MEDICAL-SURGICAL NURSING (HINKLE & BRUNNER & SUDDARTH) 15TH EDITION
Medical-Surgical Nursing (Hinkle & Brunner &
Suddarth) 15th Edition – All Chapters Test Bank
Questions and Answers, Comprehensive Study Notes &
complete solutions
Based on Brunner & Suddarth's Textbook (15th Edition) – Chapters 1-34
UNIT 1: PROFESSIONAL NURSING PRACTICE & HEALTH PROMOTION
Question 1
A nurse manager is designing staffing to address population aging and increased chronic disease
prevalence. Which staffing decision MOST directly aligns with these demographic changes?
A) Increase hiring of float nurses to cover short-term absences
B) Expand community health nursing roles for chronic disease management and home care
C) Limit outpatient clinic hours to reduce staffing needs
D) Focus recruitment exclusively on acute care critical-care nurses
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: With an aging population, there is an increased prevalence of chronic diseases requiring
ongoing management and support in community settings. Expanding community health nursing
roles directly addresses this demographic shift by providing care where patients live. Float nurses
primarily address acute staffing gaps, limiting outpatient hours reduces access, and focusing only on
acute care ignores the growing need for chronic disease management in outpatient and home
settings.
Question 2
A 52-year-old patient with Type 2 diabetes asks the nurse how to move from "illness" toward
wellness. Which nursing response BEST reflects the wellness model?
A) "Take medications as prescribed and return for lab tests."
B) "Wellness is the absence of disease, so follow your provider's recommendations."
C) "Wellness involves actively making choices toward a healthier lifestyle, including diet, exercise,
and stress management."
D) "You should focus on treating your diabetes and nothing else."
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The wellness model views health as a dynamic state resulting from a lifestyle oriented
toward wellness, not merely the absence of disease. It emphasizes active participation in health-
promoting behaviors across multiple dimensions. Option A focuses on treatment compliance, B
describes a traditional disease-oriented view, and D is overly restrictive.
, MEDICAL-SURGICAL NURSING (HINKLE & BRUNNER & SUDDARTH) 15TH EDITION
Question 3
A nurse on a medical-surgical unit has been asked to represent the unit on the hospital's quality
committee. When describing quality improvement programs to colleagues, what characteristic
should the nurse cite?
A) These programs establish consequences for healthcare professionals' actions
B) These programs focus on the processes used to provide care
C) These programs identify specific incidents related to quality
D) These programs seek to justify healthcare costs and systems
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Quality improvement programs focus on the processes used to provide care, with the
goal of improving systems and patient outcomes. They are not primarily about establishing
consequences, identifying incidents for punishment, or justifying costs. A commonality among
quality improvement models is a focus on care processes.
Question 4
A patient with complex heart failure has conflicting medication instructions from cardiology and
primary care. As the RN coordinating care, what is the BEST evidence-based action?
A) Follow the cardiology plan and ignore primary care instructions
B) Convene an interprofessional case conference to reconcile recommendations and create a unified
plan
C) Ask the patient to choose which clinician to trust
D) Delay any changes until both providers are available for separate phone calls
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Interprofessional collaboration through case conferencing reconciles conflicting plans and
ensures patient-centered, evidence-based care. Favoring one specialty without reconciliation risks
fragmented care; asking the patient to arbitrate medical conflicts places undue burden on them; and
delaying coordination can harm continuity and safety.
Question 5
A 68-year-old man with limited mobility is admitted after a fall. He tells the nurse he prefers to
manage his own dressing changes at home. Which nursing action best reflects patient-centered
care?
A) Explain that hospital policy requires nurses to perform all dressing changes
B) Document the preference and arrange teaching and supplies for safe home self-care
C) Refuse the request because the patient's mobility makes self-care unsafe
D) Tell the family they must assume responsibility for dressings after discharge
Correct Answer: B
, MEDICAL-SURGICAL NURSING (HINKLE & BRUNNER & SUDDARTH) 15TH EDITION
Rationale: Patient-centered care aligns with patient-as-consumer principles by honoring preferences
while ensuring safety through teaching and arranging resources for home care. Option A dismisses
patient autonomy, C prematurely overrides patient preference without assessment, and D shifts
responsibility inappropriately.
Question 6
A postoperative patient who is hypotensive and hypoxic states he refuses analgesic medication.
Using Maslow's hierarchy, which nursing priority is most appropriate?
A) Honor his refusal and withhold analgesia
B) Treat the physiological instability (oxygen and hemodynamic support) prior to addressing pain
preferences
C) Provide a low-dose opioid immediately because pain relief takes precedence
D) Notify the physician to change the pain management order
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Physiologic needs (oxygenation and perfusion) take precedence in Maslow's hierarchy.
The nurse must stabilize vital functions before addressing higher-level needs like pain preferences.
Administering opioids without addressing hypoxia/hypotension may worsen respiratory or
circulatory compromise.
Question 7
A community clinic nurse develops a program to reduce type 2 diabetes risk. Which objective best
demonstrates primary prevention and health-promotion focus?
