COMPREHENSIVE TEST BANK:
FUNDAMENTALS OF NURSING, 12TH
EDITION (POTTER ET AL., 2025) –
PRACTICE QUESTIONS WITH
RATIONALES
Questions 1-50: Foundations of Nursing Practice
1. A nurse is preparing a teaching plan for a newly licensed nurse
about the scope of professional nursing practice. Which statement
best describes the primary focus of professional nursing?
A. Diagnosing and prescribing treatment for common conditions.
B. Caring for the person, family, and community to achieve optimal health
and functioning.
C. Providing clerical support for the healthcare team.
D. Supervising all ancillary staff and delegating all clinical tasks.
Answer: B
Rationale: Professional nursing centers on care of individuals, families, and
communities to promote, maintain, and restore health. Diagnosis and
prescribing are outside typical RN scope in most jurisdictions. Clerical
support and delegation are components of nursing work but not the
primary focus .
,2. Which action is most consistent with the nursing code of ethics?
A. Reporting a colleague for suspected substance abuse to the appropriate
authority.
B. Sharing a patient's personal health information with family without
consent.
C. Refusing to care for an assigned patient due to busy schedule.
D. Accepting a gift of cash from a grateful patient.
Answer: A
Rationale: Reporting impaired colleagues protects patient safety and aligns
with ethical duties. Sharing PHI without consent violates confidentiality.
Refusing assignment without appropriate reason may be abandonment.
Accepting cash gifts can create conflict of interest .
3. A nurse practices using evidence-based practice (EBP). Which
example best demonstrates EBP?
A. Following unit tradition for wound care.
B. Using the newest journal article and clinical guidelines plus clinical
expertise when deciding on care.
C. Always relying on what the most senior nurse says.
D. Searching only for textbooks published more than 10 years ago.
Answer: B
Rationale: EBP integrates best research evidence, clinical expertise, and
patient preferences. Tradition or seniority alone are not EBP .
4. A nursing diagnosis is written as: "Impaired skin integrity related to
immobility as evidenced by a stage 2 pressure injury on the sacrum."
Which format does this follow?
,A. SOAP
B. PES (Problem, Etiology, Signs/symptoms)
C. SMART
D. DAR
Answer: B
Rationale: PES format states the Problem, related Etiology, and the
Signs/symptoms (as evidenced by) that support the diagnosis .
5. Which of the following goals is written correctly using SMART
criteria?
A. "Client will feel better about their diagnosis."
B. "Client will ambulate 50 feet in the hallway with a walker by the end of
the shift."
C. "Client will understand their medications eventually."
D. "Client will try to eat more."
Answer: B
Rationale: A SMART goal is specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and
time-limited — the hallway ambulation goal meets all of these criteria .
6. A nurse repositions a client every 2 hours to prevent skin
breakdown, based on evidence and nursing judgment rather than a
provider's order. This is an example of which type of intervention?
A. Provider-initiated (dependent)
B. Nurse-initiated (independent)
C. Collaborative
D. Delegated-only
Answer: B
, Rationale: Nurse-initiated/independent interventions are autonomous
actions based on nursing knowledge and scope of practice, not requiring a
provider's order .
7. A nurse is caring for an alert, oriented client with a history of falls
who is sitting on the bedside commode. Which action is most
appropriate?
A. Apply a belt restraint while the client is on the commode
B. Stay with the client or check on them frequently, and ensure the call light
is within reach
C. Raise all four side rails after leaving the room
D. Ask the client to call out loudly if they need help instead of using the call
light
Answer: B
Rationale: Least restrictive measures come first for a client who is alert,
oriented, and cooperative — restraints are not appropriate here, and
skipping the call light removes a key safety tool .
8. A client with a history of multiple falls this week is being cared for
by a nurse. What is the nurse's priority action?
A. Educate the client's family about fall risks
B. Complete a fall-risk assessment
C. Move all furniture out of the room
D. Apply a bed alarm without further assessment
Answer: B
Rationale: A fall-risk assessment should be completed first to individualize
the plan of care; other interventions follow from its findings .
