NURSING PROCESS EXAM – PRACTICE QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
(VERIFIED ANSWERS) PLUS RATIONALES 2026 Q&A | INSTANT DOWNLOAD PDF.
Core Domains
Assessment and Data Collection
Nursing Diagnosis and Analysis
Planning and Outcome Identification
Implementation and Intervention
Evaluation of Care
Critical Thinking and Clinical Judgment
Legal and Ethical Nursing Standards
Communication and Documentation
Introduction
This comprehensive practice assessment is designed to evaluate a candidate’s mastery of the
nursing process, the fundamental framework for professional clinical practice. The exam
assesses the ability to collect and analyze patient data, formulate accurate nursing diagnoses,
develop evidence-based care plans, implement safe interventions, and evaluate patient
outcomes. Through a blend of foundational theory and complex scenario-based multiple-choice
questions, the assessment emphasizes real-world application, prioritization, and clinical
decision-making. By focusing on critical thinking and the systematic approach to patient care,
,this exam ensures that learners are prepared to deliver high-quality, patient-centered care in
diverse healthcare environments while adhering to legal and ethical standards.
SECTION ONE: QUESTIONS 1–100
1. Which phase of the nursing process is being performed when a nurse palpates a patient's
abdomen for tenderness?
A. Planning
B. Implementation
C. Assessment
D. Evaluation
🟢 Correct answer: C. Assessment
🔴 RATIONALE: Assessment is the first step of the nursing process and involves the
systematic collection of objective and subjective data. Palpation is a physical examination
technique used to gather objective data.
2. A patient states, "I feel short of breath when I walk to the bathroom." This information is
classified as:
A. Objective data
B. Subjective data
C. Medical diagnosis
D. Nursing intervention
,🟢 Correct answer: B. Subjective data
🔴 RATIONALE: Subjective data consists of information provided by the patient that cannot be
directly observed or measured by the nurse, such as feelings, perceptions, or symptoms like
shortness of breath.
3. After establishing a nursing diagnosis of "Impaired Skin Integrity," what is the next logical
step for the nurse to take?
A. Perform a wound dressing change
B. Document the size of the wound
C. Set goals and expected outcomes
D. Reassess the patient's nutritional status
🟢 Correct answer: C. Set goals and expected outcomes
🔴 RATIONALE: Once a nursing diagnosis is identified, the nurse moves to the planning
phase, which involves prioritizing diagnoses and establishing measurable goals and outcomes
for the patient.
4. When the nurse evaluates that a patient has not met the expected goal of walking 50 feet,
what is the most appropriate action?
A. Discontinue the plan of care
B. Reassess the patient and revise the plan
, C. Document that the patient is non-compliant
D. Wait another 24 hours to re-evaluate
🟢 Correct answer: B. Reassess the patient and revise the plan
🔴 RATIONALE: Evaluation is a continuous process. When goals are not met, the nurse must
reassess the situation to determine the barriers and modify the nursing care plan accordingly.
5. Which of the following is a correctly written expected outcome?
A. Patient will feel better by the end of the shift.
B. Nurse will administer pain medication every 4 hours.
C. Patient will report a pain level of 3 or less within 30 minutes of medication.
D. Patient will understand how to use the incentive spirometer.
🟢 Correct answer: C. Patient will report a pain level of 3 or less within 30 minutes of
medication.
🔴 RATIONALE: Expected outcomes must be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable,
Realistic, and Timed. Option C includes a specific measurement and a timeframe.
6. A nurse is clustering data and identifies that a patient has a cough, fever, and crackles in
the lungs. This activity occurs in which phase?
A. Assessment
B. Diagnosis
(VERIFIED ANSWERS) PLUS RATIONALES 2026 Q&A | INSTANT DOWNLOAD PDF.
Core Domains
Assessment and Data Collection
Nursing Diagnosis and Analysis
Planning and Outcome Identification
Implementation and Intervention
Evaluation of Care
Critical Thinking and Clinical Judgment
Legal and Ethical Nursing Standards
Communication and Documentation
Introduction
This comprehensive practice assessment is designed to evaluate a candidate’s mastery of the
nursing process, the fundamental framework for professional clinical practice. The exam
assesses the ability to collect and analyze patient data, formulate accurate nursing diagnoses,
develop evidence-based care plans, implement safe interventions, and evaluate patient
outcomes. Through a blend of foundational theory and complex scenario-based multiple-choice
questions, the assessment emphasizes real-world application, prioritization, and clinical
decision-making. By focusing on critical thinking and the systematic approach to patient care,
,this exam ensures that learners are prepared to deliver high-quality, patient-centered care in
diverse healthcare environments while adhering to legal and ethical standards.
SECTION ONE: QUESTIONS 1–100
1. Which phase of the nursing process is being performed when a nurse palpates a patient's
abdomen for tenderness?
A. Planning
B. Implementation
C. Assessment
D. Evaluation
🟢 Correct answer: C. Assessment
🔴 RATIONALE: Assessment is the first step of the nursing process and involves the
systematic collection of objective and subjective data. Palpation is a physical examination
technique used to gather objective data.
2. A patient states, "I feel short of breath when I walk to the bathroom." This information is
classified as:
A. Objective data
B. Subjective data
C. Medical diagnosis
D. Nursing intervention
,🟢 Correct answer: B. Subjective data
🔴 RATIONALE: Subjective data consists of information provided by the patient that cannot be
directly observed or measured by the nurse, such as feelings, perceptions, or symptoms like
shortness of breath.
3. After establishing a nursing diagnosis of "Impaired Skin Integrity," what is the next logical
step for the nurse to take?
A. Perform a wound dressing change
B. Document the size of the wound
C. Set goals and expected outcomes
D. Reassess the patient's nutritional status
🟢 Correct answer: C. Set goals and expected outcomes
🔴 RATIONALE: Once a nursing diagnosis is identified, the nurse moves to the planning
phase, which involves prioritizing diagnoses and establishing measurable goals and outcomes
for the patient.
4. When the nurse evaluates that a patient has not met the expected goal of walking 50 feet,
what is the most appropriate action?
A. Discontinue the plan of care
B. Reassess the patient and revise the plan
, C. Document that the patient is non-compliant
D. Wait another 24 hours to re-evaluate
🟢 Correct answer: B. Reassess the patient and revise the plan
🔴 RATIONALE: Evaluation is a continuous process. When goals are not met, the nurse must
reassess the situation to determine the barriers and modify the nursing care plan accordingly.
5. Which of the following is a correctly written expected outcome?
A. Patient will feel better by the end of the shift.
B. Nurse will administer pain medication every 4 hours.
C. Patient will report a pain level of 3 or less within 30 minutes of medication.
D. Patient will understand how to use the incentive spirometer.
🟢 Correct answer: C. Patient will report a pain level of 3 or less within 30 minutes of
medication.
🔴 RATIONALE: Expected outcomes must be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable,
Realistic, and Timed. Option C includes a specific measurement and a timeframe.
6. A nurse is clustering data and identifies that a patient has a cough, fever, and crackles in
the lungs. This activity occurs in which phase?
A. Assessment
B. Diagnosis
