NR 341 EXAM 1 (FINAL) STUDY GUIDE
2026/2027 UPDATE |ACTUAL EXAM
QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED ANSWERS [100%
CORRECT] ALREADY GRADED A+
1. Which professional organization best supports critical care nursing
practice?
A) American Heart Association
B) American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN)
C) American Nurses Association
D) Society of Critical Care Medicine
Answer B: American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN)
Rationale: The AACN is the specialty organization that supports critical care
nursing practice through standards, certification, and education .
2. The Synergy Model of Practice focuses on:
A) Allowing unrestricted visiting for the patient 24 hours each day
B) Holistic and alternative therapies only
C) Needs of patients and their families, which drives nursing competency
D) Patients' needs for energy and support
Answer C: Needs of patients and their families, which drives nursing
competency
,Rationale: The Synergy Model posits that patient and family needs drive nursing
competencies, and when competencies match needs, optimal outcomes occur .
3. The family of your critically ill patient tells you they have not spoken with
the physician in over 24 hours and have questions. You convey this to the
attending intensivist and arrange a meeting. Which competency of critical
care nursing does this represent?
A) Advocacy and moral agency in solving ethical issues
B) Clinical judgment and clinical reasoning skills
C) Collaboration with patients, families, and team members
D) Facilitation of learning for patients, families, and team members
Answer C: Collaboration with patients, families, and team members
Rationale: Facilitating communication between the healthcare team and family
demonstrates collaboration .
4. The charge nurse assigns an experienced, certified nurse to care for an
acutely ill patient with sepsis requiring CRRT and mechanical ventilation, and
a less experienced nurse to two stable patients. This assignment reflects:
A) Crew Resource Management model
B) National Patient Safety Goals
C) QSEN model
D) Synergy Model of Practice
Answer D: Synergy Model of Practice
,Rationale: The Synergy Model matches nurse competencies with patient needs;
complex patients require experienced nurses .
5. The family brings in a copy of the patient's living will and asks the nurse to
discuss it with the physician. This is an example of which AACN Standard of
Professional Performance?
A) Acquires and maintains current knowledge of practice
B) Acts ethically on the behalf of the patient and family
C) Considers factors related to safe patient care
D) Uses clinical inquiry and integrates research findings in practice
Answer B: Acts ethically on the behalf of the patient and family
Rationale: Advocating for the patient's advance directives and facilitating
communication about them is acting ethically .
6. The nurse implements a group of evidence-based interventions to reduce
ventilator-associated pneumonia: head-of-bed elevation, daily sedation
vacation, and oral care protocols. This group of interventions is called:
A) Clinical practice guideline
B) Patient safety goal
C) Bundle of care
D) Quality improvement initiative
Answer C: Bundle of care
, Rationale: A "bundle" is a group of evidence-based interventions that, when
performed together, improve outcomes .
7. Which of the following describes the core concept of the Synergy Model?
A) All nurses must be certified for implementation
B) Family members must be included in daily rounds
C) Nurses and physicians must work collaboratively
D) Unique needs of patients and their families influence nursing competencies
Answer D: Unique needs of patients and their families influence nursing
competencies
Rationale: The Synergy Model is based on the idea that patient/family needs drive
nursing competencies .
8. Which of the following are National Patient Safety Goals? (Select all that
apply)
A) Accurately identify patients
B) Eliminate use of patient restraints
C) Reconcile medications across the continuum of care
D) Reduce risks of healthcare-acquired infection
Answer A: , C, D
Rationale: NPSGs include patient identification, medication reconciliation, and
infection prevention .
2026/2027 UPDATE |ACTUAL EXAM
QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED ANSWERS [100%
CORRECT] ALREADY GRADED A+
1. Which professional organization best supports critical care nursing
practice?
A) American Heart Association
B) American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN)
C) American Nurses Association
D) Society of Critical Care Medicine
Answer B: American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN)
Rationale: The AACN is the specialty organization that supports critical care
nursing practice through standards, certification, and education .
2. The Synergy Model of Practice focuses on:
A) Allowing unrestricted visiting for the patient 24 hours each day
B) Holistic and alternative therapies only
C) Needs of patients and their families, which drives nursing competency
D) Patients' needs for energy and support
Answer C: Needs of patients and their families, which drives nursing
competency
,Rationale: The Synergy Model posits that patient and family needs drive nursing
competencies, and when competencies match needs, optimal outcomes occur .
3. The family of your critically ill patient tells you they have not spoken with
the physician in over 24 hours and have questions. You convey this to the
attending intensivist and arrange a meeting. Which competency of critical
care nursing does this represent?
A) Advocacy and moral agency in solving ethical issues
B) Clinical judgment and clinical reasoning skills
C) Collaboration with patients, families, and team members
D) Facilitation of learning for patients, families, and team members
Answer C: Collaboration with patients, families, and team members
Rationale: Facilitating communication between the healthcare team and family
demonstrates collaboration .
4. The charge nurse assigns an experienced, certified nurse to care for an
acutely ill patient with sepsis requiring CRRT and mechanical ventilation, and
a less experienced nurse to two stable patients. This assignment reflects:
A) Crew Resource Management model
B) National Patient Safety Goals
C) QSEN model
D) Synergy Model of Practice
Answer D: Synergy Model of Practice
,Rationale: The Synergy Model matches nurse competencies with patient needs;
complex patients require experienced nurses .
5. The family brings in a copy of the patient's living will and asks the nurse to
discuss it with the physician. This is an example of which AACN Standard of
Professional Performance?
A) Acquires and maintains current knowledge of practice
B) Acts ethically on the behalf of the patient and family
C) Considers factors related to safe patient care
D) Uses clinical inquiry and integrates research findings in practice
Answer B: Acts ethically on the behalf of the patient and family
Rationale: Advocating for the patient's advance directives and facilitating
communication about them is acting ethically .
6. The nurse implements a group of evidence-based interventions to reduce
ventilator-associated pneumonia: head-of-bed elevation, daily sedation
vacation, and oral care protocols. This group of interventions is called:
A) Clinical practice guideline
B) Patient safety goal
C) Bundle of care
D) Quality improvement initiative
Answer C: Bundle of care
, Rationale: A "bundle" is a group of evidence-based interventions that, when
performed together, improve outcomes .
7. Which of the following describes the core concept of the Synergy Model?
A) All nurses must be certified for implementation
B) Family members must be included in daily rounds
C) Nurses and physicians must work collaboratively
D) Unique needs of patients and their families influence nursing competencies
Answer D: Unique needs of patients and their families influence nursing
competencies
Rationale: The Synergy Model is based on the idea that patient/family needs drive
nursing competencies .
8. Which of the following are National Patient Safety Goals? (Select all that
apply)
A) Accurately identify patients
B) Eliminate use of patient restraints
C) Reconcile medications across the continuum of care
D) Reduce risks of healthcare-acquired infection
Answer A: , C, D
Rationale: NPSGs include patient identification, medication reconciliation, and
infection prevention .
