NUR 633 Exam 1 Study Guide Advanced
Pathophysiology – Spring / Summer 2026 |100%
Correct Board-Style Questions with Detailed
Rationales Latest Update
Exam Blueprint & High-Yield Topics
Exam #1 covers Foundational Concepts (Chapters 1–4 of McCance & Huether):
Cellular Adaptation & Injury
Genetics & Inheritance Patterns
Inflammation & Tissue Repair
Immunity (Innate vs. Adaptive)
Hypersensitivity Reactions & Autoimmunity
HIV / AIDS Pathophysiology
Skin Integrity & Disorders
Health, Disease & Prevention Levels
Section 1: Concepts of Health, Disease & Prevention
Q1: A nurse is teaching a community group about the difference between health
and disease. Which statement by a participant indicates correct understanding?
A) "Health is merely the absence of disease or illness."
B) "Disease is an objective, measurable pathophysiologic process, while health is a
subjective state of well-being."
C) "If a person has no symptoms, they are always healthy."
D) "Health and disease are mutually exclusive states."
✅ Answer: B
Rationale: Disease is an objective alteration in structure or function (e.g., lab
values, imaging). Health is a multidimensional, subjective experience that includes
physical, mental, and social well-being. The World Health Organization defines
health as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, not merely
the absence of disease.”(2) Option A is the outdated biomedical model. Option C
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,is false because subclinical disease (e.g., hypertension) can exist without
symptoms. Option D is false because people with chronic illness can still
experience periods of good health.
Q2: The nurse explains the three levels of prevention to a patient newly
diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Which intervention represents tertiary
prevention?
A) Administering an annual influenza vaccine
B) Teaching a patient with obesity about portion control and exercise
C) Performing annual mammography screening for breast cancer
D) Prescribing an ACE inhibitor to prevent diabetic nephropathy in a patient with
microalbuminuria
✅ Answer: D
Rationale: Tertiary prevention aims to reduce the impact of an already
established disease by preventing complications, slowing progression, and
improving quality of life. Prescribing an ACE inhibitor to prevent diabetic
nephropathy in a patient with existing diabetes is tertiary prevention. Option A
(influenza vaccine) is primary prevention (preventing disease before it occurs).
Option B (teaching about portion control in an obese but non-diabetic patient) is
also primary prevention (preventing development of diabetes). Option C
(mammography) is secondary prevention (early detection of disease in
asymptomatic individuals).
Q3: The nurse identifies that which of the following best describes the
relationship between etiology and pathogenesis?
A) Etiology is the natural history of a disease; pathogenesis is the predicted
outcome.
B) Etiology is the cause of a disease; pathogenesis is the mechanism by which the
disease develops.
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,C) Etiology is the clinical manifestations; pathogenesis is the treatment plan.
D) Etiology and pathogenesis are interchangeable terms.
✅ Answer: B
Rationale: Etiology refers to the causative agent or factor (e.g., bacteria, genetic
mutation, trauma) that initiates a disease process. Pathogenesis describes the
sequence of events and mechanisms by which the etiologic agent produces
cellular injury, tissue changes, and eventually clinical manifestations.
Epidemiology studies the distribution and determinants of disease, not
pathogenesis.
Q4: A community health nurse is designing a program to reduce the incidence of
type 2 diabetes. Which level of prevention is being implemented?
A) Primary prevention
B) Secondary prevention
C) Tertiary prevention
D) Quaternary prevention
✅ Answer: A
Rationale: Primary prevention aims to prevent disease before it ever occurs by
reducing risk factors and promoting healthy behaviors. Reducing the incidence
(new cases) of type 2 diabetes through a community program (e.g., promoting
physical activity, healthy eating) is primary prevention. Secondary prevention
focuses on early detection (e.g., screening for prediabetes). Tertiary prevention
focuses on managing established disease to prevent complications.
Q5: A 75-year-old patient with hypertension and osteoarthritis reports feeling
healthy despite chronic conditions. How should the nurse interpret this
statement?
A) The patient lacks insight into their medical conditions.
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, B) Health is a subjective state that can coexist with chronic disease.
C) The patient may have undiagnosed depression.
D) The patient is denying disease-related symptoms.
✅ Answer: B
Rationale: Health is a multidimensional, subjective experience that includes
physical, mental, and social well-being. Many individuals with well-managed
chronic conditions perceive themselves as healthy despite having objective
disease. This is consistent with a holistic model of health. The WHO definition
supports this understanding. Options A, C, and D assume that chronic illness
precludes health, which is inaccurate.
Q6: A patient newly diagnosed with hypertension asks, “Why did I get this
disease?” The nurse explains that most chronic diseases are caused by:
A) A single, identifiable genetic mutation
B) An interplay between genetic predisposition and environmental triggers
(multifactorial etiology)
C) Purely lifestyle choices without any genetic component
D) Random chance without identifiable risk factors
✅ Answer: B
Rationale: Most chronic diseases (hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, many
cancers) have a multifactorial etiology, meaning they result from an interaction
between genetic susceptibility (predisposition) and environmental/lifestyle
triggers (diet, exercise, stress, smoking, etc.). This is sometimes called the “nature
plus nurture” model. Option A describes Mendelian (single-gene) disorders, which
are rare. Option C ignores the known genetic contribution to most chronic
diseases. Option D is false; chronic diseases have identifiable risk factors.
