Exam 1: NR 224 / NR224 (Latest Update 2025 /
2026) Fundamentals: Skills QUESTIONS &
ANSWERS | 100% CORRECT | GRADE A –
CHAMBERLAIN
This exam covers key fundamentals of nursing skills, including the nursing process, critical thinking,
infection control, medication administration, vital signs, mobility, and nutrition. Select the best answer
for each question, with rationales provided to enhance understanding.
Section 1: The Nursing Process and Critical Thinking
1. A nurse is pulled from the surgical unit to work on the oncology unit. Which action by the nurse
displays humility and responsibility?
a. Refusing the assignment.
b. Admitting a lack of knowledge and going home.
c. Assuming that patient care will be the same as on the other units.
d. Asking for an orientation to the unit.
Answer: d. Asking for an orientation to the unit.
Rationale: Requesting an orientation demonstrates humility by acknowledging a lack of familiarity with
the new unit and responsibility by seeking to provide safe, competent care .
2. While caring for a hospitalized older-adult female post-hip surgery, the nurse is faced with the task
of inserting an indwelling urinary catheter, which involves rotating the hip into a contraindicated
position. Which action should the nurse take?
a. Follow the textbook procedure with the contraindicated position.
b. Adapt the positioning technique to the situation.
c. Postpone catheter insertion until the next shift.
d. Notify the health care provider for a urologist consult.
Answer: b. Adapt the positioning technique to the situation.
Rationale: Critical thinking involves adapting standardized procedures to meet individual patient needs
while maintaining safety and sterility, not rigidly following a textbook if it could cause harm .
,3. In which order will the nurse use the nursing process steps during the clinical decision-making
process?
a. Evaluating goals
b. Assessing patient needs
c. Planning priorities of care
d. Determining nursing diagnosis
e. Implementing nursing interventions
Answer: b, d, c, e, a (Assessing, Diagnosis, Planning, Implementation, Evaluation)
Rationale: The nursing process is a systematic method: Assessment (collect data), Diagnosis (identify
problem), Planning (set goals), Implementation (take action), and Evaluation (determine outcomes) .
4. Which patient scenario of a surgical patient in pain is most indicative of critical thinking?
a. Offering pain-relief medication based on the health care provider's orders.
b. Asking the patient what pain-relief methods, pharmacological and nonpharmacological, have worked
in the past.
c. Explaining to the patient that self-reporting of severe pain is not consistent with the minor procedure
that was performed.
d. Administering pain-relief medication according to what was given last shift.
Answer: b. Asking the patient what pain-relief methods, pharmacological and nonpharmacological, have
worked in the past.
Rationale: This action gathers comprehensive data, considers patient preferences, and explores options
beyond the standard order, which is a hallmark of critical thinking and individualized care .
5. What is the primary purpose of the nursing process?
a. To implement standardized procedures.
b. To ensure compliance with hospital policies.
c. To provide a structured approach to patient care.
d. To facilitate communication between different healthcare providers.
Answer: c. To provide a structured approach to patient care.
Rationale: The nursing process is a systematic framework for delivering holistic, individualized, and
effective patient-centered care .
Section 2: Infection Control and Safety
6. A nurse is dressed and is preparing to care for a patient in the perioperative area. The nurse has
scrubbed hands and has donned a sterile gown and gloves. Which action will indicate a break in sterile
technique?
a. Staying with the sterile table once it is open.
b. Standing with hands above the waist area.
, c. Touching clean protective eyewear.
d. Accepting sterile supplies from the surgeon.
Answer: c. Touching clean protective eyewear.
Rationale: Once sterile gloves are donned, hands must remain sterile. Touching a clean (but unsterile)
item like eyewear contaminates the gloves. Sterile hands must only touch sterile fields or items .
7. The nurse is caring for a patient with an incision. Which actions will best indicate an understanding
of medical and surgical asepsis for a sterile dressing change?
a. Utilizing clean gloves to remove the dressing and clean supplies for the new dressing.
b. Donning sterile gown and gloves to remove the wound dressing.
c. Utilizing clean gloves to remove the dressing and sterile supplies for the new dressing.
d. Utilizing sterile gloves to remove the dressing and sterile supplies for the new dressing.
Answer: c. Utilizing clean gloves to remove the dressing and sterile supplies for the new dressing.
Rationale: Medical asepsis (clean technique) is used to remove the old, contaminated dressing. Surgical
asepsis (sterile technique) is used for the new dressing to prevent introducing pathogens into the
wound .
8. What is the importance of hand hygiene in nursing practice?
a. It is a standard procedure required before documenting.
b. It helps prevent the spread of infections and protects both patients and healthcare workers.
c. It is only necessary after coming into contact with bodily fluids.
d. It eliminates the need for other personal protective equipment.
Answer: b. It helps prevent the spread of infections and protects both patients and healthcare workers.
Rationale: Hand hygiene is the single most effective method to break the chain of infection and prevent
healthcare-associated infections .
9. When performing hand hygiene using an alcohol-based hand rub, how long should you rub your
hands together until they are dry?
a. 5 seconds
b. 10 seconds
c. 15 seconds
d. 20 seconds
Answer: d. 20 seconds
Rationale: The CDC recommends rubbing hands with an alcohol-based hand rub for at least 20 seconds,
covering all surfaces, until the hands are completely dry to ensure effective germicidal action .
10. In which of the following situations should the nurse wear personal protective equipment (PPE)?
a. When taking a patient's blood pressure.
b. When handling used linen.
