1 | Page
clinical decision making practice questions
Questions and Correct Answers
1) A nurse has just received a shift report and is preparing to care
for clients assigned on a medical-surgical unit. Which client should
the nurse plan to assess first?
A) The client who needs assistance with activities of daily living
B) The client who needs help ambulating to the bathroom
C) The client with a pain rating of 3/10
D) The client experiencing shortness of breath Ans: — D
2) A client with congestive heart failure is having difficulty
breathing. Before leaving the room the nurse ensures the client has
an over-bed table to lean on when awake if needed to ease
breathing. Which technique did the nurse use to make this
decision?
A) Delegating a task
B) Priority-setting
C) Conflict resolution
D) Critical thinking Ans: — D
3) A postoperative client prescribed pain medication every 4 to 6
hours is requesting medication every 6 hours. At 4 hours the
client's pain level is 8 on a rating scale of 1 to 10. The nurse
decides to give the pain medication now. What does this nurse's
action exemplify?
A) Meeting a client goal
© 2025 All rights reserved
, 2 | Page
B) Time management skills
C) Prioritizing the client's care
D) A response to a change in the client's condition Ans: — D
4) The nurse is assigned two clients. One client needs
postoperative teaching in preparation for discharge and the other
client with pneumonia has a PaCO2 of 85. Why does the nurse
decide to see the client with pneumonia first?
A) The nurse can delegate postoperative teaching to unlicensed
assistive personnel (UAP).
B) The client with pneumonia needs more care than the client
needing postoperative teaching.
C) The client with pneumonia may be experiencing respiratory
distress.
D) The room of the client with pneumonia is closer than that of
the client needing postoperative teaching. Ans: — C
5) A client seen in an urgent care clinic is complaining of
abdominal pain and believes that the food eaten the previous
evening was tainted. What should the nurse do after the client
states that the food was tainted?
A) Ask the client open-ended questions to further assess the
situation.
B) Tell the client the physician does not need to assess the client.
C) Call an ambulance before assessing the client any further.
D) Advise the client to take an antacid. Ans: — A
6) A client with aspiration pneumonia is diaphoretic, pale, and
taking gasping breaths. What should the nurse do first?
© 2025 All rights reserved
clinical decision making practice questions
Questions and Correct Answers
1) A nurse has just received a shift report and is preparing to care
for clients assigned on a medical-surgical unit. Which client should
the nurse plan to assess first?
A) The client who needs assistance with activities of daily living
B) The client who needs help ambulating to the bathroom
C) The client with a pain rating of 3/10
D) The client experiencing shortness of breath Ans: — D
2) A client with congestive heart failure is having difficulty
breathing. Before leaving the room the nurse ensures the client has
an over-bed table to lean on when awake if needed to ease
breathing. Which technique did the nurse use to make this
decision?
A) Delegating a task
B) Priority-setting
C) Conflict resolution
D) Critical thinking Ans: — D
3) A postoperative client prescribed pain medication every 4 to 6
hours is requesting medication every 6 hours. At 4 hours the
client's pain level is 8 on a rating scale of 1 to 10. The nurse
decides to give the pain medication now. What does this nurse's
action exemplify?
A) Meeting a client goal
© 2025 All rights reserved
, 2 | Page
B) Time management skills
C) Prioritizing the client's care
D) A response to a change in the client's condition Ans: — D
4) The nurse is assigned two clients. One client needs
postoperative teaching in preparation for discharge and the other
client with pneumonia has a PaCO2 of 85. Why does the nurse
decide to see the client with pneumonia first?
A) The nurse can delegate postoperative teaching to unlicensed
assistive personnel (UAP).
B) The client with pneumonia needs more care than the client
needing postoperative teaching.
C) The client with pneumonia may be experiencing respiratory
distress.
D) The room of the client with pneumonia is closer than that of
the client needing postoperative teaching. Ans: — C
5) A client seen in an urgent care clinic is complaining of
abdominal pain and believes that the food eaten the previous
evening was tainted. What should the nurse do after the client
states that the food was tainted?
A) Ask the client open-ended questions to further assess the
situation.
B) Tell the client the physician does not need to assess the client.
C) Call an ambulance before assessing the client any further.
D) Advise the client to take an antacid. Ans: — A
6) A client with aspiration pneumonia is diaphoretic, pale, and
taking gasping breaths. What should the nurse do first?
© 2025 All rights reserved
