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GCU NSG 300 2026 FINAL EXAM:
FOUNDATIONS OF NURSING COMPLETE
(160) CURRENT TESTING QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT ANSWERS WITH DETAILED
RATIONALES|GRADED A+.
NSG
Below is a comprehensive GCU NSG 300 Final Exam: Foundations of
Nursing – Practice Exam with 160 questions. Each question includes four
answer choices (A–D), the correct answer, and an explanation. Topics
cover the nursing process, communication, safety, infection control, vital
signs, documentation, legal and ethical issues, basic nursing care,
mobility, hygiene, oxygenation, elimination, medication administration,
and professional standards.
Multiple choice.
Section 1: The Nursing Process and Critical Thinking (Questions
1–20)
1. The nurse is caring for a patient who reports pain of 8/10. The
nurse administers morphine as ordered. Which step of the
nursing process is this?
A) Assessment
B) Diagnosis
C) Planning
D) Implementation
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Answer: D. Implementation
Explanation: Implementation is the step in which the nurse carries
out the planned interventions. Assessment would be asking about
pain; diagnosis would be identifying the problem; planning would be
setting goals.
2. The nurse reviews a patient’s laboratory results and finds a
potassium level of 6.2 mEq/L. The nurse identifies the problem
as “Risk for Dysrhythmias.” This is an example of which nursing
process phase?
A) Assessment
B) Diagnosis
C) Planning
D) Evaluation
Answer: B. Diagnosis
Explanation: Nursing diagnosis is the phase in which the nurse
analyzes assessment data and identifies actual or potential health
problems.
3. A patient with heart failure has a nursing diagnosis of “Fluid
Volume Excess.” The nurse sets a goal that the patient will have
daily weight gain of less than 1 pound per week. Which phase of
the nursing process is this?
A) Assessment
B) Diagnosis
C) Planning
D) Implementation
Answer: C. Planning
Explanation: Planning involves setting measurable, realistic goals
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and outcomes. Implementation is carrying out interventions;
evaluation is determining if goals were met.
4. The nurse re-checks a patient’s blood pressure 30 minutes
after administering an antihypertensive medication. This action
represents which phase of the nursing process?
A) Assessment
B) Diagnosis
C) Implementation
D) Evaluation
Answer: D. Evaluation
Explanation: Evaluation is the phase in which the nurse assesses
whether the goals and outcomes have been achieved.
Reassessment after an intervention is evaluation.
5. The nurse asks a patient, “When did your pain start?” and
“What makes it worse?” This is an example of:
A) Subjective data collection
B) Objective data collection
C) Implementation
D) Evaluation
Answer: A. Subjective data collection
Explanation: Subjective data are what the patient says or reports.
Objective data are measured or observed by the nurse.
6. Which of the following is an example of objective data?
A) The patient reports feeling anxious.
B) The patient’s blood pressure is 140/90 mmHg.
C) The patient states, “I have a headache.”
D) The patient says, “I feel tired.”
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Answer: B. The patient’s blood pressure is 140/90 mmHg.
Explanation: Objective data are measurable or observable facts
(vital signs, physical exam findings). Subjective data come from the
patient’s report.
7. The nurse uses the “NANDA-I” taxonomy. What does this
taxonomy classify?
A) Nursing interventions
B) Nursing outcomes
C) Nursing diagnoses
D) Medical diagnoses
Answer: C. Nursing diagnoses
Explanation: NANDA-I (North American Nursing Diagnosis
Association International) classifies and standardizes nursing
diagnostic labels.
8. Which nursing diagnosis is written correctly?
A) Pain related to surgical incision
B) Impaired Skin Integrity related to pressure, as evidenced by stage
2 ulcer
C) Constipation as evidenced by hard stools
D) Fatigue related to chemotherapy
Answer: B. Impaired Skin Integrity related to pressure, as evidenced
by stage 2 ulcer
Explanation: A three-part nursing diagnosis includes problem,
etiology (related to), and defining characteristics (as evidenced by).
Option B follows this structure.
