WGU Nursing Leadership Assessment PRACTICE
TEST 2026 | QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS &
DETAILED EXPLANATIONS STUDY GUIDE
LATEST UPDATE THIS YEAR INSTANT
DOWNLOAD PDF
,WGU Nursing Leadership Practice Assessment
1. A nurse manager is implementing a new evidence-based practice (EBP) protocol. Which action should the manager
take first?
A. Educate the staff on the new protocol.
B. Identify a problem or knowledge gap.
C. Pilot the new protocol on one unit.
D. Evaluate the outcomes of the new protocol.
Answer: B
Rationale: The first step in the EBP process is to identify a clinical problem or knowledge gap. This forms the basis for the
clinical question that will guide the search for evidence. Education, piloting, and evaluation occur in later steps.
2. Which leadership style is most effective for a nurse manager leading a team of highly experienced and self-motivated
nurses?
A. Autocratic
B. Democratic
C. Laissez-faire
D. Transactional
,Answer: C
Rationale: A laissez-faire leadership style, which is hands-off and trusting, is most effective with highly skilled and self-
motivated professionals. It empowers them to make decisions and manage their own work. Autocratic and transactional
styles are more directive, while democratic involves shared decision-making but may still require more leader involvement
than necessary for this team.
3. A nurse is delegating a task to a nursing assistant (UAP). Which task is appropriate to delegate?
A. Administering oral pain medication.
B. Assessing a patient's surgical incision.
C. Ambulating a stable post-operative patient.
D. Teaching a patient how to use an insulin pen.
Answer: C
Rationale: Delegation to a UAP must involve tasks that are routine, stable, and do not require the nursing process
(assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation, evaluation) or professional judgment. Ambulating a stable patient is a
standard, routine task. Administering medication, assessing a wound, and teaching are all responsibilities of the registered
nurse.
4. The nurse manager is calculating the unit's nursing care hours per patient day (NHPPD). This is an example of which
type of management function?
A. Organizing
B. Directing
, C. Controlling
D. Planning
Answer: C
Rationale: Controlling involves measuring performance against standards and taking corrective action. Calculating
NHPPD is a control function used to monitor and manage staffing resources. Planning is setting goals, organizing is
structuring resources, and directing is leading and motivating staff.
5. A nurse witnesses a colleague diverting narcotics. According to the ANA Code of Ethics, what is the nurse's primary
obligation?
A. Protect the colleague's privacy.
B. Report the colleague to the state board of nursing.
C. Report the behavior to the appropriate manager or authority.
D. Confront the colleague directly and demand they stop.
Answer: C
Rationale: The ANA Code of Ethics Provision 3 states the nurse has a duty to protect the patient and the public. Reporting
impaired or unethical practice to the appropriate authority (e.g., nurse manager, risk management) is the first step to
ensure patient safety. While the board of nursing may eventually be involved, the immediate obligation is to report
internally per facility policy.
TEST 2026 | QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS &
DETAILED EXPLANATIONS STUDY GUIDE
LATEST UPDATE THIS YEAR INSTANT
DOWNLOAD PDF
,WGU Nursing Leadership Practice Assessment
1. A nurse manager is implementing a new evidence-based practice (EBP) protocol. Which action should the manager
take first?
A. Educate the staff on the new protocol.
B. Identify a problem or knowledge gap.
C. Pilot the new protocol on one unit.
D. Evaluate the outcomes of the new protocol.
Answer: B
Rationale: The first step in the EBP process is to identify a clinical problem or knowledge gap. This forms the basis for the
clinical question that will guide the search for evidence. Education, piloting, and evaluation occur in later steps.
2. Which leadership style is most effective for a nurse manager leading a team of highly experienced and self-motivated
nurses?
A. Autocratic
B. Democratic
C. Laissez-faire
D. Transactional
,Answer: C
Rationale: A laissez-faire leadership style, which is hands-off and trusting, is most effective with highly skilled and self-
motivated professionals. It empowers them to make decisions and manage their own work. Autocratic and transactional
styles are more directive, while democratic involves shared decision-making but may still require more leader involvement
than necessary for this team.
3. A nurse is delegating a task to a nursing assistant (UAP). Which task is appropriate to delegate?
A. Administering oral pain medication.
B. Assessing a patient's surgical incision.
C. Ambulating a stable post-operative patient.
D. Teaching a patient how to use an insulin pen.
Answer: C
Rationale: Delegation to a UAP must involve tasks that are routine, stable, and do not require the nursing process
(assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation, evaluation) or professional judgment. Ambulating a stable patient is a
standard, routine task. Administering medication, assessing a wound, and teaching are all responsibilities of the registered
nurse.
4. The nurse manager is calculating the unit's nursing care hours per patient day (NHPPD). This is an example of which
type of management function?
A. Organizing
B. Directing
, C. Controlling
D. Planning
Answer: C
Rationale: Controlling involves measuring performance against standards and taking corrective action. Calculating
NHPPD is a control function used to monitor and manage staffing resources. Planning is setting goals, organizing is
structuring resources, and directing is leading and motivating staff.
5. A nurse witnesses a colleague diverting narcotics. According to the ANA Code of Ethics, what is the nurse's primary
obligation?
A. Protect the colleague's privacy.
B. Report the colleague to the state board of nursing.
C. Report the behavior to the appropriate manager or authority.
D. Confront the colleague directly and demand they stop.
Answer: C
Rationale: The ANA Code of Ethics Provision 3 states the nurse has a duty to protect the patient and the public. Reporting
impaired or unethical practice to the appropriate authority (e.g., nurse manager, risk management) is the first step to
ensure patient safety. While the board of nursing may eventually be involved, the immediate obligation is to report
internally per facility policy.