A) Screen community members annually for fasting glucose
B) Provide lifestyle classes on nutrition and exercise to at-risk adults
C) Offer insulin-management education for diagnosed patients
D) Create a registry to identify patients with diabetes complications
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Primary prevention targets risk reduction before disease onset; lifestyle classes address
modifiable risk factors. Screening (A) is secondary prevention (early detection), education for
diagnosed patients (C) is tertiary prevention, and creating a registry (D) is surveillance rather than
prevention.
Question 8
In planning a community workshop on heart disease prevention, which program objective BEST
reflects primary prevention and health promotion principles?
A) Increase the number of residents who can identify signs of myocardial infarction
B) Teach participants how to perform CPR for sudden cardiac arrest
C) Offer smoking cessation resources and cholesterol-lowering lifestyle education
D) Provide blood pressure screening for early detection of hypertension
, MEDICAL-SURGICAL NURSING (HINKLE & BRUNNER & SUDDARTH) 15TH EDITION
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Primary prevention aims to reduce disease incidence through risk-factor modification
(smoking cessation, diet, exercise)—core health promotion activities. Identifying MI signs (A) and
CPR training (B) focus on secondary/tertiary prevention—response to acute events. Screening (D) is
secondary prevention for early detection, not prevention of disease onset.
Question 9
Nurses in acute care settings face pressures to care for patients who are hospitalized for shorter
periods than in the past. To ensure positive health outcomes when patients return home, what
action should the nurse prioritize?
A) Promotion of health literacy during hospitalization
B) Close communication with insurers
C) Thorough and evidence-based discharge planning
D) Participation in continuing education initiatives
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Following short hospital stays, nurses in the community care for patients who need high-
technology acute care services as well as long-term care in the home. This is dependent on effective
discharge planning to a greater degree than health literacy promotion, insurer communication, or
continuing education.
Question 10
A patient asks whether genetic testing will change their treatment plan for a hereditary cardiac
condition. Which nursing response BEST demonstrates application of genomics to individualized
care?
A) "Genetic testing is experimental and rarely affects treatment."
B) "Results may guide targeted therapies and family risk counseling; I'll coordinate with genetics
services."
C) "You should avoid genetic testing because it won't change outcomes."
D) "Only physicians can interpret genetic tests; I can't help."
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Advances in genetics can inform individualized therapies and cascade family risk
assessment. Nurses play a key role in education and coordination with genetics services. Genetic
testing is established for many conditions, blanket avoidance is inaccurate, and nurses do participate
in education and coordination beyond just physicians.
UNIT 2: CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES OF PATIENT MANAGEMENT
Question 11
A patient with severe, prolonged vomiting is most likely to develop which acid-base imbalance?
Medical-Surgical Nursing (Hinkle & Brunner &
Suddarth) 15th Edition – All Chapters Test Bank
Questions and Answers, Comprehensive Study Notes &
complete solutions
Based on Brunner & Suddarth's Textbook (15th Edition) – Chapters 1-34
UNIT 1: PROFESSIONAL NURSING PRACTICE & HEALTH PROMOTION
Question 1
A nurse manager is designing staffing to address population aging and increased chronic disease
prevalence. Which staffing decision MOST directly aligns with these demographic changes?
A) Increase hiring of float nurses to cover short-term absences
B) Expand community health nursing roles for chronic disease management and home care
C) Limit outpatient clinic hours to reduce staffing needs
D) Focus recruitment exclusively on acute care critical-care nurses
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: With an aging population, there is an increased prevalence of chronic diseases requiring
ongoing management and support in community settings. Expanding community health nursing
roles directly addresses this demographic shift by providing care where patients live. Float nurses
primarily address acute staffing gaps, limiting outpatient hours reduces access, and focusing only on
acute care ignores the growing need for chronic disease management in outpatient and home
settings.
Question 2
A 52-year-old patient with Type 2 diabetes asks the nurse how to move from "illness" toward
wellness. Which nursing response BEST reflects the wellness model?
A) "Take medications as prescribed and return for lab tests."
B) "Wellness is the absence of disease, so follow your provider's recommendations."
C) "Wellness involves actively making choices toward a healthier lifestyle, including diet, exercise,
and stress management."
D) "You should focus on treating your diabetes and nothing else."
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The wellness model views health as a dynamic state resulting from a lifestyle oriented
toward wellness, not merely the absence of disease. It emphasizes active participation in health-
promoting behaviors across multiple dimensions. Option A focuses on treatment compliance, B
describes a traditional disease-oriented view, and D is overly restrictive.
, MEDICAL-SURGICAL NURSING (HINKLE & BRUNNER & SUDDARTH) 15TH EDITION
Question 3
A nurse on a medical-surgical unit has been asked to represent the unit on the hospital's quality
committee. When describing quality improvement programs to colleagues, what characteristic
should the nurse cite?
A) These programs establish consequences for healthcare professionals' actions
B) These programs focus on the processes used to provide care
C) These programs identify specific incidents related to quality
D) These programs seek to justify healthcare costs and systems
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Quality improvement programs focus on the processes used to provide care, with the
goal of improving systems and patient outcomes. They are not primarily about establishing
consequences, identifying incidents for punishment, or justifying costs. A commonality among
quality improvement models is a focus on care processes.
