ATI RN COMMUNITY HEALTH CMS EXAM / ATI RN COMMUNITY HEALTH
CMS PROCTORED EXAM 2026/2027 HIGH YIELD PRACTICE QUESTIONS
AND STUDY GUIDE ACCURATE EXAM
1. A community health nurse is preparing an outreach program for a
neighborhood where residents have high rates of hypertension, diabetes,
and obesity. Before selecting interventions, the nurse reviews demographic
data, morbidity patterns, environmental conditions, available services, and
residents’ perceptions of their health needs. Which action is the nurse
performing?
A. Implementing tertiary prevention
B. Conducting a community assessment
C. Performing case management
D. Evaluating a completed program
Answer: D
2. A community health nurse is teaching a group of adults about the three
levels of prevention. Which intervention should the nurse identify as an
example of primary prevention?
A. Providing rehabilitation after a stroke
B. Screening adults for colorectal cancer
C. Administering recommended immunizations before disease exposure
D. Providing physical therapy after a hip fracture
Answer: A
3. A public health nurse is reviewing surveillance data and finds that 30
residents developed a newly reportable infection during the previous
month. Which epidemiologic measure describes the occurrence of new
cases during a specified period?
A. Incidence
B. Prevalence
C. Mortality
D. Case-fatality rate
Answer: D
pg. 1
, 4. A community health nurse is investigating an outbreak of gastrointestinal
illness after a community event. Of 200 people who attended, 50 developed
symptoms during the following 48 hours. What is the attack rate?
A. 10%
B. 20%
C. 25%
D. 40%
Answer: C
5. A nurse is comparing the health status of two communities and wants to
determine the proportion of people who currently have a particular chronic
disease at a specific point in time. Which measure should the nurse use?
A. Prevalence
B. Incidence
C. Attack rate
D. Mortality rate
Answer: A
6. A public health nurse observes that a disease occurs consistently within a
particular geographic region at an expected baseline level over many years.
Which epidemiologic term describes this pattern?
A. Pandemic
B. Epidemic
C. Endemic
D. Cluster
Answer: B
7. A community experiences a sudden increase in cases of a disease above the
number normally expected for that population and location. Which term
best describes this occurrence?
A. Endemic
B. Sporadic
C. Pandemic
pg. 2
, D. Epidemic
Answer: D
8. A nurse is explaining the epidemiologic triad to community members.
Which three components should the nurse include?
A. Agent, host, and environment
B. Nurse, patient, and family
C. Disease, treatment, and recovery
D. Incidence, prevalence, and mortality
Answer: A
9. A community health nurse is planning an influenza vaccination clinic for
older adults. Which component of the epidemiologic triad is primarily
strengthened by administering the vaccine?
A. Environment
B. Agent
C. Host
D. Vector
Answer: C
10. A nurse is investigating why residents of a neighborhood have unusually
high rates of respiratory illness. The nurse identifies industrial air pollution
as a major factor affecting exposure. Which component of the
epidemiologic triad does this factor represent?
A. Host
B. Environment
C. Agent
D. Reservoir
Answer: A
11. A public health nurse receives a report that several students at a school
have developed the same gastrointestinal illness. Which action should the
nurse take first when beginning an outbreak investigation?
A. Immediately close every school in the district
B. Determine whether the number of cases exceeds the expected level
pg. 3
, C. Begin administering antibiotics to all students
D. Publish the names of affected students
Answer: B
12. A nurse is conducting disease surveillance for a county health department.
Which activity is an example of passive surveillance?
A. Nurses actively visiting households to identify cases
B. Researchers conducting door-to-door interviews
C. Healthcare providers routinely reporting cases to the health department
D. Public health investigators interviewing every resident
Answer: C
13. A community health nurse wants to determine whether a newly
implemented smoking-cessation program reduces tobacco use among
participants. Which outcome would provide the most direct evidence of
program effectiveness?
A. Number of educational brochures distributed
B. Number of nurses attending the program
C. Number of participants enrolled
D. Percentage of participants who remain tobacco-free after the
intervention
Answer: D
14. A nurse is developing a community education program for adults who have
limited health literacy. Which approach is most appropriate?
A. Use complex medical terminology to improve knowledge
B. Provide lengthy written material without discussion
C. Use plain language, demonstrations, pictures, and teach-back
D. Require participants to independently research each topic
Answer: C
15. A community health nurse is evaluating a health education session. Which
finding best demonstrates learning rather than merely attendance?
