,Chapter 1: Public Health and Nursing Practice
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. The public health nurse (PHN) knows that he must approach a public health problem with an
understanding of the related underlying risk factors in order to develop effective nursing interventions.
He must also consider that these risk factors can be either ____ based or ____ based.
A. Disease; individual
B. Intervention; Government
C. Epidemic; population
D. Individual; population
ANS: D
Objective: 6. Identify the key roles and responsibilities of public health nurses (PHNs).
pp. 1-2
Heading: Introduction to Public Health
Integrated Processes: Nursing Process
Client Need: Physiological Integrity: Reduction of Risk Potential
Cognitive Level: Comprehension [Understanding]
Concept: Assessment; Promoting Health; Critical Thinking
Difficulty: Easy
Feedback
A His approach cannot be disease based, as diseases can affect populations in multiple
locations but the risk factors can be different.
B Interventions occur after the public health event, and governments can only follow the
evidence of public health studies.
C An epidemic is an occurrence of a disease and has the same limitations as a disease-
based approach.
D Nurses may work with patients to assess risk and intervene on a one-to-one, situational
basis or as part of a larger health problem within a population.
PTS: 1 CON: Assessment | Promoting Health | Critical Thinking
2. A nursing student is studying public health. She learns that, according to C.E.A. Winslow’s definition,
some of the goals of public health are disease prevention, promoting health, control of communicable
infections, and ____.
A. Risk assessment for disease
B. Birth control
C. Education on personal hygiene
D. Governmental safety regulations
ANS: C
Objective: 1. Describe public health in terms of current frameworks and organization from a local to a
global perspective.
p. 2
Heading: Introduction to Public Health > What Is Public Health?
Integrated Processes: Teaching/Learning
Client Need: Health Promotion and Maintenance
Cognitive Level: Application [Applying]
Concept: Infection; Nursing Roles; Promoting Health
Difficulty: Easy
Feedback
, A Risk assessment is considered a part of disease prevention.
B Birth control is not considered to be one of the goals of public health.
C Health education and the promotion of healthy lifestyles are essential parts of public
health.
D The goal of public health is to guide governmental policy but not to create regulations.
PTS: 1 CON: Infection | Nursing Roles | Promoting Health
3. If the international medical community was working to contain several worldwide pandemics, they
would look to the World Health Organization (WHO), which is
A. The public health arm of the United Nations
B. Working to improve health and well-being for the global population
C. Working with nurses to promote public health interventions
D. All of the above
ANS: D
Objective: 1. Describe public health in terms of current frameworks and organization from a local to a
global perspective.
pp. 1-2
Heading: Introduction to Public Health
Integrated Processes: Nursing Process
Client Need: Health Promotion and Maintenance
Cognitive Level: Application [Applying]
Concept: Promoting Health; Health-Care System; Management; Safety
Difficulty: Easy
Feedback
A The World Health Organization (WHO) is the “directing and coordinating authority for
health within the United Nations system.”
B The WHO has the capability to monitor global epidemiological situations.
C The WHO brings resources and knowledge to nurses who are working directly with
patients in order for them to make informed decisions.
D This is correct. The WHO is the public health arm of the United Nations and works
toward both of the above mentioned goals.
PTS: 1 CON: Promoting Health | Health-Care System | Management | Safety
4. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) stated in their report, The Future of the Public’s Health, that there are
three core functions that society carries out to collectively support the optimum conditions for public
health. Which one of the following is not one of these functions?
A. Prevention
B. Assessment
C. Policy development
D. Assurance
ANS: A
Objective: 4. Investigate the role of environment and culture in the health of populations.
pp. 2
Heading: Introduction to Public Health > What is Public Health?
Integrated Processes: N/A
Client Need: Health Promotion and Maintenance
Cognitive Level: Comprehension [Understanding]
Concept: Assessment; Promoting Health
Difficulty: Easy
, Feedback
A Prevention is not considered a core function of public health, as assessment, policy
development, and assurance have prevention as an implied goal of each function.
B Assessment focuses on analysis and collection of data, as well as the monitoring of
health problems and needs.
C Policy development uses the acquired knowledge from assessments to create useful
public health policies.
D Assurance creates trust in health-care agencies to provide necessary services that are in
line with public health goals.
PTS: 1 CON: Assessment | Promoting Health
5. A nursing instructor is giving a lecture on public health and the importance of maintaining a
population-focused perspective when administering care. Which of the following statements might a
nursing student hear from the instructor?
A. Individual health occurs within the context of the population.
B. Individual health occurs within the context of the environment surrounding the individual.
C. Individuals achieve health at the individual level through individualistic actions.
D. Both 1 and 2
ANS: D
Objective: 4. Investigate the role of environment and culture in the health of populations.
pp. 1-2
Heading: Introduction to Public Health
Integrated Processes: Teaching/Learning
Client Need: Health Promotion and Maintenance
Cognitive Level: Application [Applying]
Concept: Evidence-Based Practice; Nursing Roles; Promoting Health
Difficulty: Easy
Feedback
A Individual health occurs within the context of both the population and the environment
surrounding the individual.
B Individual health occurs within the context of both the population and the environment
surrounding the individual.
C Individuals do not achieve health at the individual level through uninformed,
individualistic actions. Instead, individual health occurs within the context of the
population and the environment surrounding the individual.
D Individual health occurs within the context of the population and the environment
surrounding the individual.
PTS: 1 CON: Evidence-Based Practice | Nursing Roles | Promoting Health
6. With aging, there is an increase in noncommunicable (chronic) illness. The PHN recognizes that an
example of a noncommunicable illness is
A. Heart disease
B. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
C. Hepatitis
D. Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)
ANS: A
Objective: 2. Compare and contrast the terms commonly used within the context of public health.
pp. 3-4
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. The public health nurse (PHN) knows that he must approach a public health problem with an
understanding of the related underlying risk factors in order to develop effective nursing interventions.
