NCLEX-RN Practice Questions For 2026
1. A nurse forgets to administer a client's diuretic and the client experiences
an episode of pulmonary edema. The charge nurse would consider the med-
ication error to constitute negligence because the situation contains which
element?
1. Purposeful failure to perform a health care procedure
2. Unintentional failure to perform a health care procedure
3. Act of substituting a different medication for the one ordered
4. Failure to follow a direct order by a physician: Answer: 2
Rationale: Negligence is the unintentional failure of an individual to perform or not perform an act that a reasonable
person would or would not do in the same or similar circumstances. A purposeful failure to perform a procedure
would be the opposite of negligence, which is unintentional. Substituting a ditterent medication does not fit the
description of the situation in the question. Failure to follow a direct order does not fit the description in the situation
in the question.
Cognitive Level: Applying
Client Need: Management of Care
Integrated Process: Nursing Process: Assessment
Content Area: Fundamentals
Strategy: Two options are opposites, which is a clue that one of them may be correct. Choose unintentional failure to
carry out a procedure over purposeful failure because it matches the definition of negligence.
2. A client asks why a diagnostic test has been ordered and the nurse replies,
"I'm unsure but will find out for you." When the nurse later returns and
provides an explanation, the nurse is acting under which principle?
1. Nonmaleficence
2. Veracity
3. Beneficence
4. Fidelity: 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
,NCLEX-RN Practice Questions For 2026
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.
3. An individual has a seizure while walking down the street. During the
seizure, a nurse from a physician's office is noticed driving past without
stopping to assist. The individual sues the nurse for negligence but fails to
win a judgement for which reason?
1. The nurse had no duty to the individual.
2. The nurse did what most nurses would do in the same circumstance.
3. The nurse did not cause the client's injuries.
4. The nurse was off-duty at the time.: 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 ott-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.
4. An adult female ambulatory care client receiving an oral anticoagulant is giv-
en aspirin for a headache while visiting a neighbor, who is a nurse. The client
subsequently has a bleeding episode because of a drug interaction. The legal
nurse consultant interprets that which necessary elements of malpractice are
missing from this case? Select all that apply.
,NCLEX-RN Practice Questions For 2026
1. Breech of duty
2. Duty owed
3. Injury experienced
4. Causation between nurse's action and injury
5. Intent to cause harm or injury: 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
oflcial 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.
5. A client with cancer has decided to discontinue further treatment. Although
the nurse would like the client to continue treatment, the nurse recognizes
the client is competent and supports the client's decision using which ethical
principle?
1. Justice
2. Fidelity
3. Autonomy
4. Confidentiality: Answer: 3
Rationale: Autonomy refers to the right make one's own decisions, which is the principle supported in this situation.
Justice refers to fairness. Fidelity refers to trust and loyalty. Confidentiality refers to the right to privacy of personal
health information.
Cognitive Level: Understanding
1. A nurse forgets to administer a client's diuretic and the client experiences
an episode of pulmonary edema. The charge nurse would consider the med-
ication error to constitute negligence because the situation contains which
element?
1. Purposeful failure to perform a health care procedure
2. Unintentional failure to perform a health care procedure
3. Act of substituting a different medication for the one ordered
4. Failure to follow a direct order by a physician: Answer: 2
Rationale: Negligence is the unintentional failure of an individual to perform or not perform an act that a reasonable
person would or would not do in the same or similar circumstances. A purposeful failure to perform a procedure
would be the opposite of negligence, which is unintentional. Substituting a ditterent medication does not fit the
description of the situation in the question. Failure to follow a direct order does not fit the description in the situation
in the question.
Cognitive Level: Applying
Client Need: Management of Care
Integrated Process: Nursing Process: Assessment
Content Area: Fundamentals
Strategy: Two options are opposites, which is a clue that one of them may be correct. Choose unintentional failure to
carry out a procedure over purposeful failure because it matches the definition of negligence.
2. A client asks why a diagnostic test has been ordered and the nurse replies,
"I'm unsure but will find out for you." When the nurse later returns and
provides an explanation, the nurse is acting under which principle?
1. Nonmaleficence
2. Veracity
3. Beneficence
4. Fidelity: 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
,NCLEX-RN Practice Questions For 2026
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.
3. An individual has a seizure while walking down the street. During the
seizure, a nurse from a physician's office is noticed driving past without
stopping to assist. The individual sues the nurse for negligence but fails to
win a judgement for which reason?
1. The nurse had no duty to the individual.
2. The nurse did what most nurses would do in the same circumstance.
3. The nurse did not cause the client's injuries.
4. The nurse was off-duty at the time.: 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 ott-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.
4. An adult female ambulatory care client receiving an oral anticoagulant is giv-
en aspirin for a headache while visiting a neighbor, who is a nurse. The client
subsequently has a bleeding episode because of a drug interaction. The legal
nurse consultant interprets that which necessary elements of malpractice are
missing from this case? Select all that apply.
,NCLEX-RN Practice Questions For 2026
1. Breech of duty
2. Duty owed
3. Injury experienced
4. Causation between nurse's action and injury
5. Intent to cause harm or injury: 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
oflcial 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.
5. A client with cancer has decided to discontinue further treatment. Although
the nurse would like the client to continue treatment, the nurse recognizes
the client is competent and supports the client's decision using which ethical
principle?
1. Justice
2. Fidelity
3. Autonomy
4. Confidentiality: Answer: 3
Rationale: Autonomy refers to the right make one's own decisions, which is the principle supported in this situation.
Justice refers to fairness. Fidelity refers to trust and loyalty. Confidentiality refers to the right to privacy of personal
health information.
Cognitive Level: Understanding
