NU 131 / NUR 131 Exam 1 Question Bank: Nursing
& Healthcare I (Verified Q&A + Rationales)
Q1. Nursing History
A nurse is researching the origins of modern nursing. Which foundational action
is Florence Nightingale most globally recognized for during the Crimean War?
A) The creation of the first American nursing honor society
B) Formulating the first automated electronic medical charting system
C) Implementing environmental hygiene and sanitation standards that
drastically reduced mortality rates
D) Establishing advanced nurse practitioner roles in battlefield triage
VERIFIED ANSWER: C) Implementing environmental hygiene and
sanitation standards that drastically reduced mortality rates
EXPLANATION: Florence Nightingale’s Environmental Theory emphasized
that clean air, pure water, efficient drainage, cleanliness, and light are
essential for patient recovery. Her intervention in military hospitals slashed
mortality rates from over 40% to roughly 2%.
Q2. Legal Regulations
A nursing student asks an instructor which statutory law defines and regulates
the specific scope of nursing practice within a given state. Which response by
the instructor is correct?
A) The American Nurses Association (ANA) Code of Ethics
B) The State Nurse Practice Act (NPA)
, C) The Institutional Risk Management Policy Manual
D) The Joint Commission National Patient Safety Mandates
VERIFIED ANSWER: B) The State Nurse Practice Act (NPA)
EXPLANATION: The Nurse Practice Act (NPA) is a state-level statutory law
enacted by state legislatures that defines the legal boundaries, scopes of
practice, and titles permitted for nursing professionals within that specific
state jurisdiction.
Q3. Nursing Process & Clinical Judgment
A patient admitted to the medical-surgical unit states, "My pain is a 7 out of 10,
and I feel extremely nauseous." How must the nurse classify this clinical data?
A) Objective data
B) Secondary historical data
C) Subjective data
D) Inferred analytical data
VERIFIED ANSWER: C) Subjective data
EXPLANATION: Subjective data consists of symptoms that are apparent only
to the patient (such as pain ratings, nausea, and emotional states) and can
only be verified by the patient's explicit verbal communication.
Q4. Tanner’s Clinical Judgment Model
An emergency room nurse notices that an infant is displaying intercostal
retractions and nasal flaring. The nurse recognizes these immediately as signs of
respiratory distress. According to Tanner’s Clinical Judgment Model, which
phase is the nurse executing?
A) Interpreting
B) Noticing
C) Responding
D) Reflecting-in-action
, VERIFIED ANSWER: B) Noticing
EXPLANATION: Noticing is the initial phase of Tanner’s model. It relies on
the nurse’s background knowledge, clinical experience, and expectations to
recognize subtle changes or cues in a patient's physical state.
Q5. Prioritization Frameworks
A nurse is managing care for four clients simultaneously. Using Maslow’s
Hierarchy of Needs, which client intervention must the nurse prioritize first?
A) Instructing a client on post-operative incentive spirometry exercises
B) Administering oxygen via nasal cannula to a client with an oxygen saturation
of 87%
C) Repositioning an immobile client to prevent stage 1 pressure injury
development
D) Assisting an anxious client to verbalize their fears regarding an upcoming
surgery
VERIFIED ANSWER: B) Administering oxygen via nasal cannula to a client
with an oxygen saturation of 87%
EXPLANATION: According to Maslow's hierarchy, fundamental
physiological needs—specifically airway, breathing, and circulation
(ABCs)—take absolute precedence over higher-level needs like safety,
belonging, and emotional self-actualization.
Q6. Patient Safety & Infection Control
The nurse is preparing to perform a dressing change on a client with a localized,
non-communicable wound infection. Which basic infection control measure
represents the primary defense against the transmission of cross-contamination?
A) Prophylactic broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy
B) Keeping the client in a negative-airflow isolation room
C) Meticulous hand hygiene performed before and after patient contact
D) Wearing a sterile N95 respirator during care
, VERIFIED ANSWER: C) Meticulous hand hygiene performed before and
after patient contact
EXPLANATION: Hand hygiene remains the single most cost-effective and
critical primary intervention to disrupt the chain of infection and minimize
the risk of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs).
Q7. National Patient Safety Goals (NPSG)
Before administering a morning dose of an antihypertensive medication, the
nurse asks the client to state their full name and date of birth while checking the
electronic medical record and the client's identification band. What is the core
rationale for this dual action?
A) To comply with federal medical billing protocols
B) To satisfy the requirement of using at least two independent patient
identifiers
C) To verify the client's current orientation and mental status
D) To confirm that the patient understands the drug's therapeutic side effects
VERIFIED ANSWER: B) To satisfy the requirement of using at least two
independent patient identifiers
EXPLANATION: The Joint Commission’s National Patient Safety Goals
dictate the verification of at least two unique identifiers (e.g., patient name
and date of birth, or medical record number) before any clinical intervention
or medication administration to eradicate identity-mixup errors.
Q8. Mobility & Complications of Immobility
A patient has been restricted to strict bed rest for five consecutive days
following orthopedic stabilization surgery. Which respiratory complication is
this patient at highest risk for developing?
