RASMUSSEN FUNDAMENTALS EXAM 2 |
COMPREHENSIVE NURSING SKILLS &
PATIENT CARE STUDY GUIDE 2026|
GRADED A+ | GUARANTEED SUCCESS
Updated 2026 Questions and Answers | 100% Verified
Exam Prep and Comprehensive Rationales Included
,A female patient who is receiving chemotherapy for c.
breast cancer tells the nurse, "The treatment for this
cancer is worse than the disease itself. I'm not going to Rationale: The first step when thinking critically about a situation is to identify the
come for my therapy anymore." The nurse responds by purpose or goal of your thinking. Reassessing the patient helps to discipline
using critical thinking skills to address this patient thinking by directing all thoughts toward the goal. Once the problem is
problem. Which action is the first step the nurse would addressed, it is important for the nurse to judge the adequacy of the knowledge,
take in this process? identify potential problems, use helpful resources, and critique the decision.
a. The nurse judges whether the patient database is
adequate to address the problem.
b. The nurse considers whether or not to suggest a
counseling session for the patient.
c. The nurse reassesses the patient and decides how best
to intervene in her care.
d. The nurse identifies several options for intervening in
the patient's care and critiques the merit of each option.
The nursing process ensures that nurses are person b, interpersonal.
centered rather than task centered. Rather than simply
approaching a patient to take vital signs, the nurse thinks, Rationale: All of the other options are characteristics of the nursing process, but
"How is Mrs. Barclay today? Are our nursing actions the conversation and thinking quoted best illustrates the interpersonal dimension
helping her to achieve her goals? How can we better of the nursing process.
help her?" This demonstrates which characteristic of the
nursing process?
a. Systematic
b. Interpersonal
c. Dynamic
d. Universally applicable in nursing situations
,An experienced nurse tells a beginning nurse not to a.
bother studying too hard, since most clinical reasoning
becomes "second nature" and "intuitive" once you start Rationale: Beginning nurses must use nursing knowledge and scientific problem
practicing. What thinking below should underlie the solving as the basis of care they give; intuitive problem solving comes with years
beginning nurse's response? of practice and observation. If the beginning nurse has an intuition about a
patient, that information should be discussed with the faculty member, preceptor,
a. Intuitive problem solving comes with years of practice or supervisor. Answer b is incorrect because there is a place for intuitive
and observation, and novice nurses should base their reasoning in nursing, but it will never replace logical, scientific reasoning. Critical
care on scientific problem solving. thinking is contextual and changes depending on the circumstances, not on
b. For nursing to remain a science, nurses must continue personal preference.
to be vigilant about stamping out intuitive reasoning.
c. The emphasis on logical, scientific, evidence-based
reasoning has held nursing back for years; it's time to
champion intuitive, creative thinking!
d. It's simply a matter of preference; some nurses are
logical, scientific thinkers, and some are intuitive, creative
thinkers.
The nurse uses blended competencies when caring for a, d.
patients in a rehabilitation facility. Which examples of
interventions involve cognitive skills? Select all that apply. Rationale: Using critical thinking and learning medication dosages are cognitive
competencies. Performing procedures correctly is a technical skill, helping a
a. The nurse uses critical thinking skills to plan care for a patient with an informed consent form is a legal/ethical issue, and comforting a
patient. patient is an interpersonal skill.
b. The nurse correctly administers IV saline to a patient
who is dehydrated.
c. The nurse assists a patient to fill out an informed
consent form.
d. The nurse learns the correct dosages for patient pain
medications.
e. The nurse comforts a mother whose baby was born
with Down syndrome.
f. The nurse uses the proper procedure to catheterize a
female patient
A nurse uses critical thinking skills to focus on the care b, c, e.
