Nursing Role Transition and Reality Shock Questions And
Rationale Comprehensive 2026 Questions Exam Latest
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Unit 1 Exam
A graduate nurse has been hired as a nurse at a local hospital. The new nurse
is in the honeymoon phase of role transition when making which of the
following statements?
a. "I am so nervous about being on my own as a nurse."
b. "This will be a great learning experience."
c. "I can't wait to have a steady paycheck."
d. "This job is perfect. I can finally do things my own way."
ANS: D
The honeymoon phase is when the student nurse sees the world of nursing as quite
rosy. Often, the new graduate is fascinated with the thrill of arriving in the profession.
Reality shock occurs when one moves into the workforce after several years of
educational preparation. Recovery and resolution occur when the graduate nurse is
able to laugh at encountered situations. During this time, tension decreases,
perception increases, and the nurse is able to grow as a person.
The nurse has an adequate understanding of transitions when making which
statement about situational transitions?
a. "This type of transition can occur with leadership change."
b. "This type of transition occurs only when one is dealing with a chronic
illness."
c. "This type of transition can occur when one has a career change."
d. "This type of transition occurs during a midlife crises."
ANS: C
A situational transition occurs from change to from one situation to another, such as
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a career change. Dealing with a chronic illness would be characteristic of a health-
illness transition, a leadership change would be an organizational transition, and a
midlife crises would be a developmental transition.
A student in the last semester of nursing school wants to be sure of adequate
preparation for the transition experience. Which patient should be added on to
the clinical assignment to assist in this process?
a. A 48-year-old man with heart failure who has oral and IV medications due
and needs a new IV started
b. A 38-year-old woman who cares for herself independently and is going
home later today
c. A 25-year-old man who is leaving the hospital against medical advice
d. A 40-year-old man who needs education on diabetes management
ANS: A
To adequately prepare for role transition, the student nurse needs realistic
assignments and real-life experiences. It would be most appropriate for the student
to accept the "busy" patient, who requires oral and IV medications and needs to
have his IV restarted. The patient who can care for themselves independently and
the one who is leaving the hospital against medical advice would not provide as
much skill experience. Diabetic teaching is important but does not require the time
management and work organization skills of a "busy" patient.
A student nurse is interested in improving his/her nursing skills. What action
would be the best for the student nurse to take?
a. Ask his/her instructor for extra skills practice during clinical hours.
b. Watch videos on how to perform the nursing skills that he/she needs to
practice.
c. Review his/her nursing textbooks.
d. Observe nurses perform skills in his/her clinical setting.
ANS: A
The best way for the nursing student to improve skills is to get hands-on practice.
The student would benefit most from requesting extra skills practice during clinical
hours, where skills can be performed on real patients, with the guidance of a clinical
instructor. Therefore, watching skills videos, reviewing nursing textbooks, and
observing other nurses would not help the student obtain hands-on practice.
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A nursing student is nearing the end of his/her clinical experience. The student
would like to care for patients who are typically challenging for students in the
first year of practice. Which patient would be the best choice for this student?
a. A 62-year-old man with diabetes who needs outpatient care set up
b. A 30-year old woman with a kidney stone requiring IV pain medications
c. A 45-year old man with chest tubes recovering from a car accident
d. A 25-year old woman who received blood yesterday
ANS: C
The skills that nursing students have identified as the most challenging include code
blues, chest tubes, intravenous skills, central lines, blood administration, and patient-
controlled analgesia. The most appropriate patient for the student to increase his/her
skill level would be the 45-year old man with chest tubes. The other patients are not
considered to be a "challenging patients" for most nursing students.
Which statement by the nursing student indicates an understanding of the
importance of constructive feedback?
a. "I will wait until my clinical evaluation and then make any changes to my
practice that are needed."
b. "I will request routine feedback from my instructor so I can make any
changes needed to improve my skills."
c. "My instructor will let me know if I need to change anything."
d. "I will ask my colleagues if I needed to make any changes to my practice."
ANS: B
Students are responsible for their skills and growth as health care providers. To
ensure that their nursing skills are adequate, students should request periodic
feedback from their clinical instructors. Waiting for feedback or asking colleagues
would be not an effective way for nursing students to obtain feedback in a timely
manner.
A graduate nurse has clocked in for his/her second shift on a busy orthopedic
unit. After accepting the assignment, the graduate nurse notices a fellow nurse
complaining loudly at the nurse's station to other staff members. This fellow
nurse is typically upset with floor assignments and thinks that the "new
nurses get all the easy assignments." Which action would be best for the
graduate nurse to take?
a. Join the conversation and tell the fellow nurse that he/she does not care for
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the assignment either.
b. Begin a conversation with another staff member about the fellow nurse who
is complaining.
c. Steer clear of the nurse who is complaining and try to focus on the positive.
d. Begin complaining about his/her own assignment.
ANS: C
The graduate nurse would have the most success by steering clear of the
complaining nurse and focus on the positive. Joining the conversation and focusing
on the negative will not help the graduate nurse adjust to his/her new job.
A new nurse is caring for five patients on a busy surgical floor. While hanging
blood for a patient, the nurse receives notice that another assigned patient is
being taken for surgery. The nurse has not obtained informed consent from
the patient. What action should the new nurse take?
a. Immediately leave the room he/she is in and obtain informed consent from
the patient.
b. Allow the patient to go to surgery without obtaining informed consent.
c. Delegate obtaining informed consent to another nurse while staying with the
patient who is receiving blood.
d. Ask the transporter to obtain informed consent from the patient.
ANS: C
Although the nurse must stay with the patient while hanging blood, it is important that
informed consent is obtained from the other patient before going to surgery. The best
action for the nurse to take would be to compromise and delegate obtaining informed
consent to another nurse. The other actions would be inappropriate and possibly
dangerous to the patients involved.
The new graduate has an understanding of the nursing journey ahead when
stating:
a. "It is not acceptable for me to make any mistakes at all."
b. "I am not worried about issues with transition. I am tough. I will do just
fine!"
c. "I know that I will make some mistakes, but I will learn and grow from them."
d. "I am going to keep studying so that I am always right."
ANS: C
It is important for the graduate nurses to know that they will make mistakes in their