Question 4
A patient with complex heart failure has conflicting medication instructions from cardiology and
primary care. As the RN coordinating care, what is the BEST evidence-based action?
A) Follow the cardiology plan and ignore primary care instructions
B) Convene an interprofessional case conference to reconcile recommendations and create a unified
plan
C) Ask the patient to choose which clinician to trust
D) Delay any changes until both providers are available for separate phone calls
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Interprofessional collaboration through case conferencing reconciles conflicting plans and
ensures patient-centered, evidence-based care. Favoring one specialty without reconciliation risks
fragmented care; asking the patient to arbitrate medical conflicts places undue burden on them; and
delaying coordination can harm continuity and safety.
Question 5
A 68-year-old man with limited mobility is admitted after a fall. He tells the nurse he prefers to
manage his own dressing changes at home. Which nursing action best reflects patient-centered
care?
A) Explain that hospital policy requires nurses to perform all dressing changes
B) Document the preference and arrange teaching and supplies for safe home self-care
C) Refuse the request because the patient's mobility makes self-care unsafe
D) Tell the family they must assume responsibility for dressings after discharge
Correct Answer: B
, MEDICAL-SURGICAL NURSING (HINKLE & BRUNNER & SUDDARTH) 15TH EDITION
Rationale: Patient-centered care aligns with patient-as-consumer principles by honoring preferences
while ensuring safety through teaching and arranging resources for home care. Option A dismisses
patient autonomy, C prematurely overrides patient preference without assessment, and D shifts
responsibility inappropriately.
Question 6
A postoperative patient who is hypotensive and hypoxic states he refuses analgesic medication.
Using Maslow's hierarchy, which nursing priority is most appropriate?
A) Honor his refusal and withhold analgesia
B) Treat the physiological instability (oxygen and hemodynamic support) prior to addressing pain
preferences
C) Provide a low-dose opioid immediately because pain relief takes precedence
D) Notify the physician to change the pain management order
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Physiologic needs (oxygenation and perfusion) take precedence in Maslow's hierarchy.
The nurse must stabilize vital functions before addressing higher-level needs like pain preferences.
Administering opioids without addressing hypoxia/hypotension may worsen respiratory or
circulatory compromise.
Question 7
A community clinic nurse develops a program to reduce type 2 diabetes risk. Which objective best
demonstrates primary prevention and health-promotion focus?
A) Screen community members annually for fasting glucose
B) Provide lifestyle classes on nutrition and exercise to at-risk adults
C) Offer insulin-management education for diagnosed patients
D) Create a registry to identify patients with diabetes complications
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Primary prevention targets risk reduction before disease onset; lifestyle classes address
modifiable risk factors. Screening (A) is secondary prevention (early detection), education for
diagnosed patients (C) is tertiary prevention, and creating a registry (D) is surveillance rather than
prevention.
Question 8
In planning a community workshop on heart disease prevention, which program objective BEST
reflects primary prevention and health promotion principles?
A) Increase the number of residents who can identify signs of myocardial infarction
B) Teach participants how to perform CPR for sudden cardiac arrest
C) Offer smoking cessation resources and cholesterol-lowering lifestyle education
D) Provide blood pressure screening for early detection of hypertension
, MEDICAL-SURGICAL NURSING (HINKLE & BRUNNER & SUDDARTH) 15TH EDITION
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Primary prevention aims to reduce disease incidence through risk-factor modification
(smoking cessation, diet, exercise)—core health promotion activities. Identifying MI signs (A) and
CPR training (B) focus on secondary/tertiary prevention—response to acute events. Screening (D) is
secondary prevention for early detection, not prevention of disease onset.
Question 9
Nurses in acute care settings face pressures to care for patients who are hospitalized for shorter
periods than in the past. To ensure positive health outcomes when patients return home, what
action should the nurse prioritize?
A) Promotion of health literacy during hospitalization
B) Close communication with insurers
C) Thorough and evidence-based discharge planning
D) Participation in continuing education initiatives
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Following short hospital stays, nurses in the community care for patients who need high-
technology acute care services as well as long-term care in the home. This is dependent on effective
discharge planning to a greater degree than health literacy promotion, insurer communication, or
continuing education.
Question 10
A patient asks whether genetic testing will change their treatment plan for a hereditary cardiac
condition. Which nursing response BEST demonstrates application of genomics to individualized
care?
A) "Genetic testing is experimental and rarely affects treatment."
B) "Results may guide targeted therapies and family risk counseling; I'll coordinate with genetics
services."
C) "You should avoid genetic testing because it won't change outcomes."
D) "Only physicians can interpret genetic tests; I can't help."
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Advances in genetics can inform individualized therapies and cascade family risk
assessment. Nurses play a key role in education and coordination with genetics services. Genetic
testing is established for many conditions, blanket avoidance is inaccurate, and nurses do participate
in education and coordination beyond just physicians.
UNIT 2: CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES OF PATIENT MANAGEMENT
Question 11
A patient with severe, prolonged vomiting is most likely to develop which acid-base imbalance?
