NURS 110: Introduction to Professional Nursing Exam 1 Study Guide
2026 |WCU
1. According to Patricia Benner, a nurse who has been in the same clinical
position for 2 to 3 years and can anticipate nursing care and establish long-
range goals is at which stage of proficiency?
A. Competent
B. Advanced Beginner
C. Proficient
D. Expert
Answer: A
Rationale: The Competent nurse (2-3 years) is able to coordinate multiple complex care
demands and see the long-term implications of actions.
2. Which historical figure is credited with establishing the first nursing
philosophy based on health maintenance and promotion, specifically focusing
on the environment?
A. Clara Barton
B. Florence Nightingale
C. Mother Bickerdyke
D. Mary Mahoney
Answer: B
Rationale: Florence Nightingale’s theory focused on the patient’s environment, such as
fresh air, light, and cleanliness, as a means to allow nature to act upon the patient.
,3. The American Nurses Association (ANA) Standards of Professional
Performance describe which of the following?
A. Behaviors expected in the professional nursing role
B. The legal scope of practice for RNs
C. The steps of the nursing process
D. The minimum education required for licensure
Answer: A
Rationale: The Standards of Professional Performance describe competent levels of
behavior in the professional role, including ethics, education, and quality of practice.
4. A nurse is providing information to a patient about the risks and benefits of a
scheduled surgical procedure. Which professional role is the nurse primarily
fulfilling?
A. Manager
B. Caregiver
C. Patient Advocate
D. Educator
Answer: D
Rationale: The educator role involves explaining concepts and facts about health and
describing the reason for routine care activities or procedures.
5. Which QSEN competency is being addressed when a nurse uses a flowchart to
track the incidence of patient falls on a unit to improve safety protocols?
A. Informatics
B. Evidence-Based Practice
C. Patient-Centered Care
D. Quality Improvement
Answer: D
, Rationale: Quality Improvement involves using data to monitor the outcomes of care
processes and using improvement methods to design and test changes.
6. What is the primary purpose of the Nurse Practice Act (NPA) in each state?
A. To establish the ANA Code of Ethics
B. To ensure nurses receive fair wages
C. To define the curriculum for nursing schools
D. To protect the public from unqualified practitioners
Answer: D
Rationale: The Nurse Practice Act regulates the scope of nursing practice for the state and
protects the public from unsafe and unskilled nursing care.
7. Which nursing theorist developed the ‘Self-Care Deficit’ theory, which focuses
on the patient’s ability to perform self-care?
A. Jean Watson
B. Sister Callista Roy
C. Virginia Henderson
D. Dorothea Orem
Answer: D
Rationale: Orem’s theory focuses on the patient’s self-care needs and the nurse’s role in
providing care when the patient is unable to do so.
8. A nurse is conducting a screening for hypertension at a local community
health fair. This is an example of which level of prevention?
A. Primary Prevention
B. Tertiary Prevention
C. Secondary Prevention
D. Quaternary Prevention
Answer: C
2026 |WCU
1. According to Patricia Benner, a nurse who has been in the same clinical
position for 2 to 3 years and can anticipate nursing care and establish long-
range goals is at which stage of proficiency?
A. Competent
B. Advanced Beginner
C. Proficient
D. Expert
Answer: A
Rationale: The Competent nurse (2-3 years) is able to coordinate multiple complex care
demands and see the long-term implications of actions.
2. Which historical figure is credited with establishing the first nursing
philosophy based on health maintenance and promotion, specifically focusing
on the environment?
A. Clara Barton
B. Florence Nightingale
C. Mother Bickerdyke
D. Mary Mahoney
Answer: B
Rationale: Florence Nightingale’s theory focused on the patient’s environment, such as
fresh air, light, and cleanliness, as a means to allow nature to act upon the patient.
,3. The American Nurses Association (ANA) Standards of Professional
Performance describe which of the following?
A. Behaviors expected in the professional nursing role
B. The legal scope of practice for RNs
C. The steps of the nursing process
D. The minimum education required for licensure
Answer: A
Rationale: The Standards of Professional Performance describe competent levels of
behavior in the professional role, including ethics, education, and quality of practice.
4. A nurse is providing information to a patient about the risks and benefits of a
scheduled surgical procedure. Which professional role is the nurse primarily
fulfilling?
A. Manager
B. Caregiver
C. Patient Advocate
D. Educator
Answer: D
Rationale: The educator role involves explaining concepts and facts about health and
describing the reason for routine care activities or procedures.
5. Which QSEN competency is being addressed when a nurse uses a flowchart to
track the incidence of patient falls on a unit to improve safety protocols?
A. Informatics
B. Evidence-Based Practice
C. Patient-Centered Care
D. Quality Improvement
Answer: D
, Rationale: Quality Improvement involves using data to monitor the outcomes of care
processes and using improvement methods to design and test changes.
6. What is the primary purpose of the Nurse Practice Act (NPA) in each state?
A. To establish the ANA Code of Ethics
B. To ensure nurses receive fair wages
C. To define the curriculum for nursing schools
D. To protect the public from unqualified practitioners
Answer: D
Rationale: The Nurse Practice Act regulates the scope of nursing practice for the state and
protects the public from unsafe and unskilled nursing care.
7. Which nursing theorist developed the ‘Self-Care Deficit’ theory, which focuses
on the patient’s ability to perform self-care?
A. Jean Watson
B. Sister Callista Roy
C. Virginia Henderson
D. Dorothea Orem
Answer: D
Rationale: Orem’s theory focuses on the patient’s self-care needs and the nurse’s role in
providing care when the patient is unable to do so.
8. A nurse is conducting a screening for hypertension at a local community
health fair. This is an example of which level of prevention?
A. Primary Prevention
B. Tertiary Prevention
C. Secondary Prevention
D. Quaternary Prevention
Answer: C
