NUR 2804C Giddens Module 2 Quiz: Functional Ability Questions and
Correct Answers | 2026 Update | 100% Correct | Valencia College.
Functional Ability Concepts
Question 1
The nurse is assessing a patient's functional ability. Which patient best demonstrates the
definition of functional ability?
A. Considers self as a healthy individual; uses cane for stability
B. College educated; travels frequently; can balance a checkbook
C. Works out daily, reads well, cooks, and cleans house on the weekends
D. Healthy individual, volunteers at church, works part time, takes care of family and
house
Answer: D
Rationale: Functional ability refers to the individual's ability to perform normal daily
activities required to meet basic needs, fulfill usual roles in the family, workplace, and
community, and maintain health and well-being. Option D best meets all these criteria.
While the other options describe positive attributes, each describes only one aspect of
functioning rather than the comprehensive definition of functional ability.
Question 2
The nurse is assessing a patient's functional performance. What assessment parameters
will be most important in this assessment?
A. Continence assessment, gait assessment, feeding assessment, dressing assessment,
transfer assessment
B. Height, weight, body mass index (BMI), vital signs assessment
C. Sleep assessment, energy assessment, memory assessment, concentration assessment
D. Health and well-being, amount of community volunteer time, working outside the
home
,Answer: A
Rationale: Functional impairment, disability, or handicap refers to varying degrees of an
individual's inability to perform the tasks required to complete normal life activities
without assistance. Assessment of functional performance should include continence,
gait, feeding, dressing, and transfer abilities. Height, weight, BMI, and vital signs are part
of physical assessment, not functional performance. Sleep, energy, memory, and
concentration relate to depression screening.
Question 3
The nurse is assessing a patient with a mobility dysfunction and wants to gain insight
into the patient's functional ability. What question would be the most appropriate?
A. "Are you able to shop for yourself?"
B. "Do you use a cane, walker, or wheelchair to ambulate?"
C. "Do you know what today's date is?"
D. "Were you sad or depressed more than once in the last 3 days?"
Answer: B
Rationale: "Do you use a cane, walker, or wheelchair to ambulate?" assists the nurse in
determining the patient's ability to perform self-care activities and mobility status. This
question directly addresses the patient's functional ability. Knowing the date is part of a
mental status exam. Assessing sadness is a question for depression screening. Shopping
ability relates to instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs).
Question 4
The nurse is developing an interdisciplinary plan of care using the Roper-Logan-Tierney
Model of Nursing for a patient who is currently unconscious. Which interventions would
be most critical to developing a plan of care for this patient?
A. Eating and drinking, personal cleansing and dressing, working and playing
B. Toileting, transferring, dressing, and bathing activities
C. Sleeping, expressing sexuality, socializing with peers
D. Maintaining a safe environment, breathing, maintaining temperature
,Answer: D
Rationale: The most critical aspects of care for an unconscious patient are maintaining a
safe environment, breathing, and temperature regulation. These are basic physiological
needs that must be addressed immediately. Eating and drinking are contraindicated in
unconscious patients. Toileting, transferring, dressing, and bathing activities are basic
activities of daily living (BADLs) but are not the most critical priorities for an unconscious
patient.
Question 5
The home care nurse is trying to determine the necessary services for a 65-year-old
patient who was admitted to the home care service after left knee replacement. Which
tool is the best for the nurse to utilize?
A. Minimum Data Set (MDS)
B. Functional Status Scale (FSS)
C. 24-Hour Functional Ability Questionnaire (24hFAQ)
D. The Edmonton Functional Assessment Tool
Answer: C
Rationale: The 24-Hour Functional Ability Questionnaire (24hFAQ) assesses the
postoperative patient in the home setting and is specifically designed for this
population. The Minimum Data Set (MDS) is for nursing home patients. The Functional
Status Scale (FSS) is for children. The Edmonton Functional Assessment Tool is for
cancer patients.
Question 6
The nurse is assessing a patient's functional abilities and asks the patient, "How would
you rate your ability to prepare a balanced meal?" "How would you rate your ability to
balance a checkbook?" "How would you rate your ability to keep track of your
appointments?" Which tool would be indicated for the best results of this patient's
perception of their abilities?
A. Functional Activities Questionnaire (FAQ)™
B. Mini Mental Status Exam (MMSE)
, C. 24hFAQ
D. Performance-based functional measurement
Answer: A
Rationale: The Functional Activities Questionnaire (FAQ) is an example of a self-report
tool that provides information about the patient's perception of functional ability. The
MMSE assesses cognitive impairment. The 24hFAQ is used to assess functional ability in
postoperative patients. Performance-based tools involve actual observation of a
standardized task.
Question 7
A 65-year-old female patient has been admitted to the medical/surgical unit. The nurse
is assessing the patient's risk for falls. Select all the risk factors that apply. (Select all that
apply.)
A. Being a woman
B. Taking more than six medications
C. Having hypertension
D. Having cataracts
E. Muscle strength 3/5 bilaterally
F. Incontinence
Answer: B, D, E, F
Rationale: Adverse effects of medications can contribute to falls. Cataracts impair vision,
which is a risk factor for falls. Poor muscle strength (3/5) is a risk factor for falls.
Incontinence of urine or stool increases risk for falls. Men have a higher risk for falls than
women. Hypertension itself does not contribute to falls, though medications to treat
hypertension that may lead to hypotension and dizziness are a fall risk.
Question 8
Instruments such as the Functional Activities Questionnaire (FAQ), Minimum Data Set
(MDS), Functional Status Scale (FSS), and Edmonton Functional Assessment Tool are
used to assess activities of daily living (ADLs). The nurse needs to remember that a
disadvantage of these instruments includes:
Correct Answers | 2026 Update | 100% Correct | Valencia College.
