,Chapter 1 — Nursing Today — Nursing as a Profession
Key Concept: Professional features of nursing
ANA Standard(s): Professional Practice / Ethics (Scope &
Standards)
Nursing Process: Assessment
Stem: Which characteristic best distinguishes a profession
from an occupation when describing nursing?
Options:
A. Work primarily performed for pay.
B. Short periods of on-the-job training.
C. A distinct body of knowledge and formal education.
D. Tasks assigned by an employer without regulation.
Correct Answer: C — distinct body of knowledge and
formal education
Rationale:
Correct (2–3 sentences): Nursing is considered a
profession because it rests on a specialized body of
knowledge and formal educational preparation, not merely
on paid work or informal training (Fundamentals of
Nursing, 12th Ed., Ch. 1, pp. 1–6). This links to ANA
expectations for professional preparation and competence
(Scope & Standards).
A (incorrect): Being paid is true for many jobs and does not
distinguish a profession.
B (incorrect): Short on-the-job training suggests a vocation,
, not a profession.
C (correct): — (already explained above).
D (incorrect): Performing tasks assigned by employers is
characteristic of many occupations, not uniquely
professional practice.
Teaching Point: Professions have formal education and a
knowledge base.
2. Question /stem
Chapter 1 — Nursing Today — Historical Influences
Key Concept: Florence Nightingale’s impact
ANA Standard(s): Professional Practice / Historical Context
Nursing Process: Assessment
Stem: Which contribution of Florence Nightingale most
directly shaped modern nursing’s focus on environmental
health?
Options:
A. Instituting standardized licensure exams.
B. Emphasizing sanitation, ventilation, and patient
environment.
C. Developing hospital billing procedures.
D. Creating advanced pharmacotherapy protocols.
Correct Answer: B — emphasizing sanitation, ventilation,
and patient environment
Rationale:
Correct (2–3 sentences): Nightingale’s writings emphasized
, sanitation, ventilation, and the patient environment as
determinants of health; this historical influence laid
groundwork for nursing’s role in health promotion and
infection control (Fundamentals of Nursing, 12th Ed., Ch. 1,
pp. 6–8). It informs current ANA standards for safe practice
and environment.
A (incorrect): Standardized licensure developed later and
was not Nightingale’s primary contribution.
C (incorrect): Billing systems are administrative and not
Nightingale’s legacy.
D (incorrect): Pharmacotherapy protocols evolved much
later through medical science.
Teaching Point: Environmental health is a core nursing
legacy from Nightingale.
3. Question /stem
Chapter 1 — Nursing Today — Contemporary Influences
Key Concept: Technology’s effect on nursing practice
ANA Standard(s): Quality of Practice / Informatics
Nursing Process: Implementation
Stem: How does increasing use of electronic health
records (EHRs) primarily affect nursing practice?
Options:
A. Eliminates the need for clinical judgment.
B. Increases documentation accuracy and accessibility of
patient data.
Key Concept: Professional features of nursing
ANA Standard(s): Professional Practice / Ethics (Scope &
Standards)
Nursing Process: Assessment
Stem: Which characteristic best distinguishes a profession
from an occupation when describing nursing?
Options:
A. Work primarily performed for pay.
B. Short periods of on-the-job training.
C. A distinct body of knowledge and formal education.
D. Tasks assigned by an employer without regulation.
Correct Answer: C — distinct body of knowledge and
formal education
Rationale:
Correct (2–3 sentences): Nursing is considered a
profession because it rests on a specialized body of
knowledge and formal educational preparation, not merely
on paid work or informal training (Fundamentals of
Nursing, 12th Ed., Ch. 1, pp. 1–6). This links to ANA
expectations for professional preparation and competence
(Scope & Standards).
A (incorrect): Being paid is true for many jobs and does not
distinguish a profession.
B (incorrect): Short on-the-job training suggests a vocation,
, not a profession.
C (correct): — (already explained above).
D (incorrect): Performing tasks assigned by employers is
characteristic of many occupations, not uniquely
professional practice.
Teaching Point: Professions have formal education and a
knowledge base.
2. Question /stem
Chapter 1 — Nursing Today — Historical Influences
Key Concept: Florence Nightingale’s impact
ANA Standard(s): Professional Practice / Historical Context
Nursing Process: Assessment
Stem: Which contribution of Florence Nightingale most
directly shaped modern nursing’s focus on environmental
health?
Options:
A. Instituting standardized licensure exams.
B. Emphasizing sanitation, ventilation, and patient
environment.
C. Developing hospital billing procedures.
D. Creating advanced pharmacotherapy protocols.
Correct Answer: B — emphasizing sanitation, ventilation,
and patient environment
Rationale:
Correct (2–3 sentences): Nightingale’s writings emphasized
, sanitation, ventilation, and the patient environment as
determinants of health; this historical influence laid
groundwork for nursing’s role in health promotion and
infection control (Fundamentals of Nursing, 12th Ed., Ch. 1,
pp. 6–8). It informs current ANA standards for safe practice
and environment.
A (incorrect): Standardized licensure developed later and
was not Nightingale’s primary contribution.
C (incorrect): Billing systems are administrative and not
Nightingale’s legacy.
D (incorrect): Pharmacotherapy protocols evolved much
later through medical science.
Teaching Point: Environmental health is a core nursing
legacy from Nightingale.
3. Question /stem
Chapter 1 — Nursing Today — Contemporary Influences
Key Concept: Technology’s effect on nursing practice
ANA Standard(s): Quality of Practice / Informatics
Nursing Process: Implementation
Stem: How does increasing use of electronic health
records (EHRs) primarily affect nursing practice?
Options:
A. Eliminates the need for clinical judgment.
B. Increases documentation accuracy and accessibility of
patient data.
