BSN3A Nursing Theory Examination
Practice Questions & [Verified Answers],
Plus Explained Rationales|2026 Latest
Update| Instant Download PDF
1. Which statement best describes the primary purpose of nursing
theory?
A. To replace clinical judgment
B. To provide a framework for understanding and guiding nursing
practice
C. To establish hospital financial policies
D. To eliminate the need for evidence-based practice
Answer: B. To provide a framework for understanding and guiding
nursing practice
Rationale: Nursing theories provide organized concepts and
relationships that help nurses understand patient care, guide clinical
practice, support education, and promote research.
2. Which component of a nursing theory refers to the abstract ideas
that represent phenomena?
A. Assumptions
B. Propositions
C. Concepts
D. Definitions
1|Page
,Answer: C. Concepts
Rationale: Concepts are the fundamental building blocks of theories.
They represent abstract or concrete ideas or phenomena relevant to
nursing.
3. Which of the following is considered a major metaparadigm
concept in nursing?
A. Hospital administration
B. Person
C. Insurance
D. Medication pricing
Answer: B. Person
Rationale: The four widely recognized nursing metaparadigm
concepts are person, environment, health, and nursing.
4. Florence Nightingale's Environmental Theory emphasizes which
principle?
A. Nursing is primarily focused on medication administration
B. Environmental conditions influence health and recovery
C. Patients should remain completely dependent on nurses
D. Psychological factors are unrelated to physical health
Answer: B. Environmental conditions influence health and recovery
Rationale: Nightingale emphasized cleanliness, ventilation, nutrition,
light, warmth, and other environmental factors as important
influences on healing.
2|Page
, 5. According to Nightingale's theory, which nursing intervention is
most consistent with her principles?
A. Maintaining a clean and well-ventilated patient environment
B. Limiting patient exposure to fresh air
C. Avoiding nutritional assessment
D. Keeping patients completely isolated
Answer: A. Maintaining a clean and well-ventilated patient
environment
Rationale: Nightingale believed nurses should manipulate the
environment to promote healing and prevent illness.
6. Which theorist developed the Self-Care Deficit Nursing Theory?
A. Dorothea Orem
B. Jean Watson
C. Hildegard Peplau
D. Martha Rogers
Answer: A. Dorothea Orem
Rationale: Dorothea Orem developed the Self-Care Deficit Nursing
Theory, which focuses on patients' ability to perform self-care and the
nurse's role when self-care demands exceed ability.
7. A patient recovering from surgery is unable to bathe
independently. According to Orem's theory, the nurse should
primarily:
A. Encourage complete dependence indefinitely
B. Identify the self-care deficit and provide appropriate assistance
3|Page
, C. Avoid helping the patient
D. Focus exclusively on environmental modification
Answer: B. Identify the self-care deficit and provide appropriate
assistance
Rationale: Orem's theory directs nurses to identify self-care deficits
and provide nursing assistance while promoting the patient's
independence whenever possible.
8. Which nursing system in Orem's theory is appropriate when a
patient can perform some self-care but needs assistance with
other activities?
A. Wholly compensatory
B. Partly compensatory
C. Supportive-educative only
D. Environmental compensatory
Answer: B. Partly compensatory
Rationale: In a partly compensatory system, both the nurse and
patient perform self-care activities according to the patient's abilities
and limitations.
9. A patient can perform physical self-care but requires teaching
about managing a newly diagnosed condition. Which Orem
nursing system is most appropriate?
A. Wholly compensatory
B. Partly compensatory
C. Supportive-educative
D. Completely dependent
4|Page
Practice Questions & [Verified Answers],
Plus Explained Rationales|2026 Latest
Update| Instant Download PDF
1. Which statement best describes the primary purpose of nursing
theory?
A. To replace clinical judgment
B. To provide a framework for understanding and guiding nursing
practice
C. To establish hospital financial policies
D. To eliminate the need for evidence-based practice
Answer: B. To provide a framework for understanding and guiding
nursing practice
Rationale: Nursing theories provide organized concepts and
relationships that help nurses understand patient care, guide clinical
practice, support education, and promote research.
2. Which component of a nursing theory refers to the abstract ideas
that represent phenomena?
A. Assumptions
B. Propositions
C. Concepts
D. Definitions
1|Page
,Answer: C. Concepts
Rationale: Concepts are the fundamental building blocks of theories.
They represent abstract or concrete ideas or phenomena relevant to
nursing.
3. Which of the following is considered a major metaparadigm
concept in nursing?
A. Hospital administration
B. Person
C. Insurance
D. Medication pricing
Answer: B. Person
Rationale: The four widely recognized nursing metaparadigm
concepts are person, environment, health, and nursing.
4. Florence Nightingale's Environmental Theory emphasizes which
principle?
A. Nursing is primarily focused on medication administration
B. Environmental conditions influence health and recovery
C. Patients should remain completely dependent on nurses
D. Psychological factors are unrelated to physical health
Answer: B. Environmental conditions influence health and recovery
Rationale: Nightingale emphasized cleanliness, ventilation, nutrition,
light, warmth, and other environmental factors as important
influences on healing.
2|Page
, 5. According to Nightingale's theory, which nursing intervention is
most consistent with her principles?
A. Maintaining a clean and well-ventilated patient environment
B. Limiting patient exposure to fresh air
C. Avoiding nutritional assessment
D. Keeping patients completely isolated
Answer: A. Maintaining a clean and well-ventilated patient
environment
Rationale: Nightingale believed nurses should manipulate the
environment to promote healing and prevent illness.
6. Which theorist developed the Self-Care Deficit Nursing Theory?
A. Dorothea Orem
B. Jean Watson
C. Hildegard Peplau
D. Martha Rogers
Answer: A. Dorothea Orem
Rationale: Dorothea Orem developed the Self-Care Deficit Nursing
Theory, which focuses on patients' ability to perform self-care and the
nurse's role when self-care demands exceed ability.
7. A patient recovering from surgery is unable to bathe
independently. According to Orem's theory, the nurse should
primarily:
A. Encourage complete dependence indefinitely
B. Identify the self-care deficit and provide appropriate assistance
3|Page
, C. Avoid helping the patient
D. Focus exclusively on environmental modification
Answer: B. Identify the self-care deficit and provide appropriate
assistance
Rationale: Orem's theory directs nurses to identify self-care deficits
and provide nursing assistance while promoting the patient's
independence whenever possible.
8. Which nursing system in Orem's theory is appropriate when a
patient can perform some self-care but needs assistance with
other activities?
A. Wholly compensatory
B. Partly compensatory
C. Supportive-educative only
D. Environmental compensatory
Answer: B. Partly compensatory
Rationale: In a partly compensatory system, both the nurse and
patient perform self-care activities according to the patient's abilities
and limitations.
9. A patient can perform physical self-care but requires teaching
about managing a newly diagnosed condition. Which Orem
nursing system is most appropriate?
A. Wholly compensatory
B. Partly compensatory
C. Supportive-educative
D. Completely dependent
4|Page
