NR 452 Capstone Course Practice Exam 2026 |Chamberlain College
1. A nurse is delegating tasks to an assistive personnel (AP). Which of the
following tasks is appropriate for the nurse to delegate?
A. Performing a sterile dressing change on a post-operative wound
B. Evaluating a patient’s response to pain medication
C. Ambulating a stable patient who is 2 days post-operative
D. Providing discharge teaching to a patient leaving the hospital
Answer: C
Rationale: Ambulating a stable patient falls within the scope of practice for AP. Tasks
involving assessment, evaluation, sterile procedures, and teaching must be performed by
the RN.
2. A nurse leader is using transformational leadership. Which characteristic best
describes this style?
A. Focusing on immediate problems and maintaining the status quo
B. Offering rewards to staff in exchange for meeting productivity goals
C. Empowering followers to reach their full potential and share a vision
D. Making all decisions independently without staff input
Answer: C
Rationale: Transformational leadership focuses on vision, inspiration, and empowering
staff to improve and innovate.
,3. Which ethical principle is a nurse demonstrating when they respect a
patient’s decision to refuse chemotherapy?
A. Beneficence
B. Nonmaleficence
C. Justice
D. Autonomy
Answer: D
Rationale: Autonomy refers to the right of the individual to make their own decisions
regarding their healthcare.
4. A nurse is caring for four patients. Which patient should the nurse assess
first?
A. A patient with a pulse oximetry reading of 88% on room air
B. A patient reporting a pain level of 6 out of 10
C. A patient who needs a dressing change for a stage 2 pressure injury
D. A patient scheduled for physical therapy in 30 minutes
Answer: A
Rationale: Using the ABC (Airway, Breathing, Circulation) framework, the patient with low
oxygen saturation (Breathing) is the highest priority.
5. A nurse is reviewing the hospital’s quality improvement process. What is the
first step in the PDSA cycle?
A. Do
B. Study
C. Act
D. Plan
Answer: D
Rationale: The PDSA cycle stands for Plan, Do, Study, Act. Planning the change is the first
step.
, 6. A nurse manager is resolving a conflict between two staff members using the
collaboration strategy. What does this involve?
A. One party yields to the other to maintain peace
B. Both parties agree to a win-win solution that meets everyone’s needs
C. Ignoring the conflict until it resolves itself
D. Both parties give up something to reach a middle ground
Answer: B
Rationale: Collaboration is a win-win approach where both parties work together to find a
solution that satisfies all concerns.
7. What is the primary purpose of an incident report in a healthcare setting?
A. To provide a basis for disciplining the staff involved
B. To identify system failures and improve patient safety
C. To document the event for the patient’s permanent medical record
D. To protect the hospital from legal liability during a lawsuit
Answer: B
Rationale: Incident reports are internal documents used for quality improvement and risk
management to prevent future occurrences.
8. A nurse is preparing to administer medication. Which of the following is a
component of the ‘Five Rights’ of delegation?
A. Right Circumstance
B. Right Documentation
C. Right Room Number
D. Right Insurance
Answer: A
Rationale: The five rights of delegation are Right Task, Right Circumstance, Right Person,
Right Direction/Communication, and Right Supervision/Evaluation.
1. A nurse is delegating tasks to an assistive personnel (AP). Which of the
following tasks is appropriate for the nurse to delegate?
A. Performing a sterile dressing change on a post-operative wound
B. Evaluating a patient’s response to pain medication
C. Ambulating a stable patient who is 2 days post-operative
D. Providing discharge teaching to a patient leaving the hospital
Answer: C
Rationale: Ambulating a stable patient falls within the scope of practice for AP. Tasks
involving assessment, evaluation, sterile procedures, and teaching must be performed by
the RN.
2. A nurse leader is using transformational leadership. Which characteristic best
describes this style?
A. Focusing on immediate problems and maintaining the status quo
B. Offering rewards to staff in exchange for meeting productivity goals
C. Empowering followers to reach their full potential and share a vision
D. Making all decisions independently without staff input
Answer: C
Rationale: Transformational leadership focuses on vision, inspiration, and empowering
staff to improve and innovate.
,3. Which ethical principle is a nurse demonstrating when they respect a
patient’s decision to refuse chemotherapy?
A. Beneficence
B. Nonmaleficence
C. Justice
D. Autonomy
Answer: D
Rationale: Autonomy refers to the right of the individual to make their own decisions
regarding their healthcare.
4. A nurse is caring for four patients. Which patient should the nurse assess
first?
A. A patient with a pulse oximetry reading of 88% on room air
B. A patient reporting a pain level of 6 out of 10
C. A patient who needs a dressing change for a stage 2 pressure injury
D. A patient scheduled for physical therapy in 30 minutes
Answer: A
Rationale: Using the ABC (Airway, Breathing, Circulation) framework, the patient with low
oxygen saturation (Breathing) is the highest priority.
5. A nurse is reviewing the hospital’s quality improvement process. What is the
first step in the PDSA cycle?
A. Do
B. Study
C. Act
D. Plan
Answer: D
Rationale: The PDSA cycle stands for Plan, Do, Study, Act. Planning the change is the first
step.
, 6. A nurse manager is resolving a conflict between two staff members using the
collaboration strategy. What does this involve?
A. One party yields to the other to maintain peace
B. Both parties agree to a win-win solution that meets everyone’s needs
C. Ignoring the conflict until it resolves itself
D. Both parties give up something to reach a middle ground
Answer: B
Rationale: Collaboration is a win-win approach where both parties work together to find a
solution that satisfies all concerns.
7. What is the primary purpose of an incident report in a healthcare setting?
A. To provide a basis for disciplining the staff involved
B. To identify system failures and improve patient safety
C. To document the event for the patient’s permanent medical record
D. To protect the hospital from legal liability during a lawsuit
Answer: B
Rationale: Incident reports are internal documents used for quality improvement and risk
management to prevent future occurrences.
8. A nurse is preparing to administer medication. Which of the following is a
component of the ‘Five Rights’ of delegation?
A. Right Circumstance
B. Right Documentation
C. Right Room Number
D. Right Insurance
Answer: A
Rationale: The five rights of delegation are Right Task, Right Circumstance, Right Person,
Right Direction/Communication, and Right Supervision/Evaluation.
