NSG 501 EXAM 1 STUDY GUIDE 2026/2027 | PRACTICE QUESTIONS, VERIFIED
ANSWERS & RATIONALES
Critical thinking is - correct answer ✔✔The ability to think in a systematic and logical manner
with openness to question and reflect on the reasoning process
Clinical reasoning - correct answer ✔✔a way of thinking about patient care issues (determining,
preventing, managing patient problems
Clinical judgment - correct answer ✔✔result of clinical reasoning and/or critical thinking
Tanners model of critical thinking and its relation to the nursing process - correct answer
✔✔Notice- assessment
Interpret- diagnosis
Respond- plan/implement
Reflect- evaluation
A basic critical thinker - correct answer ✔✔learns to accept the diverse opinions and values of
experts (e.g., instructors and staff nurse preceptors).
Complex critical thinkers - correct answer ✔✔begin to separate themselves from experts and
analyze the clinical situation and examine choices more independently
commitment level - correct answer ✔✔nurses anticipate when to make choices without
assistance from others and accept accountability for decisions made
The purpose of the nursing process is to - correct answer ✔✔Identify, diagnose, and treat
human responses to health and illness
,Risk for Aspiration - correct answer ✔✔"Aspiration is the entry of secretions or materials such
as foods or liquids into the trachea and lungs and occurs when protective reflexes are decreased
or compromised"
Decreased Cardiac Output: - correct answer ✔✔Inadequate blood pumped by the heart to
meet the metabolic demands of the body.
RT - correct answer ✔✔Alteration in heart rate, rhythm, and conduction
Cardiac muscle disease
Decreased oxygenation
Deficient Knowledge: - correct answer ✔✔Absence or deficiency of cognitive information
related to specific topic.
RT - correct answer ✔✔New condition, procedure, treatment
Complexity of treatment
Lack of exposure
EV - correct answer ✔✔Questioning members of health care team
Incorrect task performance
Imbalanced Nutrition: Less Than Body Requirements: Intake of nutrients insufficient to meet
metabolic needs - correct answer ✔✔Intake of nutrients insufficient to meet metabolic needs
RT - correct answer ✔✔Increased metabolic needs caused by disease process or therapy
Knowledge deficit
Unwillingness to eat
, Ineffective Airway Clearance: - correct answer ✔✔Inability to clear secretions or obstructions
from the respiratory tract to maintain a clear airway
Goal - correct answer ✔✔coughing clears airway
Ineffective Breathing Pattern: - correct answer ✔✔Inspiration and/or expiration that does not
provide adequate ventilation
Ineffective Coping: - correct answer ✔✔Inability to form a valid appraisal of the stressors,
inadequate choices of practiced responses, and/or inability to use available resources.
Ineffective Tissue Perfusion: - correct answer ✔✔Decrease in oxygen, resulting in failure to
nourish tissues at capillary level
Impaired physical mobility - correct answer ✔✔Limitation in independent, purposeful physical
movement of the body or of one or more extremities.
Impaired sensory perception - correct answer ✔✔
Impaired Tissue Integrity: - correct answer ✔✔Damage to mucous membrane, corneal,
integumentary, or subcutaneous tissues
Impaired verbal communication - correct answer ✔✔Decreased, reduced, delayed, or absent
ability to receive, process, transmit, and use a system of symbols.
Acute Pain: - correct answer ✔✔Unpleasant sensory and emotional experience arising from
actual or potential tissue damage or described in terms of such damage (International
ANSWERS & RATIONALES
Critical thinking is - correct answer ✔✔The ability to think in a systematic and logical manner
with openness to question and reflect on the reasoning process
Clinical reasoning - correct answer ✔✔a way of thinking about patient care issues (determining,
preventing, managing patient problems
Clinical judgment - correct answer ✔✔result of clinical reasoning and/or critical thinking
Tanners model of critical thinking and its relation to the nursing process - correct answer
✔✔Notice- assessment
Interpret- diagnosis
Respond- plan/implement
Reflect- evaluation
A basic critical thinker - correct answer ✔✔learns to accept the diverse opinions and values of
experts (e.g., instructors and staff nurse preceptors).
Complex critical thinkers - correct answer ✔✔begin to separate themselves from experts and
analyze the clinical situation and examine choices more independently
commitment level - correct answer ✔✔nurses anticipate when to make choices without
assistance from others and accept accountability for decisions made
The purpose of the nursing process is to - correct answer ✔✔Identify, diagnose, and treat
human responses to health and illness
,Risk for Aspiration - correct answer ✔✔"Aspiration is the entry of secretions or materials such
as foods or liquids into the trachea and lungs and occurs when protective reflexes are decreased
or compromised"
Decreased Cardiac Output: - correct answer ✔✔Inadequate blood pumped by the heart to
meet the metabolic demands of the body.
RT - correct answer ✔✔Alteration in heart rate, rhythm, and conduction
Cardiac muscle disease
Decreased oxygenation
Deficient Knowledge: - correct answer ✔✔Absence or deficiency of cognitive information
related to specific topic.
RT - correct answer ✔✔New condition, procedure, treatment
Complexity of treatment
Lack of exposure
EV - correct answer ✔✔Questioning members of health care team
Incorrect task performance
Imbalanced Nutrition: Less Than Body Requirements: Intake of nutrients insufficient to meet
metabolic needs - correct answer ✔✔Intake of nutrients insufficient to meet metabolic needs
RT - correct answer ✔✔Increased metabolic needs caused by disease process or therapy
Knowledge deficit
Unwillingness to eat
, Ineffective Airway Clearance: - correct answer ✔✔Inability to clear secretions or obstructions
from the respiratory tract to maintain a clear airway
Goal - correct answer ✔✔coughing clears airway
Ineffective Breathing Pattern: - correct answer ✔✔Inspiration and/or expiration that does not
provide adequate ventilation
Ineffective Coping: - correct answer ✔✔Inability to form a valid appraisal of the stressors,
inadequate choices of practiced responses, and/or inability to use available resources.
Ineffective Tissue Perfusion: - correct answer ✔✔Decrease in oxygen, resulting in failure to
nourish tissues at capillary level
Impaired physical mobility - correct answer ✔✔Limitation in independent, purposeful physical
movement of the body or of one or more extremities.
Impaired sensory perception - correct answer ✔✔
Impaired Tissue Integrity: - correct answer ✔✔Damage to mucous membrane, corneal,
integumentary, or subcutaneous tissues
Impaired verbal communication - correct answer ✔✔Decreased, reduced, delayed, or absent
ability to receive, process, transmit, and use a system of symbols.
Acute Pain: - correct answer ✔✔Unpleasant sensory and emotional experience arising from
actual or potential tissue damage or described in terms of such damage (International
