NR 452 Capstone Course Practice Exam 2026 |Chamberlain College
1. A nurse is caring for a group of patients on a medical-surgical unit. Which
patient should the nurse assess first?
A. A patient with a history of heart failure who has 2+ pitting edema in the lower extremities.
B. A patient who is 2 days postoperative and reports a pain level of 6 out of 10.
C. A patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and an oxygen saturation of 91%.
D. A patient who is experiencing sudden onset of confusion and restlessness.
Answer: D
Rationale: Sudden confusion and restlessness are early signs of hypoxia or neurological
distress, requiring immediate assessment (Airway/Breathing/Circulation). The other
patients are stable or expected for their conditions.
2. Which task is most appropriate for the nurse to delegate to an unlicensed
assistive personnel (UAP)?
A. Assisting a stable patient with ambulation for the first time after surgery.
B. Providing discharge instructions to a patient going home.
C. Assessing the skin integrity of a patient with a stage 2 pressure injury.
D. Recording the intake and output of a patient with a fluid restriction.
Answer: D
Rationale: UAPs can perform routine tasks such as measuring and recording intake and
output. Tasks involving assessment, teaching, or clinical judgment (like first-time
ambulation) must be performed by the RN.
,3. A nurse is preparing to administer a medication and realizes the dosage is
higher than the recommended range. What is the nurse’s first action?
A. Administer the medication as prescribed by the provider.
B. Call the pharmacist to verify the dosage range.
C. Give the standard recommended dose instead of the ordered dose.
D. Contact the healthcare provider to clarify the order.
Answer: D
Rationale: The nurse is responsible for medication safety. If an order is questioned, the
nurse must clarify it with the prescribing provider before administration.
4. The nurse is using the SBAR communication tool. Which information belongs
in the ‘Background’ section?
A. The patient’s current vital signs and oxygen saturation.
B. The nurse’s recommendation for a change in the treatment plan.
C. The patient’s medical history and reason for admission.
D. A brief statement of the problem currently occurring.
Answer: C
Rationale: The Background (B) in SBAR includes pertinent medical history, admitting
diagnosis, and relevant clinical context.
5. Which ethical principle is the nurse upholding when supporting a patient’s
decision to refuse life-saving treatment?
A. Beneficence
B. Non-maleficence
C. Autonomy
D. Justice
Answer: C
Rationale: Autonomy refers to the patient’s right to make their own healthcare decisions,
even if the nurse disagrees.
, 6. A nurse is leading a team meeting and encourages input from all members to
reach a consensus. Which leadership style is being demonstrated?
A. Democratic
B. Autocratic
C. Laissez-faire
D. Transactional
Answer: A
Rationale: Democratic leadership involves group participation and consensus-building in
decision-making.
7. Which of the following is a primary goal of a Root Cause Analysis (RCA)?
A. To assign blame to the individual responsible for an error.
B. To document the incident for legal defense only.
C. To punish staff members involved in a medication error.
D. To identify system failures that led to a sentinel event.
Answer: D
Rationale: RCA focuses on identifying underlying system problems to prevent future
errors, rather than blaming individuals.
8. A patient’s family member asks to see the patient’s medical record. What is
the nurse’s best response?
A. ‘You may look at it since you are the next of kin.’
B. ‘I can give you a summary of the record if you’d like.’
C. ‘The patient must provide written authorization for you to access the record.’
D. ‘You need to ask the doctor for permission to see the chart.’
Answer: C
Rationale: HIPAA regulations require patient authorization for third parties, including
family, to access private health information.
1. A nurse is caring for a group of patients on a medical-surgical unit. Which
patient should the nurse assess first?
A. A patient with a history of heart failure who has 2+ pitting edema in the lower extremities.
B. A patient who is 2 days postoperative and reports a pain level of 6 out of 10.
C. A patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and an oxygen saturation of 91%.
D. A patient who is experiencing sudden onset of confusion and restlessness.
Answer: D
Rationale: Sudden confusion and restlessness are early signs of hypoxia or neurological
distress, requiring immediate assessment (Airway/Breathing/Circulation). The other
patients are stable or expected for their conditions.
2. Which task is most appropriate for the nurse to delegate to an unlicensed
assistive personnel (UAP)?
A. Assisting a stable patient with ambulation for the first time after surgery.
B. Providing discharge instructions to a patient going home.
C. Assessing the skin integrity of a patient with a stage 2 pressure injury.
D. Recording the intake and output of a patient with a fluid restriction.
Answer: D
Rationale: UAPs can perform routine tasks such as measuring and recording intake and
output. Tasks involving assessment, teaching, or clinical judgment (like first-time
ambulation) must be performed by the RN.
,3. A nurse is preparing to administer a medication and realizes the dosage is
higher than the recommended range. What is the nurse’s first action?
A. Administer the medication as prescribed by the provider.
B. Call the pharmacist to verify the dosage range.
C. Give the standard recommended dose instead of the ordered dose.
D. Contact the healthcare provider to clarify the order.
Answer: D
Rationale: The nurse is responsible for medication safety. If an order is questioned, the
nurse must clarify it with the prescribing provider before administration.
4. The nurse is using the SBAR communication tool. Which information belongs
in the ‘Background’ section?
A. The patient’s current vital signs and oxygen saturation.
B. The nurse’s recommendation for a change in the treatment plan.
C. The patient’s medical history and reason for admission.
D. A brief statement of the problem currently occurring.
Answer: C
Rationale: The Background (B) in SBAR includes pertinent medical history, admitting
diagnosis, and relevant clinical context.
5. Which ethical principle is the nurse upholding when supporting a patient’s
decision to refuse life-saving treatment?
A. Beneficence
B. Non-maleficence
C. Autonomy
D. Justice
Answer: C
Rationale: Autonomy refers to the patient’s right to make their own healthcare decisions,
even if the nurse disagrees.
, 6. A nurse is leading a team meeting and encourages input from all members to
reach a consensus. Which leadership style is being demonstrated?
A. Democratic
B. Autocratic
C. Laissez-faire
D. Transactional
Answer: A
Rationale: Democratic leadership involves group participation and consensus-building in
decision-making.
7. Which of the following is a primary goal of a Root Cause Analysis (RCA)?
A. To assign blame to the individual responsible for an error.
B. To document the incident for legal defense only.
C. To punish staff members involved in a medication error.
D. To identify system failures that led to a sentinel event.
Answer: D
Rationale: RCA focuses on identifying underlying system problems to prevent future
errors, rather than blaming individuals.
8. A patient’s family member asks to see the patient’s medical record. What is
the nurse’s best response?
A. ‘You may look at it since you are the next of kin.’
B. ‘I can give you a summary of the record if you’d like.’
C. ‘The patient must provide written authorization for you to access the record.’
D. ‘You need to ask the doctor for permission to see the chart.’
Answer: C
Rationale: HIPAA regulations require patient authorization for third parties, including
family, to access private health information.
