NCLEX-RN Exam Practice Questions and Answers 2026|2027
Updated
Correct
Incorrect
, 1 of 33
Term
The health care provider orders a medication in a dose that is
considered toxic. The nurse administers the medication to the client,
who later suffers a cardiac arrest and dies. What consequence can the
nurse expect from this situation? Select all that apply.
1. The health care provider can be charged with negligence, being the
person who ordered the dose.
2. As the employing agency, only the hospital can be charged with
negligence.
3. The nurse and physician may be terminated from employment to
prevent a charge of negligence to the hospital.
4. Negligence will not be charged, as this event could happen to any
reasonable person.
5. The nurse can be charged with negligence for administering the
toxic dose.
Give this one a try later!
Answer: 1
Rationale: To be guilty of negligence, the nurse must have a relationship with the
client that involves a duty to provide care. The relationship is usually a component of
employment. The nurse did not necessarily do what others would do in this
situation. Although the nurse did not cause the client's injuries, it does not prevent
the nurse from assisting in this situation. Although the nurse was off-duty, the nurse
could have assisted if motivated to do so.
Cognitive Level: Understanding
Client Need: Management of Care
Integrated Process: Nursing Process: Implementation
,Content Area: Fundamentals
Strategy: Use the process of elimination and nursing knowledge. The correct answer
is the one that recognizes that the nurse was not in the role of employee at the time
of the incident, removing the requirement of acting on the client's behalf.
Answer: 4
Rationale: Fidelity means being faithful to agreements and promises. This nurse is
acting on the client's behalf to obtain needed information and report it back to the
client. Nonmaleficence is the duty to do no harm. Veracity refers to telling the truth
for example, not lying to a client about a serious prognosis. Beneficence means
doing good, such as by implementing actions (e.g. keeping a salt shaker out of
sight) that benefit a client (heart condition requiring sodium-restricted diet).
Cognitive Level: Understanding
Client Need: Management of Care
Integrated Process: Nursing Process: Implementation
Content Area: Fundamentals
Strategy: Use the process of elimination. The correct answer is the one that matches
the description in the stem; that is, the nurse made a promise to a client and kept it,
which constitutes fidelity.
Answer: 1, 5
Rationale: Health care providers who prescribe incorrect dosages of
medications are liable for their errors. The nurse is open to a charge of
negligence for failing to verify and question the incorrect dose. The hospital
can be sued as the responsible employing agency, but the health care
provider and the nurse can also be charged with negligence. Terminating the
health care provider and nurse from employment would not stop a lawsuit
charging negligence for employee actions that have already taken place.
Prescribing and administering incorrect doses are not considered events that
routinely happen to "reasonable person."
Cognitive Level: Applying
Client Need: Management of Care
Integrated Process: Nursing Process: Implementation
Content Area: Fundamentals
Strategy: The wording of the question indicates that more than one option is
correct. Choose the response that holds both individuals accountable, since
the nurse failed to question an incorrect dose and the health care provider
ordered the incorrect dose.
, Answer: 2, 5
Rationale: There was no nurse-client relationship because the nurse was acting as a
neighbor and not in an employment capacity. Thus, there can be no duty owed.
Intent is not a necessary element of malpractice, because malpractice can occur
because of unintended actions as well. There was no breach of duty because there
was no official nurse-client relationship, which accompanies an employment
situation. There was injury experiences because of this event. The bleeding was
caused by the interaction of the aspirin with the anticoagulant.
Cognitive Level: Analyzing
Client Need: Management of Care
Integrated Process: Nursing Process: Evaluation
Content Area: Fundamentals
Strategy: Use the process of elimination. The wording of the question indicates
more than one option is correct, and the focus is on necessary elements that must
be present. First eliminate the intent to cause harm or injury, since this is not
necessary to a charge of malpractice. Next note that there is no duty owed, and
because of this, there can be no breach of duty, to choose these two options as the
necessary missing elements.
