NU 136 Exam 1 Fundamentals of Nursing
2026 | Latest Practice Questions & Verified
Answers with Rationales | Galen College
Study Guide
NU 136 EXAM 1: FUNDAMENTALS OF NURSING 2026
Latest Practice Questions & Verified Answers with Rationales | Galen College
Study Guide
OVERVIEW
• This comprehensive question study guide provides practice questions covering
core fundamentals of nursing concepts and clinical applications to reinforce
knowledge and prepare for Exam 1.
• Study effectively by reviewing each question carefully, attempting to answer
before checking the correct answer, and thoroughly reading the rationale to
understand the reasoning behind each correct response.
1. Which of the following best defines nursing?
A) A profession focused solely on administering medications to patients
B) The science and art of caring for individuals to promote, maintain, and restore
health
C) A task-oriented job that follows physician orders exclusively
D) A technical profession requiring only clinical skills and procedures
E) An occupation limited to hospital settings and acute care environments
CORRECT ANSWER: B) The science and art of caring for individuals to promote,
maintain, and restore health
RATIONALE: Nursing is a holistic profession that encompasses both the science of
healthcare and the art of caring. It focuses on the complete patient experience,
,including health promotion, disease prevention, restoration, and maintenance of
health. While nurses do administer medications and follow physician orders,
nursing involves much more—including independent nursing diagnoses,
therapeutic communication, patient advocacy, and care across all settings. The
American Nurses Association defines nursing as a caring profession involving the
protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities.
2. A nurse is explaining Florence Nightingale's contributions to modern
nursing. Which statement accurately reflects her legacy?
A) She established the first nursing school and emphasized infection control and
sanitation
B) She discovered antibiotics that revolutionized patient care
C) She was the first nurse to prescribe medications independently
D) She created the first electronic health record system
E) She established nursing unions and collective bargaining practices
CORRECT ANSWER: A) She established the first nursing school and emphasized
infection control and sanitation
RATIONALE: Florence Nightingale is recognized as the founder of modern nursing.
She established the Nightingale Training School at St. Thomas Hospital in London in
1860—the first formal nursing education program. Her significant contributions
included emphasizing the critical importance of sanitation, hygiene, and infection
control in patient care. During the Crimean War, she demonstrated that improving
environmental conditions and sanitation dramatically reduced mortality rates.
While she did not discover antibiotics or prescribe medications independently (as
modern nurse practitioner roles did not exist), her legacy fundamentally changed
healthcare through evidence-based practice and environmental modifications.
3. Which of the following is an example of primary prevention in nursing?
A) Teaching a patient with diabetes how to perform foot care
,B) Providing physical therapy to a stroke patient to regain mobility
C) Administering vaccinations to prevent infectious diseases
D) Screening for early signs of cancer through mammography
E) Assisting a patient with chronic heart disease in cardiac rehabilitation
CORRECT ANSWER: C) Administering vaccinations to prevent infectious
diseases
RATIONALE: Primary prevention focuses on preventing disease from occurring in
the first place by promoting health and protecting people from disease risks.
Vaccinations are a classic example of primary prevention because they prevent
individuals from contracting specific diseases before exposure. Teaching foot care
to a diabetic (A) is secondary prevention (preventing complications of existing
disease). Physical therapy (B) and cardiac rehabilitation (E) are tertiary prevention
(managing established disease to prevent further deterioration). Mammography
screening (D) is secondary prevention (early detection of existing disease).
4. A nursing student is learning about the nursing process. Which of the
following best describes the correct sequence of steps?
A) Planning, Assessment, Diagnosis, Implementation, Evaluation
B) Assessment, Diagnosis, Planning, Implementation, Evaluation
C) Diagnosis, Assessment, Planning, Evaluation, Implementation
D) Implementation, Assessment, Diagnosis, Planning, Evaluation
E) Evaluation, Planning, Assessment, Diagnosis, Implementation
CORRECT ANSWER: B) Assessment, Diagnosis, Planning, Implementation,
Evaluation
RATIONALE: The nursing process follows a systematic five-step sequence: (1)
Assessment—gathering patient data; (2) Diagnosis—identifying patient problems
based on assessment data; (3) Planning—establishing goals and interventions; (4)
Implementation—carrying out the planned interventions; (5) Evaluation—assessing
, whether goals were met. This orderly sequence ensures comprehensive, organized
patient care. The nursing process is cyclic, meaning evaluation leads back to
reassessment as patient conditions change. Any other sequence would
compromise the logical progression needed for effective nursing care.
5. Which of the following statements accurately reflects the difference
between a nursing diagnosis and a medical diagnosis?
A) Nursing diagnoses are determined by physicians, while medical diagnoses are
determined by nurses
B) Nursing diagnoses describe patient responses to health conditions; medical
diagnoses identify disease processes
C) Nursing diagnoses are less important than medical diagnoses in patient care
D) Nursing diagnoses focus only on physical problems; medical diagnoses are
psychosocial
E) There is no functional difference between nursing and medical diagnoses
CORRECT ANSWER: B) Nursing diagnoses describe patient responses to health
conditions; medical diagnoses identify disease processes
RATIONALE: Medical diagnoses identify specific disease or pathological conditions
(e.g., diabetes mellitus, pneumonia), determined by physicians and based on
causative factors. Nursing diagnoses, developed by nurses using the NANDA
framework, focus on actual or potential human responses to health conditions that
nurses are licensed to treat independently. For example, a patient with pneumonia
(medical diagnosis) may have nursing diagnoses such as "Ineffective airway
clearance" or "Activity intolerance." Both are essential; they provide different but
complementary perspectives on patient care. Nursing diagnoses guide
independent nursing interventions, while medical diagnoses guide medical
treatment.
