NR224 FUNDAMENTALS SKILLS FINAL STUDY
GUIDE 2026 COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS
◉ The nurse sits down to talk with a patient who lost her sister 2
weeks ago. The patient reports she is unable to sleep, feels very
fatigued during the day, and is having trouble at work. The nurse
asks her to clarify the type of trouble. The patient explains she can't
concentrate or even solve simple problems. The nurse records the
results of the assessment, describing the patient as having
ineffective coping. This is an example of :
A. diagnostic reasoning
B. Competency
C. Inference
D. Problem Solving. Answer: A. Diagnostic reasoning
◉ A patient on a surgical unit develops sudden shortness of breath
and a drop in BP. The staff respond, but the patient dies 30 minutes
later. the manager on the nursing unit calls the staff involved in the
emergency response together, The staff discusses what occurred
over the 30 minute time frame, the actions taken, and whether other
steps should have been implemented. The nurses in this situation
are:
A. problem solving
,B. showing humility
C. conducting reflective practice
D. Exercising responsibility. Answer: C. Conducting reflective
practice
◉ A nurse has worked on an oncology unit for 3 years. One patient
has become visibly weaker and states, "I feel funny". The nurse
knows how patients often have behavior changes before developing
sepsis when they have cancer. The nurse asks the patient questions
to assess thinking skills and notices the patient shivering. The nurse
goes to the phone, calls the physician, and begins the conversation
by saying, "I believe that your patient is developing sepsis. I want to
report symptoms I'm seeing." What examples of critical thinking
concepts does the nurse show? (Select all that apply)
A. Experience
B. Ethical
C. Analyticity
D. Self-confidence
E. Risk taking. Answer: C. Analyticity
D. Self confidence
◉ A nurse who is working on a surgical unit is caring for four
different patients. Patient A will be discharged home and is in need
of instruction about wound care. Patients B and C have returned
,from the operating room within an hour of each other, and both
require vital signs and monitoring of their intravenous (IV) lines.
Patient D is resting following a visit by physical therapy. Which of
the following activities by the nurse represent(s) use of clinical
decision making for groups of patients? (Select all that apply.)
A. consider how to involve patient A in deciding whether to involve
the family caregiver in wound care instruction
B. Think about past experience with patients who develop
postoperative complications
C. Decide which activities can be combined for patients B and C
D. Carefully gather any assessment info and identify patient
problems. Answer: A & C
◉ The surgical unit has initiated the use of a pain-rating scale to
assess patients' pain severity during their postoperative recovery.
The registered nurse (RN) looks at the pain flow sheet to see the
pain scores recorded for a patient over the last 24 hours. Use of the
pain scale is an example of which intellectual standard?
A. deep
B. Relevant
C. Consistent
D. Significant. Answer: C
, ◉ During a home health visit the nurse prepares to instruct a patient
in how to perform range-of-motion (ROM) exercises for an injured
shoulder. The nurse verifies that the patient took an analgesic 30
minutes before arrival at the patient's home. After discussing the
purpose for the exercises and demonstrating each one, the nurse has
the patient perform them. After two attempts with only the second
of three exercises, the patient stops and says, "This hurts too much. I
don't see why I have to do this so many times." The nurse applies the
critical thinking attitude of integrity in which of the following
actions?"
A. "I understand your reluctance, but the exercises are necessary for
you to regain function in your shoulder. Let's go a bit more slowly
and try to relax"
B. "I see that you're uncomfortable. I'll call your doctor to decide the
next step."
C. "Show me exactly where your pain is and rate it for me on a scale.
Answer: A
◉ The nurse cared for a 14-year-old with renal failure who died near
the end of the work shift. The health care team tried for 45 minutes
to resuscitate the child with no success. The family was devastated
by the loss, and, when the nurse tried to talk with them, the mother
said, "You can't make me feel better; you don't know what it's like to
lose a child." Which of the following examples of journal entries
might best help the nurse reflect and think about this clinical
experience? (Select all that apply.)
