2
NCLEX-RN Practice Questions
NCLEX-RN PRACTICE QUESTIONS WITH 100%
CORRECT ANSWERS | LATEST VERSION 2026\27.
A nurse forgets to administer a client's diuretic and the client experiences an
episode of pulmonary edema. The charge nurse would consider the medication error
to constitute negligence because the situation contains which element?
1. Purposeful failure to perform a health care procedure
2. Unintentional failure to perform a health care procedure
3. Act of substituting a different medication for the one ordered
4. Failure to follow a direct order by a physician -CORRECT ANS Answer: 2
Rationale: Negligence is the unintentional failure of an individual to perform or not
perform an act that a reasonable person would or would not do in the same or
similar circumstances. A purposeful failure to perform a procedure would be the
opposite of negligence, which is unintentional. Substituting a different medication
does not fit the description of the situation in the question. Failure to follow a direct
order does not fit the description in the situation in the question.
Cognitive Level: Applying
Client Need: Management of Care
Integrated Process: Nursing Process: Assessment
Content Area: Fundamentals
Strategy: Two options are opposites, which is a clue that one of them may be
correct. Choose unintentional failure to carry out a procedure over purposeful failure
because it matches the definition of negligence.
A client asks why a diagnostic test has been ordered and the nurse replies, "I'm
unsure but will find out for you." When the nurse later returns and provides an
explanation, the nurse is acting under which principle?
1. Nonmaleficence
2. Veracity
3. Beneficence
4. Fidelity -CORRECT ANS Answer: 4
A+ GRADED 1
, 2
NCLEX-RN Practice Questions
Rationale: Fidelity means being faithful to agreements and promises. This nurse is
acting on the client's behalf to obtain needed information and report it back to the
client. Nonmaleficence is the duty to do no harm. Veracity refers to telling the truth
for example, not lying to a client about a serious prognosis. Beneficence means
doing good, such as by implementing actions (e.g. keeping a salt shaker out of
sight) that benefit a client (heart condition requiring sodium-restricted diet).
Cognitive Level: Understanding
Client Need: Management of Care
Integrated Process: Nursing Process: Implementation
Content Area: Fundamentals
Strategy: Use the process of elimination. The correct answer is the one that matches
the description in the stem; that is, the nurse made a promise to a client and kept it,
which constitutes fidelity.
An individual has a seizure while walking down the street. During the seizure, a
nurse from a physician's office is noticed driving past without stopping to assist. The
individual sues the nurse for negligence but fails to win a judgement for which
reason?
1. The nurse had no duty to the individual.
2. The nurse did what most nurses would do in the same circumstance.
3. The nurse did not cause the client's injuries.
4. The nurse was off-duty at the time. -CORRECT ANS Answer: 1
Rationale: To be guilty of negligence, the nurse must have a relationship with the
client that involves a duty to provide care. The relationship is usually a component
of employment. The nurse did not necessarily do what others would do in this
situation. Although the nurse did not cause the client's injuries, it does not prevent
the nurse from assisting in this situation. Although the nurse was off-duty, the nurse
could have assisted if motivated to do so.
Cognitive Level: Understanding
Client Need: Management of Care
Integrated Process: Nursing Process: Implementation
Content Area: Fundamentals
Strategy: Use the process of elimination and nursing knowledge. The correct answer
is the one that recognizes that the nurse was not in the role of employee at the time
of the incident, removing the requirement of acting on the client's behalf.
A+ GRADED 2
, 2
NCLEX-RN Practice Questions
An adult female ambulatory care client receiving an oral anticoagulant is given
aspirin for a headache while visiting a neighbor, who is a nurse. The client
subsequently has a bleeding episode because of a drug interaction. The legal nurse
consultant interprets that which necessary elements of malpractice are missing
from this case? Select all that apply.
1. Breech of duty
2. Duty owed
3. Injury experienced
4. Causation between nurse's action and injury
5. Intent to cause harm or injury -CORRECT ANS Answer: 2, 5
Rationale: There was no nurse-client relationship because the nurse was acting as a
neighbor and not in an employment capacity. Thus, there can be no duty owed.
Intent is not a necessary element of malpractice, because malpractice can occur
because of unintended actions as well. There was no breach of duty because there
was no official nurse-client relationship, which accompanies an employment
situation. There was injury experiences because of this event. The bleeding was
caused by the interaction of the aspirin with the anticoagulant.
Cognitive Level: Analyzing
Client Need: Management of Care
Integrated Process: Nursing Process: Evaluation
Content Area: Fundamentals
Strategy: Use the process of elimination. The wording of the question indicates more
than one option is correct, and the focus is on necessary elements that must be
present. First eliminate the intent to cause harm or injury, since this is not
necessary to a charge of malpractice. Next note that there is no duty owed, and
because of this, there can be no breach of duty, to choose these two options as the
necessary missing elements.
A client with cancer has decided to discontinue further treatment. Although the
nurse would like the client to continue treatment, the nurse recognizes the client is
competent and supports the client's decision using which ethical principle?
