Wilkes NSG 505 Health Policy & Politics
Latest Exam 2026/2027 – 200+ Q&A with
Rationales | Complete Study Guide
Section 1: Foundations of Health Policy & Politics (Questions 1–30)
1. Which statement best describes health policy?
A) A hospital's internal procedure manual
B) A set of decisions and actions designed to address health-related goals
C) A nurse's individualized plan of care
D) A physician's treatment recommendation
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Health policy consists of decisions, plans, laws, regulations, and actions intended
to address health-related problems and goals. It can operate at organizational, local, state,
federal, and international levels .
2. What is the primary reason nurses should understand health policy?
A) To replace legislators in making healthcare decisions
B) To avoid participating in political activities
C) To understand and influence systems that affect patient and population health
D) To eliminate the need for clinical judgment
,Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Nurses encounter the effects of healthcare policies every day. Understanding
policy enables nurses to advocate for patients, participate in policymaking, and evaluate
how decisions affect health outcomes .
3. Which characteristic distinguishes politics from policy?
A) Politics concerns only elections
B) Policy is always created by nurses
C) Politics involves the processes through which competing interests influence decisions
D) Policy applies only to government programs
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Politics involves power, negotiation, competing interests, coalition building, and
decision-making. Policy is the resulting course of action, rule, or set of decisions .
4. Which of the following best describes the primary purpose of health policy in the
United States?
A) To reduce healthcare costs for all citizens
B) To protect and promote the health of individuals and populations
C) To increase the profits of healthcare organizations
D) To limit access to healthcare services
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Health policy encompasses decisions, plans, and actions undertaken to achieve
specific healthcare goals within a society. The primary purpose is to protect and promote
the health of individuals and populations through legislation, regulation, and resource
allocation .
,5. The "policy-making process" in the United States typically follows which
sequence?
A) Agenda setting, policy formulation, policy adoption, policy implementation, policy
evaluation
B) Policy formulation, agenda setting, policy adoption, policy evaluation, policy
implementation
C) Agenda setting, policy adoption, policy formulation, policy implementation, policy
evaluation
D) Policy formulation, policy adoption, agenda setting, policy evaluation, policy
implementation
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The policy-making process typically follows this sequence: agenda setting
(identifying problems requiring government attention), policy formulation (developing
proposed solutions), policy adoption (legislative approval), policy implementation (putting
policies into action), and policy evaluation (assessing effectiveness) .
6. Which branch of government is primarily responsible for enacting legislation
related to healthcare policy?
A) Executive branch
B) Judicial branch
C) Legislative branch
D) Administrative branch
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The legislative branch (Congress at the federal level, state legislatures at the
state level) is primarily responsible for enacting laws related to healthcare policy. The
executive branch implements and enforces laws, while the judicial branch interprets them .
, 7. The "Iron Triangle" of healthcare consists of which three interrelated components?
A) Quality, safety, and efficiency
B) Cost, quality, and access
C) Prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation
D) Public, private, and non-profit
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The "Iron Triangle" of healthcare describes the interrelationship between cost,
quality, and access. Changes in one component typically affect the others. Health policy
decisions often involve trade-offs among these three elements .
8. Which of the following is a social determinant of health that health policy can
address?
A) Genetic predisposition
B) Access to affordable housing
C) Blood type
D) Hair color
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Social determinants of health are the conditions in which people are born, grow,
live, work, and age that affect health outcomes. Access to affordable housing is a social
determinant that can be addressed through health policy .
9. A nurse identifies an increasing rate of preventable hospital readmissions and
brings the issue to organizational leaders. Which policy process activity is
occurring?
A) Problem identification
B) Policy evaluation
Latest Exam 2026/2027 – 200+ Q&A with
Rationales | Complete Study Guide
Section 1: Foundations of Health Policy & Politics (Questions 1–30)
1. Which statement best describes health policy?
A) A hospital's internal procedure manual
B) A set of decisions and actions designed to address health-related goals
C) A nurse's individualized plan of care
D) A physician's treatment recommendation
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Health policy consists of decisions, plans, laws, regulations, and actions intended
to address health-related problems and goals. It can operate at organizational, local, state,
federal, and international levels .
2. What is the primary reason nurses should understand health policy?
A) To replace legislators in making healthcare decisions
B) To avoid participating in political activities
C) To understand and influence systems that affect patient and population health
D) To eliminate the need for clinical judgment
,Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Nurses encounter the effects of healthcare policies every day. Understanding
policy enables nurses to advocate for patients, participate in policymaking, and evaluate
how decisions affect health outcomes .
3. Which characteristic distinguishes politics from policy?
A) Politics concerns only elections
B) Policy is always created by nurses
C) Politics involves the processes through which competing interests influence decisions
D) Policy applies only to government programs
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Politics involves power, negotiation, competing interests, coalition building, and
decision-making. Policy is the resulting course of action, rule, or set of decisions .
4. Which of the following best describes the primary purpose of health policy in the
United States?
A) To reduce healthcare costs for all citizens
B) To protect and promote the health of individuals and populations
C) To increase the profits of healthcare organizations
D) To limit access to healthcare services
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Health policy encompasses decisions, plans, and actions undertaken to achieve
specific healthcare goals within a society. The primary purpose is to protect and promote
the health of individuals and populations through legislation, regulation, and resource
allocation .
,5. The "policy-making process" in the United States typically follows which
sequence?
A) Agenda setting, policy formulation, policy adoption, policy implementation, policy
evaluation
B) Policy formulation, agenda setting, policy adoption, policy evaluation, policy
implementation
C) Agenda setting, policy adoption, policy formulation, policy implementation, policy
evaluation
D) Policy formulation, policy adoption, agenda setting, policy evaluation, policy
implementation
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The policy-making process typically follows this sequence: agenda setting
(identifying problems requiring government attention), policy formulation (developing
proposed solutions), policy adoption (legislative approval), policy implementation (putting
policies into action), and policy evaluation (assessing effectiveness) .
6. Which branch of government is primarily responsible for enacting legislation
related to healthcare policy?
A) Executive branch
B) Judicial branch
C) Legislative branch
D) Administrative branch
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The legislative branch (Congress at the federal level, state legislatures at the
state level) is primarily responsible for enacting laws related to healthcare policy. The
executive branch implements and enforces laws, while the judicial branch interprets them .
, 7. The "Iron Triangle" of healthcare consists of which three interrelated components?
A) Quality, safety, and efficiency
B) Cost, quality, and access
C) Prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation
D) Public, private, and non-profit
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The "Iron Triangle" of healthcare describes the interrelationship between cost,
quality, and access. Changes in one component typically affect the others. Health policy
decisions often involve trade-offs among these three elements .
8. Which of the following is a social determinant of health that health policy can
address?
A) Genetic predisposition
B) Access to affordable housing
C) Blood type
D) Hair color
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Social determinants of health are the conditions in which people are born, grow,
live, work, and age that affect health outcomes. Access to affordable housing is a social
determinant that can be addressed through health policy .
9. A nurse identifies an increasing rate of preventable hospital readmissions and
brings the issue to organizational leaders. Which policy process activity is
occurring?
A) Problem identification
B) Policy evaluation
