NSE 111 Exam Review: 143 Questions and Answers
Rated 100% Correct
Foundations in Nursing Practice Comprehensive Exam Review
School of Nursing
NSE 111 - Foundations in Nursing Practice
April 6, 2026
Aligned with 2026/2027 NMBA Registered Nurse Standards for Practice | AACN Essentials Domain 1 & 2 |
NCSBN NCJMM
, Abstract
This comprehensive exam review resource presents 143 carefully constructed
multiple-choice questions with verified correct answers and evidence-based
rationales designed to prepare nursing students for the NSE 111 Foundations
in Nursing Practice final examination. The questions are organized across
seven thematic sections spanning professional nursing identity and ethics,
health assessment and documentation, infection control and safety,
pharmacology fundamentals, basic nursing care activities, therapeutic
communication and patient education, and clinical reasoning with
prioritization. Approximately 75% of questions employ scenario-based clinical
vignettes reflecting authentic patient care situations, while the remaining
questions assess recall-level knowledge of foundational concepts. Each
question includes four answer options with clearly identified correct
responses and rationales grounded in current nursing literature. The resource
incorporates dosage calculation items requiring mathematical reasoning,
pharmacological classification questions, and complex multi-step clinical
judgment scenarios. This review is aligned with the 2026/2027 NMBA Registered
Nurse Standards for Practice, AACN Essentials Domains 1 and 2, and the NCSBN
Clinical Judgment Measurement Model, ensuring comprehensive preparation for
both academic assessment and entry-level clinical competence.
Keywords: nursing education, NCLEX preparation, pharmacology, clinical
reasoning, medication safety, infection control, health assessment,
therapeutic communication, prioritization, evidence-based practice, NMBA
standards, NCSBN NCJMM, foundations of nursing
Page 2 of 43
,Section 1: Professional Nursing Identity, Ethics & Scope of Practice
(Questions 1-20)
This section examines the foundational principles of nursing as a profession, including nursing
theories that guide evidence-based practice, ethical frameworks governing patient care decisions,
legal standards such as HIPAA and scope-of-practice regulations, and the role of professional
accountability in delivering safe patient care. Mastery of these concepts is essential for
entry-level nurses entering contemporary healthcare environments.
Q1: A nursing student is preparing a care plan for a newly admitted patient. The student collects
data, identifies the patient's nursing diagnoses, sets goals, implements interventions, and evaluates
outcomes. Which of the following correctly lists the five steps of the nursing process in the order
the student followed?
A. Assessment, Diagnosis, Planning, Implementation, Evaluation [CORRECT]
B. Assessment, Planning, Diagnosis, Implementation, Evaluation
C. Diagnosis, Assessment, Planning, Implementation, Evaluation
D. Assessment, Diagnosis, Implementation, Planning, Evaluation
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: ADPIE is the standard mnemonic for the nursing process: Assessment, Diagnosis, Planning,
Implementation, Evaluation.
Q2: A nursing instructor asks students to identify which theorist improved patient outcomes during the
Crimean War by improving ventilation, cleanliness, and nutrition in the hospital environment. The
instructor is referring to which theorist's contribution?
A. Developing the first nursing theory focused on self-care deficits
B. Establishing environmental theory and founding modern professional nursing [CORRECT]
C. Identifying 14 basic human needs that guide patient care
D. Introducing the concept of interpersonal relationships in nursing
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Nightingale's Environmental Theory posits that manipulating the patient's environment
promotes healing; she is considered the founder of modern nursing.
Q3: Which ethical principle requires a nurse to tell the truth and avoid deception with patients?
A. Autonomy
B. Beneficence
C. Justice
D. Veracity [CORRECT]
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Veracity is the ethical duty to be truthful and honest in all communications with patients.
Q4: A nurse is updating a patient's electronic health record at the nurses' station when a family
member approaches and asks to see the patient's lab results. The nurse declines, citing a federal law
that protects patient information. This law primarily protects:
A. The right of nurses to refuse unsafe assignments
B. The scope of practice boundaries for advanced practice nurses
C. The right of patients to access experimental treatments
Page 3 of 43
, D. The privacy and security of patients' protected health information (PHI) [CORRECT]
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: HIPAA establishes national standards for the protection of individually identifiable
health information (PHI).
