Community & Public Health Nursing
2026/2027: 200+ Exam Q&A with Rationales
Epidemiology, SDOH, Surveillance (BRFSS,
NHANES), Program Planning & Policy | A+
Guide
SECTION 1: FOUNDATIONS OF COMMUNITY & PUBLIC
HEALTH NURSING (Questions 1-35)
Question 1:
What is the primary focus of community health nursing (CHN)?
A) Providing direct patient care in hospital settings
B) Promoting health and preventing disease at the population
level
C) Administering medications in community clinics
D) Conducting surgical procedures in outpatient settings
Answer: B) Promoting health and preventing disease at the
population level
,Rationale: CHN shifts from one-on-one care to entire
communities, using epidemiology, social determinants, and
systems thinking . The focus is on aggregates (subpopulations)
rather than individual patients, which distinguishes community
health nursing from other nursing specialties.
Question 2:
How does public health nursing (PHN) differ from community
health nursing?
A) PHN focuses only on hospital-based care
B) PHN is a subset of CHN that emphasizes government-funded
roles and underserved populations
C) PHN is exclusively focused on mental health
D) There is no difference between PHN and CHN
Answer: B) PHN is a subset of CHN that emphasizes
government-funded roles and underserved populations
Rationale: PHN is a subset of CHN that emphasizes government-
funded, official agency roles (local/state health departments)
with a focus on underserved populations and policy advocacy .
,PHN often involves emergency preparedness, communicable
disease control, and regulatory functions.
Question 3:
What is the contribution of Lillian Wald to public health nursing?
A) Developing the first nursing school curriculum
B) Founding the Henry Street Settlement and coining the term
"public health nurse"
C) Creating the first hospital-based nursing program
D) Establishing the American Nurses Association
Answer: B) Founding the Henry Street Settlement and coining
the term "public health nurse"
Rationale: Lillian Wald founded the Henry Street Settlement
(1893) in NYC, establishing district nursing and the Visiting Nurse
Service, and coined the term "public health nurse" . She is
considered the founder of public health nursing in the US.
Question 4:
, What are the three core public health functions as identified by
the Institute of Medicine (IOM)?
A) Assessment, Policy Development, and Assurance
B) Prevention, Treatment, and Rehabilitation
C) Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment
D) Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation
Answer: A) Assessment, Policy Development, and Assurance
Rationale: The three core public health functions are assessment
(regular collection and analysis of health data), policy
development (using information to develop health policies), and
assurance (ensuring availability of necessary health services) .
These functions guide public health practice at all levels.
Question 5:
Which level of prevention is represented by immunization
programs and health education?
A) Primary prevention
B) Secondary prevention
C) Tertiary prevention
D) Quaternary prevention
2026/2027: 200+ Exam Q&A with Rationales
Epidemiology, SDOH, Surveillance (BRFSS,
NHANES), Program Planning & Policy | A+
Guide
SECTION 1: FOUNDATIONS OF COMMUNITY & PUBLIC
HEALTH NURSING (Questions 1-35)
Question 1:
What is the primary focus of community health nursing (CHN)?
A) Providing direct patient care in hospital settings
B) Promoting health and preventing disease at the population
level
C) Administering medications in community clinics
D) Conducting surgical procedures in outpatient settings
Answer: B) Promoting health and preventing disease at the
population level
,Rationale: CHN shifts from one-on-one care to entire
communities, using epidemiology, social determinants, and
systems thinking . The focus is on aggregates (subpopulations)
rather than individual patients, which distinguishes community
health nursing from other nursing specialties.
Question 2:
How does public health nursing (PHN) differ from community
health nursing?
A) PHN focuses only on hospital-based care
B) PHN is a subset of CHN that emphasizes government-funded
roles and underserved populations
C) PHN is exclusively focused on mental health
D) There is no difference between PHN and CHN
Answer: B) PHN is a subset of CHN that emphasizes
government-funded roles and underserved populations
Rationale: PHN is a subset of CHN that emphasizes government-
funded, official agency roles (local/state health departments)
with a focus on underserved populations and policy advocacy .
,PHN often involves emergency preparedness, communicable
disease control, and regulatory functions.
Question 3:
What is the contribution of Lillian Wald to public health nursing?
A) Developing the first nursing school curriculum
B) Founding the Henry Street Settlement and coining the term
"public health nurse"
C) Creating the first hospital-based nursing program
D) Establishing the American Nurses Association
Answer: B) Founding the Henry Street Settlement and coining
the term "public health nurse"
Rationale: Lillian Wald founded the Henry Street Settlement
(1893) in NYC, establishing district nursing and the Visiting Nurse
Service, and coined the term "public health nurse" . She is
considered the founder of public health nursing in the US.
Question 4:
, What are the three core public health functions as identified by
the Institute of Medicine (IOM)?
A) Assessment, Policy Development, and Assurance
B) Prevention, Treatment, and Rehabilitation
C) Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment
D) Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation
Answer: A) Assessment, Policy Development, and Assurance
Rationale: The three core public health functions are assessment
(regular collection and analysis of health data), policy
development (using information to develop health policies), and
assurance (ensuring availability of necessary health services) .
These functions guide public health practice at all levels.
Question 5:
Which level of prevention is represented by immunization
programs and health education?
A) Primary prevention
B) Secondary prevention
C) Tertiary prevention
D) Quaternary prevention
