NCLEX Practice Questions 2026:
Fundamentals of Nursing | Complete
Review with Answers & Detailed
Rationales
1. A nurse is a preceptor for a nurse who just graduated from
nursing school. When caring for a patient, the new graduate nurse
begins to explain to the patient the purpose of completing a
physical assessment. Which of the following statements made by
the new graduate nurse requires the preceptor to intervene?
a. "I will use the information from my assessment to figure out
if your antihypertensive medication is working effectively."
b. "Nursing assessment data are used only to provide
information about the effectiveness of your medical care."
c. "Nurses use data from their patient's physical assessment to
determine a patient's educational needs."
d. "Information gained from physical assessment helps nurses
better understand their patients' emotional needs." -
answer-ANS: B
2. Nursing assessment data are used to evaluate the effectiveness of
all aspects of a patient's care, not just the patient's medical care.
Assessment data help to evaluate the effectiveness of
medications and to determine a patient's health care needs,
including the need for patient education. Nurses also use
assessment data to identify patients' psychosocial and cultural
needs.
,3. Having misplaced his stethoscope, a nurse borrows a colleague's
stethoscope. He next enters the patient's room and identifies
himself, washes his hands with soap, and states the purpose of his
visit. He performs proper identification of the patient before he
auscultates her lungs. Which critical health assessment step was
not performed?
a. Running warm water over stethoscope for patient comfort
b. Cleaning stethoscope with Betadine
c. Using alcohol-based hand disinfectant
d. Cleaning stethoscope with alcohol - answer-ANS: D
4. Bacteria and viruses can be transferred from patient to patient
when a stethoscope that is not clean is used. The stethoscope
should be cleaned before use on each patient. Running water
over the stethoscope does not kill bacteria. Betadine is an
inappropriate cleaning solution and may damage the equipment.
Hand sanitizer is not an approved cleaning product.
5. Which is the best examination position for a complete geriatric
physical examination on a weak patient with bilateral basilar
pneumonia?
a. Prone position
b. Sims' position
c. Supine position
d. Lateral recumbent - answer-ANS: C
6. This is the most normally relaxed position. It will not compromise
the patient's breathing because it is likely compromised with
pneumonia. If the patient becomes short of breath easily, raise
the head of the bed. This position would be easiest for an elderly
, weak person to get into position for an examination. Lateral
recumbent and prone positions cause respiratory difficulty for any
patient with respiratory difficulties. Sims' position is used for
assessment of the rectum and the vagina.
7. During an annual gynecological examination, a college student
discusses her upcoming college break at a tropical location. After
the student receives an oral contraceptive prescription, the nurse
identifies the importance of skin cancer prevention education by
discussing which evidence-based prevention health topic?
a. Applying water-based sunscreen only before swimming
b. Using tanning bed daily for 7 days before college break trip
c. Applying broad-spectrum sunscreen of SPF 5
d. Taking extra precautions in the sun secondary to the
prescription - answer-ANS: D
8. Oral contraceptives can make the skin more sensitive to the sun.
For this reason, the patient should be educated about the need
for sun protection such as wide-brimmed hats, use of broad-
spectrum sunscreen of SPF 15 or greater, not tanning during
midday, and not using tanning beds. Broad-spectrum sunscreens
should be applied 15 minutes before going into the sun and after
swimming or perspiring. Tanning parlors, sunlamps, etc., should
be avoided. Sunscreens with SPF of 15 or greater should be used.
9. A head and neck physical examination is completed on a 50-year-
old female patient. All physical findings are normal except for fine
brittle hair. Based on the physical findings, which of the following
laboratory tests would the nurse expect to be ordered?
a. Liver function test
Fundamentals of Nursing | Complete
Review with Answers & Detailed
Rationales
1. A nurse is a preceptor for a nurse who just graduated from
nursing school. When caring for a patient, the new graduate nurse
begins to explain to the patient the purpose of completing a
physical assessment. Which of the following statements made by
the new graduate nurse requires the preceptor to intervene?
a. "I will use the information from my assessment to figure out
if your antihypertensive medication is working effectively."
b. "Nursing assessment data are used only to provide
information about the effectiveness of your medical care."
c. "Nurses use data from their patient's physical assessment to
determine a patient's educational needs."
d. "Information gained from physical assessment helps nurses
better understand their patients' emotional needs." -
answer-ANS: B
2. Nursing assessment data are used to evaluate the effectiveness of
all aspects of a patient's care, not just the patient's medical care.
Assessment data help to evaluate the effectiveness of
medications and to determine a patient's health care needs,
including the need for patient education. Nurses also use
assessment data to identify patients' psychosocial and cultural
needs.
,3. Having misplaced his stethoscope, a nurse borrows a colleague's
stethoscope. He next enters the patient's room and identifies
himself, washes his hands with soap, and states the purpose of his
visit. He performs proper identification of the patient before he
auscultates her lungs. Which critical health assessment step was
not performed?
a. Running warm water over stethoscope for patient comfort
b. Cleaning stethoscope with Betadine
c. Using alcohol-based hand disinfectant
d. Cleaning stethoscope with alcohol - answer-ANS: D
4. Bacteria and viruses can be transferred from patient to patient
when a stethoscope that is not clean is used. The stethoscope
should be cleaned before use on each patient. Running water
over the stethoscope does not kill bacteria. Betadine is an
inappropriate cleaning solution and may damage the equipment.
Hand sanitizer is not an approved cleaning product.
5. Which is the best examination position for a complete geriatric
physical examination on a weak patient with bilateral basilar
pneumonia?
a. Prone position
b. Sims' position
c. Supine position
d. Lateral recumbent - answer-ANS: C
6. This is the most normally relaxed position. It will not compromise
the patient's breathing because it is likely compromised with
pneumonia. If the patient becomes short of breath easily, raise
the head of the bed. This position would be easiest for an elderly
, weak person to get into position for an examination. Lateral
recumbent and prone positions cause respiratory difficulty for any
patient with respiratory difficulties. Sims' position is used for
assessment of the rectum and the vagina.
7. During an annual gynecological examination, a college student
discusses her upcoming college break at a tropical location. After
the student receives an oral contraceptive prescription, the nurse
identifies the importance of skin cancer prevention education by
discussing which evidence-based prevention health topic?
a. Applying water-based sunscreen only before swimming
b. Using tanning bed daily for 7 days before college break trip
c. Applying broad-spectrum sunscreen of SPF 5
d. Taking extra precautions in the sun secondary to the
prescription - answer-ANS: D
8. Oral contraceptives can make the skin more sensitive to the sun.
For this reason, the patient should be educated about the need
for sun protection such as wide-brimmed hats, use of broad-
spectrum sunscreen of SPF 15 or greater, not tanning during
midday, and not using tanning beds. Broad-spectrum sunscreens
should be applied 15 minutes before going into the sun and after
swimming or perspiring. Tanning parlors, sunlamps, etc., should
be avoided. Sunscreens with SPF of 15 or greater should be used.
9. A head and neck physical examination is completed on a 50-year-
old female patient. All physical findings are normal except for fine
brittle hair. Based on the physical findings, which of the following
laboratory tests would the nurse expect to be ordered?
a. Liver function test
