FOUNDATIONS FOR POPULATION
HEALTH IN COMMUNITY/PUBLIC
HEALTH NURSING
6TH EDITION
• AUTHOR(S)MARCIA STANHOPE;
JEANETTE LANCASTER
TEST BANK
1
Reference: Ch. 1 — Public health practice: foundation for
healthy populations and communities
Question stem:
A county health department notices that emergency
department use is rising among residents who lack primary care
,access, especially for preventable conditions such as
uncontrolled hypertension and asthma. The public health nurse
is asked to recommend the most population-focused response.
Which action best reflects public health practice?
A. Provide discharge teaching to each patient after the ED visit
B. Expand clinic appointments only for patients already
diagnosed with chronic disease
C. Assess community-wide barriers and coordinate prevention
services across neighborhoods
D. Refer all uninsured patients to the nearest hospital-based
specialty clinic
Correct answer: C
Rationale — Correct:
Public health practice focuses on upstream causes of health
problems and improving conditions for groups and
communities. Assessing barriers and coordinating prevention
services addresses access, risk, and population outcomes rather
than only treating individuals after illness occurs. This aligns
with the foundation of public health practice and population
health improvement.
Rationale — Incorrect A:
Discharge teaching is useful, but it is an individual-level
intervention after the problem has already occurred. It does not
address the broader community pattern or upstream access
barriers.
,Rationale — Incorrect B:
This is a targeted clinical service for known patients, not a
population-wide public health response. It helps some
individuals but does not reduce the community burden as
effectively.
Rationale — Incorrect D:
Specialty referral may help selected patients, but it does not
address the system-level and community-level causes of
preventable ED use. It is not the broadest public health
response.
Teaching point:
Population health actions target upstream causes, not just
individual treatment.
Citation: Stanhope, M., & Lancaster, J. (2023). Foundations for
Population Health in Community/Public Health Nursing (6th
ed.). Ch. 1.
2
Reference: Ch. 1 — Definitions in public health
Question stem:
A public health nurse is preparing a briefing for elected officials
and must distinguish public health from individual clinical care.
Which statement is most accurate?
A. Public health primarily focuses on diagnosing disease in
people who request care
, B. Public health seeks to prevent disease and promote health at
the population level
C. Public health is limited to hospital-based care for
underserved groups
D. Public health and medical care are identical in scope and
purpose
Correct answer: B
Rationale — Correct:
Public health is centered on prevention, health promotion, and
protection of populations. Its scope includes surveillance,
policy, environmental supports, and community-level action,
which are broader than individual care.
Rationale — Incorrect A:
Diagnosis is part of clinical care and may occur in public health
settings, but it is not the defining purpose of public health. The
focus is broader than patient-by-patient assessment.
Rationale — Incorrect C:
Public health is not confined to hospitals. It operates in
communities, agencies, policy systems, schools, workplaces,
and many other settings.
Rationale — Incorrect D:
Public health and medical care overlap but are not identical.
Medical care is individual-centered, while public health is
population-centered.
HEALTH IN COMMUNITY/PUBLIC
HEALTH NURSING
6TH EDITION
• AUTHOR(S)MARCIA STANHOPE;
JEANETTE LANCASTER
TEST BANK
1
Reference: Ch. 1 — Public health practice: foundation for
healthy populations and communities
Question stem:
A county health department notices that emergency
department use is rising among residents who lack primary care
,access, especially for preventable conditions such as
uncontrolled hypertension and asthma. The public health nurse
is asked to recommend the most population-focused response.
Which action best reflects public health practice?
A. Provide discharge teaching to each patient after the ED visit
B. Expand clinic appointments only for patients already
diagnosed with chronic disease
C. Assess community-wide barriers and coordinate prevention
services across neighborhoods
D. Refer all uninsured patients to the nearest hospital-based
specialty clinic
Correct answer: C
Rationale — Correct:
Public health practice focuses on upstream causes of health
problems and improving conditions for groups and
communities. Assessing barriers and coordinating prevention
services addresses access, risk, and population outcomes rather
than only treating individuals after illness occurs. This aligns
with the foundation of public health practice and population
health improvement.
Rationale — Incorrect A:
Discharge teaching is useful, but it is an individual-level
intervention after the problem has already occurred. It does not
address the broader community pattern or upstream access
barriers.
,Rationale — Incorrect B:
This is a targeted clinical service for known patients, not a
population-wide public health response. It helps some
individuals but does not reduce the community burden as
effectively.
Rationale — Incorrect D:
Specialty referral may help selected patients, but it does not
address the system-level and community-level causes of
preventable ED use. It is not the broadest public health
response.
Teaching point:
Population health actions target upstream causes, not just
individual treatment.
Citation: Stanhope, M., & Lancaster, J. (2023). Foundations for
Population Health in Community/Public Health Nursing (6th
ed.). Ch. 1.
2
Reference: Ch. 1 — Definitions in public health
Question stem:
A public health nurse is preparing a briefing for elected officials
and must distinguish public health from individual clinical care.
Which statement is most accurate?
A. Public health primarily focuses on diagnosing disease in
people who request care
, B. Public health seeks to prevent disease and promote health at
the population level
C. Public health is limited to hospital-based care for
underserved groups
D. Public health and medical care are identical in scope and
purpose
Correct answer: B
Rationale — Correct:
Public health is centered on prevention, health promotion, and
protection of populations. Its scope includes surveillance,
policy, environmental supports, and community-level action,
which are broader than individual care.
Rationale — Incorrect A:
Diagnosis is part of clinical care and may occur in public health
settings, but it is not the defining purpose of public health. The
focus is broader than patient-by-patient assessment.
Rationale — Incorrect C:
Public health is not confined to hospitals. It operates in
communities, agencies, policy systems, schools, workplaces,
and many other settings.
Rationale — Incorrect D:
Public health and medical care overlap but are not identical.
Medical care is individual-centered, while public health is
population-centered.
