PNC Exam final UPDATED ACTUAL
Exam Questions and CORRECT Answers
A female patient who is receiving chemotherapy for breast cancer tells the nurse, "The treatment
for this cancer is worse than the disease itself. I'm not going to come for my therapy anymore."
The nurse responds by using critical thinking skills to address this patient problem. Which action
is the first step the nurse would take in this process?
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. - CORRECT ANSWER -C
The nursing process ensures that nurses are person centered rather than task centered. Rather
than simply approaching a patient to take vital signs, the nurse thinks, "How is Mrs. Barclay
today? Are our nursing actions helping her to achieve her goals? How can we better help her?"
This demonstrates which characteristic of the nursing process?
A.Systematic
B. Interpersonal
C. Dynamic
D. Universally applicable in nursing situations - CORRECT ANSWER -B
An experienced nurse tells a beginning nurse not to bother studying too hard, since most clinical
reasoning becomes "second nature" and "intuitive" once you start practicing. What thinking
below should underlie the beginning nurse's response?
A. Intuitive problem solving comes with years of practice and observation, and novice nurses
should base their care on scientific problem solving.
B. For nursing to remain a science, nurses must continue to be vigilant about stamping out
intuitive reasoning.
,C. The emphasis on logical, scientific, evidence-based reasoning has held nursing back for years;
it is time to champion intuitive, creative thinking!
D. It is simply a matter of preference; some nurses are logical, scientific thinkers, and some are
intuitive, creative thinkers. - CORRECT ANSWER -A
The nurse uses blended competencies when caring for patients in a rehabilitation facility. Which
examples of interventions involve cognitive skills? Select all that apply.
A. The nurse uses critical thinking skills to plan care for a patient.
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. - CORRECT
ANSWER -A
D
A nurse uses critical thinking skills to focus on the care plan of an older adult who has dementia
and needs placement in a long-term care facility. Which statements describe characteristics of
this type of critical thinking applied to clinical reasoning? Select all that apply.
A. It functions independently of nursing standards, ethics, and state practice acts.
B. It is based on the principles of the nursing process, problem solving, and the scientific
method.
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. - CORRECT ANSWER -B
,C
E
A nurse is caring for a patient who has complications related to type 2 diabetes mellitus. The
nurse researches new procedures to care for foot ulcers when developing a care plan for this
patient. Which QSEN competency does this action represent?
A. Patient-centered care
B. Evidence-based practice
C. Quality improvement
D. Informatics - CORRECT ANSWER -C
A nurse is assessing a patient who is diagnosed with anorexia. Following the assessment, the
nurse recommends that the patient meet with a nutritionist. This action best exemplifies the use
of:
A. Clinical judgment
B. Clinical reasoning
C. Critical thinking
D. Blended competencies - CORRECT ANSWER -A
A nurse working in a long-term care facility bases patient care on five caring processes:
knowing, being with, doing for, enabling, and maintaining belief. This approach to patient care
best describes whose theory?
A. Travelbee's
B. Watson's
C. Benner's
D. Swanson's - CORRECT ANSWER -D
, The nurse practices using critical thinking indicators (CTIs) when caring for patients in the
hospital setting. The best description of CTIs is:
A. Evidence-based descriptions of behaviors that 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 - CORRECT
ANSWER -C
The nurse practitioner is performing a short assessment of a newborn who is displaying signs of
jaundice. The nurse observes the infant's skin color and orders a test for bilirubin levels to report
to the primary care provider. What type of assessment has this nurse performed?
A. Comprehensive
B. Initial
C. Time-lapsed
D. Quick priority - CORRECT ANSWER -D
The nurse is admitting a 35-year-old pregnant woman to the hospital for treatment of
preeclampsia. The patient asks the nurse: "Why are you doing a history and physical exam when
the doctor just did one?" Which statements best explain the primary reasons a nursing
assessment is performed? Select all that apply.
A. "The nursing assessment will allow us to plan and deliver individualized, holistic nursing care
that draws on your strengths."
B. "It's hospital policy. I know it must be tiresome, but I will try to make this quick!"
C. "I'm a student nurse and need to develop the skill of assessing your health status and need for
nursing care."
Exam Questions and CORRECT Answers
A female patient who is receiving chemotherapy for breast cancer tells the nurse, "The treatment
for this cancer is worse than the disease itself. I'm not going to come for my therapy anymore."
The nurse responds by using critical thinking skills to address this patient problem. Which action
is the first step the nurse would take in this process?
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. - CORRECT ANSWER -C
The nursing process ensures that nurses are person centered rather than task centered. Rather
than simply approaching a patient to take vital signs, the nurse thinks, "How is Mrs. Barclay
today? Are our nursing actions helping her to achieve her goals? How can we better help her?"
This demonstrates which characteristic of the nursing process?
A.Systematic
B. Interpersonal
C. Dynamic
D. Universally applicable in nursing situations - CORRECT ANSWER -B
An experienced nurse tells a beginning nurse not to bother studying too hard, since most clinical
reasoning becomes "second nature" and "intuitive" once you start practicing. What thinking
below should underlie the beginning nurse's response?
A. Intuitive problem solving comes with years of practice and observation, and novice nurses
should base their care on scientific problem solving.
B. For nursing to remain a science, nurses must continue to be vigilant about stamping out
intuitive reasoning.
,C. The emphasis on logical, scientific, evidence-based reasoning has held nursing back for years;
it is time to champion intuitive, creative thinking!
D. It is simply a matter of preference; some nurses are logical, scientific thinkers, and some are
intuitive, creative thinkers. - CORRECT ANSWER -A
The nurse uses blended competencies when caring for patients in a rehabilitation facility. Which
examples of interventions involve cognitive skills? Select all that apply.
A. The nurse uses critical thinking skills to plan care for a patient.
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. - CORRECT
ANSWER -A
D
A nurse uses critical thinking skills to focus on the care plan of an older adult who has dementia
and needs placement in a long-term care facility. Which statements describe characteristics of
this type of critical thinking applied to clinical reasoning? Select all that apply.
A. It functions independently of nursing standards, ethics, and state practice acts.
B. It is based on the principles of the nursing process, problem solving, and the scientific
method.
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. - CORRECT ANSWER -B
,C
E
A nurse is caring for a patient who has complications related to type 2 diabetes mellitus. The
nurse researches new procedures to care for foot ulcers when developing a care plan for this
patient. Which QSEN competency does this action represent?
A. Patient-centered care
B. Evidence-based practice
C. Quality improvement
D. Informatics - CORRECT ANSWER -C
A nurse is assessing a patient who is diagnosed with anorexia. Following the assessment, the
nurse recommends that the patient meet with a nutritionist. This action best exemplifies the use
of:
A. Clinical judgment
B. Clinical reasoning
C. Critical thinking
D. Blended competencies - CORRECT ANSWER -A
A nurse working in a long-term care facility bases patient care on five caring processes:
knowing, being with, doing for, enabling, and maintaining belief. This approach to patient care
best describes whose theory?
A. Travelbee's
B. Watson's
C. Benner's
D. Swanson's - CORRECT ANSWER -D
, The nurse practices using critical thinking indicators (CTIs) when caring for patients in the
hospital setting. The best description of CTIs is:
A. Evidence-based descriptions of behaviors that 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 - CORRECT
ANSWER -C
The nurse practitioner is performing a short assessment of a newborn who is displaying signs of
jaundice. The nurse observes the infant's skin color and orders a test for bilirubin levels to report
to the primary care provider. What type of assessment has this nurse performed?
A. Comprehensive
B. Initial
C. Time-lapsed
D. Quick priority - CORRECT ANSWER -D
The nurse is admitting a 35-year-old pregnant woman to the hospital for treatment of
preeclampsia. The patient asks the nurse: "Why are you doing a history and physical exam when
the doctor just did one?" Which statements best explain the primary reasons a nursing
assessment is performed? Select all that apply.
A. "The nursing assessment will allow us to plan and deliver individualized, holistic nursing care
that draws on your strengths."
B. "It's hospital policy. I know it must be tiresome, but I will try to make this quick!"
C. "I'm a student nurse and need to develop the skill of assessing your health status and need for
nursing care."