Section 2: Cellular Adaptation, Injury & Maladaptive Changes
4|Page
Pathophysiology – Spring / Summer 2026 |100%
Correct Board-Style Questions with Detailed
Rationales Latest Update
Exam Blueprint & High-Yield Topics
Exam #1 covers Foundational Concepts (Chapters 1–4 of McCance & Huether):
Cellular Adaptation & Injury
Genetics & Inheritance Patterns
Inflammation & Tissue Repair
Immunity (Innate vs. Adaptive)
Hypersensitivity Reactions & Autoimmunity
HIV / AIDS Pathophysiology
Skin Integrity & Disorders
Health, Disease & Prevention Levels
Section 1: Concepts of Health, Disease & Prevention
Q1: A nurse is teaching a community group about the difference between health
and disease. Which statement by a participant indicates correct understanding?
A) "Health is merely the absence of disease or illness."
B) "Disease is an objective, measurable pathophysiologic process, while health is a
subjective state of well-being."
C) "If a person has no symptoms, they are always healthy."
D) "Health and disease are mutually exclusive states."
✅ Answer: B
Rationale: Disease is an objective alteration in structure or function (e.g., lab
values, imaging). Health is a multidimensional, subjective experience that includes
physical, mental, and social well-being. The World Health Organization defines
health as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, not merely
the absence of disease.”(2) Option A is the outdated biomedical model. Option C
1|Page
,is false because subclinical disease (e.g., hypertension) can exist without
symptoms. Option D is false because people with chronic illness can still
experience periods of good health.
Q2: The nurse explains the three levels of prevention to a patient newly
diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Which intervention represents tertiary
prevention?
A) Administering an annual influenza vaccine
B) Teaching a patient with obesity about portion control and exercise
C) Performing annual mammography screening for breast cancer
D) Prescribing an ACE inhibitor to prevent diabetic nephropathy in a patient with
microalbuminuria
✅ Answer: D
Rationale: Tertiary prevention aims to reduce the impact of an already
established disease by preventing complications, slowing progression, and
improving quality of life. Prescribing an ACE inhibitor to prevent diabetic
nephropathy in a patient with existing diabetes is tertiary prevention. Option A
(influenza vaccine) is primary prevention (preventing disease before it occurs).
Option B (teaching about portion control in an obese but non-diabetic patient) is
also primary prevention (preventing development of diabetes). Option C
(mammography) is secondary prevention (early detection of disease in
asymptomatic individuals).
Q3: The nurse identifies that which of the following best describes the
relationship between etiology and pathogenesis?
A) Etiology is the natural history of a disease; pathogenesis is the predicted
outcome.
B) Etiology is the cause of a disease; pathogenesis is the mechanism by which the
disease develops.
2|Page
,C) Etiology is the clinical manifestations; pathogenesis is the treatment plan.
D) Etiology and pathogenesis are interchangeable terms.
✅ Answer: B
Rationale: Etiology refers to the causative agent or factor (e.g., bacteria, genetic
mutation, trauma) that initiates a disease process. Pathogenesis describes the
sequence of events and mechanisms by which the etiologic agent produces
cellular injury, tissue changes, and eventually clinical manifestations.
Epidemiology studies the distribution and determinants of disease, not
pathogenesis.
Q4: A community health nurse is designing a program to reduce the incidence of
type 2 diabetes. Which level of prevention is being implemented?
A) Primary prevention
B) Secondary prevention
C) Tertiary prevention
D) Quaternary prevention
✅ Answer: A
Rationale: Primary prevention aims to prevent disease before it ever occurs by
reducing risk factors and promoting healthy behaviors. Reducing the incidence
(new cases) of type 2 diabetes through a community program (e.g., promoting
physical activity, healthy eating) is primary prevention. Secondary prevention
focuses on early detection (e.g., screening for prediabetes). Tertiary prevention
focuses on managing established disease to prevent complications.
Q5: A 75-year-old patient with hypertension and osteoarthritis reports feeling
healthy despite chronic conditions. How should the nurse interpret this
statement?
A) The patient lacks insight into their medical conditions.
3|Page
, B) Health is a subjective state that can coexist with chronic disease.
C) The patient may have undiagnosed depression.
D) The patient is denying disease-related symptoms.
✅ Answer: B
Rationale: Health is a multidimensional, subjective experience that includes
physical, mental, and social well-being. Many individuals with well-managed
chronic conditions perceive themselves as healthy despite having objective
disease. This is consistent with a holistic model of health. The WHO definition
supports this understanding. Options A, C, and D assume that chronic illness
precludes health, which is inaccurate.
Q6: A patient newly diagnosed with hypertension asks, “Why did I get this
disease?” The nurse explains that most chronic diseases are caused by:
A) A single, identifiable genetic mutation
B) An interplay between genetic predisposition and environmental triggers
(multifactorial etiology)
C) Purely lifestyle choices without any genetic component
D) Random chance without identifiable risk factors
✅ Answer: B
Rationale: Most chronic diseases (hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, many
cancers) have a multifactorial etiology, meaning they result from an interaction
between genetic susceptibility (predisposition) and environmental/lifestyle
triggers (diet, exercise, stress, smoking, etc.). This is sometimes called the “nature
plus nurture” model. Option A describes Mendelian (single-gene) disorders, which
are rare. Option C ignores the known genetic contribution to most chronic
diseases. Option D is false; chronic diseases have identifiable risk factors.
Section 2: Cellular Adaptation, Injury & Maladaptive Changes
4|Page
