RN Community Health 2026 Actual
Proctored Exam – Complete Official Study
Guide & Q&A
A community health nurse is conducting a windshield survey of a neighborhood.
Which observation provides the most useful information about environmental
health?
A. Number of residents attending religious services
B. Condition of housing, sanitation, and water drainage
C. Number of residents employed full-time
D. Types of recreational activities available
Answer: _B. Condition of housing, sanitation, and water drainage_
Rationale: A windshield survey assesses visible community characteristics,
including housing conditions, sanitation, transportation, water systems,
environmental hazards, and available resources.
Which activity is an example of primary prevention?
A. Providing rehabilitation after a stroke
B. Screening adults for hypertension
C. Administering an influenza vaccine
D. Referring a client with diabetes to an endocrinologist
Answer: _C. Administering an influenza vaccine_
Rationale: Primary prevention prevents disease before it occurs. Immunization is a
classic example. Screening is secondary prevention, while rehabilitation is tertiary
prevention.
A nurse is planning a community health education program. Which action should
the nurse take first?
A. Develop educational handouts
B. Identify the community's learning needs
,C. Schedule a presentation
D. Select audiovisual materials
Answer: _B. Identify the community's learning needs_
Rationale: Community education should begin with assessment. Determining the
population's needs, knowledge, beliefs, and barriers helps the nurse design
appropriate interventions.
A nurse is teaching parents about preventing lead exposure in children. Which
statement indicates an appropriate understanding?
A. "I should use hot tap water when preparing my child's formula."
B. "I should allow my child to play near peeling exterior paint."
C. "I should wash my child's hands frequently."
D. "I should sand old painted surfaces inside the home."
Answer: _C. "I should wash my child's hands frequently."**
Rationale: Frequent handwashing helps reduce ingestion of lead-containing dust
or soil. Disturbing old paint by sanding can increase airborne lead exposure.
Which client should a community health nurse prioritize for a home visit?
A. A healthy adult requesting information about exercise
B. A client with stable seasonal allergies
C. An older adult recently discharged after heart failure hospitalization
D. An adolescent requesting information about college nutrition
Answer: _C. An older adult recently discharged after heart failure hospitalization_
Rationale: Recent hospitalization for heart failure creates a significant risk for
complications and readmission. A timely home assessment can identify medication,
dietary, symptom-management, and environmental concerns.
A nurse is investigating an outbreak of gastroenteritis at a local restaurant. What is
the primary purpose of establishing a case definition?
A. To identify the source immediately
B. To determine which individuals meet standardized criteria for the illness
,C. To determine treatment for affected individuals
D. To eliminate the infectious organism
Answer: _B. To determine which individuals meet standardized criteria for the
illness_
Rationale: A case definition establishes consistent clinical, laboratory, and/or
epidemiologic criteria for identifying cases during an outbreak investigation.
Which intervention is an example of secondary prevention?
A. Smoking cessation counseling
B. Administration of childhood vaccines
C. Mammography screening
D. Physical therapy after a spinal cord injury
Answer: _C. Mammography screening_
Rationale: Secondary prevention focuses on early detection and treatment of
disease. Screening tests such as mammography are designed to detect disease
before symptoms become apparent.
A community health nurse is working with a population experiencing high rates of
type 2 diabetes. Which intervention addresses a modifiable risk factor?
A. Teaching about healthy nutrition and physical activity
B. Recording residents' ages
C. Documenting family history
D. Identifying genetic characteristics
Answer: _A. Teaching about healthy nutrition and physical activity_
Rationale: Diet and physical activity are modifiable risk factors for type 2
diabetes. Age, genetics, and family history generally cannot be modified.
Which statement best describes incidence?
A. The total number of existing cases in a population
B. The number of new cases occurring during a specified period
C. The percentage of deaths caused by a disease
D. The proportion of a population that has immunity
, Answer: _B. The number of new cases occurring during a specified period_
Rationale: Incidence measures new cases occurring within a specified population
during a specified period. Prevalence measures existing cases.
A nurse is educating a community about tuberculosis. Which finding is most
concerning for possible pulmonary tuberculosis?
A. Sudden ankle swelling
B. Productive cough lasting several weeks
C. Occasional headache
D. Mild abdominal discomfort
Answer: _B. Productive cough lasting several weeks**_
Rationale: A persistent cough, particularly when accompanied by symptoms such
as fever, night sweats, weight loss, or hemoptysis, can indicate pulmonary
tuberculosis and warrants evaluation.
A community health nurse is caring for a client with a newly diagnosed
communicable disease. Which action is most important?
A. Maintain appropriate infection-control precautions
B. Encourage the client to attend public gatherings
C. Avoid documenting the diagnosis
D. Discontinue all community services
Answer: _A. Maintain appropriate infection-control precautions**_
Rationale: Infection-control measures reduce transmission to healthcare workers,
family members, and the community.
Which situation represents tertiary prevention?
A. Teaching teenagers about sexually transmitted infection prevention
B. Providing blood pressure screening at a health fair
C. Providing cardiac rehabilitation after myocardial infarction
D. Administering a vaccine before exposure to infection
Answer: _C. Providing cardiac rehabilitation after myocardial infarction**_
Proctored Exam – Complete Official Study
Guide & Q&A
A community health nurse is conducting a windshield survey of a neighborhood.
