NU 136 | FUNDAMENTALS OF NURSING PRACTICE
NU 136 Exam 1
Study Guide | Fundamentals of Nursing Practice
Questions & Answers
2026–2027
Purpose and Scope
This study guide contains 40 original A–D practice questions on core fundamentals
of nursing, including safety, infection prevention, communication, documentation,
assessment, medication safety, mobility, skin care, and professional
responsibilities. NU 136 course content varies by institution; compare this
resource with your syllabus and instructor’s learning outcomes.
Section 1 — Practice Questions
Question 1. A nurse enters a room and finds a client sitting on the floor beside
the bed. What should the nurse do first?
A. Help the client stand immediately
B. Assess the client for injury and level of consciousness before moving
C. Leave to find the charge nurse without assessing
D. Complete an incident report before speaking to the client
Correct Answer: B — Assess the client for injury and level of consciousness
before moving
Detailed Rationale: Immediate assessment identifies injury, altered
consciousness, pain, and urgent needs before movement. Call for assistance
and follow facility policy.
Why the Other Options Are Incorrect
A. Moving the client before assessment may worsen an injury.
C. Leaving without assessing delays care.
Original educational practice material • Verify against your course syllabus
,NU 136 | FUNDAMENTALS OF NURSING PRACTICE
D. Documentation is important, but immediate client assessment comes first.
Question 2. Which action best demonstrates standard precautions?
A. Use gloves only when a client has a known infection
B. Apply appropriate hand hygiene and PPE based on anticipated exposure for
every client
C. Place every client in airborne isolation
D. Reuse disposable gloves between clients
Correct Answer: B — Apply appropriate hand hygiene and PPE based on
anticipated exposure for every client
Detailed Rationale: Standard precautions apply to all clients and include hand
hygiene, risk-based PPE, respiratory hygiene, and safe handling of equipment
and sharps.
Why the Other Options Are Incorrect
A. Infections may be unrecognized; precautions are not limited to known cases.
C. Airborne isolation is indicated for specific transmission risks, not every
client.
D. Gloves are not reused between clients.
Question 3. When should a nurse perform hand hygiene when moving from a
contaminated body site to a clean body site on the same client?
A. Only at the end of the shift
B. Before moving to the clean body site, changing gloves as indicated
C. Only if hands look dirty
D. After leaving the building
Correct Answer: B — Before moving to the clean body site, changing gloves as
indicated
Original educational practice material • Verify against your course syllabus
, NU 136 | FUNDAMENTALS OF NURSING PRACTICE
Detailed Rationale: Hand hygiene is required when moving from a
contaminated body site to a clean body site, and gloves do not replace hand
hygiene.
Why the Other Options Are Incorrect
A. Delaying until shift end increases transmission risk.
C. Hands can carry microorganisms without visible soil.
D. Hand hygiene is needed during care, not only after leaving.
Question 4. A client has a new prescription, but the dose is unclear and
appears unusually high. What is the nurse’s safest action?
A. Administer it because the prescriber wrote it
B. Clarify the order with the prescriber or pharmacist before administration
C. Ask the client what dose they prefer
D. Change the dose independently and document later
Correct Answer: B — Clarify the order with the prescriber or pharmacist before
administration
Detailed Rationale: Unclear or potentially unsafe orders should be clarified
before administration, using escalation procedures if the concern is unresolved.
Why the Other Options Are Incorrect
A. A written order does not remove the nurse’s responsibility to question safety
concerns.
C. Clients should not determine prescription doses.
D. Unapproved dose changes are not a substitute for clarification.
Question 5. Which identifier combination is generally appropriate before
administering medication?
A. Room number and diagnosis
Original educational practice material • Verify against your course syllabus
NU 136 Exam 1
Study Guide | Fundamentals of Nursing Practice
Questions & Answers
2026–2027
Purpose and Scope
This study guide contains 40 original A–D practice questions on core fundamentals
of nursing, including safety, infection prevention, communication, documentation,
assessment, medication safety, mobility, skin care, and professional
responsibilities. NU 136 course content varies by institution; compare this
resource with your syllabus and instructor’s learning outcomes.
Section 1 — Practice Questions
Question 1. A nurse enters a room and finds a client sitting on the floor beside
the bed. What should the nurse do first?
A. Help the client stand immediately
B. Assess the client for injury and level of consciousness before moving
C. Leave to find the charge nurse without assessing
D. Complete an incident report before speaking to the client
Correct Answer: B — Assess the client for injury and level of consciousness
before moving
Detailed Rationale: Immediate assessment identifies injury, altered
consciousness, pain, and urgent needs before movement. Call for assistance
and follow facility policy.
Why the Other Options Are Incorrect
A. Moving the client before assessment may worsen an injury.
C. Leaving without assessing delays care.
Original educational practice material • Verify against your course syllabus
,NU 136 | FUNDAMENTALS OF NURSING PRACTICE
D. Documentation is important, but immediate client assessment comes first.
Question 2. Which action best demonstrates standard precautions?
A. Use gloves only when a client has a known infection
B. Apply appropriate hand hygiene and PPE based on anticipated exposure for
every client
C. Place every client in airborne isolation
D. Reuse disposable gloves between clients
Correct Answer: B — Apply appropriate hand hygiene and PPE based on
anticipated exposure for every client
Detailed Rationale: Standard precautions apply to all clients and include hand
hygiene, risk-based PPE, respiratory hygiene, and safe handling of equipment
and sharps.
Why the Other Options Are Incorrect
A. Infections may be unrecognized; precautions are not limited to known cases.
C. Airborne isolation is indicated for specific transmission risks, not every
client.
D. Gloves are not reused between clients.
Question 3. When should a nurse perform hand hygiene when moving from a
contaminated body site to a clean body site on the same client?
A. Only at the end of the shift
B. Before moving to the clean body site, changing gloves as indicated
C. Only if hands look dirty
D. After leaving the building
Correct Answer: B — Before moving to the clean body site, changing gloves as
indicated
Original educational practice material • Verify against your course syllabus
, NU 136 | FUNDAMENTALS OF NURSING PRACTICE
Detailed Rationale: Hand hygiene is required when moving from a
contaminated body site to a clean body site, and gloves do not replace hand
hygiene.
Why the Other Options Are Incorrect
A. Delaying until shift end increases transmission risk.
C. Hands can carry microorganisms without visible soil.
D. Hand hygiene is needed during care, not only after leaving.
Question 4. A client has a new prescription, but the dose is unclear and
appears unusually high. What is the nurse’s safest action?
A. Administer it because the prescriber wrote it
B. Clarify the order with the prescriber or pharmacist before administration
C. Ask the client what dose they prefer
D. Change the dose independently and document later
Correct Answer: B — Clarify the order with the prescriber or pharmacist before
administration
Detailed Rationale: Unclear or potentially unsafe orders should be clarified
before administration, using escalation procedures if the concern is unresolved.
Why the Other Options Are Incorrect
A. A written order does not remove the nurse’s responsibility to question safety
concerns.
C. Clients should not determine prescription doses.
D. Unapproved dose changes are not a substitute for clarification.
Question 5. Which identifier combination is generally appropriate before
administering medication?
A. Room number and diagnosis
Original educational practice material • Verify against your course syllabus