2026) Fundamentals: Skills QUESTIONS &
ANSWERS | 100% CORRECT | GRADE A –
CHAMBERLAIN
This exam covers key fundamentals of nursing skills, including the nursing process, critical thinking,
infection control, medication administration, vital signs, mobility, and nutrition. Select the best answer
for each question, with rationales provided to enhance understanding.
Section 1: The Nursing Process and Critical Thinking
1. A nurse is pulled from the surgical unit to work on the oncology unit. Which action by the nurse
displays humility and responsibility?
a. Refusing the assignment.
b. Admitting a lack of knowledge and going home.
c. Assuming that patient care will be the same as on the other units.
d. Asking for an orientation to the unit.
Answer: d. Asking for an orientation to the unit.
Rationale: Requesting an orientation demonstrates humility by acknowledging a lack of familiarity with
the new unit and responsibility by seeking to provide safe, competent care .
2. While caring for a hospitalized older-adult female post-hip surgery, the nurse is faced with the task
of inserting an indwelling urinary catheter, which involves rotating the hip into a contraindicated
position. Which action should the nurse take?
a. Follow the textbook procedure with the contraindicated position.
b. Adapt the positioning technique to the situation.
c. Postpone catheter insertion until the next shift.
d. Notify the health care provider for a urologist consult.
Answer: b. Adapt the positioning technique to the situation.
Rationale: Critical thinking involves adapting standardized procedures to meet individual patient needs
while maintaining safety and sterility, not rigidly following a textbook if it could cause harm .
,3. In which order will the nurse use the nursing process steps during the clinical decision-making
process?
a. Evaluating goals
b. Assessing patient needs
c. Planning priorities of care
d. Determining nursing diagnosis
e. Implementing nursing interventions
Answer: b, d, c, e, a (Assessing, Diagnosis, Planning, Implementation, Evaluation)
Rationale: The nursing process is a systematic method: Assessment (collect data), Diagnosis (identify
problem), Planning (set goals), Implementation (take action), and Evaluation (determine outcomes) .
4. Which patient scenario of a surgical patient in pain is most indicative of critical thinking?
a. Offering pain-relief medication based on the health care provider's orders.
b. Asking the patient what pain-relief methods, pharmacological and nonpharmacological, have worked
in the past.
c. Explaining to the patient that self-reporting of severe pain is not consistent with the minor procedure
that was performed.
d. Administering pain-relief medication according to what was given last shift.
Answer: b. Asking the patient what pain-relief methods, pharmacological and nonpharmacological, have
worked in the past.
Rationale: This action gathers comprehensive data, considers patient preferences, and explores options
beyond the standard order, which is a hallmark of critical thinking and individualized care .
5. What is the primary purpose of the nursing process?
a. To implement standardized procedures.
b. To ensure compliance with hospital policies.
c. To provide a structured approach to patient care.
d. To facilitate communication between different healthcare providers.
Answer: c. To provide a structured approach to patient care.
Rationale: The nursing process is a systematic framework for delivering holistic, individualized, and
effective patient-centered care .
Section 2: Infection Control and Safety
6. A nurse is dressed and is preparing to care for a patient in the perioperative area. The nurse has
scrubbed hands and has donned a sterile gown and gloves. Which action will indicate a break in sterile
technique?
a. Staying with the sterile table once it is open.
b. Standing with hands above the waist area.
, c. Touching clean protective eyewear.
d. Accepting sterile supplies from the surgeon.
Answer: c. Touching clean protective eyewear.
Rationale: Once sterile gloves are donned, hands must remain sterile. Touching a clean (but unsterile)
item like eyewear contaminates the gloves. Sterile hands must only touch sterile fields or items .
7. The nurse is caring for a patient with an incision. Which actions will best indicate an understanding
of medical and surgical asepsis for a sterile dressing change?
a. Utilizing clean gloves to remove the dressing and clean supplies for the new dressing.
b. Donning sterile gown and gloves to remove the wound dressing.
c. Utilizing clean gloves to remove the dressing and sterile supplies for the new dressing.
d. Utilizing sterile gloves to remove the dressing and sterile supplies for the new dressing.
Answer: c. Utilizing clean gloves to remove the dressing and sterile supplies for the new dressing.
Rationale: Medical asepsis (clean technique) is used to remove the old, contaminated dressing. Surgical
asepsis (sterile technique) is used for the new dressing to prevent introducing pathogens into the
wound .
8. What is the importance of hand hygiene in nursing practice?
a. It is a standard procedure required before documenting.
b. It helps prevent the spread of infections and protects both patients and healthcare workers.
c. It is only necessary after coming into contact with bodily fluids.
d. It eliminates the need for other personal protective equipment.
Answer: b. It helps prevent the spread of infections and protects both patients and healthcare workers.
Rationale: Hand hygiene is the single most effective method to break the chain of infection and prevent
healthcare-associated infections .
9. When performing hand hygiene using an alcohol-based hand rub, how long should you rub your
hands together until they are dry?
a. 5 seconds
b. 10 seconds
c. 15 seconds
d. 20 seconds
Answer: d. 20 seconds
Rationale: The CDC recommends rubbing hands with an alcohol-based hand rub for at least 20 seconds,
covering all surfaces, until the hands are completely dry to ensure effective germicidal action .
10. In which of the following situations should the nurse wear personal protective equipment (PPE)?
a. When taking a patient's blood pressure.
b. When handling used linen.
