ATI BECOMING A PROFESSIONAL NURSE PROCTORED
EXAM 2026/2027 | ATI Testing | NCLEX-RN Aligned |
Complete Q&A | Pass Guaranteed - A+ Graded
Section 1: Professional Identity, Ethics & Legal Responsibilities
(Q1-18)
Q1. A nurse in the ICU notices that a physician has ordered a new anticoagulant for a
patient who has a documented allergy to that medication class. The nurse contacts
the physician, who dismisses the concern. The nurse's obligation to act is most
directly supported by which ethical principle?
A. Autonomy
B. Beneficence
C. Nonmaleficence
D. Justice
C. Nonmaleficence [CORRECT]
Rationale: Nonmaleficence requires the nurse to prevent harm; administering a
known allergen would cause direct harm. Autonomy refers to patient self-
determination, beneficence to promoting good, and justice to fair resource
distribution.
Correct Answer: C
Q2. The primary purpose of a state Nurse Practice Act is to:
A. Define the ethical standards for all healthcare professionals
B. Establish the legal scope of practice, licensure requirements, and grounds for
disciplinary action for nurses
C. Mandate specific staffing ratios for all hospital units
D. Create federal guidelines for nursing education curricula
,B. Establish the legal scope of practice, licensure requirements, and grounds for
disciplinary action for nurses [CORRECT]
Rationale: Nurse Practice Acts are state laws that regulate nursing practice, licensure,
and discipline; they do not set ethical standards for all professions, federal staffing
ratios, or education curricula.
Correct Answer: B
Q3. A charge nurse on a busy medical-surgical unit needs to delegate tasks. Which
task is most appropriate to assign to a UAP?
A. Assessing a postoperative patient's wound for signs of infection
B. Administering an oral antibiotic to a stable patient
C. Assisting an ambulatory patient with toileting and hygiene
D. Teaching a newly diagnosed diabetic patient about insulin administration
C. Assisting an ambulatory patient with toileting and hygiene [CORRECT]
Rationale: UAP may perform basic, routine, non-invasive tasks like hygiene
assistance; wound assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching
require RN scope of practice.
Correct Answer: C
Q4. A patient is scheduled for an elective cholecystectomy. After the surgeon
explains the procedure, the patient signs the consent form. The nurse's role in this
process is to:
A. Explain the risks, benefits, and alternatives of the surgery
B. Witness the patient's signature and confirm the patient understands the
information provided
C. Obtain the signature if the patient appears confused
D. Determine whether the patient has decision-making capacity
,B. Witness the patient's signature and confirm the patient understands the
information provided [CORRECT]
Rationale: The physician/surgeon provides informed consent information; the nurse
witnesses the signature and verifies understanding, but does not provide the
procedural risks or determine capacity.
Correct Answer: B
Q5. A nurse is caring for a celebrity patient admitted for a mental health crisis. A local
reporter calls the unit and asks for the patient's room number and diagnosis. The
nurse's best response is:
A. Provide the room number but refuse the diagnosis
B. Confirm the patient is admitted but provide no further details
C. Transfer the call to the patient's publicist
D. State that the hospital has no record of that patient
B. Confirm the patient is admitted but provide no further details [CORRECT]
Rationale: HIPAA permits confirming admission and general condition unless the
patient has opted out, but prohibits disclosing diagnosis, room number, or treatment
details without authorization.
Correct Answer: B
Q6. A pediatric nurse observes a 4-year-old patient with bruises in various stages of
healing on the torso and thighs. The parents offer conflicting explanations. The
nurse's legal obligation is to:
A. Confront the parents directly about suspected abuse
B. Document the findings and monitor the child for further injuries
C. Report the suspected abuse to the appropriate child protective agency
immediately
D. Wait for the physician to make the official report
, C. Report the suspected abuse to the appropriate child protective agency
immediately [CORRECT]
Rationale: Nurses are mandatory reporters who must report suspected child abuse
immediately to authorities; waiting for a physician or confronting parents delays
protection and may compromise evidence.
Correct Answer: C
Q7. A 78-year-old patient with end-stage COPD is unconscious and intubated in the
ICU. The patient's adult children demand aggressive treatment, but the patient's
living will clearly states no mechanical ventilation. The nurse should:
A. Honor the living will and inform the family that the document guides care
decisions
B. Follow the family's wishes because the patient cannot currently communicate
C. Request a psychiatric evaluation of the patient
D. Ask the hospital attorney to void the living will
A. Honor the living will and inform the family that the document guides care
decisions [CORRECT]
Rationale: A valid living will expresses the patient's autonomous wishes and is legally
binding; family cannot override it, and psychiatric evaluation or legal voiding is
inappropriate when the document is valid and applicable.