A) Primary metabolic alkalosis
B) Atelectasis and hypostatic pneumonia
& Healthcare I (Verified Q&A + Rationales)
Q1. Nursing History
A nurse is researching the origins of modern nursing. Which foundational action
is Florence Nightingale most globally recognized for during the Crimean War?
A) The creation of the first American nursing honor society
B) Formulating the first automated electronic medical charting system
C) Implementing environmental hygiene and sanitation standards that
drastically reduced mortality rates
D) Establishing advanced nurse practitioner roles in battlefield triage
VERIFIED ANSWER: C) Implementing environmental hygiene and
sanitation standards that drastically reduced mortality rates
EXPLANATION: Florence Nightingale’s Environmental Theory emphasized
that clean air, pure water, efficient drainage, cleanliness, and light are
essential for patient recovery. Her intervention in military hospitals slashed
mortality rates from over 40% to roughly 2%.
Q2. Legal Regulations
A nursing student asks an instructor which statutory law defines and regulates
the specific scope of nursing practice within a given state. Which response by
the instructor is correct?
A) The American Nurses Association (ANA) Code of Ethics
B) The State Nurse Practice Act (NPA)
, C) The Institutional Risk Management Policy Manual
D) The Joint Commission National Patient Safety Mandates
VERIFIED ANSWER: B) The State Nurse Practice Act (NPA)
EXPLANATION: The Nurse Practice Act (NPA) is a state-level statutory law
enacted by state legislatures that defines the legal boundaries, scopes of
practice, and titles permitted for nursing professionals within that specific
state jurisdiction.
Q3. Nursing Process & Clinical Judgment
A patient admitted to the medical-surgical unit states, "My pain is a 7 out of 10,
and I feel extremely nauseous." How must the nurse classify this clinical data?
A) Objective data
B) Secondary historical data
C) Subjective data
D) Inferred analytical data
VERIFIED ANSWER: C) Subjective data
EXPLANATION: Subjective data consists of symptoms that are apparent only
to the patient (such as pain ratings, nausea, and emotional states) and can
only be verified by the patient's explicit verbal communication.
Q4. Tanner’s Clinical Judgment Model
An emergency room nurse notices that an infant is displaying intercostal
retractions and nasal flaring. The nurse recognizes these immediately as signs of
respiratory distress. According to Tanner’s Clinical Judgment Model, which
phase is the nurse executing?
A) Interpreting
B) Noticing
C) Responding
D) Reflecting-in-action
, VERIFIED ANSWER: B) Noticing
EXPLANATION: Noticing is the initial phase of Tanner’s model. It relies on
the nurse’s background knowledge, clinical experience, and expectations to
recognize subtle changes or cues in a patient's physical state.
Q5. Prioritization Frameworks
A nurse is managing care for four clients simultaneously. Using Maslow’s
Hierarchy of Needs, which client intervention must the nurse prioritize first?
A) Instructing a client on post-operative incentive spirometry exercises
B) Administering oxygen via nasal cannula to a client with an oxygen saturation
of 87%
C) Repositioning an immobile client to prevent stage 1 pressure injury
development
D) Assisting an anxious client to verbalize their fears regarding an upcoming
surgery
VERIFIED ANSWER: B) Administering oxygen via nasal cannula to a client
with an oxygen saturation of 87%
EXPLANATION: According to Maslow's hierarchy, fundamental
physiological needs—specifically airway, breathing, and circulation
(ABCs)—take absolute precedence over higher-level needs like safety,
belonging, and emotional self-actualization.
Q6. Patient Safety & Infection Control
The nurse is preparing to perform a dressing change on a client with a localized,
non-communicable wound infection. Which basic infection control measure
represents the primary defense against the transmission of cross-contamination?
A) Prophylactic broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy
B) Keeping the client in a negative-airflow isolation room
C) Meticulous hand hygiene performed before and after patient contact
D) Wearing a sterile N95 respirator during care
, VERIFIED ANSWER: C) Meticulous hand hygiene performed before and
after patient contact
EXPLANATION: Hand hygiene remains the single most cost-effective and
critical primary intervention to disrupt the chain of infection and minimize
the risk of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs).
Q7. National Patient Safety Goals (NPSG)
Before administering a morning dose of an antihypertensive medication, the
nurse asks the client to state their full name and date of birth while checking the
electronic medical record and the client's identification band. What is the core
rationale for this dual action?
A) To comply with federal medical billing protocols
B) To satisfy the requirement of using at least two independent patient
identifiers
C) To verify the client's current orientation and mental status
D) To confirm that the patient understands the drug's therapeutic side effects
VERIFIED ANSWER: B) To satisfy the requirement of using at least two
independent patient identifiers
EXPLANATION: The Joint Commission’s National Patient Safety Goals
dictate the verification of at least two unique identifiers (e.g., patient name
and date of birth, or medical record number) before any clinical intervention
or medication administration to eradicate identity-mixup errors.
Q8. Mobility & Complications of Immobility
A patient has been restricted to strict bed rest for five consecutive days
following orthopedic stabilization surgery. Which respiratory complication is
this patient at highest risk for developing?
A) Primary metabolic alkalosis
B) Atelectasis and hypostatic pneumonia
