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HESI COMMUNITY HEALTH NURSING EXAM
LATEST VERSION QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
2026 EDITION
HESI COMMUNITY HEALTH NURSING EXAM
250 Practice Questions with Rationales
SECTION 1: FOUNDATIONS OF COMMUNITY HEALTH NURSING (Questions 1-30)
1. A community health nurse is applying the nursing process at the community
level. Which action best represents the "diagnosis" phase?
A. Administering flu vaccines at a senior center
B. Analyzing data to identify high rates of teen pregnancy in the community
C. Implementing a smoking cessation support group
D. Evaluating the effectiveness of a diabetes education program
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: In community health, the diagnosis phase involves analyzing assessment
data to identify community health problems (e.g., high teen pregnancy rates). Options A
and C are interventions (implementation phase), and option D is evaluation.
2. Which core public health function is being demonstrated when a nurse develops
a community disaster preparedness plan?
A. Assessment
B. Policy development
C. Assurance
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D. Surveillance
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Policy development includes planning and creating health policies and
disaster plans. Assessment is data collection; assurance is ensuring services are
available; surveillance is ongoing monitoring of health events.
3. A community health nurse is using the epidemiological triangle to investigate an
outbreak of Legionnaires' disease. Which component represents the
"environment"?
A. Elderly residents in a nursing home
B. Legionella bacteria
C. Contaminated cooling tower water
D. Lack of immunity among staff
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The environment includes external factors like water sources, temperature,
and air quality. The agent is the bacteria (B), and the host includes susceptible people
(A, D).
4. A community health nurse is advocating for a needle exchange program. Which
level of prevention is primarily being applied?
A. Primary prevention
B. Secondary prevention
C. Tertiary prevention
D. Primordial prevention
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Needle exchange prevents initial HIV/Hepatitis C transmission, stopping
disease before it occurs, which is primary prevention.
5. According to the Health Belief Model, a client's decision to get the HPV vaccine is
most influenced by which factor?
A. Perceived susceptibility to cervical cancer
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B. Number of sexual partners
C. Family history of HPV
D. Cost of the vaccine alone
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Perceived susceptibility (belief about risk of harm) is a key construct of the
Health Belief Model. Other factors may matter but are not central to the model.
6. A nurse is using the MINIMAT screening tool during a home visit. This tool
assesses for which condition?
A. Falls risk in the elderly
B. Intimate partner violence
C. Substance use disorder
D. Cognitive impairment
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: MINIMAT is a brief screening tool for intimate partner violence. Other tools
exist for falls (Timed Up and Go) or cognition (Mini-Cog).
7. A community health nurse is defining the scope of community health nursing.
Which of the following best describes the primary focus of this specialty?
A. Providing direct one-on-one bedside care in a hospital setting
B. Managing acute exacerbations of chronic illnesses
C. Promoting and protecting the health of populations
D. Providing specialized interventions for critically ill patients
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The primary focus of community health nursing is promoting and protecting
population health. Hospital-based care (A, B, D) is not the primary focus of community
health nursing.
8. A nurse is working with a community to develop a program addressing childhood
obesity. Which action should the nurse take first?
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A. Implement a school-based nutrition education program
B. Conduct a community needs assessment
C. Secure funding for the program
D. Evaluate existing obesity prevention programs
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The first step in program planning is conducting a community needs
assessment to identify the scope of the problem and available resources.
Implementation (A), funding (C), and evaluation (D) occur after assessment.
9. Which of the following is the primary goal of community health nursing?
A. To support and supplement the efforts of the medical profession in the promotion of
health
B. To enhance the capacity of individuals, families, and communities to cope with their
health needs
C. To increase the productivity of the community
D. To provide direct care to all community members
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The primary goal of community health nursing is to enhance the capacity of
individuals, families, and communities to cope with their health needs.
10. A nurse is using the nursing process at the community level. Which action
represents the "assessment" phase?
A. Developing a community health diagnosis
B. Collecting data through a windshield survey
C. Implementing a health education program
D. Evaluating the effectiveness of a screening program
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Assessment involves collecting data about the community through methods
such as windshield surveys, interviews, and review of existing data. Diagnosis (A)
comes after assessment, implementation (C) is the action phase, and evaluation (D) is
the final phase.