A. Participants can correctly demonstrate the taught skill
B. Participants sign the attendance sheet
pg. 4
CMS PROCTORED EXAM 2026/2027 HIGH YIELD PRACTICE QUESTIONS
AND STUDY GUIDE ACCURATE EXAM
1. A community health nurse is preparing an outreach program for a
neighborhood where residents have high rates of hypertension, diabetes,
and obesity. Before selecting interventions, the nurse reviews demographic
data, morbidity patterns, environmental conditions, available services, and
residents’ perceptions of their health needs. Which action is the nurse
performing?
A. Implementing tertiary prevention
B. Conducting a community assessment
C. Performing case management
D. Evaluating a completed program
Answer: D
2. A community health nurse is teaching a group of adults about the three
levels of prevention. Which intervention should the nurse identify as an
example of primary prevention?
A. Providing rehabilitation after a stroke
B. Screening adults for colorectal cancer
C. Administering recommended immunizations before disease exposure
D. Providing physical therapy after a hip fracture
Answer: A
3. A public health nurse is reviewing surveillance data and finds that 30
residents developed a newly reportable infection during the previous
month. Which epidemiologic measure describes the occurrence of new
cases during a specified period?
A. Incidence
B. Prevalence
C. Mortality
D. Case-fatality rate
Answer: D
pg. 1
, 4. A community health nurse is investigating an outbreak of gastrointestinal
illness after a community event. Of 200 people who attended, 50 developed
symptoms during the following 48 hours. What is the attack rate?
A. 10%
B. 20%
C. 25%
D. 40%
Answer: C
5. A nurse is comparing the health status of two communities and wants to
determine the proportion of people who currently have a particular chronic
disease at a specific point in time. Which measure should the nurse use?
A. Prevalence
B. Incidence
C. Attack rate
D. Mortality rate
Answer: A
6. A public health nurse observes that a disease occurs consistently within a
particular geographic region at an expected baseline level over many years.
Which epidemiologic term describes this pattern?
A. Pandemic
B. Epidemic
C. Endemic
D. Cluster
Answer: B
7. A community experiences a sudden increase in cases of a disease above the
number normally expected for that population and location. Which term
best describes this occurrence?
A. Endemic
B. Sporadic
C. Pandemic
pg. 2
, D. Epidemic
Answer: D
8. A nurse is explaining the epidemiologic triad to community members.
Which three components should the nurse include?
A. Agent, host, and environment
B. Nurse, patient, and family
C. Disease, treatment, and recovery
D. Incidence, prevalence, and mortality
Answer: A
9. A community health nurse is planning an influenza vaccination clinic for
older adults. Which component of the epidemiologic triad is primarily
strengthened by administering the vaccine?
A. Environment
B. Agent
C. Host
D. Vector
Answer: C
10. A nurse is investigating why residents of a neighborhood have unusually
high rates of respiratory illness. The nurse identifies industrial air pollution
as a major factor affecting exposure. Which component of the
epidemiologic triad does this factor represent?
A. Host
B. Environment
C. Agent
D. Reservoir
Answer: A
11. A public health nurse receives a report that several students at a school
have developed the same gastrointestinal illness. Which action should the
nurse take first when beginning an outbreak investigation?
A. Immediately close every school in the district
B. Determine whether the number of cases exceeds the expected level
pg. 3
, C. Begin administering antibiotics to all students
D. Publish the names of affected students
Answer: B
12. A nurse is conducting disease surveillance for a county health department.
Which activity is an example of passive surveillance?
A. Nurses actively visiting households to identify cases
B. Researchers conducting door-to-door interviews
C. Healthcare providers routinely reporting cases to the health department
D. Public health investigators interviewing every resident
Answer: C
13. A community health nurse wants to determine whether a newly
implemented smoking-cessation program reduces tobacco use among
participants. Which outcome would provide the most direct evidence of
program effectiveness?
A. Number of educational brochures distributed
B. Number of nurses attending the program
C. Number of participants enrolled
D. Percentage of participants who remain tobacco-free after the
intervention
Answer: D
14. A nurse is developing a community education program for adults who have
limited health literacy. Which approach is most appropriate?
A. Use complex medical terminology to improve knowledge
B. Provide lengthy written material without discussion
C. Use plain language, demonstrations, pictures, and teach-back
D. Require participants to independently research each topic
Answer: C
15. A community health nurse is evaluating a health education session. Which
finding best demonstrates learning rather than merely attendance?
A. Participants can correctly demonstrate the taught skill
B. Participants sign the attendance sheet
pg. 4
