,OpenStax Clinical Nursing Skills Student Answer Guide
OpenStax Clinical Nursing Skills Student
Answer Guide
Chapter 1: The Role of the Nurse in Comprehensive Care ............................................................. 3
Chapter 2: The Evolution of the Nurse’s Role .................................................................................7
Chapter 3: Patient Communication and Interviewing .................................................................. 12
Chapter 4: Obtaining a Complete Health History ......................................................................... 15
Chapter 5: Cultural Competence and Assessment ....................................................................... 19
Chapter 6: Infection Prevention Techniques and Safety in Clinical Setting ..................................24
Chapter 7: Hygiene ........................................................................................................................28
Chapter 8: Wound and Burn Assessment Care .............................................................................32
Chapter 9: Activity Assessment and Management .......................................................................36
Chapter 10: Specimen Collection and Lab Testing ........................................................................41
Chapter 11: Principles of Medication Administration .................................................................. 47
Chapter 12: Medication Administration Procedures .................................................................... 52
Chapter 13: Intravenous Administration ...................................................................................... 58
Chapter 14: Miscellaneous Medication Administration ............................................................... 63
Chapter 15: General Survey, Anthropometric Measurement, and Vital Signs .............................67
Chapter 16: Pain Assessment ........................................................................................................71
Chapter 17: Nutrition Assessment ................................................................................................ 76
Chapter 18: Oxygenation and Perfusion ....................................................................................... 80
Chapter 19: Fluids, Electrolytes, and Elimination ......................................................................... 84
Chapter 20: Psychosocial Assessment .......................................................................................... 88
Chapter 21: Assessment of the Integumentary System ............................................................... 93
Chapter 22: Assessment of the Head and Neck ............................................................................96
Chapter 23: Assessment of the Thorax, Lungs, Breast, and Lymphatic System ......................... 101
Chapter 24: Assessment of the Cardiovascular and Peripheral Vascular System ...................... 105
Chapter 25: Assessment of the Musculoskeletal System ........................................................... 109
Chapter 26: Assessment of the Neurological System ................................................................. 112
Chapter 27: Assessment of the Abdomen .................................................................................. 115
Chapter 28: Clinical Judgment and Critical Thinking ...................................................................119
2
For more free, peer-reviewed, openly licensed resources visit OpenStax.org.
5/7/2025
,OpenStax Clinical Nursing Skills Student Answer Guide
Chapter 1: The Role of the Nurse in Comprehensive Care
Review Questions
1. Florence Nightingale is considered the founder of ____________, which emphasizes the
healing of the whole person, including mind, body, and soul.
a. caring nursing
b. the seven ethical principles of nursing
c. holistic nursing
d. systems nursing
[
Answer:C]
3. The nurse’s ability to develop and implement appropriate actions or interventions based on
the interpretation of the collected data and identified patient needs is the ___________
step of the clinical judgment model.
a. noticing
b. interpreting
c. responding
d. reflecting
[
Answer:C]
5. What is the purpose of integrating interdisciplinary theories with nursing theory and
practice?
a. to break down current nursing theories and dictate the formation of future nursing
theory
b. to assist in the development of nursing models and frameworks that guide the delivery
of patient care, and help nurses understand and work better with the interdisciplinary
team
c. to discourage overreliance on nursing theory alone
d. to encourage other disciplines to learn about nursing theory and integrate it into their
practice
[
Answer:B]
7. In the hierarchy of EBP, the strongest sources of evidence at the top of the hierarchy are
a. randomized controlled trials (RCTs)
b. one-on-one patient interviews
c. case studies
d. systematic reviews and meta-analyses
[
Answer:D]
9. Identifying potential patient concerns is a step in what part of the nursing process?
a. assessment
b. diagnosis
3
, OpenStax Clinical Nursing Skills Student Answer Guide
c. implementation
d. evaluation
[
Answer:B]
11. What is patient education an example of?
a. direct care activity
b. collaborative intervention
c. indirect care activity
d. systematic approach
[
Answer:C]
Check Your Understanding Questions
1. Discuss the definition and importance of the ethical principle of fidelity.
[
Answer:Answers will vary but should include demonstrating faithfulness, loyalty, and
commitment to patients. Its purpose is to help nurses establish trusting relationships, maintain
confidentiality, and uphold professional standards to ensure the trust and confidence of
patients and the public.]
3. Discuss the importance of integrating interdisciplinary theories with nursing theories and
practice.
[
Answer:Answers will vary but should include discussion of interdisciplinary theories as an
essential part of nursing because they provide a broader perspective and a more
comprehensive understanding of healthcare issues. These theories integrate knowledge and
concepts from multiple disciplines to enhance nursing practice, research, and education. In
nursing, interdisciplinary theories are used in various ways. They assist in the development of
nursing models and frameworks that guide the delivery of patient care, and help nurses
understand and work better with the interdisciplinary team.]
5. Define the nursing process and briefly discuss its purpose.
[
Answer:Answers will vary but should include the fact that the nursing process is a critical
thinking model based on a systematic approach to patient-centered care. Nurses use the
nursing process to perform clinical reasoning and make clinical judgments when providing
patient care. The nursing process is based on the Standards of Professional Nursing Practice
established by the ANA. These standards are authoritative statements of the actions and
behaviors that all registered nurses, regardless of role, population, specialty, and setting, are
expected to perform competently.]
4
For more free, peer-reviewed, openly licensed resources visit OpenStax.org.
