NUR 520 Foundational
Competencies for the
Professional Nurse Practice
Exam
2026/2027: Verified Questions
& Answers With Rationales |
Instant PDF Download
### Section 1: History & Evolution of Professional Nursing
(Questions 1-15)
**1.** Who is considered the founder of modern professional
nursing?
A) Clara Barton
B) Dorothea Dix
C) **Florence Nightingale**
D) Lillian Wald
,**Correct Answer: C**
,*Rationale: Florence Nightingale established the first
scientifically based nursing school (St. Thomas' Hospital,
London, 1860), defined nursing as separate from medicine,
and used statistical analysis to improve sanitation. Her Notes
on Nursing (1859) remains a foundational text.*
**2.** Which nursing organization was founded by Mary Eliza
Mahoney, the first African American professional nurse?
A) American Nurses Association (ANA)
B) **National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses
(NACGN)**
C) Sigma Theta Tau
D) National League for Nursing (NLN)
**Correct Answer: B**
*Rationale: Mary Eliza Mahoney co-founded the NACGN in 1908
to address racial discrimination and promote equal
opportunities for Black nurses. The NACGN merged with the
ANA in 1951.*
**3.** The American Nurses Association (ANA) was established
in which year?
, A) 1860
B) 1896
C) **1911**
D) 1945
**Correct Answer: C**
*Rationale: The ANA was founded in 1911 as the national
professional organization representing all registered nurses.
It establishes Scope and Standards of Practice and advances
nursing's professional interests.*
**4.** Clara Barton is best known for:
A) Developing the first public health nursing service
B) **Founding the American Red Cross**
C) Writing the first nursing ethics code
D) Creating hospital sanitation protocols
**Correct Answer: B**
Competencies for the
Professional Nurse Practice
Exam
2026/2027: Verified Questions
& Answers With Rationales |
Instant PDF Download
### Section 1: History & Evolution of Professional Nursing
(Questions 1-15)
**1.** Who is considered the founder of modern professional
nursing?
A) Clara Barton
B) Dorothea Dix
C) **Florence Nightingale**
D) Lillian Wald
,**Correct Answer: C**
,*Rationale: Florence Nightingale established the first
scientifically based nursing school (St. Thomas' Hospital,
London, 1860), defined nursing as separate from medicine,
and used statistical analysis to improve sanitation. Her Notes
on Nursing (1859) remains a foundational text.*
**2.** Which nursing organization was founded by Mary Eliza
Mahoney, the first African American professional nurse?
A) American Nurses Association (ANA)
B) **National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses
(NACGN)**
C) Sigma Theta Tau
D) National League for Nursing (NLN)
**Correct Answer: B**
*Rationale: Mary Eliza Mahoney co-founded the NACGN in 1908
to address racial discrimination and promote equal
opportunities for Black nurses. The NACGN merged with the
ANA in 1951.*
**3.** The American Nurses Association (ANA) was established
in which year?
, A) 1860
B) 1896
C) **1911**
D) 1945
**Correct Answer: C**
*Rationale: The ANA was founded in 1911 as the national
professional organization representing all registered nurses.
It establishes Scope and Standards of Practice and advances
nursing's professional interests.*
**4.** Clara Barton is best known for:
A) Developing the first public health nursing service
B) **Founding the American Red Cross**
C) Writing the first nursing ethics code
D) Creating hospital sanitation protocols
**Correct Answer: B**
