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WILKES UNIVERSITY | PASSAN SCHOOL OF NURSING
NSG 505 | Health Policy and Politics for Advancing Nursing Care
NSG 505 — Health Policy & Politics Exam
Health Policy and Politics for Advancing Nursing Care
INSTITUTION Wilkes University | Passan School of Nursing
PROGRAM Graduate Nursing (MSN)
EXACT EXAM TITLE Wilkes University NSG 505 Health Policy Politics Exam 2026/2027 | Verified Questions
COURSE TITLE Health Policy and Politics for Advancing Nursing Care
COURSE CODE NSG 505
ACADEMIC YEAR 2026/2027
TOTAL QUESTIONS 100 Questions
Core Domains: Foundations of Health Policy & Politics • Policy-Making Process & Analysis Frameworks • Healthcare Economics & Financing • Ethical
Frameworks & Social Justice in Health Policy • Nursing Advocacy, Activism & Political Engagement • Key Health Policies & Legislation
Entry-Level & Current Graduate Nursing Professional Focus
Multiple-Choice • Scenario Analysis • Applied Policy Reasoning Format
2026/2027 Edition — Aligned with the Wilkes University NSG 505 Health Policy and Politics for Advancing Nursing Care curriculum, AACN
Essentials of Master's Education, and evidence-based health policy standards
CONTENTS
Domain Content Area Questions
Domain 1 Foundations of Health Policy & Politics 20
Domain 2 Policy-Making Process & Analysis Frameworks 20
Domain 3 Healthcare Economics & Financing 15
Domain 4 Ethical Frameworks & Social Justice in Health Policy 15
Domain 5 Nursing Advocacy, Activism & Political Engagement 15
Domain 6 Key Health Policies & Legislation 15
TOTAL All Domains 100
© BestSellerStuvia
Academic Year 2026/2027
NSG 505 | 2026/2027
ACTUAL QUESTIONS
Domain 1: Foundations of Health Policy & Politics
Question 1. What is the primary definition of health policy?
A. Only the actions of private hospitals
B. Decisions, plans, laws, regulations, and actions intended to achieve specific health care goals within a society
C. Exclusive focus on individual patient care decisions
D. A list of nursing diagnoses
Correct Answer: A
© BestSellerStuvia | | NSG 505 | Academic Year 2026/2027
, © BestSellerStuvia |
Rationale: Health policy encompasses the decisions and actions that shape the health system and population health goals.
Question 2. Which statement best distinguishes politics from policy?
A. They are identical concepts
B. Politics is the process of influencing the allocation of scarce resources; policy is the resulting decision or course of action
C. Policy always precedes politics
D. Politics has no role in health care
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Politics involves competing interests and influence; policy is the formal outcome of that process.
Question 3. What are the four spheres of influence commonly used to describe where nurses can shape
health policy?
A. Only the federal government
B. Government, workplace/workforce, associations and special interest groups, and community
C. Only professional associations
D. Only academic institutions
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: These four spheres provide a framework for multilevel nursing influence on policy.
Question 4. Which type of policy distributes benefits to a particular group at the expense of others, often
justified by the public good?
A. Regulatory policy only
B. Allocative policy
C. Distributive policy exclusively without trade-offs
D. Symbolic policy only
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Allocative policies (e.g., Medicaid, Medicare) transfer resources to specific groups for broader social purposes.
Question 5. What is the primary purpose of regulatory policy in health care?
A. To distribute money only
B. To control or guide the behavior of individuals, organizations, or industries through rules and standards
C. To fund research exclusively
D. To eliminate all private insurance
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Regulatory policies set standards and constraints that shape behavior in the health system.
Question 6. Which level of government has primary constitutional authority over the regulation of most
health professions and facilities?
A. Federal government exclusively
B. State governments
C. Local municipalities only
D. International organizations
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: States retain primary authority over licensing and regulation of health professionals and many facilities.
Question 7. What is a key characteristic of the U.S. health policy environment?
A. A single-payer system with no private involvement
B. Fragmented authority across federal, state, and private actors with incremental change
C. Complete centralization at the federal level
D. Absence of any interest group influence
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: U.S. health policy is characterized by divided authority and typically incremental rather than radical reform.
Question 8. Which concept describes the ability of an individual or group to influence the behavior of
others or the allocation of resources?
A. Autonomy only
B. Power
C. Beneficence exclusively
D. Veracity
© BestSellerStuvia | | NSG 505 | Academic Year 2026/2027
, © BestSellerStuvia |
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Power is central to political processes that shape policy outcomes.