2026 | Latest Practice Questions & Verified
Answers with Rationales | Galen College
Study Guide
NU 136 EXAM 1: FUNDAMENTALS OF NURSING 2026
Latest Practice Questions & Verified Answers with Rationales | Galen College
Study Guide
OVERVIEW
• This comprehensive question study guide provides practice questions covering
core fundamentals of nursing concepts and clinical applications to reinforce
knowledge and prepare for Exam 1.
• Study effectively by reviewing each question carefully, attempting to answer
before checking the correct answer, and thoroughly reading the rationale to
understand the reasoning behind each correct response.
1. Which of the following best defines nursing?
A) A profession focused solely on administering medications to patients
B) The science and art of caring for individuals to promote, maintain, and restore
health
C) A task-oriented job that follows physician orders exclusively
D) A technical profession requiring only clinical skills and procedures
E) An occupation limited to hospital settings and acute care environments
CORRECT ANSWER: B) The science and art of caring for individuals to promote,
maintain, and restore health
RATIONALE: Nursing is a holistic profession that encompasses both the science of
healthcare and the art of caring. It focuses on the complete patient experience,
,including health promotion, disease prevention, restoration, and maintenance of
health. While nurses do administer medications and follow physician orders,
nursing involves much more—including independent nursing diagnoses,
therapeutic communication, patient advocacy, and care across all settings. The
American Nurses Association defines nursing as a caring profession involving the
protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities.
2. A nurse is explaining Florence Nightingale's contributions to modern
nursing. Which statement accurately reflects her legacy?
A) She established the first nursing school and emphasized infection control and
sanitation
B) She discovered antibiotics that revolutionized patient care
C) She was the first nurse to prescribe medications independently
D) She created the first electronic health record system
E) She established nursing unions and collective bargaining practices
CORRECT ANSWER: A) She established the first nursing school and emphasized
infection control and sanitation
RATIONALE: Florence Nightingale is recognized as the founder of modern nursing.
She established the Nightingale Training School at St. Thomas Hospital in London in
1860—the first formal nursing education program. Her significant contributions
included emphasizing the critical importance of sanitation, hygiene, and infection
control in patient care. During the Crimean War, she demonstrated that improving
environmental conditions and sanitation dramatically reduced mortality rates.
While she did not discover antibiotics or prescribe medications independently (as
modern nurse practitioner roles did not exist), her legacy fundamentally changed
healthcare through evidence-based practice and environmental modifications.
3. Which of the following is an example of primary prevention in nursing?
A) Teaching a patient with diabetes how to perform foot care
,B) Providing physical therapy to a stroke patient to regain mobility
C) Administering vaccinations to prevent infectious diseases
D) Screening for early signs of cancer through mammography
E) Assisting a patient with chronic heart disease in cardiac rehabilitation
CORRECT ANSWER: C) Administering vaccinations to prevent infectious
diseases
RATIONALE: Primary prevention focuses on preventing disease from occurring in
the first place by promoting health and protecting people from disease risks.
Vaccinations are a classic example of primary prevention because they prevent
individuals from contracting specific diseases before exposure. Teaching foot care
to a diabetic (A) is secondary prevention (preventing complications of existing
disease). Physical therapy (B) and cardiac rehabilitation (E) are tertiary prevention
(managing established disease to prevent further deterioration). Mammography
screening (D) is secondary prevention (early detection of existing disease).
4. A nursing student is learning about the nursing process. Which of the
following best describes the correct sequence of steps?
A) Planning, Assessment, Diagnosis, Implementation, Evaluation
B) Assessment, Diagnosis, Planning, Implementation, Evaluation
C) Diagnosis, Assessment, Planning, Evaluation, Implementation
D) Implementation, Assessment, Diagnosis, Planning, Evaluation
E) Evaluation, Planning, Assessment, Diagnosis, Implementation
CORRECT ANSWER: B) Assessment, Diagnosis, Planning, Implementation,
Evaluation
RATIONALE: The nursing process follows a systematic five-step sequence: (1)
Assessment—gathering patient data; (2) Diagnosis—identifying patient problems
based on assessment data; (3) Planning—establishing goals and interventions; (4)
Implementation—carrying out the planned interventions; (5) Evaluation—assessing
, whether goals were met. This orderly sequence ensures comprehensive, organized
patient care. The nursing process is cyclic, meaning evaluation leads back to
reassessment as patient conditions change. Any other sequence would
compromise the logical progression needed for effective nursing care.
5. Which of the following statements accurately reflects the difference
between a nursing diagnosis and a medical diagnosis?
A) Nursing diagnoses are determined by physicians, while medical diagnoses are
determined by nurses
B) Nursing diagnoses describe patient responses to health conditions; medical
diagnoses identify disease processes
C) Nursing diagnoses are less important than medical diagnoses in patient care
D) Nursing diagnoses focus only on physical problems; medical diagnoses are
psychosocial
E) There is no functional difference between nursing and medical diagnoses
CORRECT ANSWER: B) Nursing diagnoses describe patient responses to health
conditions; medical diagnoses identify disease processes
RATIONALE: Medical diagnoses identify specific disease or pathological conditions
(e.g., diabetes mellitus, pneumonia), determined by physicians and based on
causative factors. Nursing diagnoses, developed by nurses using the NANDA
framework, focus on actual or potential human responses to health conditions that
nurses are licensed to treat independently. For example, a patient with pneumonia
(medical diagnosis) may have nursing diagnoses such as "Ineffective airway
clearance" or "Activity intolerance." Both are essential; they provide different but
complementary perspectives on patient care. Nursing diagnoses guide
independent nursing interventions, while medical diagnoses guide medical
treatment.
