HESI Fundamentals of Nursing Review –
2025–2026 Update (NGN) Foundational
nursing knowledge, safety, patient-centered
care, delegation, infection control.
Foundational Nursing Knowledge & Professional Practice
1. What is the primary purpose of the Nursing Code of Ethics?
A) To ensure nurses get paid fairly.
B) To provide a framework for ethical decision-making. ✓
C) To outline hospital policies.
D) To list all nursing procedures.
2. A nurse is providing care based on Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Which client need is
the priority?
A) Self-esteem
B) Love and belonging
C) Physiological needs ✓
D) Safety and security
3. The nurse is obtaining informed consent for a surgical procedure. What is the nurse's
primary role?
A) To explain the risks and benefits in detail.
B) To perform the procedure.
C) To witness the client's signature and confirm understanding. ✓
D) To co-sign the consent form as the primary caregiver.
4. Which action by a student nurse would be considered a violation of patient confidentiality?
A) Discussing a patient's lab results in the hospital cafeteria. ✓
B) Logging out of the electronic health record after use.
C) Sharing patient information with the oncoming nurse during report.
D) Documenting care in the patient's chart.
5. What is the best source for the nurse to use when determining the correct steps for a sterile
dressing change?
A) A more experienced nurse.
,B) The hospital's policy and procedure manual. ✓
C) A nursing fundamentals textbook.
D) The charge nurse's verbal instructions.
6. A patient states, "I have a right to see my medical records." The nurse's best response is
based on which regulation?
A) The Patient's Bill of Rights ✓
B) The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
C) The American Nurses Association (ANA) Standards of Practice
D) The Joint Commission (TJC) National Patient Safety Goals
7. Which nursing theory is focused on the relationship between the nurse and patient,
emphasizing the shared human experience?
A) Dorothea Orem's Self-Care Deficit Theory
B) Hildegard Peplau's Interpersonal Relations Theory ✓
C) Sister Callista Roy's Adaptation Model
D) Martha Rogers' Science of Unitary Human Beings
8. The nursing process is a systematic framework for care. What is the correct sequence of its
steps?
A) Planning, Assessment, Diagnosis, Implementation, Evaluation
B) Assessment, Diagnosis, Planning, Implementation, Evaluation ✓
C) Diagnosis, Assessment, Planning, Evaluation, Implementation
D) Evaluation, Assessment, Diagnosis, Planning, Implementation
Safety & Infection Control
9. The single most effective way to prevent the spread of infection is:
A) Wearing gloves.
B) Using disinfectant wipes.
C) Hand hygiene. ✓
D) Wearing a gown and mask.
10. A nurse is preparing to administer a medication. To ensure the "rights" of medication
administration, the nurse must confirm:
A) Right patient, right medication, right dose, right route, right time, right documentation. ✓
B) Right patient, right room, right dose, right route, right diagnosis, right time.
C) Right patient, right medication, right dose, right route, right family, right time.
D) Right patient, right medication, right color, right route, right time, right documentation.
,11. A client on fall precautions attempts to get out of bed without assistance. What is the
nurse's priority action?
A) Reprimand the client for not calling for help.
B) Immediately assist the client back to bed safely. ✓
C) Document the event in the chart.
D) Apply all four side rails up.
12. When should a nurse use soap and water for hand hygiene instead of an alcohol-based
hand rub?
A) Always, as it is more effective.
B) When hands are not visibly soiled.
C) After caring for a patient with C. difficile. ✓
D) Before donning sterile gloves.
13. What is the correct order for donning (putting on) Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)?
A) Gown, Mask, Goggles, Gloves
B) Goggles, Mask, Gown, Gloves
C) Gown, Mask, Gloves, Goggles
D) Gown, Mask/respirator, Goggles/face shield, Gloves ✓
14. What is the correct order for doffing (taking off) Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)?
A) Gloves, Goggles, Gown, Mask
B) Gloves, Gown, Goggles, Mask ✓
C) Goggles, Gloves, Gown, Mask
D) Mask, Goggles, Gown, Gloves
15. The purpose of a "time-out" or pre-procedure verification in the operating room is to:
A) Give the surgical team a break.
B) Confirm the correct patient, procedure, and site. ✓
C) Count all sponges and instruments.
D) Ensure the anesthesia is working.
