KENTUCKY BOARD OF NURSING (KBN) EXAM– QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS | VERIFIED AND WELL DETAILED ANSWERS
PLUS RATIONALES | GUARANTEED PASS | LATEST EXAM
UPDATE | EXAM PREP | STUDY GUIDE | PRACTICE TEST |
DOWNLOAD INSTANT PDF
1. A registered nurse working in a Louisville acute care facility identifies a significant
discrepancy in the narcotic count for a patient care unit. Under Kentucky Board of
Nursing standards and institutional protocols, what is the nurse's immediate
responsibility?
A. Ignore the discrepancy and assume it will resolve at the end of the shift
B. Document the discrepancy objectively, notify the charge nurse and pharmacy
department immediately, and participate in the required internal investigation
C. Blame the incoming shift nurse publicly during huddle
D. Adjust the computer inventory numbers independently to make the count match
Controlled substance discrepancies represent potential diversion or documentation errors.
Immediate reporting and collaborative investigation are legally and professionally mandated
to maintain accountability.
2. A registered nurse is caring for an adult patient who is competent and decides to
terminate treatment and leave the hospital against medical advice. The nurse detains the
patient in the doorway by physically blocking their exit without an order or legal hold.
What tort has the nurse committed?
A. False imprisonment and battery
B. Authorized clinical discharge excellence
C. Standard emergency intervention
D. Contractual agreement fulfillment
Physically blocking a competent patient from leaving a healthcare facility without legal
authority or an involuntary commitment order constitutes false imprisonment and tortious
battery.
3. A nurse manager is implementing a safety improvement plan after a near-miss
medication error. Which leadership approach best fosters a proactive safety culture?
,A. Disciplining all staff members involved regardless of system factors
B. Conducting a blame-free multidisciplinary analysis of workflow vulnerabilities and
implementing redundant safety checks
C. Eliminating all incident reporting to hide errors from administration
D. Requiring nurses to work mandatory overtime shifts without breaks
: Proactive safety cultures utilize root cause analyses and system-level improvements rather
than punitive blame, addressing latent workflow flaws to protect future patients.
4. A registered nurse is supervising a licensed practical nurse (LPN) who is administering
an intradermal purified protein derivative (PPD) skin test for tuberculosis screening. Is
this delegation and assignment appropriate?
A. Yes, administering intradermal skin tests is within the educational preparation and
statutory scope of practice for qualified LPNs under supervision
B. No, LPNs are legally prohibited from touching needles
C. Yes, but only physicians can give skin tests
D. No, tuberculosis screening can only be performed outdoors
Intradermal injections such as PPD skin tests are standard technical nursing procedures that
fall within the scope of practice and competency of qualified LPNs under supervision.
5. A registered nurse is reviewing the legal requirements for reporting professional
negligence or malpractice. Which element must be established to prove nursing
malpractice in a civil lawsuit?
A. Duty owed, breach of duty, foreseeability, causation, and actual injury or damages
B. The nurse's favorite color and hobbies
C. Hospital decorating choices and paint colors
D. Commercial advertising success rates
Proving professional malpractice requires establishing that a legal duty of care existed, the
nurse breached that duty, the breach caused harm, and actual damages resulted.
6. A nurse is caring for an adult patient who refuses to take prescribed oral medications.
The nurse crushes the medications and mixes them secretly into the patient's food without
their knowledge or consent. What civil tort and ethical violation has occurred?
,A. Battery and violation of patient autonomy and informed consent
B. Standard psychiatric nursing care
C. Authorized dietary enhancement
D. Contractual agreement fulfillment
Administering medications covertly or deceiving a competent patient into consuming
treatment without informed consent constitutes civil battery and a severe breach of ethical
autonomy.
7. A nurse manager is investigating an incident where a nurse failed to report a critical
laboratory panic value to the attending physician, resulting in delayed patient
resuscitation. What legal standard was breached?
A. The professional standard of care requiring timely communication of critical clinical
data to providers
B. Commercial real estate leasing laws
C. Hospital interior design regulations
D. Pharmaceutical manufacturing standards
Failing to communicate critical lab panic values breaches the professional standard of care,
establishing negligence when delayed intervention leads to patient injury.
8. A registered nurse is floating to an emergency department and is assigned a patient with
acute trauma. The nurse has never worked in emergency nursing. What is the nurse's
professional responsibility?
A. Refuse the assignment blindly and walk off the job site without notifying anyone
B. Communicate limitations in emergency nursing competency to the charge nurse,
request orientation or an adjusted safe assignment, and utilize institutional chain of
command protocols
C. Guess trauma surgical procedures blindly
D. Ask the patient to treat themselves
Float nurses must communicate specialized competency gaps, advocate for safe patient
assignments, and utilize organizational chain of command pathways to ensure patient safety.
, 9. A nurse is reviewing the legal requirements for executing a valid durable power of
attorney for healthcare in Kentucky. What is the primary role of a healthcare proxy
(surrogate)?
A. To manage the patient's commercial stock market investments after retirement
B. To make medical treatment and healthcare decisions on behalf of the patient only when
the patient loses decision-making capacity
C. To select interior paint colors for hospital rooms
D. To act as a legal prosecuting attorney in criminal court trials
A durable power of attorney for healthcare designates a surrogate decision-maker who is
legally authorized to make medical choices when the patient becomes incapacitated.
10. A registered nurse is supervising an unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) who is
performing routine hygiene care on an immobile patient. The UAP notices a suspicious
skin redness over the heels and reports it. What is the RN's responsibility?
A. Ignore the report and assume heels heal themselves
B. Perform an independent RN skin assessment, document the findings, notify the
provider if necessary, and initiate pressure injury prevention measures
C. Ask the UAP to perform surgical skin grafting independently
D. Blame the patient for resting in bed
Skin assessment and prevention planning require professional registered nurse evaluation.
The RN must assess the finding, document it, and implement appropriate care interventions.
11. A nurse is caring for an adult patient who is competent and expresses a desire to receive
experimental cancer therapy. The patient signs an informed consent form detailing all
known risks and benefits. What ethical principle is primarily upheld by obtaining informed
consent?
A. Autonomy
B. Paternalism
C. Abandonment
D. Maleficence
AND ANSWERS | VERIFIED AND WELL DETAILED ANSWERS
PLUS RATIONALES | GUARANTEED PASS | LATEST EXAM
UPDATE | EXAM PREP | STUDY GUIDE | PRACTICE TEST |
DOWNLOAD INSTANT PDF
1. A registered nurse working in a Louisville acute care facility identifies a significant
discrepancy in the narcotic count for a patient care unit. Under Kentucky Board of
Nursing standards and institutional protocols, what is the nurse's immediate
responsibility?
A. Ignore the discrepancy and assume it will resolve at the end of the shift
B. Document the discrepancy objectively, notify the charge nurse and pharmacy
department immediately, and participate in the required internal investigation
C. Blame the incoming shift nurse publicly during huddle
D. Adjust the computer inventory numbers independently to make the count match
Controlled substance discrepancies represent potential diversion or documentation errors.
Immediate reporting and collaborative investigation are legally and professionally mandated
to maintain accountability.
2. A registered nurse is caring for an adult patient who is competent and decides to
terminate treatment and leave the hospital against medical advice. The nurse detains the
patient in the doorway by physically blocking their exit without an order or legal hold.
What tort has the nurse committed?
A. False imprisonment and battery
B. Authorized clinical discharge excellence
C. Standard emergency intervention
D. Contractual agreement fulfillment
Physically blocking a competent patient from leaving a healthcare facility without legal
authority or an involuntary commitment order constitutes false imprisonment and tortious
battery.
3. A nurse manager is implementing a safety improvement plan after a near-miss
medication error. Which leadership approach best fosters a proactive safety culture?
,A. Disciplining all staff members involved regardless of system factors
B. Conducting a blame-free multidisciplinary analysis of workflow vulnerabilities and
implementing redundant safety checks
C. Eliminating all incident reporting to hide errors from administration
D. Requiring nurses to work mandatory overtime shifts without breaks
: Proactive safety cultures utilize root cause analyses and system-level improvements rather
than punitive blame, addressing latent workflow flaws to protect future patients.
4. A registered nurse is supervising a licensed practical nurse (LPN) who is administering
an intradermal purified protein derivative (PPD) skin test for tuberculosis screening. Is
this delegation and assignment appropriate?
A. Yes, administering intradermal skin tests is within the educational preparation and
statutory scope of practice for qualified LPNs under supervision
B. No, LPNs are legally prohibited from touching needles
C. Yes, but only physicians can give skin tests
D. No, tuberculosis screening can only be performed outdoors
Intradermal injections such as PPD skin tests are standard technical nursing procedures that
fall within the scope of practice and competency of qualified LPNs under supervision.
5. A registered nurse is reviewing the legal requirements for reporting professional
negligence or malpractice. Which element must be established to prove nursing
malpractice in a civil lawsuit?
A. Duty owed, breach of duty, foreseeability, causation, and actual injury or damages
B. The nurse's favorite color and hobbies
C. Hospital decorating choices and paint colors
D. Commercial advertising success rates
Proving professional malpractice requires establishing that a legal duty of care existed, the
nurse breached that duty, the breach caused harm, and actual damages resulted.
6. A nurse is caring for an adult patient who refuses to take prescribed oral medications.
The nurse crushes the medications and mixes them secretly into the patient's food without
their knowledge or consent. What civil tort and ethical violation has occurred?
,A. Battery and violation of patient autonomy and informed consent
B. Standard psychiatric nursing care
C. Authorized dietary enhancement
D. Contractual agreement fulfillment
Administering medications covertly or deceiving a competent patient into consuming
treatment without informed consent constitutes civil battery and a severe breach of ethical
autonomy.
7. A nurse manager is investigating an incident where a nurse failed to report a critical
laboratory panic value to the attending physician, resulting in delayed patient
resuscitation. What legal standard was breached?
A. The professional standard of care requiring timely communication of critical clinical
data to providers
B. Commercial real estate leasing laws
C. Hospital interior design regulations
D. Pharmaceutical manufacturing standards
Failing to communicate critical lab panic values breaches the professional standard of care,
establishing negligence when delayed intervention leads to patient injury.
8. A registered nurse is floating to an emergency department and is assigned a patient with
acute trauma. The nurse has never worked in emergency nursing. What is the nurse's
professional responsibility?
A. Refuse the assignment blindly and walk off the job site without notifying anyone
B. Communicate limitations in emergency nursing competency to the charge nurse,
request orientation or an adjusted safe assignment, and utilize institutional chain of
command protocols
C. Guess trauma surgical procedures blindly
D. Ask the patient to treat themselves
Float nurses must communicate specialized competency gaps, advocate for safe patient
assignments, and utilize organizational chain of command pathways to ensure patient safety.
, 9. A nurse is reviewing the legal requirements for executing a valid durable power of
attorney for healthcare in Kentucky. What is the primary role of a healthcare proxy
(surrogate)?
A. To manage the patient's commercial stock market investments after retirement
B. To make medical treatment and healthcare decisions on behalf of the patient only when
the patient loses decision-making capacity
C. To select interior paint colors for hospital rooms
D. To act as a legal prosecuting attorney in criminal court trials
A durable power of attorney for healthcare designates a surrogate decision-maker who is
legally authorized to make medical choices when the patient becomes incapacitated.
10. A registered nurse is supervising an unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) who is
performing routine hygiene care on an immobile patient. The UAP notices a suspicious
skin redness over the heels and reports it. What is the RN's responsibility?
A. Ignore the report and assume heels heal themselves
B. Perform an independent RN skin assessment, document the findings, notify the
provider if necessary, and initiate pressure injury prevention measures
C. Ask the UAP to perform surgical skin grafting independently
D. Blame the patient for resting in bed
Skin assessment and prevention planning require professional registered nurse evaluation.
The RN must assess the finding, document it, and implement appropriate care interventions.
11. A nurse is caring for an adult patient who is competent and expresses a desire to receive
experimental cancer therapy. The patient signs an informed consent form detailing all
known risks and benefits. What ethical principle is primarily upheld by obtaining informed
consent?
A. Autonomy
B. Paternalism
C. Abandonment
D. Maleficence