plan of an elderly patient who has dementia and needs
placement in a long-term care facility. Which statements Rationale: Critical thinking applied to clinical reasoning and judgment in nursing
describe characteristics of this type of critical thinking practice is guided by standards, policies and procedures, and ethics codes. It is
applied to clinical reasoning? Select all that apply. based on principles of nursing process, problem solving, and the scientific
method. It carefully identifies the key problems, issues, and risks involved, and is
a. It functions independently of nursing standards, ethics, driven by patient, family, and community needs, as well as nurses' needs to give
and state practice acts. competent, efficient care. It also calls for strategies that make the most of human
b. It is based on the principles of the nursing process, potential and compensate for problems created by human nature. It is constantly
problem solving, and the scientific method. re-evaluating, self-correcting, and striving to improve
c. It is driven by patient, family, and community needs as
well as nurses' needs to give competent, efficient care.
d. It is not designed to compensate for problems created
by human nature, such as medication errors.
e. It is constantly re-evaluating, self-correcting, and
striving for improvement.
f. It focuses on the big picture rather than identifying the
key problems, issues, and risks involved with patient care.
, A nurse is caring for a patient who has complications c.
related to type 2 diabetes mellitus. The nurse researches
new procedures to care for foot ulcers when developing Rationale: Quality improvement involves routinely updating policies and
a plan of care for this patient. Which QSEN competency procedures. Providing patient-centered care involves listening to the patient and
does this action represent? demonstrating respect and compassion. Evidence-based practice is used when
adhering to internal policies and standardized skills. The nurse is employing
a. Patient-centered care informatics by using information and technology to communicate, manage
b. Evidence-based practice knowledge, and support decision making.
c. Quality improvement
d. Informatics
A nurse is assessing a 15-year-old female patient who is a.
diagnosed with anorexia. Following the assessment, the
nurse recommends that the patient meet with a Rationale: Although all the options refer to the skills used by nurses in practice,
nutritionist. This action best exemplifies the use of: the best choice is clinical judgment as it refers to the result or outcome of critical
thinking or clinical reasoning—in this case the recommendation to meet with a
a. Clinical judgment nutritionist. Clinical reasoning usually refers to ways of thinking about patient care
b. Clinical reasoning issues (determining, preventing, and managing patient problems). Critical thinking
c. Critical thinking is a broad term that includes reasoning both outside and inside of the clinical
d. Blended competencies setting. Blended competencies are the cognitive, technical, interpersonal, and
ethical/legal skills combined with the willingness to use them creatively and
critically when working with patients.
A nurse working in a long-term care facility bases patient d.
care on five caring processes: knowing, being with, doing
for, enabling, and maintaining belief. This approach to Rationale: Swanson (1991) identifies five caring processes and defines caring as "a
patient care best describes the theory of which theorist? nurturing way of relating to a valued other toward whom one feels a personal
sense of commitment and responsibility. Travelbee (1971), an early nurse theorist,
a. Travelbee developed the Human-to-Human Relationship Model and defined nursing as an
b. Watson interpersonal process whereby the professional nurse practitioner assists an
c. Benner individual, family, or community to prevent or cope with the experience of illness
d. Swanson and suffering, and if necessary to find meaning in these experiences. Benner and
Wrubel (1989) write that caring is a basic way of being in the world and that caring
is central to human expertise, curing, and healing. Watson's theory is based on the
belief that all humans are to be valued, cared for, respected, nurtured,
understood, and assisted.
The nurse practices using critical thinking indicators (CTIs) c
when caring for patients in the hospital setting. The best
description of CTIs is: Rationale: evidence-based descriptions of behaviors that demonstrate the
knowledge, characteristics, and skills that promote critical thinking in clinical
a. Evidence-based descriptions of behaviors that practice
demonstrate the knowledge that promotes critical
thinking in clinical practice
b. Evidence-based descriptions of behaviors that
demonstrate the knowledge and skills that promote
critical thinking in clinical practice
c. Evidence-based descriptions of behaviors that
demonstrate the knowledge, characteristics, and skills
that promote critical thinking in clinical practice
d. Evidence-based descriptions of behaviors that
demonstrate the knowledge, characteristics, standards,
and skills that promote critical thinking in clinical practice
COMPREHENSIVE NURSING SKILLS &
PATIENT CARE STUDY GUIDE 2026|
GRADED A+ | GUARANTEED SUCCESS
Updated 2026 Questions and Answers | 100% Verified
Exam Prep and Comprehensive Rationales Included
,A female patient who is receiving chemotherapy for c.
