2026/2027 West Coast University
Q1. Which statement best describes the primary focus of public
health nursing?
A. Providing acute bedside care to hospitalized individuals
B. Protecting and improving the health of populations and communities
C. Treating only clients with chronic disease
D. Providing emergency care exclusively
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Public health nursing focuses on population health, prevention,
health promotion, and protection rather than primarily treating individual
illness.
Q2. Which characteristic distinguishes public health nursing from
community-based nursing?
A. Public health nursing focuses on populations and aggregates.
B. Public health nursing focuses only on hospitalized clients.
C. Community-based nursing never treats illness.
D. There is no meaningful difference.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Community-based nursing generally provides illness and health
care to individuals and families in community settings, whereas public
health/community-oriented nursing emphasizes population health and
prevention. Current WCU material specifically distinguishes these concepts.
Q3. Which activity is most consistent with public health nursing?
A. Developing a community vaccination campaign
B. Changing a surgical dressing
C. Administering postoperative analgesia
D. Monitoring one client's telemetry
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: A vaccination campaign addresses disease prevention at the
population level.
Q4. Which statement best describes an aggregate?
, A. A single patient
B. A group of people sharing a common characteristic
C. A hospital building
D. A healthcare provider
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: An aggregate is a subgroup of a population that shares one or
more characteristics, such as age, location, occupation, or health condition.
**Q5. Which is an example of a population?
A. One client with hypertension
B. All adults living in a particular county
C. One family receiving home care
D. One nurse practitioner
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: A population is a broad group of people defined by geography,
characteristics, or another common attribute.
**Q6. Which three activities are central to public health nursing?
A. Prevention, health promotion, and protection
B. Surgery, rehabilitation, and hospice
C. Diagnosis, anesthesia, and surgery
D. Medication administration, imaging, and surgery
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Public health nursing emphasizes preventive, health-promoting,
and protective services for populations.
Q7. Which public health action is an example of health promotion?
A. Teaching residents strategies for healthy eating and physical activity
B. Treating pneumonia after infection occurs
C. Administering chemotherapy
D. Managing postoperative pain
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Health promotion helps individuals and populations increase
control over factors affecting health.
Q8. Which activity is primary prevention?