COMPREHENSIVE EXAM SCRIPT 2026
◉ A nurse was shocked when late one night she saw a former high
school friend going through a trash bin outside a fast-food
restaurant and pulling out half-eaten food. Which of the following is
the most likely explanation for a healthy young adult engaging in
such behavior?
a. He ate his meal but wanted more and had no more money.
b. He had full-time employment, but with such a low salary it was
inadequate to meet basic expenses.
c. A friend had thrown his meal away, and he thought he could find
his friend's untouched food.
d. He was doing this to fulfill an obligation of fraternity initiation at
the college.. Answer: b. He had full-time employment, but with such
a low salary it was inadequate to meet basic expenses.
◉ Which of the following clients is most likely to experience a high
incidence of poverty?
a. A 65-year-old woman
b. A 14-year-old male
c. A 79-year-old male
,d. A 19-year-old female. Answer: b. A 14-year-old male
While gender is not relevant, the poverty rate for children under 18
years of age was 16.2 percent, and the poverty rate for people aged
65 and older was 9.7 percent.
◉ A school nurse was talking to the teacher of an 8-year-old child
who was living with her mother in their car. Which of the following
concerns would lead the nurse to talk to the teacher concerning the
child's academic progress?
a. Protentional abuse risk
b. Possible developmental delays
c. Food insecurity
d. Susceptibility to infections. Answer: b. Possible developmental
delays
Poverty increases the likelihood of all the options but developmental
delays will impact academic progress most severely.
◉ Which of the following is the most rapidly growing group
experiencing poverty?
a. Hispanic families
,b. Women older than 65
c. African-American families
d. Single men of all ages. Answer: b. Women older than 65
Under the official poverty measure, in 2017, 4.7 million adults ages
65 and older lived in poverty. The rate of increase among seniors
increases with age and is higher among women, African Americans,
and Hispanics.
◉ Which of the following statements best describes why health care
of the homeless is so expensive to the community?
a. Health conditions of the homeless require increased preventive
services.
b. Homeless clients typically make more clinic visits for multiple
health problems.
c. Homeless people are a major source of spread for contagious
diseases.
d. Most care to homeless people takes place in hospital emergency
departments.. Answer: d. Most care to homeless people takes place
in hospital emergency departments.
◉ The nurse who works at a homeless clinic wants to improve
healing of chronic wounds in clients living on the streets. Which of
, the following would be the best action to take to improve client
outcomes?
a. Provide antibiotics to all homeless persons with chronic,
nonhealing wounds.
b. Offer daily access to a room with soap, water, and bandages.
c. Hand out free bandaging supplies following each clinic visit.
d. Perform regular monitoring of the client's wound condition..
Answer: b. Offer daily access to a room with soap, water, and
bandages.
Health problems faced by the homeless often are related directly to
poor access to preventive health care services. Proper wound care
relies on cleanliness; however, those living on the streets do not
typically have ready access to soap and water. The nurse can help by
designating a wound room, in which clients can safely carry out
wound care activities taught during clinic visits.
◉ A nurse is assessing a young, single pregnant woman. Which of
the following findings would be of most concern to both mother and
fetus?
a. Elevated blood pressure
b. First prenatal visit at 5 months' gestation
c. Homelessness