N138 Exam 1 2026 – 120 Verified Questions & Answers on Nursing Profession, Ethics, Nurse Practice Act and Nursing Process

This document contains approximately 120 verified exam questions and answers for N138 Exam 1 (2026), organized across 17 structured pages in a clear Q&A format. The material comprehensively covers foundational nursing concepts including the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act, Medicaid expansion, and healthcare delivery reform (pages 1–2). It also provides detailed nursing workforce statistics such as percentage of male nurses (9.4%), median nurse age (46 years), and racial/ethnic representation in nursing (page 2). Advanced nursing roles are clearly defined, including APRN, NP, DNP, CNS, CNM, and CRNA (page 3), along with nurse entrepreneurship concepts, healthcare business examples, and associated risks and rewards (page 4). The guide thoroughly explains professionalism in nursing, including distinctions between occupation and profession (page 5), characteristics of a profession and Kelly’s 8 criteria (pages 6–7), interprofessional collaboration domains (values/ethics, roles, communication, teamwork), and the importance of professional organizations and the Code of Ethics (pages 7–8). Legal and regulatory frameworks are extensively addressed, including assault and battery definitions (pages 10–11), confidentiality, standard of care, proximate cause elements of negligence, the Nurse Practice Act, state board of nursing authority, independent/dependent/interdependent nursing interventions (page 12), delegation and the 5 Rights of Delegation (page 13), and the Patient Self-Determination Act of 1991. Additionally, the document provides comprehensive coverage of informed consent and the nurse’s role (page 14), subjective vs objective data, critical thinking attributes (page 15), and the full Nursing Process (Assessment, Diagnosis, Planning, Implementation, Evaluation) with clear distinctions between nursing and medical diagnoses (pages 15–17). The structured format reinforces exam preparation by presenting concise definitions aligned with professional nursing standards and scope of practice. This document is particularly suitable for: Nursing students enrolled in N138 Foundations of Nursing or Professional Nursing courses First-semester BSN or ADN students preparing for Exam 1 Students reviewing nursing law, ethics, and professional standards Learners preparing for nursing program entrance or foundational exams Students seeking a structured Q&A study guide for professionalism and nursing process concepts It serves as a comprehensive, exam-focused review resource designed to reinforce nursing professionalism, legal responsibilities, scope of practice, delegation principles, ethical standards, healthcare policy foundations, and the nursing process required for success in foundational nursing coursework. Keywords: N138 exam 1 2026, Affordable Care Act ACA nursing, APRN NP CNS CRNA roles, nursing profession vs occupation, Kelly 8 criteria profession, interprofessional collaboration domains, Code of Ethics for Nurses, Nurse Practice Act objectives, state board of nursing role, 5 rights of delegation, Patient Self Determination Act 1991, informed consent nurse role, proximate cause negligence elements, independent dependent interdependent interventions, nursing process ADPIE, nursing diagnosis vs medical diagnosis, subjective vs objective data, critical thinking in nursing