GUIDE 2026 COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS
◉ The nurse sits down to talk with a patient who lost her sister 2
weeks ago. The patient reports she is unable to sleep, feels very
fatigued during the day, and is having trouble at work. The nurse
asks her to clarify the type of trouble. The patient explains she can't
concentrate or even solve simple problems. The nurse records the
results of the assessment, describing the patient as having
ineffective coping. This is an example of :
A. diagnostic reasoning
B. Competency
C. Inference
D. Problem Solving. Answer: A. Diagnostic reasoning
◉ A patient on a surgical unit develops sudden shortness of breath
and a drop in BP. The staff respond, but the patient dies 30 minutes
later. the manager on the nursing unit calls the staff involved in the
emergency response together, The staff discusses what occurred
over the 30 minute time frame, the actions taken, and whether other
steps should have been implemented. The nurses in this situation
are:
A. problem solving
,B. showing humility
C. conducting reflective practice
D. Exercising responsibility. Answer: C. Conducting reflective
practice
◉ A nurse has worked on an oncology unit for 3 years. One patient
has become visibly weaker and states, "I feel funny". The nurse
knows how patients often have behavior changes before developing
sepsis when they have cancer. The nurse asks the patient questions
to assess thinking skills and notices the patient shivering. The nurse
goes to the phone, calls the physician, and begins the conversation
by saying, "I believe that your patient is developing sepsis. I want to
report symptoms I'm seeing." What examples of critical thinking
concepts does the nurse show? (Select all that apply)
A. Experience
B. Ethical
C. Analyticity
D. Self-confidence
E. Risk taking. Answer: C. Analyticity
D. Self confidence
◉ A nurse who is working on a surgical unit is caring for four
different patients. Patient A will be discharged home and is in need
of instruction about wound care. Patients B and C have returned
,from the operating room within an hour of each other, and both
require vital signs and monitoring of their intravenous (IV) lines.
Patient D is resting following a visit by physical therapy. Which of
the following activities by the nurse represent(s) use of clinical
decision making for groups of patients? (Select all that apply.)
A. consider how to involve patient A in deciding whether to involve
the family caregiver in wound care instruction
B. Think about past experience with patients who develop
postoperative complications
C. Decide which activities can be combined for patients B and C
D. Carefully gather any assessment info and identify patient
problems. Answer: A & C
◉ The surgical unit has initiated the use of a pain-rating scale to
assess patients' pain severity during their postoperative recovery.
The registered nurse (RN) looks at the pain flow sheet to see the
pain scores recorded for a patient over the last 24 hours. Use of the
pain scale is an example of which intellectual standard?
A. deep
B. Relevant
C. Consistent
D. Significant. Answer: C
, ◉ During a home health visit the nurse prepares to instruct a patient
in how to perform range-of-motion (ROM) exercises for an injured
shoulder. The nurse verifies that the patient took an analgesic 30
minutes before arrival at the patient's home. After discussing the
purpose for the exercises and demonstrating each one, the nurse has
the patient perform them. After two attempts with only the second
of three exercises, the patient stops and says, "This hurts too much. I
don't see why I have to do this so many times." The nurse applies the
critical thinking attitude of integrity in which of the following
actions?"
A. "I understand your reluctance, but the exercises are necessary for
you to regain function in your shoulder. Let's go a bit more slowly
and try to relax"
B. "I see that you're uncomfortable. I'll call your doctor to decide the
next step."
C. "Show me exactly where your pain is and rate it for me on a scale.
Answer: A
◉ The nurse cared for a 14-year-old with renal failure who died near
the end of the work shift. The health care team tried for 45 minutes
to resuscitate the child with no success. The family was devastated
by the loss, and, when the nurse tried to talk with them, the mother
said, "You can't make me feel better; you don't know what it's like to
lose a child." Which of the following examples of journal entries
might best help the nurse reflect and think about this clinical
experience? (Select all that apply.)