Q5: A nurse on an evidence-based practice committee wants to research whether hourly patient rounding
reduces hospital-acquired pressure injuries. The nurse structures the clinical question using a
standard framework. What does the acronym PICO stand for in this framework?
A. Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome [CORRECT]
B. Problem, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome
C. Patient, Indicator, Control, Observation
D. Problem, Indicator, Comparison, Observation
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: PICO is the standard EBP framework: Population/Patient, Intervention, Comparison, and
Outcome.
Q6: A nurse is caring for a postoperative patient who is unable to perform basic activities such as
bathing and eating independently. The nurse assists the patient with these activities, consistent
with a nursing theory that describes the nurse's role as helping the individual with activities they
would perform unaided if they had the necessary strength, will, or knowledge. This describes which
theory?
A. Diagnosing and treating human responses to actual or potential health problems
B. Assisting the individual (sick or well) in activities contributing to health that the person
would perform unaided if they had the strength, will, or knowledge [CORRECT]
C. Helping the patient achieve self-care through three interconnected self-care requisites
D. Facilitating adaptation through four adaptive modes: physiologic, self-concept, role function,
and interdependence
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Virginia Henderson defined nursing as assisting the individual with activities they would
do independently if they had the necessary strength, will, or knowledge.
Q7: A registered nurse (RN) is assigned four patients: one needs a Foley catheter insertion, one needs
vital signs reassessed, one needs a bed bath, and one needs discharge teaching about new medications.
The RN delegates the bed bath to a certified nursing assistant (CNA). Which of the Five Rights of
Delegation did the RN uphold by choosing this task?
A. Right person – the CNA is the only team member available to provide care
B. Right supervision – the RN observed the CNA performing the bath in real time
C. Right task – bathing is within the CNA's scope of practice and does not require clinical
judgment [CORRECT]
D. Right direction – the RN provided detailed instructions for performing the bath
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The 'Right Task' principle requires that the delegated activity is within the delegatee's
scope and does not require nursing assessment or judgment. Bathing is an appropriate CNA task.
Q8: A nurse manager assigns an RN to float to the intensive care unit (ICU) for the shift. The RN has
never worked in the ICU and feels unprepared. What is the most appropriate action?
A. Accept the assignment and provide care to the best of their ability without asking for help
Page 4 of 43
Rated 100% Correct
Foundations in Nursing Practice Comprehensive Exam Review
School of Nursing
NSE 111 - Foundations in Nursing Practice
April 6, 2026
Aligned with 2026/2027 NMBA Registered Nurse Standards for Practice | AACN Essentials Domain 1 & 2 |
NCSBN NCJMM
, Abstract
This comprehensive exam review resource presents 143 carefully constructed
multiple-choice questions with verified correct answers and evidence-based
rationales designed to prepare nursing students for the NSE 111 Foundations
in Nursing Practice final examination. The questions are organized across
seven thematic sections spanning professional nursing identity and ethics,
health assessment and documentation, infection control and safety,
pharmacology fundamentals, basic nursing care activities, therapeutic
communication and patient education, and clinical reasoning with
prioritization. Approximately 75% of questions employ scenario-based clinical
vignettes reflecting authentic patient care situations, while the remaining
questions assess recall-level knowledge of foundational concepts. Each
question includes four answer options with clearly identified correct
responses and rationales grounded in current nursing literature. The resource
incorporates dosage calculation items requiring mathematical reasoning,
pharmacological classification questions, and complex multi-step clinical
judgment scenarios. This review is aligned with the 2026/2027 NMBA Registered
Nurse Standards for Practice, AACN Essentials Domains 1 and 2, and the NCSBN
Clinical Judgment Measurement Model, ensuring comprehensive preparation for
both academic assessment and entry-level clinical competence.
Keywords: nursing education, NCLEX preparation, pharmacology, clinical
reasoning, medication safety, infection control, health assessment,
therapeutic communication, prioritization, evidence-based practice, NMBA
standards, NCSBN NCJMM, foundations of nursing
Page 2 of 43
,Section 1: Professional Nursing Identity, Ethics & Scope of Practice
(Questions 1-20)
This section examines the foundational principles of nursing as a profession, including nursing
theories that guide evidence-based practice, ethical frameworks governing patient care decisions,
legal standards such as HIPAA and scope-of-practice regulations, and the role of professional
accountability in delivering safe patient care. Mastery of these concepts is essential for
entry-level nurses entering contemporary healthcare environments.