Correct Answer: A
Q8. An LPN on a skilled nursing unit asks to perform the initial admission assessment
for a new patient with complex comorbidities. The charge nurse should:
A. Allow the LPN to complete the assessment because it is within LPN scope in some
states
B. Assign the admission assessment to the RN and delegate stable patient care to the
LPN
EXAM 2026/2027 | ATI Testing | NCLEX-RN Aligned |
Complete Q&A | Pass Guaranteed - A+ Graded
Section 1: Professional Identity, Ethics & Legal Responsibilities
(Q1-18)
Q1. A nurse in the ICU notices that a physician has ordered a new anticoagulant for a
patient who has a documented allergy to that medication class. The nurse contacts
the physician, who dismisses the concern. The nurse's obligation to act is most
directly supported by which ethical principle?
A. Autonomy
B. Beneficence
C. Nonmaleficence
D. Justice
C. Nonmaleficence [CORRECT]
Rationale: Nonmaleficence requires the nurse to prevent harm; administering a
known allergen would cause direct harm. Autonomy refers to patient self-
determination, beneficence to promoting good, and justice to fair resource
distribution.
Correct Answer: C
Q2. The primary purpose of a state Nurse Practice Act is to:
A. Define the ethical standards for all healthcare professionals
B. Establish the legal scope of practice, licensure requirements, and grounds for
disciplinary action for nurses
C. Mandate specific staffing ratios for all hospital units
D. Create federal guidelines for nursing education curricula
,B. Establish the legal scope of practice, licensure requirements, and grounds for
disciplinary action for nurses [CORRECT]
Rationale: Nurse Practice Acts are state laws that regulate nursing practice, licensure,
and discipline; they do not set ethical standards for all professions, federal staffing
ratios, or education curricula.
Correct Answer: B
Q3. A charge nurse on a busy medical-surgical unit needs to delegate tasks. Which
task is most appropriate to assign to a UAP?
A. Assessing a postoperative patient's wound for signs of infection
B. Administering an oral antibiotic to a stable patient
C. Assisting an ambulatory patient with toileting and hygiene
D. Teaching a newly diagnosed diabetic patient about insulin administration
C. Assisting an ambulatory patient with toileting and hygiene [CORRECT]
Rationale: UAP may perform basic, routine, non-invasive tasks like hygiene
assistance; wound assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching
require RN scope of practice.
Correct Answer: C
Q4. A patient is scheduled for an elective cholecystectomy. After the surgeon
explains the procedure, the patient signs the consent form. The nurse's role in this
process is to:
A. Explain the risks, benefits, and alternatives of the surgery
B. Witness the patient's signature and confirm the patient understands the
information provided
C. Obtain the signature if the patient appears confused
D. Determine whether the patient has decision-making capacity
,B. Witness the patient's signature and confirm the patient understands the
information provided [CORRECT]
Rationale: The physician/surgeon provides informed consent information; the nurse
witnesses the signature and verifies understanding, but does not provide the
procedural risks or determine capacity.
Correct Answer: B
Q5. A nurse is caring for a celebrity patient admitted for a mental health crisis. A local
reporter calls the unit and asks for the patient's room number and diagnosis. The
nurse's best response is:
A. Provide the room number but refuse the diagnosis
B. Confirm the patient is admitted but provide no further details
C. Transfer the call to the patient's publicist
D. State that the hospital has no record of that patient
B. Confirm the patient is admitted but provide no further details [CORRECT]
Rationale: HIPAA permits confirming admission and general condition unless the
patient has opted out, but prohibits disclosing diagnosis, room number, or treatment
details without authorization.
Correct Answer: B
Q6. A pediatric nurse observes a 4-year-old patient with bruises in various stages of
healing on the torso and thighs. The parents offer conflicting explanations. The
nurse's legal obligation is to:
A. Confront the parents directly about suspected abuse
B. Document the findings and monitor the child for further injuries
C. Report the suspected abuse to the appropriate child protective agency
immediately
D. Wait for the physician to make the official report
, C. Report the suspected abuse to the appropriate child protective agency
immediately [CORRECT]
Rationale: Nurses are mandatory reporters who must report suspected child abuse
immediately to authorities; waiting for a physician or confronting parents delays
protection and may compromise evidence.
Correct Answer: C
Q7. A 78-year-old patient with end-stage COPD is unconscious and intubated in the
ICU. The patient's adult children demand aggressive treatment, but the patient's
living will clearly states no mechanical ventilation. The nurse should:
A. Honor the living will and inform the family that the document guides care
decisions
B. Follow the family's wishes because the patient cannot currently communicate
C. Request a psychiatric evaluation of the patient
D. Ask the hospital attorney to void the living will
A. Honor the living will and inform the family that the document guides care
decisions [CORRECT]
Rationale: A valid living will expresses the patient's autonomous wishes and is legally
binding; family cannot override it, and psychiatric evaluation or legal voiding is
inappropriate when the document is valid and applicable.
Correct Answer: A
Q8. An LPN on a skilled nursing unit asks to perform the initial admission assessment
for a new patient with complex comorbidities. The charge nurse should:
A. Allow the LPN to complete the assessment because it is within LPN scope in some
states
B. Assign the admission assessment to the RN and delegate stable patient care to the
LPN
