing education programs.
🟢 B. To protect the public's health, safety, and welfare.
🔴 RATIONALE: The primary mandate of the NCBON is to protect the public. While the Board does regulate
,nursing practice and education, its overarching purpose is public protection, not advocacy for the profession
itself.
Question 3
A nurse's license is set to expire on May 31st. The nurse completes the required continuing education and
submits the renewal application and fee on June 2nd. Which of the following is true regarding the nurse's
licensure status?
A. The license is valid and the nurse can continue to practice as the renewal was within the grace period.
B. The license has lapsed, and the nurse must cease practicing until the renewal is processed.
C. The license is valid, but the nurse must pay a late fee.
D. The license is automatically extended for 30 days.
🟢 B. The license has lapsed, and the nurse must cease practicing until the renewal is processed.
🔴 RATIONALE: In North Carolina, there is no grace period for license renewal. If the renewal application and
fee are not received by the Board on or before the expiration date, the license lapses, and the nurse is not
authorized to practice until the license is reinstated.
Question 4
Which of the following actions constitutes unprofessional conduct according to the North Carolina
Administrative Code?
A. Refusing to work an extra shift when requested by the charge nurse.
B. Failing to maintain accurate nursing records.
C. Providing care that deviates from the established plan of care without proper authorization.
D. Both B and C.
🟢 D. Both B and C.
🔴 RATIONALE: Failing to maintain accurate records and providing care that deviates from the plan of care
,without authorization are both violations of the standards of nursing practice and constitute unprofessional
conduct. Refusing an extra shift is not, in itself, unprofessional conduct.
Question 5
A registered nurse (RN) is delegating a task to a certified nursing assistant (CNA). According to the NCBON,
which of the following tasks cannot be delegated to a CNA?
A. Ambulating a stable patient.
B. Taking a patient's vital signs.
C. Administering an oral medication.
D. Assisting a patient with hygiene needs.
🟢 C. Administering an oral medication.
🔴 RATIONALE: The administration of medication, including oral medications, is a nursing act that requires the
clinical judgment and skill of a licensed nurse (RN or LPN) and cannot be delegated to a CNA. The other options
are tasks commonly delegated to CNAs.
Question 6
A nurse is named in a lawsuit for negligence. The plaintiff's attorney alleges the nurse failed to act as a
reasonably prudent nurse would in a similar situation. This legal standard is known as:
A. Res ipsa loquitur.
B. Standard of care.
C. Respondent superior.
D. Assumption of risk.
🟢 B. Standard of care.
🔴 RATIONALE: The "standard of care" is the legal definition of the level of care a reasonably prudent nurse
with similar education and experience would provide in a similar situation. A breach of this standard is a key
element in proving negligence. Res ipsa loquitur means "the thing speaks for itself."
, Question 7
The North Carolina Board of Nursing has the authority to issue a "stay" on a disciplinary action. What does a
"stay" typically mean?
A. The disciplinary action is permanently removed from the nurse's record.
B. The disciplinary action is put on hold, often conditionally, and may be lifted if the nurse complies with certain
requirements.
C. The disciplinary action is immediately enforced.
D. The nurse is required to surrender their license permanently.
🟢 B. The disciplinary action is put on hold, often conditionally, and may be lifted if the nurse complies with
certain requirements.
🔴 RATIONALE: A "stay" is a suspension of the disciplinary action, usually with conditions that the nurse must
meet. If the nurse meets the conditions, the stay may be lifted, and the discipline may be reduced or removed. It
is not a permanent removal or immediate enforcement.
Question 8
A nurse is reviewing the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) model for nursing regulation. This
model is based on which of the following core principles?
A. Federalism and state rights.
B. Protection of the public and assuring safe practice.
C. Economic efficiency and healthcare cost reduction.
D. Promoting the nursing profession and its image.
🟢 B. Protection of the public and assuring safe practice.
🔴 RATIONALE: The NCSBN's model for nursing regulation is fundamentally based on protecting the public by
ensuring that nurses are competent and practice safely. This is the central purpose of nursing regulation in the
U.S.
