Tests are always useful for nurses; students
need them to prepare for the board exam for nursing, while registered practicing
nurses find it helpful to keep their knowledge and skills in check. I plan to
post sample questions that mimic nursing licensure exam questions, since I
mentioned that practicing on them would definitely help you to pass the nursing
exam.
Although answering a 100-item test is
beneficial to develop one’s test-taking endurance (which we can do later), I
intend to post 20-item quizzes first to help students understand categorized
concepts through careful rationalization of questions. The ability to endure a
long test is one thing, but critical thinking is equally important for you to
pass any exam for nursing.
For starters, here’s a practice test about
nursing fundamentals. Try to answer them in 24 minutes (we also have to set a
time limit, as additional preparation for the licensure exam for nursing).
Situation: Nursing practice comes with
accountabilities and responsibilities, whether it’s done in a community or
hospital setting. One of its major goals of nurses is to provide safe nursing
care to clients.
1.
The most important tool of the nurse to provide
safe, quality nursing care to various clients in any setting is
a.
Critical
thinking to decide appropriate nursing actions
b.
Observation skills for data collection
c.
Possession of in scientific knowledge about
client needs
d.
Understanding of various nursing diagnoses
2.
The nurse ensures appropriate and safe nursing
interventions for various clients by
a.
Identifying the correct nursing diagnoses for
clients
b.
Making a
thorough assessment of client needs and problems
c.
Using standards of nursing care as your criteria
for evaluation
d.
All of the above
3.
The effectiveness of your nursing care plan for
your clients is determined by
a.
The amount of medications administered to the
client
b.
The number of nursing procedures performed to
comfort the client
c.
The number of times the client calls the nurse
d.
The
outcome of nursing interventions based on the plan of care
4.
You are assigned to Mr. Amadeo, age 49, who was
admitted for possible surgery. At home, he experienced recurrent pain at the
right upper quadrant of the abdomen 1-2 hours after ingesting fatty food. He
also had frequent bouts of dizziness, blood pressure of 170/100, and hot
flashes. Which of the above symptoms would be an objective cue?
a.
Blood
pressure measurement of 170/100
b.
Complaint of frequent bouts of dizziness
c.
Complaint of hot flashes
d.
Report of pain after the ingestion of fatty food
5.
While talking with Mr. Amadeo, it is most vital
for the nurse to:
a.
Do an
assessment of the client to determine priority needs
b.
Have the client sign an informed consent
c.
Schedule the laboratory exams ordered for her
d.
Tell the client that your shift ends after eight
hours
Situation: Oral care is a significant nursing
intervention that is essential in promoting a client’s hygiene and comfort.
6.
You are tasked to perform oral care for an 84
year-old client who is unconscious, and assessment of the mouth reveals
excessive dryness and presence of sores. Which of the following cleansing
solutions would be best for this client?
a.
Hydrogen peroxide c. Mineral oil
b.
Lemon glycerine
d. Normal saline solution
7.
When performing oral care to an unconscious
client, which of the following is a key consideration to prevent aspiration into
the lungs?
a.
Clean mouth with oral swabs in a careful and an
orderly progression
b.
Keep the client dry by placing towel under the
chin
c.
Put the
client on a sidelying position with head of bed lowered
d.
Wash hands and observe appropriate infection
control
8.
The advantages of oral care for a client include
all of the following, EXCEPT:
a.
Decreases bacteria in the mouth and teeth
b.
Improves client’s appearance and self-confidence
c.
Improves appetite and taste of food
d.
Reduces
need to use commercial mouthwash which irritate the buccal mucosa
9.
A possible problem while providing oral care to
unconscious clients is the risk for aspiration. This can be prevented by:
a.
Cleaning teeth and mouth with cotton swabs
soaked with mouthwash to avoid rinsing the buccal cavity
b.
Use fingers wrapped with wet cotton washcloth to
rub inside the cheeks, tongue, lips and gums
c.
Suctioning
as needed while cleaning the buccal cavity
d.