He must also consider that these risk factors can be either ____ based or ____ based.
A. Disease; individual
B. Intervention; Government
C. Epidemic; population
D. Individual; population
ANS: D
Objective: 6. Identify the key roles and responsibilities of public health nurses (PHNs).
pp. 1-2
Heading: Introduction to Public Health
Integrated Processes: Nursing Process
Client Need: Physiological Integrity: Reduction of Risk Potential
Cognitive Level: Comprehension [Understanding]
Concept: Assessment; Promoting Health; Critical Thinking
Difficulty: Easy
Feedback
A His approach cannot be disease based, as diseases can affect populations in multiple
locations but the risk factors can be different.
B Interventions occur after the public health event, and governments can only follow the
evidence of public health studies.
C An epidemic is an occurrence of a disease and has the same limitations as a disease-
based approach.
D Nurses may work with patients to assess risk and intervene on a one-to-one, situational
basis or as part of a larger health problem within a population.
PTS: 1 CON: Assessment | Promoting Health | Critical Thinking
2. A nursing student is studying public health. She learns that, according to C.E.A. Winslow’s definition,
some of the goals of public health are disease prevention, promoting health, control of communicable
infections, and ____.
A. Risk assessment for disease
B. Birth control
C. Education on personal hygiene
D. Governmental safety regulations
ANS: C
Objective: 1. Describe public health in terms of current frameworks and organization from a local to a
global perspective.
p. 2
Heading: Introduction to Public Health > What Is Public Health?
Integrated Processes: Teaching/Learning
Client Need: Health Promotion and Maintenance
Cognitive Level: Application [Applying]
Concept: Infection; Nursing Roles; Promoting Health
Difficulty: Easy
Feedback
, A Risk assessment is considered a part of disease prevention.
B Birth control is not considered to be one of the goals of public health.
C Health education and the promotion of healthy lifestyles are essential parts of public
health.
D The goal of public health is to guide governmental policy but not to create regulations.
PTS: 1 CON: Infection | Nursing Roles | Promoting Health
3. If the international medical community was working to contain several worldwide pandemics, they
would look to the World Health Organization (WHO), which is
A. The public health arm of the United Nations
B. Working to improve health and well-being for the global population
C. Working with nurses to promote public health interventions
D. All of the above
ANS: D
Objective: 1. Describe public health in terms of current frameworks and organization from a local to a
global perspective.
pp. 1-2
Heading: Introduction to Public Health
Integrated Processes: Nursing Process
Client Need: Health Promotion and Maintenance
Cognitive Level: Application [Applying]
Concept: Promoting Health; Health-Care System; Management; Safety
Difficulty: Easy
Feedback
A The World Health Organization (WHO) is the “directing and coordinating authority for
health within the United Nations system.”
B The WHO has the capability to monitor global epidemiological situations.
C The WHO brings resources and knowledge to nurses who are working directly with
patients in order for them to make informed decisions.
D This is correct. The WHO is the public health arm of the United Nations and works
toward both of the above mentioned goals.
PTS: 1 CON: Promoting Health | Health-Care System | Management | Safety
4. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) stated in their report, The Future of the Public’s Health, that there are
three core functions that society carries out to collectively support the optimum conditions for public
health. Which one of the following is not one of these functions?
A. Prevention
B. Assessment
C. Policy development
D. Assurance
ANS: A
Objective: 4. Investigate the role of environment and culture in the health of populations.
pp. 2
Heading: Introduction to Public Health > What is Public Health?
Integrated Processes: N/A
Client Need: Health Promotion and Maintenance
Cognitive Level: Comprehension [Understanding]
Concept: Assessment; Promoting Health
Difficulty: Easy
, Feedback
A Prevention is not considered a core function of public health, as assessment, policy
development, and assurance have prevention as an implied goal of each function.
B Assessment focuses on analysis and collection of data, as well as the monitoring of
health problems and needs.
C Policy development uses the acquired knowledge from assessments to create useful
public health policies.
D Assurance creates trust in health-care agencies to provide necessary services that are in
line with public health goals.
PTS: 1 CON: Assessment | Promoting Health
5. A nursing instructor is giving a lecture on public health and the importance of maintaining a
population-focused perspective when administering care. Which of the following statements might a
nursing student hear from the instructor?
A. Individual health occurs within the context of the population.
B. Individual health occurs within the context of the environment surrounding the individual.
C. Individuals achieve health at the individual level through individualistic actions.
D. Both 1 and 2
ANS: D
Objective: 4. Investigate the role of environment and culture in the health of populations.
pp. 1-2
Heading: Introduction to Public Health
Integrated Processes: Teaching/Learning
Client Need: Health Promotion and Maintenance
Cognitive Level: Application [Applying]
Concept: Evidence-Based Practice; Nursing Roles; Promoting Health
Difficulty: Easy
Feedback
A Individual health occurs within the context of both the population and the environment
surrounding the individual.
B Individual health occurs within the context of both the population and the environment
surrounding the individual.
C Individuals do not achieve health at the individual level through uninformed,
individualistic actions. Instead, individual health occurs within the context of the
population and the environment surrounding the individual.
D Individual health occurs within the context of the population and the environment
surrounding the individual.
PTS: 1 CON: Evidence-Based Practice | Nursing Roles | Promoting Health
6. With aging, there is an increase in noncommunicable (chronic) illness. The PHN recognizes that an
example of a noncommunicable illness is
A. Heart disease
B. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
C. Hepatitis
D. Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)
ANS: A
Objective: 2. Compare and contrast the terms commonly used within the context of public health.
pp. 3-4