Question 9. What is the role of interest groups in health policy?
A. They have no influence
B. They aggregate and represent the preferences of members and seek to influence policy decisions
C. They only fund campaigns without policy goals
D. They replace elected officials
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Interest groups, including nursing organizations, advocate for policies aligned with their members' interests.
Question 10. Which statement about public versus private policy is accurate?
A. Private policy has the force of law
B. Public policy is made by governmental bodies and carries the authority of the state; private policy is made by non-governmental
organizations
C. There is no distinction
D. Only private policy affects nurses
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Public policy is governmental; private policy includes organizational rules and professional standards.
Question 11. What does the term 'policy window' refer to in Kingdon's framework?
A. A permanent open opportunity
B. A temporary opportunity when problem, policy, and politics streams converge, allowing policy change
C. Only the formal legislative calendar
D. A period when no change is possible
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Policy windows open when the three streams align, creating a chance for agenda placement and action.
Question 12. Which of the following is an example of a structural determinant of health that policy can
address?
A. An individual's genetic code only
B. Socioeconomic status, education, and neighborhood conditions
C. Personal preference for a particular hospital
D. Daily mood fluctuations
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Structural determinants such as income, education, and environment are shaped by policy and influence health outcomes.
Question 13. What is the primary goal of health policy analysis?
A. To promote a single preferred solution without alternatives
B. To systematically examine a policy problem, alternatives, and their likely consequences to inform decision-making
C. To avoid any consideration of politics
D. To guarantee a specific legislative outcome
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Policy analysis clarifies problems, options, and trade-offs to support informed choices.
Question 14. Which nursing organization was the first established in the United States (1893)?
A. American Nurses Association
B. National League for Nursing (originally the American Society of Superintendents of Training Schools)
C. American Association of Colleges of Nursing
D. Sigma Theta Tau exclusively
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The National League for Nursing traces its origins to 1893 as the first national nursing organization.
Question 15. What is a defining feature of incrementalism in U.S. health policy?
A. Complete system redesign with every new administration
B. Small, gradual changes rather than comprehensive reform
C. Elimination of all existing programs
D. Exclusive focus on state-level action
Correct Answer: C
© BestSellerStuvia | | NSG 505 | Academic Year 2026/2027
WILKES UNIVERSITY | PASSAN SCHOOL OF NURSING
NSG 505 | Health Policy and Politics for Advancing Nursing Care
NSG 505 — Health Policy & Politics Exam
Health Policy and Politics for Advancing Nursing Care
INSTITUTION Wilkes University | Passan School of Nursing
PROGRAM Graduate Nursing (MSN)
EXACT EXAM TITLE Wilkes University NSG 505 Health Policy Politics Exam 2026/2027 | Verified Questions
COURSE TITLE Health Policy and Politics for Advancing Nursing Care
COURSE CODE NSG 505
ACADEMIC YEAR 2026/2027
TOTAL QUESTIONS 100 Questions
Core Domains: Foundations of Health Policy & Politics • Policy-Making Process & Analysis Frameworks • Healthcare Economics & Financing • Ethical
Frameworks & Social Justice in Health Policy • Nursing Advocacy, Activism & Political Engagement • Key Health Policies & Legislation
Entry-Level & Current Graduate Nursing Professional Focus
Multiple-Choice • Scenario Analysis • Applied Policy Reasoning Format
2026/2027 Edition — Aligned with the Wilkes University NSG 505 Health Policy and Politics for Advancing Nursing Care curriculum, AACN
Essentials of Master's Education, and evidence-based health policy standards
CONTENTS
Domain Content Area Questions
Domain 1 Foundations of Health Policy & Politics 20
Domain 2 Policy-Making Process & Analysis Frameworks 20
Domain 3 Healthcare Economics & Financing 15
Domain 4 Ethical Frameworks & Social Justice in Health Policy 15
Domain 5 Nursing Advocacy, Activism & Political Engagement 15
Domain 6 Key Health Policies & Legislation 15
TOTAL All Domains 100
© BestSellerStuvia
Academic Year 2026/2027
NSG 505 | 2026/2027
ACTUAL QUESTIONS
Domain 1: Foundations of Health Policy & Politics
Question 1. What is the primary definition of health policy?
A. Only the actions of private hospitals
B. Decisions, plans, laws, regulations, and actions intended to achieve specific health care goals within a society
C. Exclusive focus on individual patient care decisions
D. A list of nursing diagnoses
Correct Answer: A
© BestSellerStuvia | | NSG 505 | Academic Year 2026/2027
, © BestSellerStuvia |
Rationale: Health policy encompasses the decisions and actions that shape the health system and population health goals.
