NUR 250 Midterm Exam (pdf) | 2026/2027 | Nursing Q&A | Nursing
1. After graduation from an accredited nursing program and successfully
passing the NCLEX, what gives the nurse the legal right to practice?
A) A certificate of graduation from the nursing program
B) Being licensed by the State Board of Nursing
C) A signed employment contract with a healthcare facility
D) Completion of a hospital-based orientation program
Correct Answer: Being licensed by the State Board of Nursing
Rationale: Licensure by the State Board of Nursing is the legal authority that
grants a nurse the right to practice. Graduation and passing the NCLEX are
prerequisites for licensure but do not themselves confer the legal right to
practice. Employment and orientation are separate requirements.
2. A nurse is administering immunizations to a group of teens in a county
health clinic. The nurse correctly identifies this action as:
A) Health restoration
B) Illness prevention
C) Health promotion
D) Rehabilitation
Correct Answer: Illness prevention
Rationale: Immunizations are a primary prevention strategy aimed at
preventing disease before it occurs. This is classified as illness prevention,
not health restoration (which treats existing illness), health promotion (which
focuses on lifestyle and wellness), or rehabilitation (which restores function
after illness).
,3. A nurse is caring for a client who is a chronic alcoholic. The nurse educates
the client about the harmful effects of alcohol and educates the family on
how to cope with the client and his alcohol addiction. Which type of skill is
the nurse using?
A) Technical skill
B) Counseling skill
C) Assessment skill
D) Interpersonal skill
Correct Answer: Counseling skill
Rationale: Counseling involves providing education, guidance, and support to
help clients and families cope with health challenges. Educating about
harmful effects and teaching coping strategies exemplifies counseling.
Technical skills involve procedures, assessment skills involve data collection,
and interpersonal skills involve communication and relationship-building.
4. A client admitted to the telemetry floor informs the nurse that he has an
advance directive and does not wish to be resuscitated if his heart stops
beating. The client hands the directive to the nurse. The nurse documents
the directive, makes a copy, and informs the client's physician. In this
situation, what role is the nurse demonstrating?
A) Caregiver
B) Educator
C) Advocate
D) Manager
Correct Answer: Advocate
Rationale: Advocacy involves supporting and protecting the client's rights
and wishes. By ensuring the advance directive is documented, copied, and
,communicated to the physician, the nurse is acting as the client's advocate.
The caregiver role involves direct care, educator involves teaching, and
manager involves coordinating care.
5. The Standards of Practice provides nurses with:
A) Legal requirements for nursing licensure
B) Guidelines for providing care
C) Hospital employment policies
D) Medication administration protocols
Correct Answer: Guidelines for providing care
Rationale: The Standards of Practice, established by professional nursing
organizations, provide guidelines that define the expected level of care and
professional behavior for nurses. They serve as a framework for quality
nursing practice but are not legal requirements for licensure, hospital
policies, or medication protocols.
6. A registered nurse assigns the task of tracheostomy suctioning to an LPN.
The LPN informs the nurse that she has never performed the procedure on a
client. What is the most appropriate response from the registered nurse?
A) "You should have learned this in school; just do your best."
B) "I will help you in performing the procedure on the client."
C) "I will assign this task to another LPN who has experience."
D) "You can watch a video on the unit computer before doing it."
Correct Answer: "I will help you in performing the procedure on the client."
Rationale: When delegating a task, the RN remains accountable and must
ensure the delegatee is competent. If the LPN lacks experience, the RN
, should provide supervision and assistance. Simply assigning to someone else
or expecting the LPN to learn independently does not ensure patient safety.
7. A nurse is preparing to administer pain medication to a patient. What
should the nurse do first?
A) Review the medication administration record
B) Assess the patient's pain level and location
C) Check the patient's allergies
D) Verify the patient's identity
Correct Answer: Assess the patient's pain level and location
Rationale: Before administering pain medication, the nurse should first
assess the patient's pain, including location, intensity, and characteristics.
This assessment guides the choice of intervention and provides a baseline
for evaluating effectiveness. Verification of identity, allergies, and medication
review are also important but follow the initial assessment.
8. Which of the following best describes the primary purpose of the nursing
process?
A) To provide a legal framework for nursing documentation
B) To establish a systematic method for delivering individualized patient care
C) To replace clinical judgment with standardized protocols
D) To satisfy hospital accreditation requirements
Correct Answer: To establish a systematic method for delivering
individualized patient care
Rationale: The nursing process (assessment, diagnosis, planning,
implementation, evaluation) is a systematic framework that guides nurses in
1. After graduation from an accredited nursing program and successfully
passing the NCLEX, what gives the nurse the legal right to practice?