Don't know?
Updated
Correct
Incorrect
, 1 of 33
Term
The health care provider orders a medication in a dose that is
considered toxic. The nurse administers the medication to the client,
who later suffers a cardiac arrest and dies. What consequence can the
nurse expect from this situation? Select all that apply.
1. The health care provider can be charged with negligence, being the
person who ordered the dose.
2. As the employing agency, only the hospital can be charged with
negligence.
3. The nurse and physician may be terminated from employment to
prevent a charge of negligence to the hospital.
4. Negligence will not be charged, as this event could happen to any
reasonable person.
5. The nurse can be charged with negligence for administering the
toxic dose.
Give this one a try later!
Answer: 1
Rationale: To be guilty of negligence, the nurse must have a relationship with the
client that involves a duty to provide care. The relationship is usually a component of
employment. The nurse did not necessarily do what others would do in this
situation. Although the nurse did not cause the client's injuries, it does not prevent
the nurse from assisting in this situation. Although the nurse was off-duty, the nurse
could have assisted if motivated to do so.
Cognitive Level: Understanding
Client Need: Management of Care
Integrated Process: Nursing Process: Implementation
,Content Area: Fundamentals
Strategy: Use the process of elimination and nursing knowledge. The correct answer
is the one that recognizes that the nurse was not in the role of employee at the time
of the incident, removing the requirement of acting on the client's behalf.
Answer: 4
Rationale: Fidelity means being faithful to agreements and promises. This nurse is
acting on the client's behalf to obtain needed information and report it back to the
client. Nonmaleficence is the duty to do no harm. Veracity refers to telling the truth
for example, not lying to a client about a serious prognosis. Beneficence means
doing good, such as by implementing actions (e.g. keeping a salt shaker out of
sight) that benefit a client (heart condition requiring sodium-restricted diet).
Cognitive Level: Understanding
Client Need: Management of Care
Integrated Process: Nursing Process: Implementation
Content Area: Fundamentals
Strategy: Use the process of elimination. The correct answer is the one that matches
the description in the stem; that is, the nurse made a promise to a client and kept it,
which constitutes fidelity.
Answer: 1, 5
Rationale: Health care providers who prescribe incorrect dosages of
medications are liable for their errors. The nurse is open to a charge of
negligence for failing to verify and question the incorrect dose. The hospital
can be sued as the responsible employing agency, but the health care
provider and the nurse can also be charged with negligence. Terminating the
health care provider and nurse from employment would not stop a lawsuit
charging negligence for employee actions that have already taken place.
Prescribing and administering incorrect doses are not considered events that
routinely happen to "reasonable person."
Cognitive Level: Applying
Client Need: Management of Care
Integrated Process: Nursing Process: Implementation
Content Area: Fundamentals
Strategy: The wording of the question indicates that more than one option is
correct. Choose the response that holds both individuals accountable, since
the nurse failed to question an incorrect dose and the health care provider
ordered the incorrect dose.
, Answer: 2, 5
Rationale: There was no nurse-client relationship because the nurse was acting as a
neighbor and not in an employment capacity. Thus, there can be no duty owed.
Intent is not a necessary element of malpractice, because malpractice can occur
because of unintended actions as well. There was no breach of duty because there
was no official nurse-client relationship, which accompanies an employment
situation. There was injury experiences because of this event. The bleeding was
caused by the interaction of the aspirin with the anticoagulant.
Cognitive Level: Analyzing
Client Need: Management of Care
Integrated Process: Nursing Process: Evaluation
Content Area: Fundamentals
Strategy: Use the process of elimination. The wording of the question indicates
more than one option is correct, and the focus is on necessary elements that must
be present. First eliminate the intent to cause harm or injury, since this is not
necessary to a charge of malpractice. Next note that there is no duty owed, and
because of this, there can be no breach of duty, to choose these two options as the
necessary missing elements.
Don't know?
