Management (10th Edition)
Unit I: Foundations of Critical Care Nursing
Chapter 1: Critical Care Nursing Practice
Exam Revision Test Bank
EXAM BLUEPRINT
Content Area Weight
History and Evolution of
5%
Critical Care
Critical Care Nursing Roles 10%
Advanced Practice Nursing 5%
Social Determinants of Health
10%
(SDOH)
Evidence-Based Practice 10%
Patient-Centered & Holistic
10%
Care
Complementary Therapies 5%
Technology and Tele-ICU 10%
,Interprofessional
10%
Collaboration
Rapid Response Teams 10%
Quality & Safety 10%
Healthy Work Environment 5%
1. A nurse educator is teaching a group of new critical care
nurses about the development of the specialty. Which
statement best reflects the history of critical care nursing?
A. Critical care emerged primarily from outpatient management
of chronic illness.
B. Critical care developed from the need to provide close
monitoring of unstable patients with rapidly changing
conditions.
C. Critical care nursing was established to replace the need for
interdisciplinary collaboration.
D. Critical care evolved only after electronic health records
became standard.
Correct answer: B
Rationale: Critical care nursing developed because certain
patients required continuous surveillance, rapid assessment,
and immediate intervention due to life-threatening instability.
Distractor analysis:
, • A is incorrect because critical care is centered on acute
instability, not outpatient chronic care.
• C is incorrect because critical care depends heavily on
interdisciplinary collaboration.
• D is incorrect because the specialty existed long before
electronic records.
Difficulty: Easy
Learning objective: Describe the historical rationale for
the development of critical care nursing.
Chapter reference: Unit I, Chapter 1: Critical Care Nursing
Practice
Clinical significance: Understanding the origin of critical
care helps nurses appreciate the need for vigilance, rapid
response, and expert assessment.
Bloom level: Recall
2. Which statement best describes contemporary critical care?
A. It relies mainly on physician-led bedside decision-making
with limited nurse input.
B. It focuses on isolated organ support rather than whole-
patient care.
C. It integrates advanced technology, evidence-based practice,
and interdisciplinary collaboration.
D. It is limited to adult intensive care units.
, Correct answer: C
Rationale: Contemporary critical care combines technology,
team-based care, and evidence-based interventions to manage
complex patients across settings and populations.
Distractor analysis:
• A is incorrect because nurse input is central to modern
critical care.
• B is incorrect because holistic care remains essential.
• D is incorrect because critical care includes neonatal,
pediatric, adult, and specialty units.
Difficulty: Easy
Learning objective: Identify defining features of
contemporary critical care practice.
Chapter reference: Unit I, Chapter 1: Critical Care Nursing
Practice
Clinical significance: Contemporary ICU care requires
nurses to function in a highly technical, collaborative
environment.
Bloom level: Comprehension
3. A bedside critical care nurse is best described as a
professional who primarily:
A. Performs only technical procedures delegated by providers