Basic Nursing: Thinking, Doing, and Caring (2025/2026 Syllabus)
Study Guide
Part 1: The Foundation of Nursing (Thinking & Professional Identity)
1. What is the primary purpose of the Nursing Code of Ethics?
ANSWER ✓ To provide a framework for ethical analysis and decision-making and to
articulate the primary goals, values, and obligations of the nursing profession.
2. Differentiate between accountability and responsibility in nursing practice.
ANSWER ✓ Responsibility refers to the specific duties or tasks a nurse is assigned to
perform (e.g., administering medications). Accountability is being answerable for the
outcomes of those actions and for the actions of oneself and others.
3. Define clinical judgment in the context of the NCSBN Clinical Judgment
Measurement Model (NCJMM).
ANSWER ✓ Clinical judgment is the observed outcome of critical thinking and decision-
making. It is an iterative process of recognizing cues, analyzing cues, prioritizing
hypotheses, generating solutions, taking action, and evaluating outcomes.
4. What are the four main concepts of the nursing metaparadigm?
ANSWER ✓ Person, Environment, Health, and Nursing.
5. How does a nurse demonstrate the QSEN competency of Patient-Centered Care?
ANSWER ✓ By recognizing the patient or designee as the source of control and full
partner in providing compassionate and coordinated care based on respect for the
patient's preferences, values, and needs.
6. What is the difference between a medical diagnosis and a nursing diagnosis?
ANSWER ✓ A medical diagnosis identifies a specific disease or pathology. A nursing
diagnosis is a clinical judgment about an individual's, family's, or community's responses
to actual or potential health problems/life processes.
7. List the six steps of the nursing process (ADPIE).
ANSWER ✓ Assessment, Diagnosis, Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation.
8. What is the role of a nurse as an advocate?
ANSWER ✓ To protect the patient's rights, ensure their safety, and help them navigate
the healthcare system by speaking on their behalf and ensuring their voice is heard in
decisions about their care.
, 9. Explain the principle of veracity.
ANSWER ✓ Veracity is the duty to tell the truth and not to deceive or mislead patients
intentionally.
10. What is the significance of evidence-based practice (EBP) in modern nursing?
ANSWER ✓ EBP integrates the best current research evidence with clinical expertise and
patient/family preferences and values to deliver the highest quality, most effective, and
safest patient care.
11. Describe the concept of "caring" as a central tenet of nursing.
ANSWER ✓ Caring is the intentional and authentic presence of the nurse with the
patient, demonstrating empathy, compassion, and commitment to alleviate suffering
and promote healing, not just performing tasks.
12. What is the purpose of the ANA Standards of Professional Nursing Practice?
ANSWER ✓ They define the competent level of nursing care and professional
performance expected of all registered nurses, encompassing both standards of practice
and standards of professional performance.
13. How does social determinants of health (SDOH) influence a patient's plan of
care?
ANSWER ✓ SDOH (e.g., economic stability, education, social support) significantly
impact a patient's health risks, access to care, and ability to follow a treatment plan,
requiring the nurse to tailor care and connect patients with appropriate resources.
14. What is the difference between licensure, certification, and accreditation?
ANSWER ✓ Licensure is a legal credential granted by a state to practice nursing.
Certification is a voluntary credential in a specialty area from a professional organization.
Accreditation is a process for evaluating and ensuring the quality of educational
programs.
15. Define "delegation" and state the five "rights" of delegation.
ANSWER ✓ Delegation is transferring the authority to perform a selected nursing task
to a competent unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) while retaining accountability for
the outcome. The five rights are: Right Task, Right Circumstance, Right Person, Right
Direction/Communication, and Right Supervision/Evaluation.
Part 2: Nursing Process & Clinical Judgment (Thinking & Doing)
Study Guide
Part 1: The Foundation of Nursing (Thinking & Professional Identity)
1. What is the primary purpose of the Nursing Code of Ethics?
ANSWER ✓ To provide a framework for ethical analysis and decision-making and to
articulate the primary goals, values, and obligations of the nursing profession.
2. Differentiate between accountability and responsibility in nursing practice.
ANSWER ✓ Responsibility refers to the specific duties or tasks a nurse is assigned to
perform (e.g., administering medications). Accountability is being answerable for the
outcomes of those actions and for the actions of oneself and others.
3. Define clinical judgment in the context of the NCSBN Clinical Judgment
Measurement Model (NCJMM).
ANSWER ✓ Clinical judgment is the observed outcome of critical thinking and decision-
making. It is an iterative process of recognizing cues, analyzing cues, prioritizing
hypotheses, generating solutions, taking action, and evaluating outcomes.
4. What are the four main concepts of the nursing metaparadigm?
ANSWER ✓ Person, Environment, Health, and Nursing.
5. How does a nurse demonstrate the QSEN competency of Patient-Centered Care?
ANSWER ✓ By recognizing the patient or designee as the source of control and full
partner in providing compassionate and coordinated care based on respect for the
patient's preferences, values, and needs.
6. What is the difference between a medical diagnosis and a nursing diagnosis?
ANSWER ✓ A medical diagnosis identifies a specific disease or pathology. A nursing
diagnosis is a clinical judgment about an individual's, family's, or community's responses
to actual or potential health problems/life processes.
7. List the six steps of the nursing process (ADPIE).
ANSWER ✓ Assessment, Diagnosis, Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation.
8. What is the role of a nurse as an advocate?
ANSWER ✓ To protect the patient's rights, ensure their safety, and help them navigate
the healthcare system by speaking on their behalf and ensuring their voice is heard in
decisions about their care.
, 9. Explain the principle of veracity.
ANSWER ✓ Veracity is the duty to tell the truth and not to deceive or mislead patients
intentionally.
10. What is the significance of evidence-based practice (EBP) in modern nursing?
ANSWER ✓ EBP integrates the best current research evidence with clinical expertise and
patient/family preferences and values to deliver the highest quality, most effective, and
safest patient care.
11. Describe the concept of "caring" as a central tenet of nursing.
ANSWER ✓ Caring is the intentional and authentic presence of the nurse with the
patient, demonstrating empathy, compassion, and commitment to alleviate suffering
and promote healing, not just performing tasks.
12. What is the purpose of the ANA Standards of Professional Nursing Practice?
ANSWER ✓ They define the competent level of nursing care and professional
performance expected of all registered nurses, encompassing both standards of practice
and standards of professional performance.
13. How does social determinants of health (SDOH) influence a patient's plan of
care?
ANSWER ✓ SDOH (e.g., economic stability, education, social support) significantly
impact a patient's health risks, access to care, and ability to follow a treatment plan,
requiring the nurse to tailor care and connect patients with appropriate resources.
14. What is the difference between licensure, certification, and accreditation?
ANSWER ✓ Licensure is a legal credential granted by a state to practice nursing.
Certification is a voluntary credential in a specialty area from a professional organization.
Accreditation is a process for evaluating and ensuring the quality of educational
programs.
15. Define "delegation" and state the five "rights" of delegation.
ANSWER ✓ Delegation is transferring the authority to perform a selected nursing task
to a competent unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) while retaining accountability for
the outcome. The five rights are: Right Task, Right Circumstance, Right Person, Right
Direction/Communication, and Right Supervision/Evaluation.
Part 2: Nursing Process & Clinical Judgment (Thinking & Doing)