A) A certificate of graduation from the nursing program
B) Being licensed by the State Board of Nursing
C) A signed employment contract with a healthcare facility
D) Completion of a hospital-based orientation program
Correct Answer: Being licensed by the State Board of Nursing
Rationale: Licensure by the State Board of Nursing is the legal authority that
grants a nurse the right to practice. Graduation and passing the NCLEX are
prerequisites for licensure but do not themselves confer the legal right to
practice. Employment and orientation are separate requirements.
2. A nurse is administering immunizations to a group of teens in a county
health clinic. The nurse correctly identifies this action as:
A) Health restoration
B) Illness prevention
C) Health promotion
D) Rehabilitation
Correct Answer: Illness prevention
Rationale: Immunizations are a primary prevention strategy aimed at
preventing disease before it occurs. This is classified as illness prevention,
not health restoration (which treats existing illness), health promotion (which
focuses on lifestyle and wellness), or rehabilitation (which restores function
after illness).
,3. A nurse is caring for a client who is a chronic alcoholic. The nurse educates
the client about the harmful effects of alcohol and educates the family on
how to cope with the client and his alcohol addiction. Which type of skill is
the nurse using?
A) Technical skill
B) Counseling skill
C) Assessment skill
D) Interpersonal skill
Correct Answer: Counseling skill
Rationale: Counseling involves providing education, guidance, and support to
help clients and families cope with health challenges. Educating about
harmful effects and teaching coping strategies exemplifies counseling.
Technical skills involve procedures, assessment skills involve data collection,
and interpersonal skills involve communication and relationship-building.
4. A client admitted to the telemetry floor informs the nurse that he has an
advance directive and does not wish to be resuscitated if his heart stops
beating. The client hands the directive to the nurse. The nurse documents
the directive, makes a copy, and informs the client's physician. In this
situation, what role is the nurse demonstrating?
A) Caregiver
B) Educator
C) Advocate
D) Manager
Correct Answer: Advocate
Rationale: Advocacy involves supporting and protecting the client's rights
and wishes. By ensuring the advance directive is documented, copied, and
,communicated to the physician, the nurse is acting as the client's advocate.
The caregiver role involves direct care, educator involves teaching, and
manager involves coordinating care.
5. The Standards of Practice provides nurses with:
A) Legal requirements for nursing licensure
B) Guidelines for providing care
C) Hospital employment policies
D) Medication administration protocols
Correct Answer: Guidelines for providing care
Rationale: The Standards of Practice, established by professional nursing
organizations, provide guidelines that define the expected level of care and
professional behavior for nurses. They serve as a framework for quality
nursing practice but are not legal requirements for licensure, hospital
policies, or medication protocols.
6. A registered nurse assigns the task of tracheostomy suctioning to an LPN.
The LPN informs the nurse that she has never performed the procedure on a
client. What is the most appropriate response from the registered nurse?
A) "You should have learned this in school; just do your best."
B) "I will help you in performing the procedure on the client."
C) "I will assign this task to another LPN who has experience."
D) "You can watch a video on the unit computer before doing it."
Correct Answer: "I will help you in performing the procedure on the client."
Rationale: When delegating a task, the RN remains accountable and must
ensure the delegatee is competent. If the LPN lacks experience, the RN
, should provide supervision and assistance. Simply assigning to someone else
or expecting the LPN to learn independently does not ensure patient safety.
7. A nurse is preparing to administer pain medication to a patient. What
should the nurse do first?
A) Review the medication administration record
B) Assess the patient's pain level and location
C) Check the patient's allergies
D) Verify the patient's identity
Correct Answer: Assess the patient's pain level and location
Rationale: Before administering pain medication, the nurse should first
assess the patient's pain, including location, intensity, and characteristics.
This assessment guides the choice of intervention and provides a baseline
for evaluating effectiveness. Verification of identity, allergies, and medication
review are also important but follow the initial assessment.
8. Which of the following best describes the primary purpose of the nursing
process?
A) To provide a legal framework for nursing documentation
B) To establish a systematic method for delivering individualized patient care
C) To replace clinical judgment with standardized protocols
D) To satisfy hospital accreditation requirements
Correct Answer: To establish a systematic method for delivering
individualized patient care
Rationale: The nursing process (assessment, diagnosis, planning,
implementation, evaluation) is a systematic framework that guides nurses in