breast cancer tells the nurse, "The treatment for this
cancer is worse than the disease itself. I'm not going to Rationale: The first step when thinking critically about a situation is to identify the
come for my therapy anymore." The nurse responds by purpose or goal of your thinking. Reassessing the patient helps to discipline
using critical thinking skills to address this patient thinking by directing all thoughts toward the goal. Once the problem is
problem. Which action is the first step the nurse would addressed, it is important for the nurse to judge the adequacy of the knowledge,
take in this process? identify potential problems, use helpful resources, and critique the decision.
a. The nurse judges whether the patient database is
adequate to address the problem.
b. The nurse considers whether or not to suggest a
counseling session for the patient.
c. The nurse reassesses the patient and decides how best
to intervene in her care.
d. The nurse identifies several options for intervening in
the patient's care and critiques the merit of each option.
The nursing process ensures that nurses are person b, interpersonal.
centered rather than task centered. Rather than simply
approaching a patient to take vital signs, the nurse thinks, Rationale: All of the other options are characteristics of the nursing process, but
"How is Mrs. Barclay today? Are our nursing actions the conversation and thinking quoted best illustrates the interpersonal dimension
helping her to achieve her goals? How can we better of the nursing process.
help her?" This demonstrates which characteristic of the
nursing process?
a. Systematic
b. Interpersonal
c. Dynamic
d. Universally applicable in nursing situations
,An experienced nurse tells a beginning nurse not to a.
bother studying too hard, since most clinical reasoning
becomes "second nature" and "intuitive" once you start Rationale: Beginning nurses must use nursing knowledge and scientific problem
practicing. What thinking below should underlie the solving as the basis of care they give; intuitive problem solving comes with years
beginning nurse's response? of practice and observation. If the beginning nurse has an intuition about a
patient, that information should be discussed with the faculty member, preceptor,
a. Intuitive problem solving comes with years of practice or supervisor. Answer b is incorrect because there is a place for intuitive
and observation, and novice nurses should base their reasoning in nursing, but it will never replace logical, scientific reasoning. Critical
care on scientific problem solving. thinking is contextual and changes depending on the circumstances, not on
b. For nursing to remain a science, nurses must continue personal preference.
to be vigilant about stamping out intuitive reasoning.
c. The emphasis on logical, scientific, evidence-based
reasoning has held nursing back for years; it's time to
champion intuitive, creative thinking!
d. It's simply a matter of preference; some nurses are
logical, scientific thinkers, and some are intuitive, creative
thinkers.
The nurse uses blended competencies when caring for a, d.
patients in a rehabilitation facility. Which examples of
interventions involve cognitive skills? Select all that apply. Rationale: Using critical thinking and learning medication dosages are cognitive
competencies. Performing procedures correctly is a technical skill, helping a
a. The nurse uses critical thinking skills to plan care for a patient with an informed consent form is a legal/ethical issue, and comforting a
patient. patient is an interpersonal skill.
b. The nurse correctly administers IV saline to a patient
who is dehydrated.
c. The nurse assists a patient to fill out an informed
consent form.
d. The nurse learns the correct dosages for patient pain
medications.
e. The nurse comforts a mother whose baby was born
with Down syndrome.
f. The nurse uses the proper procedure to catheterize a
female patient
A nurse uses critical thinking skills to focus on the care b, c, e.