9. The nurse writes a goal that states, “Patient will walk to the
bathroom without assistance within 3 days.” This goal is:
GCU NSG 300 2026 FINAL EXAM:
FOUNDATIONS OF NURSING COMPLETE
(160) CURRENT TESTING QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT ANSWERS WITH DETAILED
RATIONALES|GRADED A+.
NSG
Below is a comprehensive GCU NSG 300 Final Exam: Foundations of
Nursing – Practice Exam with 160 questions. Each question includes four
answer choices (A–D), the correct answer, and an explanation. Topics
cover the nursing process, communication, safety, infection control, vital
signs, documentation, legal and ethical issues, basic nursing care,
mobility, hygiene, oxygenation, elimination, medication administration,
and professional standards.
Multiple choice.
Section 1: The Nursing Process and Critical Thinking (Questions
1–20)
1. The nurse is caring for a patient who reports pain of 8/10. The
nurse administers morphine as ordered. Which step of the
nursing process is this?
A) Assessment
B) Diagnosis
C) Planning
D) Implementation
, Page 2 of 63
Answer: D. Implementation
Explanation: Implementation is the step in which the nurse carries
out the planned interventions. Assessment would be asking about
pain; diagnosis would be identifying the problem; planning would be
setting goals.
2. The nurse reviews a patient’s laboratory results and finds a
potassium level of 6.2 mEq/L. The nurse identifies the problem
as “Risk for Dysrhythmias.” This is an example of which nursing
process phase?
A) Assessment
B) Diagnosis
C) Planning
D) Evaluation
Answer: B. Diagnosis
Explanation: Nursing diagnosis is the phase in which the nurse
analyzes assessment data and identifies actual or potential health
problems.
3. A patient with heart failure has a nursing diagnosis of “Fluid
Volume Excess.” The nurse sets a goal that the patient will have
daily weight gain of less than 1 pound per week. Which phase of
the nursing process is this?
A) Assessment
B) Diagnosis
C) Planning
D) Implementation
Answer: C. Planning
Explanation: Planning involves setting measurable, realistic goals
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and outcomes. Implementation is carrying out interventions;
evaluation is determining if goals were met.
4. The nurse re-checks a patient’s blood pressure 30 minutes
after administering an antihypertensive medication. This action
represents which phase of the nursing process?
A) Assessment
B) Diagnosis
C) Implementation
D) Evaluation
Answer: D. Evaluation
Explanation: Evaluation is the phase in which the nurse assesses
whether the goals and outcomes have been achieved.
Reassessment after an intervention is evaluation.
5. The nurse asks a patient, “When did your pain start?” and
“What makes it worse?” This is an example of:
A) Subjective data collection
B) Objective data collection
C) Implementation
D) Evaluation
Answer: A. Subjective data collection
Explanation: Subjective data are what the patient says or reports.
Objective data are measured or observed by the nurse.
6. Which of the following is an example of objective data?
A) The patient reports feeling anxious.
B) The patient’s blood pressure is 140/90 mmHg.
C) The patient states, “I have a headache.”
D) The patient says, “I feel tired.”
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Answer: B. The patient’s blood pressure is 140/90 mmHg.
Explanation: Objective data are measurable or observable facts
(vital signs, physical exam findings). Subjective data come from the
patient’s report.
7. The nurse uses the “NANDA-I” taxonomy. What does this
taxonomy classify?
A) Nursing interventions
B) Nursing outcomes
C) Nursing diagnoses
D) Medical diagnoses
Answer: C. Nursing diagnoses
Explanation: NANDA-I (North American Nursing Diagnosis
Association International) classifies and standardizes nursing
diagnostic labels.
8. Which nursing diagnosis is written correctly?
A) Pain related to surgical incision
B) Impaired Skin Integrity related to pressure, as evidenced by stage
2 ulcer
C) Constipation as evidenced by hard stools
D) Fatigue related to chemotherapy
Answer: B. Impaired Skin Integrity related to pressure, as evidenced
by stage 2 ulcer
Explanation: A three-part nursing diagnosis includes problem,
etiology (related to), and defining characteristics (as evidenced by).
Option B follows this structure.
9. The nurse writes a goal that states, “Patient will walk to the
bathroom without assistance within 3 days.” This goal is:
