RN Community Health Competency
Exam — Code: RN-CH-COMP | 100-
Question Advanced Practice Exam 2026
| Questions & Answers with Detailed
Rationales | Complete Exam Prep &
Study Guide
1. A community health nurse is assessing a neighborhood with high rates of
hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Which assessment
finding is most important when determining whether the community has
adequate access to preventive healthcare?
A. Number of grocery stores in the neighborhood
B. Percentage of residents who own automobiles
C. Availability and utilization of primary care services
D. Number of residents participating in recreational activities
Answer: Availability and utilization of primary care services
,Rationale: Primary care access strongly influences screening, early detection,
chronic disease management, immunization, and preventive care.
Transportation and food access are also important determinants, but healthcare
access is the most direct indicator for preventive-service utilization.
2. A public health nurse is conducting a windshield survey. Which observation
provides the most useful information about the community's
environmental health?
A. Residents' preferred television programs
B. Condition of housing, sanitation, streets, and waste disposal
C. Number of residents who attend religious services
D. Average household size
Answer: Condition of housing, sanitation, streets, and waste disposal
Rationale: A windshield survey evaluates visible environmental, social, and
structural characteristics that may influence population health, including
housing quality, sanitation, transportation, safety, and available resources.
3. A nurse is planning a community intervention to reduce childhood obesity.
Which intervention represents primary prevention?
A. Referring children with obesity to a weight-management clinic
B. Screening children for elevated BMI
C. Providing school-based nutrition and physical-activity education before obesity
develops
D. Monitoring children who already have obesity for hypertension
Answer: Providing school-based nutrition and physical-activity education before
obesity develops
Rationale: Primary prevention prevents disease before it occurs. Secondary
prevention emphasizes screening and early detection, while tertiary prevention
focuses on reducing complications of established disease.
, 4. During a community assessment, the nurse discovers that many residents
lack transportation to healthcare appointments. Which intervention best
addresses this social determinant of health?
A. Increase the number of health education pamphlets distributed
B. Establish mobile or community-based healthcare services
C. Require residents to schedule appointments earlier
D. Increase the frequency of television health advertisements
Answer: Establish mobile or community-based healthcare services
Rationale: Bringing services into underserved areas directly reduces
transportation barriers and improves access to care.
5. A community health nurse is developing a tuberculosis-control program.
Which action is most important for preventing transmission?
A. Providing antibiotics to every resident
B. Identifying infectious cases and ensuring effective treatment
C. Closing all public transportation systems
D. Screening only residents older than 65 years
Answer: Identifying infectious cases and ensuring effective treatment
Rationale: Early identification and effective treatment of infectious tuberculosis
reduce transmission. Contact investigation and appropriate infection-control
measures are also essential components of TB control.
6. A nurse is evaluating a smoking-cessation program. Which outcome
provides the strongest evidence that the program is effective?
A. Number of brochures distributed
B. Number of classes conducted
C. Percentage of participants who remain tobacco-free after six months
D. Number of participants who attended the first session
Answer: Percentage of participants who remain tobacco-free after six months
, Rationale: A sustained behavior change is a meaningful outcome measure.
Numbers of brochures, classes, and attendees are process measures rather than
evidence of long-term effectiveness.
7. Which activity best demonstrates the community health nurse's role in
secondary prevention?
A. Organizing a vaccination campaign
B. Screening adults for colorectal cancer
C. Providing rehabilitation after a stroke
D. Teaching healthy eating to schoolchildren
Answer: Screening adults for colorectal cancer
Rationale: Secondary prevention focuses on early detection and treatment
through screening and case finding.
8. A nurse is preparing an educational program for a population with limited
health literacy. Which approach is most appropriate?
A. Use complex medical terminology to promote accuracy
B. Provide lengthy written explanations
C. Use plain language, demonstrations, and teach-back
D. Ask participants to independently research the condition
Answer: Use plain language, demonstrations, and teach-back
Rationale: Plain language, visual demonstrations, and teach-back improve
understanding and allow the nurse to identify misunderstandings.
9. A community has a sudden increase in cases of acute gastroenteritis. Which
action should the public health nurse take first?