plan of an elderly patient who has dementia and needs
placement in a long-term care facility. Which statements Rationale: Critical thinking applied to clinical reasoning and judgment in nursing
describe characteristics of this type of critical thinking practice is guided by standards, policies and procedures, and ethics codes. It is
applied to clinical reasoning? Select all that apply. based on principles of nursing process, problem solving, and the scientific
method. It carefully identifies the key problems, issues, and risks involved, and is
a. It functions independently of nursing standards, ethics, driven by patient, family, and community needs, as well as nurses' needs to give
and state practice acts. competent, efficient care. It also calls for strategies that make the most of human
b. It is based on the principles of the nursing process, potential and compensate for problems created by human nature. It is constantly
problem solving, and the scientific method. re-evaluating, self-correcting, and striving to improve
c. It is driven by patient, family, and community needs as
well as nurses' needs to give competent, efficient care.
d. It is not designed to compensate for problems created
by human nature, such as medication errors.
e. It is constantly re-evaluating, self-correcting, and
striving for improvement.
f. It focuses on the big picture rather than identifying the
key problems, issues, and risks involved with patient care.
, A nurse is caring for a patient who has complications c.
related to type 2 diabetes mellitus. The nurse researches
new procedures to care for foot ulcers when developing Rationale: Quality improvement involves routinely updating policies and
a plan of care for this patient. Which QSEN competency procedures. Providing patient-centered care involves listening to the patient and
does this action represent? demonstrating respect and compassion. Evidence-based practice is used when
adhering to internal policies and standardized skills. The nurse is employing
a. Patient-centered care informatics by using information and technology to communicate, manage
b. Evidence-based practice knowledge, and support decision making.
c. Quality improvement
d. Informatics
A nurse is assessing a 15-year-old female patient who is a.
diagnosed with anorexia. Following the assessment, the
nurse recommends that the patient meet with a Rationale: Although all the options refer to the skills used by nurses in practice,
nutritionist. This action best exemplifies the use of: the best choice is clinical judgment as it refers to the result or outcome of critical
thinking or clinical reasoning—in this case the recommendation to meet with a
a. Clinical judgment nutritionist. Clinical reasoning usually refers to ways of thinking about patient care
b. Clinical reasoning issues (determining, preventing, and managing patient problems). Critical thinking
c. Critical thinking is a broad term that includes reasoning both outside and inside of the clinical
d. Blended competencies setting. Blended competencies are the cognitive, technical, interpersonal, and
ethical/legal skills combined with the willingness to use them creatively and
critically when working with patients.
A nurse working in a long-term care facility bases patient d.
care on five caring processes: knowing, being with, doing
for, enabling, and maintaining belief. This approach to Rationale: Swanson (1991) identifies five caring processes and defines caring as "a
patient care best describes the theory of which theorist? nurturing way of relating to a valued other toward whom one feels a personal
sense of commitment and responsibility. Travelbee (1971), an early nurse theorist,
a. Travelbee developed the Human-to-Human Relationship Model and defined nursing as an
b. Watson interpersonal process whereby the professional nurse practitioner assists an
c. Benner individual, family, or community to prevent or cope with the experience of illness
d. Swanson and suffering, and if necessary to find meaning in these experiences. Benner and
Wrubel (1989) write that caring is a basic way of being in the world and that caring
is central to human expertise, curing, and healing. Watson's theory is based on the
belief that all humans are to be valued, cared for, respected, nurtured,
understood, and assisted.
The nurse practices using critical thinking indicators (CTIs) c
when caring for patients in the hospital setting. The best
description of CTIs is: Rationale: evidence-based descriptions of behaviors that demonstrate the
knowledge, characteristics, and skills that promote critical thinking in clinical
a. Evidence-based descriptions of behaviors that practice
demonstrate the knowledge that promotes critical
thinking in clinical practice
b. Evidence-based descriptions of behaviors that
demonstrate the knowledge and skills that promote
critical thinking in clinical practice
c. Evidence-based descriptions of behaviors that
demonstrate the knowledge, characteristics, and skills
that promote critical thinking in clinical practice
d. Evidence-based descriptions of behaviors that
demonstrate the knowledge, characteristics, standards,
and skills that promote critical thinking in clinical practice
