Page 1 of 89
TEST BANK FOR BRUNNER & SUDDARTH'S TEXTBOOK OF
MEDICAL-SURGICAL NURSING EXAM WITH VERIFIED
ANSWERS DETAILED RATIONALES GRADED A+
Test Bank for Brunner & Suddarth's Textbook of Medical-Surgical Nursing
SECTION 1: PRINCIPLES OF NURSING PRACTICE (Questions 1–30)
1. The public health nurse is presenting a health promotion class to a group of new mothers.
How should the nurse best define health?
A. Health is being disease free.
B. Health is having fulfillment in all domains of life.
C. Health is having psychological and physiological harmony.
D. Health is being connected in body, mind, and spirit.
Rationale: The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as a state of complete physical,
mental, and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. This definition
emphasizes the interconnectedness of body, mind, and spirit.
2. A nurse is providing care to a patient from a different cultural background. Which action
best demonstrates cultural competence?
A. Treating all patients the same regardless of cultural background
B. Asking the patient about their cultural beliefs and health practices
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C. Assuming the patient shares the nurse's cultural values
D. Avoiding discussion of cultural differences
Rationale: Culturally competent care involves understanding and respecting the patient's
cultural beliefs, values, and practices, and incorporating them into the care plan. Asking the
patient about their beliefs demonstrates respect and promotes culturally congruent care.
3. What is the fundamental difference between health promotion and disease prevention?
A. Health promotion focuses on preventing specific diseases, while disease prevention focuses
on overall well-being.
B. Health promotion focuses on empowering people to improve their health, while disease
prevention targets specific mechanisms to block disease onset.
C. Both are the same concept.
D. Health promotion is only for healthy people, while disease prevention is for sick people.
Rationale: Health promotion focuses on empowering people to increase control over and
improve their health, whereas disease prevention targets specific mechanisms to block the
onset of particular diseases or injuries.
4. Which statement best describes the role of the nurse in evidence-based practice?
A. The nurse should rely solely on tradition and intuition.
B. The nurse should integrate the best available research evidence with clinical expertise and
patient preferences.
C. The nurse should follow hospital policies without question.
D. The nurse should only use evidence from randomized controlled trials.
Rationale: Evidence-based practice integrates the best available research evidence with clinical
expertise and patient values and preferences. It does not rely solely on tradition or intuition.
5. A nurse is caring for an older adult patient. Which physiological change affects drug
pharmacokinetics in this population?
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A. Increased total body water
B. Decreased adipose tissue mass
C. Decreased total body water and increased adipose tissue mass
D. Increased hepatic blood flow
Rationale: Normal physiological changes in older adults include decreased total body water and
increased adipose tissue mass, which alters drug distribution and pharmacokinetics.
6. Which of the following best describes a nursing diagnosis?
A. A medical diagnosis of a disease process
B. A clinical judgment about a patient's response to a health condition
C. A collaborative problem requiring physician intervention
D. A laboratory value that is outside the normal range
Rationale: A nursing diagnosis is a clinical judgment about the patient's response to actual or
potential health conditions or needs. It is distinct from a medical diagnosis, which identifies a
disease process.
7. What is the primary role of the nurse as a patient advocate?
A. Making decisions for the patient
B. Protecting the patient's rights and ensuring informed consent
C. Avoiding communication with the patient's family
D. Following physician orders without question
Rationale: Patient advocacy involves protecting the patient's rights, ensuring informed consent,
and speaking up for the patient's needs and preferences.
8. A nurse is teaching a patient about a new medication. Which action best ensures patient
understanding?
A. Providing a printed handout and asking if the patient has questions
B. Using medical terminology to ensure accuracy
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C. Asking the patient to repeat back the instructions in their own words
D. Teaching the patient at discharge when they are ready to leave
Rationale: Asking the patient to repeat back instructions (teach-back method) confirms
understanding and identifies any gaps in knowledge.
9. Which of the following is a social determinant of health?
A. Genetic predisposition to disease
B. Access to nutritious food and safe housing
C. The patient's blood type
D. The patient's height and weight
Rationale: Social determinants of health include access to nutritious food, safe housing,
education, and economic stability. These factors significantly affect health outcomes.
10. A nurse is caring for a patient with a chronic illness. What is the primary nursing goal?
A. Curing the underlying disease
B. Promoting optimal functional capacity and quality of life
C. Limiting the patient's involvement in care decisions
D. Focusing only on acute exacerbations
Rationale: For patients with chronic illness, the primary nursing goal is promoting optimal
functional capacity, preventing acute exacerbations, and enhancing long-term quality of life.
11. Which of the following is an example of a nurse-sensitive outcome?
A. Hospital mortality rate
B. Patient satisfaction with physician care
C. Hospital-acquired pressure ulcer rate
D. Length of stay for pneumonia
Rationale: Nursing-sensitive outcomes are directly affected by nursing care, such as hospital-
acquired pressure ulcer rates, falls, and catheter-associated infections.
