CNL EXAM PRACTICE QUESTIONS | COMPLETE CLINICAL NURSE LEADER (CNL) STUDY GUIDE,
PRACTICE TEST & EXAM PREP 2026/2027
The Clinical Nurse Leader role is best described as:
A. An advanced practice role
B. A role with a focus on specialty nursing care
C. A case manager
D. A generalist clinician with education at the master's degree level - correct answer ✔✔D. A
generalist clinician with education at the master's degree level
The Clinical Nurse Leader Project Team are evaluating the role on a national basis on all the
following patient outcomes EXCEPT:
A. Inpatient Readmission
B. Cost of care
C. Patient falls
D. Surgical infection rate - correct answer ✔✔B. Cost of care
Which of the following best describes metabolic syndrome:
A. An advanced disturbance of fluid and electrolytes in diabetics
B. The constellation of lipid and non-lipid risk factors linked to insulin resistance
C. Evidence of impaired renal function in patients with hypertension
D. The occurrence of dyslipidemia in patients with obesity - correct answer ✔✔B. The
constellation of lipid and non-lipid risk factors linked to insulin resistance
In preparing an educational program for your staff about delegation to LPN Team Members, you
stress that the which of the following tasks cannot be delegated according to the Nurse Practice
Act:
A. Recording of Vital Signs
,B. IV insertion
C. Patient Reassessment
D. Health and Wellness Promotion - correct answer ✔✔C. Patient Reassessment
As a CNL, you meet with staff after a sentinel event in your work area and are asked about the
cause. No conclusive findings have been reached but your are aware from your reading that the
most frequent cause of sentinel events is which one of the following:
A. Procedural Complications
B. Staffing
C. Competency Issues
D. Communication Issues - correct answer ✔✔D. Communication Issues
Ototoxic drugs are a potential cause of sensorineural hearing loss. Which of the following drugs
may cause hearing loss?
A. Penicillin
B. Minocycline
C. Cephalexin
D. Gentamicin - correct answer ✔✔D. Gentamicin
Complexity theory has developed from the field of:
A. Nursing
B. Business
C. Industry
D. Quantum Physics - correct answer ✔✔D. Quantum Physics
Research by Aiken et al. on magnet hospitals shows:
A. No relationship between job satisfaction and patient outcomes.
,B. Magnet hospitals have higher rates of nursing turnover.
C. No relationship between nursing satisfaction and turnover.
D. Job satisfaction is positively related to patient outcomes. - correct answer ✔✔D. Job
satisfaction is positively related to patient outcomes.
The CNL recognizes that gaining trust is a fundamental element in planned change. Which
behavior or process would hinder the development of trust?
A. Providing all necessary information
B. Providing only information deemed necessary by formal leaders
C. Achieving buy-in from formal and informal leaders
D. Including all interested parties in the planning of change - correct answer ✔✔B. Providing
only information deemed necessary by formal leaders
Adequate sample size for as study is defined by:
A. A minimum of ten subjects per variable
B. A minimum of thirty subjects for a descriptive study
C. Anticipated effect size, power of the statistical tests, and significance level
D. Maturity of the concepts being studied - correct answer ✔✔C. Anticipated effect size, power
of the statistical tests, and significance level
The staff on your unit complain about the inability of their new graduates to provide a
comprehensive end of shift report. As CNL, you know from reading Benner's work that new
graduates are usually in what stage of development:
A. Expert
B. Competent
C. Proficient
D. Advanced Beginner or Novice - correct answer ✔✔D. Advanced Beginner or Novice
, In evaluating a data set of recently admitted patients to her unit, the CNL notes that 40% of the
patients have either Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. This would be an example of the CNL as:
A. Team Manager
B. Advocate
C. Risk Anticipator
D. Educator - correct answer ✔✔C. Risk Anticipator
The hemoglobin A1C gives you an indication of your patient's glucose control over:
A. Month
B. 4-6 Weeks
C. 60-90 Days
D. Year - correct answer ✔✔C. 60-90 Days
You begin to mediate a conflict with two of your team members and recognize that the first step
in the mediation process is to:
A. Listen to both sides
B. Establish the ground rules
C. Focus on the facts not the people
D. Don't judge - correct answer ✔✔B. Establish the ground rules
Which of the following would not be included in a cultural assessment of patients:
A. Patient identification of their cultural/ethnic group
B. Food preferences and taboos
C. Communication/Language