16. A nurse spills a hazardous chemotherapeutic agent. What is the first action the nurse
should take?
A) Notify the charge nurse.
B) Evacuate all patients from the area.
C) Don appropriate PPE. ✓
D) Cover the spill with absorbent material.
, 17. Which action best demonstrates safe patient handling and prevention of nurse injury?
A) Manually lifting a patient with the help of one other nurse.
B) Using a mechanical lift for a bariatric patient. ✓
C) Bending at the waist to pick up a heavy object.
D) Asking the patient to push with their feet while you pull.
18. A fire occurs in a patient's room. The nurse's priority actions should follow the acronym
RACE. What does RACE stand for?
A) Run, Alert, Contain, Evacuate
B) Rescue, Alarm, Confine, Extinguish ✓
C) Remove, Announce, Control, Exit
D) Respond, Act, Call, Evacuate
19. Which finding requires immediate intervention to prevent a electrical safety hazard?
A) A patient's phone is plugged into a wall outlet.
B) A three-prong plug is being used with an adapter.
C) An extension cord is running under a rug. ✓
D) A nightlight is plugged in behind the bed.
20. To prevent aspiration in a patient with dysphagia, the nurse should:
A) Encourage the patient to drink thin liquids quickly.
B) Position the patient in a semi-Fowler's or high-Fowler's position. ✓
C) Mix medications in a large amount of applesauce.
D) Instruct the patient to tilt their head back while swallowing.
Patient-Centered Care & Communication
21. A patient is crying and states, "I'm just so overwhelmed by this cancer diagnosis." The
nurse's most therapeutic response is:
A) "Everything will be okay. The doctors are great here."
B) "Can you tell me more about what is overwhelming you?" ✓
C) "You shouldn't cry. You need to stay positive."
D) "I have to go check on another patient, but I'll be back later."
22. The nurse is caring for a patient from a culture different from their own. What is the most
appropriate action?
A) Assume the patient has the same beliefs as others from that culture.
B) Ask the patient about their cultural practices and preferences. ✓
C) Follow standard hospital procedure without asking questions.
D) Defer to the family for all decisions to avoid offending the patient.
2025–2026 Update (NGN) Foundational
nursing knowledge, safety, patient-centered
care, delegation, infection control.
Foundational Nursing Knowledge & Professional Practice
1. What is the primary purpose of the Nursing Code of Ethics?
A) To ensure nurses get paid fairly.
B) To provide a framework for ethical decision-making. ✓
C) To outline hospital policies.
D) To list all nursing procedures.
2. A nurse is providing care based on Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Which client need is
the priority?
A) Self-esteem
B) Love and belonging
C) Physiological needs ✓
D) Safety and security
3. The nurse is obtaining informed consent for a surgical procedure. What is the nurse's
primary role?
A) To explain the risks and benefits in detail.
B) To perform the procedure.
C) To witness the client's signature and confirm understanding. ✓
D) To co-sign the consent form as the primary caregiver.
4. Which action by a student nurse would be considered a violation of patient confidentiality?
A) Discussing a patient's lab results in the hospital cafeteria. ✓
B) Logging out of the electronic health record after use.
C) Sharing patient information with the oncoming nurse during report.
D) Documenting care in the patient's chart.
5. What is the best source for the nurse to use when determining the correct steps for a sterile
dressing change?
A) A more experienced nurse.
,B) The hospital's policy and procedure manual. ✓
C) A nursing fundamentals textbook.
D) The charge nurse's verbal instructions.
6. A patient states, "I have a right to see my medical records." The nurse's best response is
based on which regulation?
A) The Patient's Bill of Rights ✓
B) The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
C) The American Nurses Association (ANA) Standards of Practice
D) The Joint Commission (TJC) National Patient Safety Goals
7. Which nursing theory is focused on the relationship between the nurse and patient,
emphasizing the shared human experience?
A) Dorothea Orem's Self-Care Deficit Theory
B) Hildegard Peplau's Interpersonal Relations Theory ✓
C) Sister Callista Roy's Adaptation Model
D) Martha Rogers' Science of Unitary Human Beings
8. The nursing process is a systematic framework for care. What is the correct sequence of its
steps?