Functional Ability Concepts
Question 1
The nurse is assessing a patient's functional ability. Which patient best demonstrates the
definition of functional ability?
A. Considers self as a healthy individual; uses cane for stability
B. College educated; travels frequently; can balance a checkbook
C. Works out daily, reads well, cooks, and cleans house on the weekends
D. Healthy individual, volunteers at church, works part time, takes care of family and
house
Answer: D
Rationale: Functional ability refers to the individual's ability to perform normal daily
activities required to meet basic needs, fulfill usual roles in the family, workplace, and
community, and maintain health and well-being. Option D best meets all these criteria.
While the other options describe positive attributes, each describes only one aspect of
functioning rather than the comprehensive definition of functional ability.
Question 2
The nurse is assessing a patient's functional performance. What assessment parameters
will be most important in this assessment?
A. Continence assessment, gait assessment, feeding assessment, dressing assessment,
transfer assessment
B. Height, weight, body mass index (BMI), vital signs assessment
C. Sleep assessment, energy assessment, memory assessment, concentration assessment
D. Health and well-being, amount of community volunteer time, working outside the
home
,Answer: A
Rationale: Functional impairment, disability, or handicap refers to varying degrees of an
individual's inability to perform the tasks required to complete normal life activities
without assistance. Assessment of functional performance should include continence,
gait, feeding, dressing, and transfer abilities. Height, weight, BMI, and vital signs are part
of physical assessment, not functional performance. Sleep, energy, memory, and
concentration relate to depression screening.
Question 3
The nurse is assessing a patient with a mobility dysfunction and wants to gain insight
into the patient's functional ability. What question would be the most appropriate?
A. "Are you able to shop for yourself?"
B. "Do you use a cane, walker, or wheelchair to ambulate?"
C. "Do you know what today's date is?"
D. "Were you sad or depressed more than once in the last 3 days?"
Answer: B
Rationale: "Do you use a cane, walker, or wheelchair to ambulate?" assists the nurse in
determining the patient's ability to perform self-care activities and mobility status. This
question directly addresses the patient's functional ability. Knowing the date is part of a
mental status exam. Assessing sadness is a question for depression screening. Shopping
ability relates to instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs).
Question 4
The nurse is developing an interdisciplinary plan of care using the Roper-Logan-Tierney
Model of Nursing for a patient who is currently unconscious. Which interventions would
be most critical to developing a plan of care for this patient?
A. Eating and drinking, personal cleansing and dressing, working and playing
B. Toileting, transferring, dressing, and bathing activities
C. Sleeping, expressing sexuality, socializing with peers
D. Maintaining a safe environment, breathing, maintaining temperature
,Answer: D
Rationale: The most critical aspects of care for an unconscious patient are maintaining a
safe environment, breathing, and temperature regulation. These are basic physiological
needs that must be addressed immediately. Eating and drinking are contraindicated in
unconscious patients. Toileting, transferring, dressing, and bathing activities are basic
activities of daily living (BADLs) but are not the most critical priorities for an unconscious
patient.
Question 5
The home care nurse is trying to determine the necessary services for a 65-year-old
patient who was admitted to the home care service after left knee replacement. Which
tool is the best for the nurse to utilize?
A. Minimum Data Set (MDS)
B. Functional Status Scale (FSS)
C. 24-Hour Functional Ability Questionnaire (24hFAQ)
D. The Edmonton Functional Assessment Tool
Answer: C
Rationale: The 24-Hour Functional Ability Questionnaire (24hFAQ) assesses the
postoperative patient in the home setting and is specifically designed for this
population. The Minimum Data Set (MDS) is for nursing home patients. The Functional
Status Scale (FSS) is for children. The Edmonton Functional Assessment Tool is for
cancer patients.
Question 6
The nurse is assessing a patient's functional abilities and asks the patient, "How would
you rate your ability to prepare a balanced meal?" "How would you rate your ability to
balance a checkbook?" "How would you rate your ability to keep track of your
appointments?" Which tool would be indicated for the best results of this patient's
perception of their abilities?
A. Functional Activities Questionnaire (FAQ)™
B. Mini Mental Status Exam (MMSE)
, C. 24hFAQ
D. Performance-based functional measurement
Answer: A
Rationale: The Functional Activities Questionnaire (FAQ) is an example of a self-report
tool that provides information about the patient's perception of functional ability. The
MMSE assesses cognitive impairment. The 24hFAQ is used to assess functional ability in
postoperative patients. Performance-based tools involve actual observation of a
standardized task.
Question 7
A 65-year-old female patient has been admitted to the medical/surgical unit. The nurse
is assessing the patient's risk for falls. Select all the risk factors that apply. (Select all that
apply.)
A. Being a woman
B. Taking more than six medications
C. Having hypertension
D. Having cataracts
E. Muscle strength 3/5 bilaterally
F. Incontinence
Answer: B, D, E, F
Rationale: Adverse effects of medications can contribute to falls. Cataracts impair vision,
which is a risk factor for falls. Poor muscle strength (3/5) is a risk factor for falls.
Incontinence of urine or stool increases risk for falls. Men have a higher risk for falls than
women. Hypertension itself does not contribute to falls, though medications to treat
hypertension that may lead to hypotension and dizziness are a fall risk.
Question 8
Instruments such as the Functional Activities Questionnaire (FAQ), Minimum Data Set
(MDS), Functional Status Scale (FSS), and Edmonton Functional Assessment Tool are
used to assess activities of daily living (ADLs). The nurse needs to remember that a
disadvantage of these instruments includes:
