BSN 206 Hallmark Exam Practice
BSN 206 Foundations of Nursing
Fundamentals
Hallmark Exam Practice Test — 150 Questions, correct answers
and rationales
Comprehensive review covering the nursing process, assessment, communication, safety, infection control, ethics,
and foundational nursing concepts.
Instructions: Choose the best answer for each question. An answer key with rationales begins after the final question.
1
, BSN 206 Hallmark Exam Practice
Contents
The Nursing Process & Critical Thinking — Questions 1–15
Health History & Physical Assessment — Questions 16–30
Therapeutic Communication — Questions 31–42
Vital Signs — Questions 43–54
Infection Control & Prevention — Questions 55–66
Documentation & Health Information — Questions 67–74
Legal & Ethical Considerations — Questions 75–84
Nursing Theory & History — Questions 85–92
Patient Safety & Fall Prevention — Questions 93–102
Skin Integrity & Wound Care — Questions 103–112
Hygiene & Activities of Daily Living — Questions 113–120
Nutrition & Elimination — Questions 121–130
Mobility, Body Mechanics & Positioning — Questions 131–138
Perioperative Care Basics — Questions 139–145
Cultural Competence & Diversity in Care — Questions 146–150
2
, BSN 206 Hallmark Exam Practice
The Nursing Process & Critical Thinking
1. Place the steps of the nursing process in correct order: Diagnosis, Planning, Assessment, Implementation, Evaluation.
Which is the correct sequence?
A. Assessment, Diagnosis, Planning, Implementation, Evaluation
B. Diagnosis, Assessment, Planning, Evaluation, Implementation
C. Planning, Assessment, Diagnosis, Implementation, Evaluation
D. Assessment, Planning, Diagnosis, Evaluation, Implementation
2. During which step of the nursing process does the nurse collect subjective and objective data?
A. Assessment
B. Diagnosis
C. Planning
D. Evaluation
3. A nursing diagnosis differs from a medical diagnosis in that it:
A. Focuses on the patient's response to actual or potential health problems
B. Identifies a specific disease process
C. Can only be written by a physician
D. Never changes throughout the care episode
4. Which is an example of a well-written, correctly formatted nursing diagnosis (PES format)?
A. Pneumonia related to bacterial infection
B. Impaired gas exchange related to alveolar-capillary membrane changes as evidenced by dyspnea and SpO2 of 89%
C. Patient needs oxygen
D. Risk for infection related to being sick
5. During the planning phase of the nursing process, the nurse primarily:
A. Establishes measurable, patient-centered goals and expected outcomes
B. Collects vital signs
C. Documents the discharge summary
D. Delegates all tasks to unlicensed personnel
6. Which goal statement is written correctly using SMART criteria?
A. The patient will feel better soon.
B. The patient will ambulate 50 feet in the hallway with a walker by discharge on post-op day 3.
C. The nurse will assess the patient's pain.
D. The patient should try to eat more.
7. Evaluation, the final step of the nursing process, involves:
A. Determining whether patient goals/outcomes were met and revising the plan of care as needed
B. Collecting initial baseline data only
C. Writing the nursing diagnosis
D. Performing the physical assessment for the first time
8. Critical thinking in nursing practice is best described as:
A. Following orders exactly as written without question
B. A purposeful, reflective reasoning process used to make clinical judgments
C. Relying solely on intuition
D. Avoiding the use of evidence-based research
9. Clinical judgment (per the Clinical Judgment Measurement Model) begins with which cognitive step?
A. Recognizing cues
B. Generating solutions
3
, BSN 206 Hallmark Exam Practice
C. Taking action
D. Evaluating outcomes
10. Which action demonstrates the nurse applying evidence-based practice?
A. Using only personal past experience to guide care decisions
B. Integrating the best available research evidence, clinical expertise, and patient preferences
C. Following facility tradition without question
D. Copying another nurse's care plan exactly
11. When prioritizing care for multiple patients, the nurse should use which framework first?
A. Maslow's hierarchy of needs (physiological needs and safety first)
B. Alphabetical order of patient last names
C. Room number order
D. Patient preference alone, regardless of acuity
12. A nurse is using the ABC (Airway, Breathing, Circulation) framework to prioritize care. Which patient should be
assessed first?
A. A patient reporting new-onset shortness of breath and stridor
B. A patient requesting a warm blanket
C. A patient asking about visiting hours
D. A patient with a stable, healing surgical wound
13. Which best describes a nursing intervention during the implementation phase?
A. Writing the discharge summary only
B. Carrying out the plan of care, such as administering medication or repositioning the patient
C. Only documenting assessment findings
D. Setting long-term goals for the first time
14. A nurse reflects on a clinical situation after the fact to improve future practice. This is an example of:
A. Reflection-on-action
B. Intuition only
C. Trial and error
D. Ignoring the nursing process
15. Which is an example of an appropriate delegation decision using the Five Rights of Delegation?
A. Delegating right task, right circumstance, right person, right direction/communication, and right supervision to an
unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP)
B. Delegating medication administration to a UAP
C. Delegating a task without providing any instructions
D. Delegating based solely on convenience, ignoring patient acuity
4
BSN 206 Foundations of Nursing
Fundamentals
Hallmark Exam Practice Test — 150 Questions, correct answers
and rationales
Comprehensive review covering the nursing process, assessment, communication, safety, infection control, ethics,
and foundational nursing concepts.