Swabbing the inside of the cheeks and lips,
tongue and gums with dry cotton swabs
10.
Your client has difficulty of breathing, and you
notice that he is breathing from his mouth. This causes dryness of the oral
mucosa that comes with foul odor. Aside from oral hygiene, the nurse needs to keep
the mouth moistened with:
a.
Salt solution c. Petroleum jelly
b.
Water d.
Mentholated ointment
Situation: You are a nurse that just
got hired in a prestigious medical center, and it is the first time that you
have been oriented to the system and culture of the nursing profession.
11.
You are a beginning nurse practitioner, and by using
Benner’s stages of nursing expertise, you rank as a/an:
a.
Advanced beginner c.
Novice nurse
b.
Competent
nurse d.
Proficient nurse
12.
Benner’s “Proficient” nurse level is different
from the other nursing expertise levels in terms of:
a.
A
holistic understanding and perception of the client
b.
Having attained an advanced level of education
c.
Intuitive and analytic ability in new situations
d.
The ability to organize and plan activities
13.
As you internalize the nursing “culture” you evolve
into a patient advocate, and advocacy is characterized by the following EXCEPT:
a.
Demonstrating
loyalty to the institution’s rights
b.
Protecting and supporting another person’s
rights
c.
Respecting a person’s right to be autonomous
d.
Shared respect, trust and collaboration in
meeting health needs
14.
Modern nurses have been trained to have expanded
roles, and her functions extend to which of the following?
a.
Clinical
nurse specialist c.
Community health nurse
b.
Critical care nurse d. Staff nurse
15.
The main advantage of pursuing continuing
education in nursing is to:
a.
Earn credits for license renewal
b.
Obtain a management position
c.
Get in touch with colleagues in nursing
d.
Update
your knowledge and skills related to field of interest
Situation: The next set of questions pertains
to concepts on nursing theories.
16. The four
major concepts in nursing theory are the
a. Nurse,
Person, Environment, Cure
b. Person,
Environment, Nurse, Health
c. Person,
Environment, Nursing, Health
d. Promotive,
Preventive, Curative, Rehabilitative
17. The act of utilizing the environment of the
patient to assist him in his recovery is theorized by
a. Benner c.
Nightingale
b. King d.
Swanson
18.
For her, Nursing is a theoretical system of
knowledge that prescribes a process of analysis and action related to care of
the ill person:
a. Henderson c.
Leininger
b. King d.
Roy
19.
According to her, nursing is a helping or assistive
profession to persons who are wholly or partly dependent or when those who are
supposedly caring for them are no longer able to give care:
a.
Henderson c. Orem
b. Neuman d. Swanson
20.
This theorist asserts that nursing is concerned with
all the variables affecting an individual’s response to stressors, which are
intra, inter and extra personal in nature:
a.
Johnson c.
Parse
b.
Neuman d.
Watson
Here are
the answers:
1.
Answer: A
Rationale: It takes more than mere knowledge and understanding
of concepts to ensure that safe and quality care is rendered in any setting.
Above all, the nurse should be able to apply knowledge accordingly to any
setting and analyze the situation to arrive at the most appropriate action.
2.
Answer: D
Rationale: Each choice is required to ensure that the nurse is
rendering appropriate and safe interventions. A thorough assessment is needed
to properly identify the patient’s problem, and a proper diagnosis would help
the nurse make an appropriate plan of care. The standards of care should always
be applied to ensure safe practice.
3.
Answer : D
Rationale:
Determining the effectiveness of nursing care is the evaluative process, and it
involves determining the outcomes of nursing interventions.
4.
Answer: A
Rationale: All complaints and perceptions of a client are
subjective cues, and all data that are observed, measured and obtained by
nurses are objective cues.
5.
Answer: A
Rationale: While B and C are important dependent functions of
the nurse, A is most crucial, because the nurse must focus on the patient’s
responses while experiencing disease. D is irrelevant to the client.
6.