FUNDAMENTALS OF NURSING, 12TH
EDITION (POTTER ET AL., 2025) –
PRACTICE QUESTIONS WITH
RATIONALES
Questions 1-50: Foundations of Nursing Practice
1. A nurse is preparing a teaching plan for a newly licensed nurse
about the scope of professional nursing practice. Which statement
best describes the primary focus of professional nursing?
A. Diagnosing and prescribing treatment for common conditions.
B. Caring for the person, family, and community to achieve optimal health
and functioning.
C. Providing clerical support for the healthcare team.
D. Supervising all ancillary staff and delegating all clinical tasks.
Answer: B
Rationale: Professional nursing centers on care of individuals, families, and
communities to promote, maintain, and restore health. Diagnosis and
prescribing are outside typical RN scope in most jurisdictions. Clerical
support and delegation are components of nursing work but not the
primary focus .
,2. Which action is most consistent with the nursing code of ethics?
A. Reporting a colleague for suspected substance abuse to the appropriate
authority.
B. Sharing a patient's personal health information with family without
consent.
C. Refusing to care for an assigned patient due to busy schedule.
D. Accepting a gift of cash from a grateful patient.
Answer: A
Rationale: Reporting impaired colleagues protects patient safety and aligns
with ethical duties. Sharing PHI without consent violates confidentiality.
Refusing assignment without appropriate reason may be abandonment.
Accepting cash gifts can create conflict of interest .
3. A nurse practices using evidence-based practice (EBP). Which
example best demonstrates EBP?
A. Following unit tradition for wound care.
B. Using the newest journal article and clinical guidelines plus clinical
expertise when deciding on care.
C. Always relying on what the most senior nurse says.
D. Searching only for textbooks published more than 10 years ago.
Answer: B
Rationale: EBP integrates best research evidence, clinical expertise, and
patient preferences. Tradition or seniority alone are not EBP .
4. A nursing diagnosis is written as: "Impaired skin integrity related to
immobility as evidenced by a stage 2 pressure injury on the sacrum."
Which format does this follow?
,A. SOAP
B. PES (Problem, Etiology, Signs/symptoms)
C. SMART
D. DAR
Answer: B
Rationale: PES format states the Problem, related Etiology, and the
Signs/symptoms (as evidenced by) that support the diagnosis .
5. Which of the following goals is written correctly using SMART
criteria?
A. "Client will feel better about their diagnosis."
B. "Client will ambulate 50 feet in the hallway with a walker by the end of
the shift."
C. "Client will understand their medications eventually."
D. "Client will try to eat more."
Answer: B
Rationale: A SMART goal is specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and
time-limited — the hallway ambulation goal meets all of these criteria .
6. A nurse repositions a client every 2 hours to prevent skin
breakdown, based on evidence and nursing judgment rather than a
provider's order. This is an example of which type of intervention?
A. Provider-initiated (dependent)
B. Nurse-initiated (independent)
C. Collaborative
D. Delegated-only
Answer: B
, Rationale: Nurse-initiated/independent interventions are autonomous
actions based on nursing knowledge and scope of practice, not requiring a
provider's order .
7. A nurse is caring for an alert, oriented client with a history of falls
who is sitting on the bedside commode. Which action is most
appropriate?
A. Apply a belt restraint while the client is on the commode
B. Stay with the client or check on them frequently, and ensure the call light
is within reach
C. Raise all four side rails after leaving the room
D. Ask the client to call out loudly if they need help instead of using the call
light
Answer: B
Rationale: Least restrictive measures come first for a client who is alert,
oriented, and cooperative — restraints are not appropriate here, and
skipping the call light removes a key safety tool .
8. A client with a history of multiple falls this week is being cared for
by a nurse. What is the nurse's priority action?
A. Educate the client's family about fall risks
B. Complete a fall-risk assessment
C. Move all furniture out of the room
D. Apply a bed alarm without further assessment
Answer: B
Rationale: A fall-risk assessment should be completed first to individualize
the plan of care; other interventions follow from its findings .
