NUR 2790 Final Exam: Professional Nursing III -
Rasmussen University Updated and Latest Questions and
Correct Answers with Rationale
1. A registered nurse (RN) is planning care for a group of patients on a busy medical-surgical unit. Which
task should the nurse delegate to the unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP)?
A. Assessing the lung sounds of a patient with pneumonia.
B. Assisting a stable patient with a morning sponge bath.
C. Evaluating a patient’s response to pain medication.
D. Providing discharge instructions to a patient going home.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Delegation requires the nurse to distinguish between clinical assessment and routine care
tasks. Activities of daily living for stable patients are within the scope of practice for UAPs. Assessing,
evaluating, and teaching are professional nursing responsibilities that cannot be delegated. The nurse
remains accountable for the outcome of the delegated task even after assignment. This ensures patient
safety while maximizing the efficiency of the healthcare team.
2. Which leadership style is characterized by a leader who motivates the team by offering a shared vision
and inspiring staff to achieve high performance?
A. Autocratic
B. Transactional
C. Laissez-faire
D. Transformational
Correct Answer: D
,Rationale: Transformational leaders focus on building relationships and motivating staff through a
common vision. They encourage personal growth among team members to improve organizational
outcomes. In contrast, transactional leaders rely on rewards and punishments to manage performance.
Autocratic leaders make decisions independently without consulting the team members.
Transformational leadership is often associated with higher staff satisfaction and better patient care
results.
3. A nurse is faced with an ethical dilemma regarding a patient’s refusal of life-saving treatment. Which
ethical principle is most directly involved in respecting the patient’s right to choose?
A. Beneficence
B. Justice
C. Nonmaleficence
D. Autonomy
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Autonomy refers to the patient’s right to make their own healthcare decisions without
coercion. Even if the decision seems harmful to the patient’s health, the nurse must respect their self-
determination. Beneficence involves taking positive actions to help others, which sometimes conflicts
with autonomy. Nonmaleficence is the commitment to do no harm during the provision of care. Ethical
decision-making requires a balance of these principles to provide patient-centered care.
4. During a staff meeting, the unit manager discusses a new evidence-based practice (EBP) change for
wound care. What is the first step the nursing team should take in the EBP process?
A. Formulate a clinical question in PICO format.
B. Search for the best evidence in the literature.
,C. Critically appraise the gathered evidence.
D. Implement the change on a trial basis.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The EBP process always begins with identifying a clinical problem and asking a clear
question. Using the PICO format helps define the population, intervention, comparison, and outcome.
Once the question is formed, the nurse can effectively search the existing literature for answers.
Appraising evidence and implementing trials occur later in the sequential steps of EBP. This structured
approach ensures that nursing interventions are based on the highest quality research.
5. A nurse is preparing to administer medication to a patient and realizes the dose is significantly higher
than the standard range. What action should the nurse take first?
A. Contact the healthcare provider to clarify the order.
B. Administer the dose as ordered by the physician.
C. Consult a colleague to see if they would give it.
D. Document that the medication was withheld for safety.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Nurses are legally and ethically responsible for identifying potential medication errors before
they reach the patient. Clarifying a suspicious order with the prescribing provider is the safest initial
action. Administering a potentially harmful dose can lead to negligence and patient injury.
Documentation of withholding should only occur after the attempt to clarify is unsuccessful. This practice
reflects the nurse’s role as an advocate for patient safety in the healthcare system.
, 6. An RN is supervising a licensed practical nurse (LPN). Which of the following patients is most appropriate
to assign to the LPN?
A. A newly admitted patient with unstable vital signs.
B. A patient who requires complex titration of IV medications.
C. A stable patient who needs a dressing change for a surgical wound.
D. A patient scheduled for an emergency surgical procedure.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: LPNs are trained to care for stable patients with predictable health outcomes and routine
procedures. Performing a dressing change on a stable surgical patient is within their defined scope of
practice. Unstable patients or those requiring complex IV titrations must be managed by the RN. The RN
must assess the complexity of the patient’s needs before delegating any care. Professional judgment is
essential to ensure that the assigned staff member is competent for the task.
7. A hospital is undergoing a Root Cause Analysis (RCA) after a sentinel event occurred. What is the primary
purpose of conducting an RCA?
A. To assign blame to the individual who made the error.
B. To determine the financial cost of the medical error.
C. To satisfy legal requirements for hospital accreditation.
D. To identify system failures that contributed to the event.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Root Cause Analysis is a reactive quality improvement method used to prevent future errors.
Instead of blaming individuals, it focuses on identifying underlying flaws in the organization’s processes.