Which observation provides the most useful information about environmental
health?
A. Number of residents attending religious services
B. Condition of housing, sanitation, and water drainage
C. Number of residents employed full-time
D. Types of recreational activities available
Answer: _B. Condition of housing, sanitation, and water drainage_
Rationale: A windshield survey assesses visible community characteristics,
including housing conditions, sanitation, transportation, water systems,
environmental hazards, and available resources.
Which activity is an example of primary prevention?
A. Providing rehabilitation after a stroke
B. Screening adults for hypertension
C. Administering an influenza vaccine
D. Referring a client with diabetes to an endocrinologist
Answer: _C. Administering an influenza vaccine_
Rationale: Primary prevention prevents disease before it occurs. Immunization is a
classic example. Screening is secondary prevention, while rehabilitation is tertiary
prevention.
A nurse is planning a community health education program. Which action should
the nurse take first?
A. Develop educational handouts
B. Identify the community's learning needs
,C. Schedule a presentation
D. Select audiovisual materials
Answer: _B. Identify the community's learning needs_
Rationale: Community education should begin with assessment. Determining the
population's needs, knowledge, beliefs, and barriers helps the nurse design
appropriate interventions.
A nurse is teaching parents about preventing lead exposure in children. Which
statement indicates an appropriate understanding?
A. "I should use hot tap water when preparing my child's formula."
B. "I should allow my child to play near peeling exterior paint."
C. "I should wash my child's hands frequently."
D. "I should sand old painted surfaces inside the home."
Answer: _C. "I should wash my child's hands frequently."**
Rationale: Frequent handwashing helps reduce ingestion of lead-containing dust
or soil. Disturbing old paint by sanding can increase airborne lead exposure.
Which client should a community health nurse prioritize for a home visit?
A. A healthy adult requesting information about exercise
B. A client with stable seasonal allergies
C. An older adult recently discharged after heart failure hospitalization
D. An adolescent requesting information about college nutrition
Answer: _C. An older adult recently discharged after heart failure hospitalization_
Rationale: Recent hospitalization for heart failure creates a significant risk for
complications and readmission. A timely home assessment can identify medication,
dietary, symptom-management, and environmental concerns.
A nurse is investigating an outbreak of gastroenteritis at a local restaurant. What is
the primary purpose of establishing a case definition?
A. To identify the source immediately
B. To determine which individuals meet standardized criteria for the illness
,C. To determine treatment for affected individuals
D. To eliminate the infectious organism
Answer: _B. To determine which individuals meet standardized criteria for the
illness_
Rationale: A case definition establishes consistent clinical, laboratory, and/or
epidemiologic criteria for identifying cases during an outbreak investigation.
Which intervention is an example of secondary prevention?
A. Smoking cessation counseling
B. Administration of childhood vaccines
C. Mammography screening
D. Physical therapy after a spinal cord injury
Answer: _C. Mammography screening_
Rationale: Secondary prevention focuses on early detection and treatment of
disease. Screening tests such as mammography are designed to detect disease
before symptoms become apparent.
A community health nurse is working with a population experiencing high rates of
type 2 diabetes. Which intervention addresses a modifiable risk factor?
A. Teaching about healthy nutrition and physical activity
B. Recording residents' ages
C. Documenting family history
D. Identifying genetic characteristics
Answer: _A. Teaching about healthy nutrition and physical activity_
Rationale: Diet and physical activity are modifiable risk factors for type 2
diabetes. Age, genetics, and family history generally cannot be modified.
Which statement best describes incidence?
A. The total number of existing cases in a population
B. The number of new cases occurring during a specified period
C. The percentage of deaths caused by a disease
D. The proportion of a population that has immunity
, Answer: _B. The number of new cases occurring during a specified period_
Rationale: Incidence measures new cases occurring within a specified population
during a specified period. Prevalence measures existing cases.
A nurse is educating a community about tuberculosis. Which finding is most
concerning for possible pulmonary tuberculosis?
A. Sudden ankle swelling
B. Productive cough lasting several weeks
C. Occasional headache
D. Mild abdominal discomfort
Answer: _B. Productive cough lasting several weeks**_
Rationale: A persistent cough, particularly when accompanied by symptoms such
as fever, night sweats, weight loss, or hemoptysis, can indicate pulmonary
tuberculosis and warrants evaluation.
A community health nurse is caring for a client with a newly diagnosed
communicable disease. Which action is most important?
A. Maintain appropriate infection-control precautions
B. Encourage the client to attend public gatherings
C. Avoid documenting the diagnosis
D. Discontinue all community services
Answer: _A. Maintain appropriate infection-control precautions**_
Rationale: Infection-control measures reduce transmission to healthcare workers,
family members, and the community.
Which situation represents tertiary prevention?
A. Teaching teenagers about sexually transmitted infection prevention
B. Providing blood pressure screening at a health fair
C. Providing cardiac rehabilitation after myocardial infarction
D. Administering a vaccine before exposure to infection
Answer: _C. Providing cardiac rehabilitation after myocardial infarction**_