Question 2. Which statement best distinguishes politics from policy?
A. They are identical concepts
B. Politics is the process of influencing the allocation of scarce resources; policy is the resulting decision or course of action
C. Policy always precedes politics
D. Politics has no role in health care
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Politics involves competing interests and influence; policy is the formal outcome of that process.
Question 3. What are the four spheres of influence commonly used to describe where nurses can shape
health policy?
A. Only the federal government
B. Government, workplace/workforce, associations and special interest groups, and community
C. Only professional associations
D. Only academic institutions
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: These four spheres provide a framework for multilevel nursing influence on policy.
Question 4. Which type of policy distributes benefits to a particular group at the expense of others, often
justified by the public good?
A. Regulatory policy only
B. Allocative policy
C. Distributive policy exclusively without trade-offs
D. Symbolic policy only
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Allocative policies (e.g., Medicaid, Medicare) transfer resources to specific groups for broader social purposes.
Question 5. What is the primary purpose of regulatory policy in health care?
A. To distribute money only
B. To control or guide the behavior of individuals, organizations, or industries through rules and standards
C. To fund research exclusively
D. To eliminate all private insurance
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Regulatory policies set standards and constraints that shape behavior in the health system.
Question 6. Which level of government has primary constitutional authority over the regulation of most
health professions and facilities?
A. Federal government exclusively
B. State governments
C. Local municipalities only
D. International organizations
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: States retain primary authority over licensing and regulation of health professionals and many facilities.
Question 7. What is a key characteristic of the U.S. health policy environment?
A. A single-payer system with no private involvement
B. Fragmented authority across federal, state, and private actors with incremental change
C. Complete centralization at the federal level
D. Absence of any interest group influence
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: U.S. health policy is characterized by divided authority and typically incremental rather than radical reform.
Question 8. Which concept describes the ability of an individual or group to influence the behavior of
others or the allocation of resources?
A. Autonomy only
B. Power
C. Beneficence exclusively
D. Veracity
© BestSellerStuvia | | NSG 505 | Academic Year 2026/2027
, © BestSellerStuvia |
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Power is central to political processes that shape policy outcomes.
Question 9. What is the role of interest groups in health policy?
A. They have no influence
B. They aggregate and represent the preferences of members and seek to influence policy decisions
C. They only fund campaigns without policy goals
D. They replace elected officials
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Interest groups, including nursing organizations, advocate for policies aligned with their members' interests.
Question 10. Which statement about public versus private policy is accurate?
A. Private policy has the force of law
B. Public policy is made by governmental bodies and carries the authority of the state; private policy is made by non-governmental
organizations
C. There is no distinction
D. Only private policy affects nurses
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Public policy is governmental; private policy includes organizational rules and professional standards.
Question 11. What does the term 'policy window' refer to in Kingdon's framework?
A. A permanent open opportunity
B. A temporary opportunity when problem, policy, and politics streams converge, allowing policy change
C. Only the formal legislative calendar
D. A period when no change is possible
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Policy windows open when the three streams align, creating a chance for agenda placement and action.
Question 12. Which of the following is an example of a structural determinant of health that policy can
address?
A. An individual's genetic code only
B. Socioeconomic status, education, and neighborhood conditions
C. Personal preference for a particular hospital
D. Daily mood fluctuations
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Structural determinants such as income, education, and environment are shaped by policy and influence health outcomes.
Question 13. What is the primary goal of health policy analysis?
A. To promote a single preferred solution without alternatives
B. To systematically examine a policy problem, alternatives, and their likely consequences to inform decision-making
C. To avoid any consideration of politics
D. To guarantee a specific legislative outcome
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Policy analysis clarifies problems, options, and trade-offs to support informed choices.
Question 14. Which nursing organization was the first established in the United States (1893)?
A. American Nurses Association
B. National League for Nursing (originally the American Society of Superintendents of Training Schools)
C. American Association of Colleges of Nursing
D. Sigma Theta Tau exclusively
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The National League for Nursing traces its origins to 1893 as the first national nursing organization.
Question 15. What is a defining feature of incrementalism in U.S. health policy?
A. Complete system redesign with every new administration
B. Small, gradual changes rather than comprehensive reform
C. Elimination of all existing programs
D. Exclusive focus on state-level action
Correct Answer: C
© BestSellerStuvia | | NSG 505 | Academic Year 2026/2027