Instructions: Choose the best answer for each question. An answer key with rationales begins after the final question.
1
, BSN 206 Hallmark Exam Practice
Contents
The Nursing Process & Critical Thinking — Questions 1–15
Health History & Physical Assessment — Questions 16–30
Therapeutic Communication — Questions 31–42
Vital Signs — Questions 43–54
Infection Control & Prevention — Questions 55–66
Documentation & Health Information — Questions 67–74
Legal & Ethical Considerations — Questions 75–84
Nursing Theory & History — Questions 85–92
Patient Safety & Fall Prevention — Questions 93–102
Skin Integrity & Wound Care — Questions 103–112
Hygiene & Activities of Daily Living — Questions 113–120
Nutrition & Elimination — Questions 121–130
Mobility, Body Mechanics & Positioning — Questions 131–138
Perioperative Care Basics — Questions 139–145
Cultural Competence & Diversity in Care — Questions 146–150
2
, BSN 206 Hallmark Exam Practice
The Nursing Process & Critical Thinking
1. Place the steps of the nursing process in correct order: Diagnosis, Planning, Assessment, Implementation, Evaluation.
Which is the correct sequence?
A. Assessment, Diagnosis, Planning, Implementation, Evaluation
B. Diagnosis, Assessment, Planning, Evaluation, Implementation
C. Planning, Assessment, Diagnosis, Implementation, Evaluation
D. Assessment, Planning, Diagnosis, Evaluation, Implementation
2. During which step of the nursing process does the nurse collect subjective and objective data?
A. Assessment
B. Diagnosis
C. Planning
D. Evaluation
3. A nursing diagnosis differs from a medical diagnosis in that it:
A. Focuses on the patient's response to actual or potential health problems
B. Identifies a specific disease process
C. Can only be written by a physician
D. Never changes throughout the care episode
4. Which is an example of a well-written, correctly formatted nursing diagnosis (PES format)?
A. Pneumonia related to bacterial infection
B. Impaired gas exchange related to alveolar-capillary membrane changes as evidenced by dyspnea and SpO2 of 89%
C. Patient needs oxygen
D. Risk for infection related to being sick
5. During the planning phase of the nursing process, the nurse primarily:
A. Establishes measurable, patient-centered goals and expected outcomes
B. Collects vital signs
C. Documents the discharge summary
D. Delegates all tasks to unlicensed personnel
6. Which goal statement is written correctly using SMART criteria?
A. The patient will feel better soon.
B. The patient will ambulate 50 feet in the hallway with a walker by discharge on post-op day 3.
C. The nurse will assess the patient's pain.
D. The patient should try to eat more.
7. Evaluation, the final step of the nursing process, involves:
A. Determining whether patient goals/outcomes were met and revising the plan of care as needed
B. Collecting initial baseline data only
C. Writing the nursing diagnosis
D. Performing the physical assessment for the first time
8. Critical thinking in nursing practice is best described as:
A. Following orders exactly as written without question
B. A purposeful, reflective reasoning process used to make clinical judgments
C. Relying solely on intuition
D. Avoiding the use of evidence-based research
9. Clinical judgment (per the Clinical Judgment Measurement Model) begins with which cognitive step?
A. Recognizing cues
B. Generating solutions
3
, BSN 206 Hallmark Exam Practice
C. Taking action
D. Evaluating outcomes
10. Which action demonstrates the nurse applying evidence-based practice?
A. Using only personal past experience to guide care decisions
B. Integrating the best available research evidence, clinical expertise, and patient preferences
C. Following facility tradition without question
D. Copying another nurse's care plan exactly
11. When prioritizing care for multiple patients, the nurse should use which framework first?
A. Maslow's hierarchy of needs (physiological needs and safety first)
B. Alphabetical order of patient last names
C. Room number order
D. Patient preference alone, regardless of acuity
12. A nurse is using the ABC (Airway, Breathing, Circulation) framework to prioritize care. Which patient should be
assessed first?
A. A patient reporting new-onset shortness of breath and stridor
B. A patient requesting a warm blanket
C. A patient asking about visiting hours
D. A patient with a stable, healing surgical wound
13. Which best describes a nursing intervention during the implementation phase?
A. Writing the discharge summary only
B. Carrying out the plan of care, such as administering medication or repositioning the patient
C. Only documenting assessment findings
D. Setting long-term goals for the first time
14. A nurse reflects on a clinical situation after the fact to improve future practice. This is an example of:
A. Reflection-on-action
B. Intuition only
C. Trial and error
D. Ignoring the nursing process
15. Which is an example of an appropriate delegation decision using the Five Rights of Delegation?
A. Delegating right task, right circumstance, right person, right direction/communication, and right supervision to an
unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP)
B. Delegating medication administration to a UAP
C. Delegating a task without providing any instructions
D. Delegating based solely on convenience, ignoring patient acuity
4