A) Planning, Assessment, Diagnosis, Implementation, Evaluation
B) Assessment, Diagnosis, Planning, Implementation, Evaluation ✓
C) Diagnosis, Assessment, Planning, Evaluation, Implementation
D) Evaluation, Assessment, Diagnosis, Planning, Implementation
Safety & Infection Control
9. The single most effective way to prevent the spread of infection is:
A) Wearing gloves.
B) Using disinfectant wipes.
C) Hand hygiene. ✓
D) Wearing a gown and mask.
10. A nurse is preparing to administer a medication. To ensure the "rights" of medication
administration, the nurse must confirm:
A) Right patient, right medication, right dose, right route, right time, right documentation. ✓
B) Right patient, right room, right dose, right route, right diagnosis, right time.
C) Right patient, right medication, right dose, right route, right family, right time.
D) Right patient, right medication, right color, right route, right time, right documentation.
,11. A client on fall precautions attempts to get out of bed without assistance. What is the
nurse's priority action?
A) Reprimand the client for not calling for help.
B) Immediately assist the client back to bed safely. ✓
C) Document the event in the chart.
D) Apply all four side rails up.
12. When should a nurse use soap and water for hand hygiene instead of an alcohol-based
hand rub?
A) Always, as it is more effective.
B) When hands are not visibly soiled.
C) After caring for a patient with C. difficile. ✓
D) Before donning sterile gloves.
13. What is the correct order for donning (putting on) Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)?
A) Gown, Mask, Goggles, Gloves
B) Goggles, Mask, Gown, Gloves
C) Gown, Mask, Gloves, Goggles
D) Gown, Mask/respirator, Goggles/face shield, Gloves ✓
14. What is the correct order for doffing (taking off) Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)?
A) Gloves, Goggles, Gown, Mask
B) Gloves, Gown, Goggles, Mask ✓
C) Goggles, Gloves, Gown, Mask
D) Mask, Goggles, Gown, Gloves
15. The purpose of a "time-out" or pre-procedure verification in the operating room is to:
A) Give the surgical team a break.
B) Confirm the correct patient, procedure, and site. ✓
C) Count all sponges and instruments.
D) Ensure the anesthesia is working.
16. A nurse spills a hazardous chemotherapeutic agent. What is the first action the nurse
should take?
A) Notify the charge nurse.
B) Evacuate all patients from the area.
C) Don appropriate PPE. ✓
D) Cover the spill with absorbent material.
, 17. Which action best demonstrates safe patient handling and prevention of nurse injury?
A) Manually lifting a patient with the help of one other nurse.
B) Using a mechanical lift for a bariatric patient. ✓
C) Bending at the waist to pick up a heavy object.
D) Asking the patient to push with their feet while you pull.
18. A fire occurs in a patient's room. The nurse's priority actions should follow the acronym
RACE. What does RACE stand for?
A) Run, Alert, Contain, Evacuate
B) Rescue, Alarm, Confine, Extinguish ✓
C) Remove, Announce, Control, Exit
D) Respond, Act, Call, Evacuate
19. Which finding requires immediate intervention to prevent a electrical safety hazard?
A) A patient's phone is plugged into a wall outlet.
B) A three-prong plug is being used with an adapter.
C) An extension cord is running under a rug. ✓
D) A nightlight is plugged in behind the bed.
20. To prevent aspiration in a patient with dysphagia, the nurse should:
A) Encourage the patient to drink thin liquids quickly.
B) Position the patient in a semi-Fowler's or high-Fowler's position. ✓
C) Mix medications in a large amount of applesauce.
D) Instruct the patient to tilt their head back while swallowing.
Patient-Centered Care & Communication
21. A patient is crying and states, "I'm just so overwhelmed by this cancer diagnosis." The
nurse's most therapeutic response is:
A) "Everything will be okay. The doctors are great here."
B) "Can you tell me more about what is overwhelming you?" ✓
C) "You shouldn't cry. You need to stay positive."
D) "I have to go check on another patient, but I'll be back later."
22. The nurse is caring for a patient from a culture different from their own. What is the most
appropriate action?
A) Assume the patient has the same beliefs as others from that culture.
B) Ask the patient about their cultural practices and preferences. ✓
C) Follow standard hospital procedure without asking questions.
D) Defer to the family for all decisions to avoid offending the patient.