1. Justice
2. Fidelity
3. Autonomy
A+ GRADED 3
NCLEX-RN Practice Questions
NCLEX-RN PRACTICE QUESTIONS WITH 100%
CORRECT ANSWERS | LATEST VERSION 2026\27.
A nurse forgets to administer a client's diuretic and the client experiences an
episode of pulmonary edema. The charge nurse would consider the medication error
to constitute negligence because the situation contains which element?
1. Purposeful failure to perform a health care procedure
2. Unintentional failure to perform a health care procedure
3. Act of substituting a different medication for the one ordered
4. Failure to follow a direct order by a physician -CORRECT ANS Answer: 2
Rationale: Negligence is the unintentional failure of an individual to perform or not
perform an act that a reasonable person would or would not do in the same or
similar circumstances. A purposeful failure to perform a procedure would be the
opposite of negligence, which is unintentional. Substituting a different medication
does not fit the description of the situation in the question. Failure to follow a direct
order does not fit the description in the situation in the question.
Cognitive Level: Applying
Client Need: Management of Care
Integrated Process: Nursing Process: Assessment
Content Area: Fundamentals
Strategy: Two options are opposites, which is a clue that one of them may be
correct. Choose unintentional failure to carry out a procedure over purposeful failure
because it matches the definition of negligence.
A client asks why a diagnostic test has been ordered and the nurse replies, "I'm
unsure but will find out for you." When the nurse later returns and provides an
explanation, the nurse is acting under which principle?
1. Nonmaleficence
2. Veracity
3. Beneficence
4. Fidelity -CORRECT ANS Answer: 4
A+ GRADED 1
, 2
NCLEX-RN Practice Questions
Rationale: Fidelity means being faithful to agreements and promises. This nurse is
acting on the client's behalf to obtain needed information and report it back to the
client. Nonmaleficence is the duty to do no harm. Veracity refers to telling the truth
for example, not lying to a client about a serious prognosis. Beneficence means
doing good, such as by implementing actions (e.g. keeping a salt shaker out of
sight) that benefit a client (heart condition requiring sodium-restricted diet).
Cognitive Level: Understanding
Client Need: Management of Care
Integrated Process: Nursing Process: Implementation
Content Area: Fundamentals
Strategy: Use the process of elimination. The correct answer is the one that matches
the description in the stem; that is, the nurse made a promise to a client and kept it,
which constitutes fidelity.
An individual has a seizure while walking down the street. During the seizure, a
nurse from a physician's office is noticed driving past without stopping to assist. The
individual sues the nurse for negligence but fails to win a judgement for which
reason?
1. The nurse had no duty to the individual.
2. The nurse did what most nurses would do in the same circumstance.
3. The nurse did not cause the client's injuries.
4. The nurse was off-duty at the time. -CORRECT ANS Answer: 1
Rationale: To be guilty of negligence, the nurse must have a relationship with the
client that involves a duty to provide care. The relationship is usually a component
of employment. The nurse did not necessarily do what others would do in this
situation. Although the nurse did not cause the client's injuries, it does not prevent
the nurse from assisting in this situation. Although the nurse was off-duty, the nurse
could have assisted if motivated to do so.
Cognitive Level: Understanding
Client Need: Management of Care
Integrated Process: Nursing Process: Implementation
Content Area: Fundamentals
Strategy: Use the process of elimination and nursing knowledge. The correct answer
is the one that recognizes that the nurse was not in the role of employee at the time
of the incident, removing the requirement of acting on the client's behalf.
A+ GRADED 2
, 2
NCLEX-RN Practice Questions
An adult female ambulatory care client receiving an oral anticoagulant is given
aspirin for a headache while visiting a neighbor, who is a nurse. The client
subsequently has a bleeding episode because of a drug interaction. The legal nurse
consultant interprets that which necessary elements of malpractice are missing
from this case? Select all that apply.
1. Breech of duty
2. Duty owed
3. Injury experienced
4. Causation between nurse's action and injury
5. Intent to cause harm or injury -CORRECT ANS Answer: 2, 5
Rationale: There was no nurse-client relationship because the nurse was acting as a
neighbor and not in an employment capacity. Thus, there can be no duty owed.
Intent is not a necessary element of malpractice, because malpractice can occur
because of unintended actions as well. There was no breach of duty because there
was no official nurse-client relationship, which accompanies an employment
situation. There was injury experiences because of this event. The bleeding was
caused by the interaction of the aspirin with the anticoagulant.
Cognitive Level: Analyzing
Client Need: Management of Care
Integrated Process: Nursing Process: Evaluation
Content Area: Fundamentals
Strategy: Use the process of elimination. The wording of the question indicates more
than one option is correct, and the focus is on necessary elements that must be
present. First eliminate the intent to cause harm or injury, since this is not
necessary to a charge of malpractice. Next note that there is no duty owed, and
because of this, there can be no breach of duty, to choose these two options as the
necessary missing elements.
A client with cancer has decided to discontinue further treatment. Although the
nurse would like the client to continue treatment, the nurse recognizes the client is
competent and supports the client's decision using which ethical principle?
1. Justice
2. Fidelity
3. Autonomy
A+ GRADED 3