A. Begin a long-term nutrition program
B. Verify the increase and determine whether cases represent an outbreak
C. Distribute antibiotics to the entire population
D. Close all restaurants immediately
Exam — Code: RN-CH-COMP | 100-
Question Advanced Practice Exam 2026
| Questions & Answers with Detailed
Rationales | Complete Exam Prep &
Study Guide
1. A community health nurse is assessing a neighborhood with high rates of
hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Which assessment
finding is most important when determining whether the community has
adequate access to preventive healthcare?
A. Number of grocery stores in the neighborhood
B. Percentage of residents who own automobiles
C. Availability and utilization of primary care services
D. Number of residents participating in recreational activities
Answer: Availability and utilization of primary care services
,Rationale: Primary care access strongly influences screening, early detection,
chronic disease management, immunization, and preventive care.
Transportation and food access are also important determinants, but healthcare
access is the most direct indicator for preventive-service utilization.
2. A public health nurse is conducting a windshield survey. Which observation
provides the most useful information about the community's
environmental health?
A. Residents' preferred television programs
B. Condition of housing, sanitation, streets, and waste disposal
C. Number of residents who attend religious services
D. Average household size
Answer: Condition of housing, sanitation, streets, and waste disposal
Rationale: A windshield survey evaluates visible environmental, social, and
structural characteristics that may influence population health, including
housing quality, sanitation, transportation, safety, and available resources.
3. A nurse is planning a community intervention to reduce childhood obesity.
Which intervention represents primary prevention?
A. Referring children with obesity to a weight-management clinic
B. Screening children for elevated BMI
C. Providing school-based nutrition and physical-activity education before obesity
develops
D. Monitoring children who already have obesity for hypertension
Answer: Providing school-based nutrition and physical-activity education before
obesity develops
Rationale: Primary prevention prevents disease before it occurs. Secondary
prevention emphasizes screening and early detection, while tertiary prevention
focuses on reducing complications of established disease.
, 4. During a community assessment, the nurse discovers that many residents
lack transportation to healthcare appointments. Which intervention best
addresses this social determinant of health?
A. Increase the number of health education pamphlets distributed
B. Establish mobile or community-based healthcare services
C. Require residents to schedule appointments earlier
D. Increase the frequency of television health advertisements
Answer: Establish mobile or community-based healthcare services
Rationale: Bringing services into underserved areas directly reduces
transportation barriers and improves access to care.
5. A community health nurse is developing a tuberculosis-control program.
Which action is most important for preventing transmission?
A. Providing antibiotics to every resident
B. Identifying infectious cases and ensuring effective treatment
C. Closing all public transportation systems
D. Screening only residents older than 65 years
Answer: Identifying infectious cases and ensuring effective treatment
Rationale: Early identification and effective treatment of infectious tuberculosis
reduce transmission. Contact investigation and appropriate infection-control
measures are also essential components of TB control.
6. A nurse is evaluating a smoking-cessation program. Which outcome
provides the strongest evidence that the program is effective?
A. Number of brochures distributed
B. Number of classes conducted
C. Percentage of participants who remain tobacco-free after six months
D. Number of participants who attended the first session
Answer: Percentage of participants who remain tobacco-free after six months
, Rationale: A sustained behavior change is a meaningful outcome measure.
Numbers of brochures, classes, and attendees are process measures rather than
evidence of long-term effectiveness.
7. Which activity best demonstrates the community health nurse's role in
secondary prevention?
A. Organizing a vaccination campaign
B. Screening adults for colorectal cancer
C. Providing rehabilitation after a stroke
D. Teaching healthy eating to schoolchildren
Answer: Screening adults for colorectal cancer
Rationale: Secondary prevention focuses on early detection and treatment
through screening and case finding.
8. A nurse is preparing an educational program for a population with limited
health literacy. Which approach is most appropriate?
A. Use complex medical terminology to promote accuracy
B. Provide lengthy written explanations
C. Use plain language, demonstrations, and teach-back
D. Ask participants to independently research the condition
Answer: Use plain language, demonstrations, and teach-back
Rationale: Plain language, visual demonstrations, and teach-back improve
understanding and allow the nurse to identify misunderstandings.
9. A community has a sudden increase in cases of acute gastroenteritis. Which
action should the public health nurse take first?
A. Begin a long-term nutrition program
B. Verify the increase and determine whether cases represent an outbreak
C. Distribute antibiotics to the entire population
D. Close all restaurants immediately
