NR 452 Capstone Course Week 7 Practice Quiz 2026 |Chamberlain
College
1. A nurse is planning care for a group of clients at the start of the shift. Which
client should the nurse see first?
A. A client with type 1 diabetes who has a morning blood glucose of 140 mg/dL.
B. A client who is 2 days postoperative from a hip arthroplasty and reports pain as 4 on a 1-10 scale.
C. A client who is 4 hours postoperative following a thyroidectomy and reports tingling in their fingers.
D. A client who has a prescription for discharge and is waiting for their ride.
Answer: C
Rationale: Tingling in the fingers after a thyroidectomy is a sign of hypocalcemia
(Trousseau’s or Chvostek’s sign), which is a medical emergency due to the risk of
laryngospasm. The nurse should prioritize this client over stable post-op or discharge
clients.
2. A registered nurse (RN) is delegating tasks to an assistive personnel (AP).
Which task is appropriate for the RN to delegate?
A. Performing a sterile dressing change on a central line.
B. Evaluating the effectiveness of a client’s pain medication.
C. Assisting a stable client with ambulation in the hallway.
D. Providing discharge instructions to a client’s family.
Answer: C
Rationale: Ambulation for a stable client is within the scope of practice for an AP. Sterile
procedures, evaluation of outcomes, and patient education require the specialized
knowledge and judgment of an RN.
,3. A nurse is caring for a client who refuses to take their prescribed medication.
The nurse explains the benefits of the medication but respects the client’s
decision. Which ethical principle is the nurse demonstrating?
A. Justice
B. Beneficence
C. Autonomy
D. Nonmaleficence
Answer: C
Rationale: Autonomy is the right of the client to make their own decisions about their
healthcare, even if those decisions conflict with the medical advice.
4. Which of the following elements is required to establish a case of nursing
malpractice?
A. The nurse disagreed with the physician’s order.
B. A breach of duty occurred that directly caused injury to the client.
C. The client was unhappy with the care received.
D. The nurse did not follow a facility policy that resulted in no harm.
Answer: B
Rationale: Nursing malpractice requires four elements: duty, breach of duty, causation,
and injury (damages). Without injury or a direct link to the breach, malpractice cannot be
established.
5. A nurse manager is using a transformational leadership style. Which action by
the manager reflects this style?
A. Empowering staff to participate in unit-based decision making.
B. Focusing on day-to-day operations and task completion.
C. Rewarding staff for meeting specific performance targets.
D. Remaining hands-off and letting staff resolve their own issues.
Answer: A
, Rationale: Transformational leaders inspire and empower staff to contribute to a shared
vision and participate in decision-making, rather than just focusing on tasks or rewards.
6. Following a medication error, a team of nurses conducts a Root Cause
Analysis (RCA). What is the primary goal of an RCA?
A. To identify which staff member should be disciplined.
B. To provide a report for the hospital’s legal counsel.
C. To ensure the client does not sue the facility.
D. To determine system-level factors that led to the error.
Answer: D
Rationale: The purpose of an RCA is to look beyond individual human error and identify
underlying system failures or processes that contributed to the incident to prevent
recurrence.
7. An RN is assigning care for a group of clients. Which task should be assigned
to a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)?
A. Developing a plan of care for a client with a new diagnosis of heart failure.
B. Providing teaching on insulin self-administration.
C. Performing the initial assessment on a client admitted with pneumonia.
D. Administering a routine oral antibiotic to a stable client.
Answer: D
Rationale: LPNs can administer medications (in most states/facilities), whereas initial
assessments, care planning, and complex education are responsibilities of the RN.
College
1. A nurse is planning care for a group of clients at the start of the shift. Which
client should the nurse see first?
A. A client with type 1 diabetes who has a morning blood glucose of 140 mg/dL.
B. A client who is 2 days postoperative from a hip arthroplasty and reports pain as 4 on a 1-10 scale.
C. A client who is 4 hours postoperative following a thyroidectomy and reports tingling in their fingers.
D. A client who has a prescription for discharge and is waiting for their ride.
Answer: C
Rationale: Tingling in the fingers after a thyroidectomy is a sign of hypocalcemia
(Trousseau’s or Chvostek’s sign), which is a medical emergency due to the risk of
laryngospasm. The nurse should prioritize this client over stable post-op or discharge
clients.
2. A registered nurse (RN) is delegating tasks to an assistive personnel (AP).
Which task is appropriate for the RN to delegate?
A. Performing a sterile dressing change on a central line.
B. Evaluating the effectiveness of a client’s pain medication.
C. Assisting a stable client with ambulation in the hallway.
D. Providing discharge instructions to a client’s family.
Answer: C
Rationale: Ambulation for a stable client is within the scope of practice for an AP. Sterile
procedures, evaluation of outcomes, and patient education require the specialized
knowledge and judgment of an RN.
,3. A nurse is caring for a client who refuses to take their prescribed medication.
The nurse explains the benefits of the medication but respects the client’s
decision. Which ethical principle is the nurse demonstrating?
A. Justice
B. Beneficence
C. Autonomy
D. Nonmaleficence
Answer: C
Rationale: Autonomy is the right of the client to make their own decisions about their
healthcare, even if those decisions conflict with the medical advice.
4. Which of the following elements is required to establish a case of nursing
malpractice?
A. The nurse disagreed with the physician’s order.
B. A breach of duty occurred that directly caused injury to the client.
C. The client was unhappy with the care received.
D. The nurse did not follow a facility policy that resulted in no harm.
Answer: B
Rationale: Nursing malpractice requires four elements: duty, breach of duty, causation,
and injury (damages). Without injury or a direct link to the breach, malpractice cannot be
established.
5. A nurse manager is using a transformational leadership style. Which action by
the manager reflects this style?
A. Empowering staff to participate in unit-based decision making.
B. Focusing on day-to-day operations and task completion.
C. Rewarding staff for meeting specific performance targets.
D. Remaining hands-off and letting staff resolve their own issues.
Answer: A
, Rationale: Transformational leaders inspire and empower staff to contribute to a shared
vision and participate in decision-making, rather than just focusing on tasks or rewards.
6. Following a medication error, a team of nurses conducts a Root Cause
Analysis (RCA). What is the primary goal of an RCA?
A. To identify which staff member should be disciplined.
B. To provide a report for the hospital’s legal counsel.
C. To ensure the client does not sue the facility.
D. To determine system-level factors that led to the error.
Answer: D
Rationale: The purpose of an RCA is to look beyond individual human error and identify
underlying system failures or processes that contributed to the incident to prevent
recurrence.
7. An RN is assigning care for a group of clients. Which task should be assigned
to a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)?
A. Developing a plan of care for a client with a new diagnosis of heart failure.
B. Providing teaching on insulin self-administration.
C. Performing the initial assessment on a client admitted with pneumonia.
D. Administering a routine oral antibiotic to a stable client.
Answer: D
Rationale: LPNs can administer medications (in most states/facilities), whereas initial
assessments, care planning, and complex education are responsibilities of the RN.
