NATURE OF NURSING EXAM 3 REVIEW EXAM QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS
What are some "Unacceptable Abbreviations" - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅High-Risk / "Do Not Use"
Abbreviations
U (unit) → can be mistaken as "0" or "4"
IU (International Unit) → mistaken as IV or "10"
Q.D., q.d., QD (daily) → mistaken as QOD
Q.O.D., q.o.d., QOD (every other day) → mistaken as daily
Trailing zero (X.0 mg) → decimal error → 10× overdose
No leading zero (.X mg) → decimal missed → severe overdose
MS, MSO₄ → confused with MgSO₄
MgSO₄ → confused with MSO₄
A physician writes: "MgSO₄ .5 mg IM QOD."Which components use unacceptable abbreviations? Select
all that apply.
A. MgSO₄
B. .5 mg
C. IM
D. QOD
E. mg - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Correct Answers: A, B, D
💡 Rationale:
A. MgSO₄ — UNACCEPTABLELooks similar to MSO₄; write magnesium sulfate.
B. .5 mg — UNACCEPTABLEMissing leading zero → should be 0.5 mg.
D. QOD — UNACCEPTABLEMistaken as "daily"; write every other day.
C. IM — ACCEPTABLE
E. mg — ACCEPTABLE
What physiologic functions decrease with age? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅1. Muscle Mass (Sarcopenia)
-Muscle fibers shrink, motor neurons decline
,2. Gag Reflex
-Reflex becomes less sensitive
3. Lower Esophageal Sphincter (LES) Control
-Leads to GERD, reflux, aspiration risk at night
A nurse is teaching a group of older adults about normal age-related changes. Which of the following
changes are expected to DECREASE with age? Select all that apply.
A. Muscle mass
B. Lower esophageal sphincter (LES) tone
C. Body fat
D. Gag reflex
E. Blood pressure - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Correct Answers: A, B, D
💡 Rationale:
A. Muscle mass — DecreasesSarcopenia is a normal age-related change.
B. LES tone — DecreasesLeads to reflux and aspiration risk.
D. Gag reflex — DecreasesIncreases risk for choking and aspiration.
C. Body fat — Increases with age
E. Blood pressure — Often increases, not decreases, due to vascular stiffness.
What is the difference between Implicit and Explicit bias? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Implicit Bias:
-Unconscious, automatic attitudes or stereotypes
-We are not aware we hold them
-Example: Assuming a patient's pain level based on age or ethnicity without realizing it
Explicit Bias
-Conscious, intentional beliefs or attitudes
-We are aware of them
-Example: Believing one group "complains too much"
, A nurse notices she tends to stand farther away from certain patients without realizing it. When
reflected upon later, she is surprised by this behavior. This behavior is an example of:
A. Explicit bias
B. Implicit bias
C. Cultural competency
D. Therapeutic communication - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅B. Implicit bias
💡 Rationale
Implicit bias occurs unconsciously and influences behavior without awareness.
What are health disparities? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Preventable differences in disease burden, health
outcomes, access to care, or quality of care that affect certain groups due to social, economic, or
environmental disadvantages.
Examples:
-Higher rates of diabetes in low-income communities
-Limited access to prenatal care in rural areas
-Higher maternal mortality among Black women
Which health disparity is most likely to occur when there is overpopulation in a community?
a. Infection
b. Hyperlipidemia
c. Osteoporosis
d. Hypertension - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅a. Infection
Overpopulation leads to crowding, poor sanitation, limited resources, and rapid spread of
communicable diseases — all increasing the risk for infection.
What are Social Determinants of Health (SDOH)? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Conditions in the
environments where people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affect health
outcomes, functioning, and quality of life.
AND ANSWERS
What are some "Unacceptable Abbreviations" - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅High-Risk / "Do Not Use"
Abbreviations
U (unit) → can be mistaken as "0" or "4"
IU (International Unit) → mistaken as IV or "10"
Q.D., q.d., QD (daily) → mistaken as QOD
Q.O.D., q.o.d., QOD (every other day) → mistaken as daily
Trailing zero (X.0 mg) → decimal error → 10× overdose
No leading zero (.X mg) → decimal missed → severe overdose
MS, MSO₄ → confused with MgSO₄
MgSO₄ → confused with MSO₄
A physician writes: "MgSO₄ .5 mg IM QOD."Which components use unacceptable abbreviations? Select
all that apply.
A. MgSO₄
B. .5 mg
C. IM
D. QOD
E. mg - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Correct Answers: A, B, D
💡 Rationale:
A. MgSO₄ — UNACCEPTABLELooks similar to MSO₄; write magnesium sulfate.
B. .5 mg — UNACCEPTABLEMissing leading zero → should be 0.5 mg.
D. QOD — UNACCEPTABLEMistaken as "daily"; write every other day.
C. IM — ACCEPTABLE
E. mg — ACCEPTABLE
What physiologic functions decrease with age? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅1. Muscle Mass (Sarcopenia)
-Muscle fibers shrink, motor neurons decline
,2. Gag Reflex
-Reflex becomes less sensitive
3. Lower Esophageal Sphincter (LES) Control
-Leads to GERD, reflux, aspiration risk at night
A nurse is teaching a group of older adults about normal age-related changes. Which of the following
changes are expected to DECREASE with age? Select all that apply.
A. Muscle mass
B. Lower esophageal sphincter (LES) tone
C. Body fat
D. Gag reflex
E. Blood pressure - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Correct Answers: A, B, D
💡 Rationale:
A. Muscle mass — DecreasesSarcopenia is a normal age-related change.
B. LES tone — DecreasesLeads to reflux and aspiration risk.
D. Gag reflex — DecreasesIncreases risk for choking and aspiration.
C. Body fat — Increases with age
E. Blood pressure — Often increases, not decreases, due to vascular stiffness.
What is the difference between Implicit and Explicit bias? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Implicit Bias:
-Unconscious, automatic attitudes or stereotypes
-We are not aware we hold them
-Example: Assuming a patient's pain level based on age or ethnicity without realizing it
Explicit Bias
-Conscious, intentional beliefs or attitudes
-We are aware of them
-Example: Believing one group "complains too much"
, A nurse notices she tends to stand farther away from certain patients without realizing it. When
reflected upon later, she is surprised by this behavior. This behavior is an example of:
A. Explicit bias
B. Implicit bias
C. Cultural competency
D. Therapeutic communication - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅B. Implicit bias
💡 Rationale
Implicit bias occurs unconsciously and influences behavior without awareness.
What are health disparities? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Preventable differences in disease burden, health
outcomes, access to care, or quality of care that affect certain groups due to social, economic, or
environmental disadvantages.
Examples:
-Higher rates of diabetes in low-income communities
-Limited access to prenatal care in rural areas
-Higher maternal mortality among Black women
Which health disparity is most likely to occur when there is overpopulation in a community?
a. Infection
b. Hyperlipidemia
c. Osteoporosis
d. Hypertension - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅a. Infection
Overpopulation leads to crowding, poor sanitation, limited resources, and rapid spread of
communicable diseases — all increasing the risk for infection.
What are Social Determinants of Health (SDOH)? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Conditions in the
environments where people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affect health
outcomes, functioning, and quality of life.