4|Page
TEST BANK FOR BRUNNER & SUDDARTH'S TEXTBOOK OF
MEDICAL-SURGICAL NURSING EXAM WITH VERIFIED
ANSWERS DETAILED RATIONALES GRADED A+
Test Bank for Brunner & Suddarth's Textbook of Medical-Surgical Nursing
SECTION 1: PRINCIPLES OF NURSING PRACTICE (Questions 1–30)
1. The public health nurse is presenting a health promotion class to a group of new mothers.
How should the nurse best define health?
A. Health is being disease free.
B. Health is having fulfillment in all domains of life.
C. Health is having psychological and physiological harmony.
D. Health is being connected in body, mind, and spirit.
Rationale: The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as a state of complete physical,
mental, and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. This definition
emphasizes the interconnectedness of body, mind, and spirit.
2. A nurse is providing care to a patient from a different cultural background. Which action
best demonstrates cultural competence?
A. Treating all patients the same regardless of cultural background
B. Asking the patient about their cultural beliefs and health practices
1|Page
,Page 2 of 89
C. Assuming the patient shares the nurse's cultural values
D. Avoiding discussion of cultural differences
Rationale: Culturally competent care involves understanding and respecting the patient's
cultural beliefs, values, and practices, and incorporating them into the care plan. Asking the
patient about their beliefs demonstrates respect and promotes culturally congruent care.
3. What is the fundamental difference between health promotion and disease prevention?
A. Health promotion focuses on preventing specific diseases, while disease prevention focuses
on overall well-being.
B. Health promotion focuses on empowering people to improve their health, while disease
prevention targets specific mechanisms to block disease onset.
C. Both are the same concept.
D. Health promotion is only for healthy people, while disease prevention is for sick people.
Rationale: Health promotion focuses on empowering people to increase control over and
improve their health, whereas disease prevention targets specific mechanisms to block the
onset of particular diseases or injuries.
4. Which statement best describes the role of the nurse in evidence-based practice?
A. The nurse should rely solely on tradition and intuition.
B. The nurse should integrate the best available research evidence with clinical expertise and
patient preferences.
C. The nurse should follow hospital policies without question.
D. The nurse should only use evidence from randomized controlled trials.
Rationale: Evidence-based practice integrates the best available research evidence with clinical
expertise and patient values and preferences. It does not rely solely on tradition or intuition.
5. A nurse is caring for an older adult patient. Which physiological change affects drug
pharmacokinetics in this population?
2|Page
,Page 3 of 89
A. Increased total body water
B. Decreased adipose tissue mass
C. Decreased total body water and increased adipose tissue mass
D. Increased hepatic blood flow
Rationale: Normal physiological changes in older adults include decreased total body water and
increased adipose tissue mass, which alters drug distribution and pharmacokinetics.
6. Which of the following best describes a nursing diagnosis?
A. A medical diagnosis of a disease process
B. A clinical judgment about a patient's response to a health condition
C. A collaborative problem requiring physician intervention
D. A laboratory value that is outside the normal range
Rationale: A nursing diagnosis is a clinical judgment about the patient's response to actual or
potential health conditions or needs. It is distinct from a medical diagnosis, which identifies a
disease process.
7. What is the primary role of the nurse as a patient advocate?
A. Making decisions for the patient
B. Protecting the patient's rights and ensuring informed consent
C. Avoiding communication with the patient's family
D. Following physician orders without question
Rationale: Patient advocacy involves protecting the patient's rights, ensuring informed consent,
and speaking up for the patient's needs and preferences.
8. A nurse is teaching a patient about a new medication. Which action best ensures patient
understanding?
A. Providing a printed handout and asking if the patient has questions
B. Using medical terminology to ensure accuracy
3|Page
, Page 4 of 89
C. Asking the patient to repeat back the instructions in their own words
D. Teaching the patient at discharge when they are ready to leave
Rationale: Asking the patient to repeat back instructions (teach-back method) confirms
understanding and identifies any gaps in knowledge.
9. Which of the following is a social determinant of health?
A. Genetic predisposition to disease
B. Access to nutritious food and safe housing
C. The patient's blood type
D. The patient's height and weight
Rationale: Social determinants of health include access to nutritious food, safe housing,
education, and economic stability. These factors significantly affect health outcomes.
10. A nurse is caring for a patient with a chronic illness. What is the primary nursing goal?
A. Curing the underlying disease
B. Promoting optimal functional capacity and quality of life
C. Limiting the patient's involvement in care decisions
D. Focusing only on acute exacerbations
Rationale: For patients with chronic illness, the primary nursing goal is promoting optimal
functional capacity, preventing acute exacerbations, and enhancing long-term quality of life.
11. Which of the following is an example of a nurse-sensitive outcome?
A. Hospital mortality rate
B. Patient satisfaction with physician care
C. Hospital-acquired pressure ulcer rate
D. Length of stay for pneumonia
Rationale: Nursing-sensitive outcomes are directly affected by nursing care, such as hospital-
acquired pressure ulcer rates, falls, and catheter-associated infections.
4|Page