This approach promotes a ‘just culture’ where safety is prioritized over punishment. By fixing the system,
Rasmussen University Updated and Latest Questions and
Correct Answers with Rationale
1. A registered nurse (RN) is planning care for a group of patients on a busy medical-surgical unit. Which
task should the nurse delegate to the unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP)?
A. Assessing the lung sounds of a patient with pneumonia.
B. Assisting a stable patient with a morning sponge bath.
C. Evaluating a patient’s response to pain medication.
D. Providing discharge instructions to a patient going home.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Delegation requires the nurse to distinguish between clinical assessment and routine care
tasks. Activities of daily living for stable patients are within the scope of practice for UAPs. Assessing,
evaluating, and teaching are professional nursing responsibilities that cannot be delegated. The nurse
remains accountable for the outcome of the delegated task even after assignment. This ensures patient
safety while maximizing the efficiency of the healthcare team.
2. Which leadership style is characterized by a leader who motivates the team by offering a shared vision
and inspiring staff to achieve high performance?
A. Autocratic
B. Transactional
C. Laissez-faire
D. Transformational
Correct Answer: D
,Rationale: Transformational leaders focus on building relationships and motivating staff through a
common vision. They encourage personal growth among team members to improve organizational
outcomes. In contrast, transactional leaders rely on rewards and punishments to manage performance.
Autocratic leaders make decisions independently without consulting the team members.
Transformational leadership is often associated with higher staff satisfaction and better patient care
results.
3. A nurse is faced with an ethical dilemma regarding a patient’s refusal of life-saving treatment. Which
ethical principle is most directly involved in respecting the patient’s right to choose?
A. Beneficence
B. Justice
C. Nonmaleficence
D. Autonomy
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Autonomy refers to the patient’s right to make their own healthcare decisions without
coercion. Even if the decision seems harmful to the patient’s health, the nurse must respect their self-
determination. Beneficence involves taking positive actions to help others, which sometimes conflicts
with autonomy. Nonmaleficence is the commitment to do no harm during the provision of care. Ethical
decision-making requires a balance of these principles to provide patient-centered care.
4. During a staff meeting, the unit manager discusses a new evidence-based practice (EBP) change for
wound care. What is the first step the nursing team should take in the EBP process?
A. Formulate a clinical question in PICO format.
B. Search for the best evidence in the literature.
,C. Critically appraise the gathered evidence.
D. Implement the change on a trial basis.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The EBP process always begins with identifying a clinical problem and asking a clear
question. Using the PICO format helps define the population, intervention, comparison, and outcome.
Once the question is formed, the nurse can effectively search the existing literature for answers.
Appraising evidence and implementing trials occur later in the sequential steps of EBP. This structured
approach ensures that nursing interventions are based on the highest quality research.
5. A nurse is preparing to administer medication to a patient and realizes the dose is significantly higher
than the standard range. What action should the nurse take first?
A. Contact the healthcare provider to clarify the order.
B. Administer the dose as ordered by the physician.
C. Consult a colleague to see if they would give it.
D. Document that the medication was withheld for safety.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Nurses are legally and ethically responsible for identifying potential medication errors before
they reach the patient. Clarifying a suspicious order with the prescribing provider is the safest initial
action. Administering a potentially harmful dose can lead to negligence and patient injury.
Documentation of withholding should only occur after the attempt to clarify is unsuccessful. This practice
reflects the nurse’s role as an advocate for patient safety in the healthcare system.
, 6. An RN is supervising a licensed practical nurse (LPN). Which of the following patients is most appropriate
to assign to the LPN?
A. A newly admitted patient with unstable vital signs.
B. A patient who requires complex titration of IV medications.
C. A stable patient who needs a dressing change for a surgical wound.
D. A patient scheduled for an emergency surgical procedure.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: LPNs are trained to care for stable patients with predictable health outcomes and routine
procedures. Performing a dressing change on a stable surgical patient is within their defined scope of
practice. Unstable patients or those requiring complex IV titrations must be managed by the RN. The RN
must assess the complexity of the patient’s needs before delegating any care. Professional judgment is
essential to ensure that the assigned staff member is competent for the task.
7. A hospital is undergoing a Root Cause Analysis (RCA) after a sentinel event occurred. What is the primary
purpose of conducting an RCA?
A. To assign blame to the individual who made the error.
B. To determine the financial cost of the medical error.
C. To satisfy legal requirements for hospital accreditation.
D. To identify system failures that contributed to the event.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Root Cause Analysis is a reactive quality improvement method used to prevent future errors.
Instead of blaming individuals, it focuses on identifying underlying flaws in the organization’s processes.
This approach promotes a ‘just culture’ where safety is prioritized over punishment. By fixing the system,