Q1: A nursing student is preparing a care plan for a newly admitted patient. The student collects
data, identifies the patient's nursing diagnoses, sets goals, implements interventions, and evaluates
outcomes. Which of the following correctly lists the five steps of the nursing process in the order
the student followed?
A. Assessment, Diagnosis, Planning, Implementation, Evaluation [CORRECT]
B. Assessment, Planning, Diagnosis, Implementation, Evaluation
C. Diagnosis, Assessment, Planning, Implementation, Evaluation
D. Assessment, Diagnosis, Implementation, Planning, Evaluation
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: ADPIE is the standard mnemonic for the nursing process: Assessment, Diagnosis, Planning,
Implementation, Evaluation.
Q2: A nursing instructor asks students to identify which theorist improved patient outcomes during the
Crimean War by improving ventilation, cleanliness, and nutrition in the hospital environment. The
instructor is referring to which theorist's contribution?
A. Developing the first nursing theory focused on self-care deficits
B. Establishing environmental theory and founding modern professional nursing [CORRECT]
C. Identifying 14 basic human needs that guide patient care
D. Introducing the concept of interpersonal relationships in nursing
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Nightingale's Environmental Theory posits that manipulating the patient's environment
promotes healing; she is considered the founder of modern nursing.
Q3: Which ethical principle requires a nurse to tell the truth and avoid deception with patients?
A. Autonomy
B. Beneficence
C. Justice
D. Veracity [CORRECT]
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Veracity is the ethical duty to be truthful and honest in all communications with patients.
Q4: A nurse is updating a patient's electronic health record at the nurses' station when a family
member approaches and asks to see the patient's lab results. The nurse declines, citing a federal law
that protects patient information. This law primarily protects:
A. The right of nurses to refuse unsafe assignments
B. The scope of practice boundaries for advanced practice nurses
C. The right of patients to access experimental treatments
Page 3 of 43
, D. The privacy and security of patients' protected health information (PHI) [CORRECT]
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: HIPAA establishes national standards for the protection of individually identifiable
health information (PHI).
Q5: A nurse on an evidence-based practice committee wants to research whether hourly patient rounding
reduces hospital-acquired pressure injuries. The nurse structures the clinical question using a
standard framework. What does the acronym PICO stand for in this framework?
A. Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome [CORRECT]
B. Problem, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome
C. Patient, Indicator, Control, Observation
D. Problem, Indicator, Comparison, Observation
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: PICO is the standard EBP framework: Population/Patient, Intervention, Comparison, and
Outcome.
Q6: A nurse is caring for a postoperative patient who is unable to perform basic activities such as
bathing and eating independently. The nurse assists the patient with these activities, consistent
with a nursing theory that describes the nurse's role as helping the individual with activities they
would perform unaided if they had the necessary strength, will, or knowledge. This describes which
theory?
A. Diagnosing and treating human responses to actual or potential health problems
B. Assisting the individual (sick or well) in activities contributing to health that the person
would perform unaided if they had the strength, will, or knowledge [CORRECT]
C. Helping the patient achieve self-care through three interconnected self-care requisites
D. Facilitating adaptation through four adaptive modes: physiologic, self-concept, role function,
and interdependence
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Virginia Henderson defined nursing as assisting the individual with activities they would
do independently if they had the necessary strength, will, or knowledge.
Q7: A registered nurse (RN) is assigned four patients: one needs a Foley catheter insertion, one needs
vital signs reassessed, one needs a bed bath, and one needs discharge teaching about new medications.
The RN delegates the bed bath to a certified nursing assistant (CNA). Which of the Five Rights of
Delegation did the RN uphold by choosing this task?
A. Right person – the CNA is the only team member available to provide care
B. Right supervision – the RN observed the CNA performing the bath in real time
C. Right task – bathing is within the CNA's scope of practice and does not require clinical
judgment [CORRECT]
D. Right direction – the RN provided detailed instructions for performing the bath
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The 'Right Task' principle requires that the delegated activity is within the delegatee's
scope and does not require nursing assessment or judgment. Bathing is an appropriate CNA task.
Q8: A nurse manager assigns an RN to float to the intensive care unit (ICU) for the shift. The RN has
never worked in the ICU and feels unprepared. What is the most appropriate action?
A. Accept the assignment and provide care to the best of their ability without asking for help
Page 4 of 43