5/7/2025
OpenStax Clinical Nursing Skills Student
Answer Guide
Chapter 1: The Role of the Nurse in Comprehensive Care ............................................................. 3
Chapter 2: The Evolution of the Nurse’s Role .................................................................................7
Chapter 3: Patient Communication and Interviewing .................................................................. 12
Chapter 4: Obtaining a Complete Health History ......................................................................... 15
Chapter 5: Cultural Competence and Assessment ....................................................................... 19
Chapter 6: Infection Prevention Techniques and Safety in Clinical Setting ..................................24
Chapter 7: Hygiene ........................................................................................................................28
Chapter 8: Wound and Burn Assessment Care .............................................................................32
Chapter 9: Activity Assessment and Management .......................................................................36
Chapter 10: Specimen Collection and Lab Testing ........................................................................41
Chapter 11: Principles of Medication Administration .................................................................. 47
Chapter 12: Medication Administration Procedures .................................................................... 52
Chapter 13: Intravenous Administration ...................................................................................... 58
Chapter 14: Miscellaneous Medication Administration ............................................................... 63
Chapter 15: General Survey, Anthropometric Measurement, and Vital Signs .............................67
Chapter 16: Pain Assessment ........................................................................................................71
Chapter 17: Nutrition Assessment ................................................................................................ 76
Chapter 18: Oxygenation and Perfusion ....................................................................................... 80
Chapter 19: Fluids, Electrolytes, and Elimination ......................................................................... 84
Chapter 20: Psychosocial Assessment .......................................................................................... 88
Chapter 21: Assessment of the Integumentary System ............................................................... 93
Chapter 22: Assessment of the Head and Neck ............................................................................96
Chapter 23: Assessment of the Thorax, Lungs, Breast, and Lymphatic System ......................... 101
Chapter 24: Assessment of the Cardiovascular and Peripheral Vascular System ...................... 105
Chapter 25: Assessment of the Musculoskeletal System ........................................................... 109
Chapter 26: Assessment of the Neurological System ................................................................. 112
Chapter 27: Assessment of the Abdomen .................................................................................. 115
Chapter 28: Clinical Judgment and Critical Thinking ...................................................................119
2
For more free, peer-reviewed, openly licensed resources visit OpenStax.org.
5/7/2025
,OpenStax Clinical Nursing Skills Student Answer Guide
Chapter 1: The Role of the Nurse in Comprehensive Care
Review Questions
1. Florence Nightingale is considered the founder of ____________, which emphasizes the
healing of the whole person, including mind, body, and soul.
a. caring nursing
b. the seven ethical principles of nursing
c. holistic nursing
d. systems nursing
[
Answer:C]
3. The nurse’s ability to develop and implement appropriate actions or interventions based on
the interpretation of the collected data and identified patient needs is the ___________
step of the clinical judgment model.
a. noticing
b. interpreting
c. responding
d. reflecting
[
Answer:C]
5. What is the purpose of integrating interdisciplinary theories with nursing theory and
practice?
a. to break down current nursing theories and dictate the formation of future nursing
theory
b. to assist in the development of nursing models and frameworks that guide the delivery
of patient care, and help nurses understand and work better with the interdisciplinary
team
c. to discourage overreliance on nursing theory alone
d. to encourage other disciplines to learn about nursing theory and integrate it into their
practice
[
Answer:B]
7. In the hierarchy of EBP, the strongest sources of evidence at the top of the hierarchy are
a. randomized controlled trials (RCTs)
b. one-on-one patient interviews
c. case studies
d. systematic reviews and meta-analyses
[
Answer:D]
9. Identifying potential patient concerns is a step in what part of the nursing process?
a. assessment
b. diagnosis
3
, OpenStax Clinical Nursing Skills Student Answer Guide
c. implementation
d. evaluation
[
Answer:B]
11. What is patient education an example of?
a. direct care activity
b. collaborative intervention
c. indirect care activity
d. systematic approach
[
Answer:C]
Check Your Understanding Questions
1. Discuss the definition and importance of the ethical principle of fidelity.
[
Answer:Answers will vary but should include demonstrating faithfulness, loyalty, and
commitment to patients. Its purpose is to help nurses establish trusting relationships, maintain
confidentiality, and uphold professional standards to ensure the trust and confidence of
patients and the public.]
3. Discuss the importance of integrating interdisciplinary theories with nursing theories and
practice.
[
Answer:Answers will vary but should include discussion of interdisciplinary theories as an
essential part of nursing because they provide a broader perspective and a more
comprehensive understanding of healthcare issues. These theories integrate knowledge and
concepts from multiple disciplines to enhance nursing practice, research, and education. In
nursing, interdisciplinary theories are used in various ways. They assist in the development of
nursing models and frameworks that guide the delivery of patient care, and help nurses
understand and work better with the interdisciplinary team.]
5. Define the nursing process and briefly discuss its purpose.
[
Answer:Answers will vary but should include the fact that the nursing process is a critical
thinking model based on a systematic approach to patient-centered care. Nurses use the
nursing process to perform clinical reasoning and make clinical judgments when providing
patient care. The nursing process is based on the Standards of Professional Nursing Practice
established by the ANA. These standards are authoritative statements of the actions and
behaviors that all registered nurses, regardless of role, population, specialty, and setting, are
expected to perform competently.]
4
For more free, peer-reviewed, openly licensed resources visit OpenStax.org.
5/7/2025