HESI COMMUNITY HEALTH NURSING EXAM
LATEST VERSION QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
2026 EDITION
HESI COMMUNITY HEALTH NURSING EXAM
250 Practice Questions with Rationales
SECTION 1: FOUNDATIONS OF COMMUNITY HEALTH NURSING (Questions 1-30)
1. A community health nurse is applying the nursing process at the community
level. Which action best represents the "diagnosis" phase?
A. Administering flu vaccines at a senior center
B. Analyzing data to identify high rates of teen pregnancy in the community
C. Implementing a smoking cessation support group
D. Evaluating the effectiveness of a diabetes education program
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: In community health, the diagnosis phase involves analyzing assessment
data to identify community health problems (e.g., high teen pregnancy rates). Options A
and C are interventions (implementation phase), and option D is evaluation.
2. Which core public health function is being demonstrated when a nurse develops
a community disaster preparedness plan?
A. Assessment
B. Policy development
C. Assurance
, Page 2 of 94
D. Surveillance
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Policy development includes planning and creating health policies and
disaster plans. Assessment is data collection; assurance is ensuring services are
available; surveillance is ongoing monitoring of health events.
3. A community health nurse is using the epidemiological triangle to investigate an
outbreak of Legionnaires' disease. Which component represents the
"environment"?
A. Elderly residents in a nursing home
B. Legionella bacteria
C. Contaminated cooling tower water
D. Lack of immunity among staff
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The environment includes external factors like water sources, temperature,
and air quality. The agent is the bacteria (B), and the host includes susceptible people
(A, D).
4. A community health nurse is advocating for a needle exchange program. Which
level of prevention is primarily being applied?
A. Primary prevention
B. Secondary prevention
C. Tertiary prevention
D. Primordial prevention
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Needle exchange prevents initial HIV/Hepatitis C transmission, stopping
disease before it occurs, which is primary prevention.
5. According to the Health Belief Model, a client's decision to get the HPV vaccine is
most influenced by which factor?
A. Perceived susceptibility to cervical cancer
, Page 3 of 94
B. Number of sexual partners
C. Family history of HPV
D. Cost of the vaccine alone
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Perceived susceptibility (belief about risk of harm) is a key construct of the
Health Belief Model. Other factors may matter but are not central to the model.
6. A nurse is using the MINIMAT screening tool during a home visit. This tool
assesses for which condition?
A. Falls risk in the elderly
B. Intimate partner violence
C. Substance use disorder
D. Cognitive impairment
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: MINIMAT is a brief screening tool for intimate partner violence. Other tools
exist for falls (Timed Up and Go) or cognition (Mini-Cog).
7. A community health nurse is defining the scope of community health nursing.
Which of the following best describes the primary focus of this specialty?
A. Providing direct one-on-one bedside care in a hospital setting
B. Managing acute exacerbations of chronic illnesses
C. Promoting and protecting the health of populations
D. Providing specialized interventions for critically ill patients
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The primary focus of community health nursing is promoting and protecting
population health. Hospital-based care (A, B, D) is not the primary focus of community
health nursing.
8. A nurse is working with a community to develop a program addressing childhood
obesity. Which action should the nurse take first?
, Page 4 of 94
A. Implement a school-based nutrition education program
B. Conduct a community needs assessment
C. Secure funding for the program
D. Evaluate existing obesity prevention programs
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The first step in program planning is conducting a community needs
assessment to identify the scope of the problem and available resources.
Implementation (A), funding (C), and evaluation (D) occur after assessment.
9. Which of the following is the primary goal of community health nursing?
A. To support and supplement the efforts of the medical profession in the promotion of
health
B. To enhance the capacity of individuals, families, and communities to cope with their
health needs
C. To increase the productivity of the community
D. To provide direct care to all community members
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The primary goal of community health nursing is to enhance the capacity of
individuals, families, and communities to cope with their health needs.
10. A nurse is using the nursing process at the community level. Which action
represents the "assessment" phase?
A. Developing a community health diagnosis
B. Collecting data through a windshield survey
C. Implementing a health education program
D. Evaluating the effectiveness of a screening program
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Assessment involves collecting data about the community through methods
such as windshield surveys, interviews, and review of existing data. Diagnosis (A)
comes after assessment, implementation (C) is the action phase, and evaluation (D) is
the final phase.