Answer: D
Rationale:
According to a study conducted by Meurman, et. al., lemon glycerine causes
dental erosion, and has been proven to cause dryness and mucosal irritation. A
study made by Tombes and Gallucci provides evidence that hydrogen peroxide
causes mucosal abnormalities and is not recommended for oral care. Mineral oil
is not an oral solution. In this case, normal saline solution is the best
choice.
Links:
7.
Answer: C
Rationale: Positioning is the key to prevent aspiration.
Regardless of whether you do oral care in an orderly manner, wash hands or
place a towel under the chin, the client is always at risk for aspiration if he
is not placed on the side. The head needs to lowered as you put oral cleansing
solution in the mouth.
8.
Answer: D
Rationale: Oral care basically disinfects and removes dirt
that affects the client’s taste, and a clean mouth makes a person feel good and
confident. D is not a substitute for using commercial mouthwash.
9.
Answer: C
Rationale: Aside from proper positioning, another essential
intervention to prevent risk for aspiration for unconscious clients is
suctioning the oral cavity while performing oral care.
10.
Answer: C
Rationale: What modifies this question is the fact that the
client has difficulty breathing. Although A, B and C can moisten the mouth, it
would be impractical to always put water or salt solution, and doing such might
pose a risk for aspiration. Petroleum jelly has an advantage because it retains
moisture much longer. There is little or
no evidence that supports the use of mentholated ointment, and ointments
usually are topical drugs.
11.
Answer: C
Rationale: In this case, the nurse has no clinical experience,
hence the nurse is still ranked as a novice nurse.
12.
Answer: A
Rationale: Based on Benner’s nursing expertise model, A is a
characteristic of a proficient nurse. B, C, D are expected traits of a
competent nurse.
13.
Answer: A
Rationale: Being a patient advocate is being
client-centered. A doesn’t involve upholding the client’s rights.
14.
Answer: A
Rationale: Benner’s model defines the level of nursing expertise
based on education and skills, regardless of specific clinical areas. This is a
general question, and A provides a general answer.
15.
Answer: D
Rationale: You don’t need to pursue continuing education to
have your license renewed. Although continuing education will increase your
chances of obtaining a management position and strengthen your network, the
most important goal is to update your knowledge and skills to provide a better
quality of nursing care.
16.
Answer: C
Rationale: The basic elements of a nursing theory are the person,
environment, nursing (not the nurse) and health, and theories are formulated to
explain their interrelatedness. The use of these elements has been adapted from
Nightingale’s theory, that nursing involves using the environment to assist a
person to attain optimal health.
17. Answer: C
Rationale: This has been mentioned in item 16. Patricia Benner is known
for defining the nurse’s levels of expertise, while Imogene King developed the
theory of goal attainment. Kristen Swanson is responsible for the Theory of
Caring.
18. Answer: D
Rationale: It was Callista Roy who proposed the adaptation model of
nursing. She asserted that the nurse analyzes a person’s capability to
cope with stress and stimuli using a theoretical system of knowledge and
skills. Unless the person maintains homeostasis, the nurse should institute
actions that would assist the person to adapt to stimuli.
19. Answer: C
Rationale: In Orem’s Self Care Deficit theory, nursing is defined as a
helping or assistive profession to a wholly or partly dependent person and its
ultimate goal is to promote self care. Self care involves the person’s
capability to perform activities to maintain health, life and well being.
20. Answer: B
Rationale: This pertains to Neuman’s System Model, where she mentions
that each person experiences intra, inter and extrapersonal stressors, and that
nursing helps eliminate these stressors to achieve the maximum level of
wellness.
How did
you fare in this test? If you got at least 15 items right, it indicates that
you have a good working knowledge of these concepts. If you got 12-14 right
answers, it’s still OK – you just might need a little more practice with
rationalizing questions. However, if you got a score below 12, it only means
that you need to read some more to fully grasp these topics.
Keep on
reading your textbooks and practicing exam questions. I’ll post more later, so in
the meantime, happy reviewing!
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