NUR 198 Study Guide: Fundamentals of Nursing
Syllabus Version: 2026/2027 (New)
Format: Q&A with Verified Answers
Unit 1: Foundations of Nursing Practice
1. What is the primary purpose of the Nursing Process?
ANSWER ✓ To provide a systematic, organized, and patient-centered framework for
delivering care.
2. List the five steps of the Nursing Process in order.
ANSWER ✓ Assessment, Diagnosis, Planning, Implementation, Evaluation (ADPIE).
3. A nurse is collecting data about a patient’s vital signs, medical history, and
physical examination findings. Which phase of the nursing process is being
performed?
ANSWER ✓ Assessment.
4. According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, which patient need should the nurse
prioritize first?
ANSWER ✓ Physiological needs (e.g., airway, breathing, circulation, food, water).
5. A nurse identifies that a patient is at risk for falls. In which phase of the nursing
process does this identification occur?
ANSWER ✓ Diagnosis (Nursing Diagnosis).
6. What is the difference between a medical diagnosis and a nursing diagnosis?
ANSWER ✓ A medical diagnosis identifies a disease or pathology (e.g., pneumonia),
while a nursing diagnosis identifies the patient’s response to that health problem (e.g.,
Ineffective Airway Clearance).
7. A nurse administers a prescribed antibiotic. This action is part of which phase of
the nursing process?
ANSWER ✓ Implementation.
, 8. After implementing interventions for a patient with acute pain, the nurse
reassesses the patient’s pain level. This reassessment is part of which phase?
ANSWER ✓ Evaluation.
9. What are the core concepts of Patient-Centered Care?
ANSWER ✓ Respect for patient preferences, values, and expressed needs; coordination
of care; physical comfort; emotional support; involvement of family and friends.
10. Which organization is responsible for defining the scope and standards of
professional nursing practice in the United States?
ANSWER ✓ The American Nurses Association (ANA).
Unit 2: Legal & Ethical Considerations
11. A nurse fails to provide a prescribed medication, and the patient suffers harm.
This is an example of which type of tort?
ANSWER ✓ Negligence (or Malpractice if the nurse was acting in a professional
capacity).
12. A patient refuses a blood transfusion due to religious beliefs. The nurse
respects this decision. Which ethical principle is the nurse upholding?
ANSWER ✓ Autonomy.
13. A nurse advocates for a patient to receive a private room to maintain
confidentiality during a sensitive discussion. Which ethical principle is being
demonstrated?
ANSWER ✓ Confidentiality (or Fidelity/Justice depending on context, but primarily
Confidentiality).
14. What is the purpose of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
(HIPAA)?
ANSWER ✓ To protect the privacy and security of patients’ protected health information
(PHI).
15. A nurse witnesses a colleague arriving to work under the influence of alcohol.
What is the nurse’s legal and ethical responsibility?
ANSWER ✓ To report the colleague to the nursing supervisor or the state board of
nursing to ensure patient safety.
Syllabus Version: 2026/2027 (New)
Format: Q&A with Verified Answers
Unit 1: Foundations of Nursing Practice
1. What is the primary purpose of the Nursing Process?
ANSWER ✓ To provide a systematic, organized, and patient-centered framework for
delivering care.
2. List the five steps of the Nursing Process in order.
ANSWER ✓ Assessment, Diagnosis, Planning, Implementation, Evaluation (ADPIE).
3. A nurse is collecting data about a patient’s vital signs, medical history, and
physical examination findings. Which phase of the nursing process is being
performed?
ANSWER ✓ Assessment.
4. According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, which patient need should the nurse
prioritize first?
ANSWER ✓ Physiological needs (e.g., airway, breathing, circulation, food, water).
5. A nurse identifies that a patient is at risk for falls. In which phase of the nursing
process does this identification occur?
ANSWER ✓ Diagnosis (Nursing Diagnosis).
6. What is the difference between a medical diagnosis and a nursing diagnosis?
ANSWER ✓ A medical diagnosis identifies a disease or pathology (e.g., pneumonia),
while a nursing diagnosis identifies the patient’s response to that health problem (e.g.,
Ineffective Airway Clearance).
7. A nurse administers a prescribed antibiotic. This action is part of which phase of
the nursing process?
ANSWER ✓ Implementation.
, 8. After implementing interventions for a patient with acute pain, the nurse
reassesses the patient’s pain level. This reassessment is part of which phase?
ANSWER ✓ Evaluation.
9. What are the core concepts of Patient-Centered Care?
ANSWER ✓ Respect for patient preferences, values, and expressed needs; coordination
of care; physical comfort; emotional support; involvement of family and friends.
10. Which organization is responsible for defining the scope and standards of
professional nursing practice in the United States?
ANSWER ✓ The American Nurses Association (ANA).
Unit 2: Legal & Ethical Considerations
11. A nurse fails to provide a prescribed medication, and the patient suffers harm.
This is an example of which type of tort?
ANSWER ✓ Negligence (or Malpractice if the nurse was acting in a professional
capacity).
12. A patient refuses a blood transfusion due to religious beliefs. The nurse
respects this decision. Which ethical principle is the nurse upholding?
ANSWER ✓ Autonomy.
13. A nurse advocates for a patient to receive a private room to maintain
confidentiality during a sensitive discussion. Which ethical principle is being
demonstrated?
ANSWER ✓ Confidentiality (or Fidelity/Justice depending on context, but primarily
Confidentiality).
14. What is the purpose of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
(HIPAA)?
ANSWER ✓ To protect the privacy and security of patients’ protected health information
(PHI).
15. A nurse witnesses a colleague arriving to work under the influence of alcohol.
What is the nurse’s legal and ethical responsibility?
ANSWER ✓ To report the colleague to the nursing supervisor or the state board of
nursing to ensure patient safety.
