NURS 120: Introduction to Medical Surgical Nursing - Week 1 Quiz
2026 – WCU
1. Which QSEN competency focuses on involving the patient and family as active
members of the healthcare team?
A. Informatics
B. Evidence-Based Practice
C. Patient-Centered Care
D. Quality Improvement
Answer: C
Rationale: Patient-centered care involves providing compassionate and coordinated care
based on respect for patient’s preferences, values, and needs.
2. When using the SBAR communication tool, which part involves the nurse
stating the patient’s current vital signs and mental status?
A. Situation
B. Background
C. Assessment
D. Recommendation
Answer: B
Rationale: Background includes historical and objective data leading up to the current
situation, such as recent vital signs and clinical history.
,3. Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) is best defined as integrating which of the
following?
A. Tradition and institutional policies
B. Physician orders and nurse preferences
C. Clinical expertise, best research, and patient values
D. Internet research and anecdotal evidence
Answer: C
Rationale: EBP is the integration of the best research evidence with clinical expertise and
patient values to provide optimal care.
4. Which nursing role is primarily focused on protecting the patient’s human and
legal rights?
A. Caregiver
B. Manager
C. Advocate
D. Educator
Answer: C
Rationale: As an advocate, the nurse protects the patient’s rights and helps the patient
speak for themselves.
5. In the ‘Quality Improvement’ competency of QSEN, what is the primary goal
of using data to monitor outcomes?
A. To design and test changes to improve the health care system
B. To assign blame to specific healthcare workers
C. To reduce the cost of medical supplies
D. To increase the workload of the nursing staff
Answer: A
Rationale: Quality improvement uses data to monitor outcomes of care processes and use
improvement methods to design and test changes.
, 6. Which of the following is a National Patient Safety Goal (NPSG) regarding
patient identification?
A. Use at least two patient identifiers before giving medications
B. Ask the patient’s family for their name
C. Use one identifier like the patient’s room number
D. Identify patients by their diagnosis
Answer: A
Rationale: The Joint Commission requires at least two identifiers (e.g., name and
birthdate) to ensure the right patient receives the right treatment.
7. What is the first step of the nursing process?
A. Diagnosis
B. Assessment
C. Planning
D. Implementation
Answer: B
Rationale: Assessment is the first step, involving the collection of subjective and objective
data about the patient’s health status.
8. A nurse is delegating a task to an Unlicensed Assistive Personnel (UAP).
Which task is appropriate for delegation?
A. Evaluating a patient’s response to pain medication
B. Teaching a patient how to use an incentive spirometer
C. Ambulating a stable patient in the hallway
D. Assessing a patient’s surgical incision
Answer: C
Rationale: UAPs can perform routine tasks like ambulation for stable patients, but cannot
assess, teach, or evaluate.
2026 – WCU
1. Which QSEN competency focuses on involving the patient and family as active
members of the healthcare team?
A. Informatics
B. Evidence-Based Practice
C. Patient-Centered Care
D. Quality Improvement
Answer: C
Rationale: Patient-centered care involves providing compassionate and coordinated care
based on respect for patient’s preferences, values, and needs.
2. When using the SBAR communication tool, which part involves the nurse
stating the patient’s current vital signs and mental status?
A. Situation
B. Background
C. Assessment
D. Recommendation
Answer: B
Rationale: Background includes historical and objective data leading up to the current
situation, such as recent vital signs and clinical history.
,3. Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) is best defined as integrating which of the
following?
A. Tradition and institutional policies
B. Physician orders and nurse preferences
C. Clinical expertise, best research, and patient values
D. Internet research and anecdotal evidence
Answer: C
Rationale: EBP is the integration of the best research evidence with clinical expertise and
patient values to provide optimal care.
4. Which nursing role is primarily focused on protecting the patient’s human and
legal rights?
A. Caregiver
B. Manager
C. Advocate
D. Educator
Answer: C
Rationale: As an advocate, the nurse protects the patient’s rights and helps the patient
speak for themselves.
5. In the ‘Quality Improvement’ competency of QSEN, what is the primary goal
of using data to monitor outcomes?
A. To design and test changes to improve the health care system
B. To assign blame to specific healthcare workers
C. To reduce the cost of medical supplies
D. To increase the workload of the nursing staff
Answer: A
Rationale: Quality improvement uses data to monitor outcomes of care processes and use
improvement methods to design and test changes.
, 6. Which of the following is a National Patient Safety Goal (NPSG) regarding
patient identification?
A. Use at least two patient identifiers before giving medications
B. Ask the patient’s family for their name
C. Use one identifier like the patient’s room number
D. Identify patients by their diagnosis
Answer: A
Rationale: The Joint Commission requires at least two identifiers (e.g., name and
birthdate) to ensure the right patient receives the right treatment.
7. What is the first step of the nursing process?
A. Diagnosis
B. Assessment
C. Planning
D. Implementation
Answer: B
Rationale: Assessment is the first step, involving the collection of subjective and objective
data about the patient’s health status.
8. A nurse is delegating a task to an Unlicensed Assistive Personnel (UAP).
Which task is appropriate for delegation?
A. Evaluating a patient’s response to pain medication
B. Teaching a patient how to use an incentive spirometer
C. Ambulating a stable patient in the hallway
D. Assessing a patient’s surgical incision
Answer: C
Rationale: UAPs can perform routine tasks like ambulation for stable patients, but cannot
assess, teach, or evaluate.