D. Political views - correct answer ✔✔D. Political views
PRACTICE TEST & EXAM PREP 2026/2027
The Clinical Nurse Leader role is best described as:
A. An advanced practice role
B. A role with a focus on specialty nursing care
C. A case manager
D. A generalist clinician with education at the master's degree level - correct answer ✔✔D. A
generalist clinician with education at the master's degree level
The Clinical Nurse Leader Project Team are evaluating the role on a national basis on all the
following patient outcomes EXCEPT:
A. Inpatient Readmission
B. Cost of care
C. Patient falls
D. Surgical infection rate - correct answer ✔✔B. Cost of care
Which of the following best describes metabolic syndrome:
A. An advanced disturbance of fluid and electrolytes in diabetics
B. The constellation of lipid and non-lipid risk factors linked to insulin resistance
C. Evidence of impaired renal function in patients with hypertension
D. The occurrence of dyslipidemia in patients with obesity - correct answer ✔✔B. The
constellation of lipid and non-lipid risk factors linked to insulin resistance
In preparing an educational program for your staff about delegation to LPN Team Members, you
stress that the which of the following tasks cannot be delegated according to the Nurse Practice
Act:
A. Recording of Vital Signs
,B. IV insertion
C. Patient Reassessment
D. Health and Wellness Promotion - correct answer ✔✔C. Patient Reassessment
As a CNL, you meet with staff after a sentinel event in your work area and are asked about the
cause. No conclusive findings have been reached but your are aware from your reading that the
most frequent cause of sentinel events is which one of the following:
A. Procedural Complications
B. Staffing
C. Competency Issues
D. Communication Issues - correct answer ✔✔D. Communication Issues
Ototoxic drugs are a potential cause of sensorineural hearing loss. Which of the following drugs
may cause hearing loss?
A. Penicillin
B. Minocycline
C. Cephalexin
D. Gentamicin - correct answer ✔✔D. Gentamicin
Complexity theory has developed from the field of:
A. Nursing
B. Business
C. Industry
D. Quantum Physics - correct answer ✔✔D. Quantum Physics
Research by Aiken et al. on magnet hospitals shows:
A. No relationship between job satisfaction and patient outcomes.
,B. Magnet hospitals have higher rates of nursing turnover.
C. No relationship between nursing satisfaction and turnover.
D. Job satisfaction is positively related to patient outcomes. - correct answer ✔✔D. Job
satisfaction is positively related to patient outcomes.
The CNL recognizes that gaining trust is a fundamental element in planned change. Which
behavior or process would hinder the development of trust?
A. Providing all necessary information
B. Providing only information deemed necessary by formal leaders
C. Achieving buy-in from formal and informal leaders
D. Including all interested parties in the planning of change - correct answer ✔✔B. Providing
only information deemed necessary by formal leaders
Adequate sample size for as study is defined by:
A. A minimum of ten subjects per variable
B. A minimum of thirty subjects for a descriptive study
C. Anticipated effect size, power of the statistical tests, and significance level
D. Maturity of the concepts being studied - correct answer ✔✔C. Anticipated effect size, power
of the statistical tests, and significance level
The staff on your unit complain about the inability of their new graduates to provide a
comprehensive end of shift report. As CNL, you know from reading Benner's work that new
graduates are usually in what stage of development:
A. Expert
B. Competent
C. Proficient
D. Advanced Beginner or Novice - correct answer ✔✔D. Advanced Beginner or Novice
, In evaluating a data set of recently admitted patients to her unit, the CNL notes that 40% of the
patients have either Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. This would be an example of the CNL as:
A. Team Manager
B. Advocate
C. Risk Anticipator
D. Educator - correct answer ✔✔C. Risk Anticipator
The hemoglobin A1C gives you an indication of your patient's glucose control over:
A. Month
B. 4-6 Weeks
C. 60-90 Days
D. Year - correct answer ✔✔C. 60-90 Days
You begin to mediate a conflict with two of your team members and recognize that the first step
in the mediation process is to:
A. Listen to both sides
B. Establish the ground rules
C. Focus on the facts not the people
D. Don't judge - correct answer ✔✔B. Establish the ground rules
Which of the following would not be included in a cultural assessment of patients:
A. Patient identification of their cultural/ethnic group
B. Food preferences and taboos
C. Communication/Language
D. Political views - correct answer ✔✔D. Political views
