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Wisconsin Nursing Jurisprudence Exam QUESTIONS
AND DETAILED SOLUTIONS
✅ SUMMARIZED EXAM COVERAGE (point form)
• Wisconsin Nurse Practice Act (NPA) – Wisconsin Statutes Chapter 441 establishes the legal
authority for nursing practice, the composition of the Board of Nursing (9 members: 4 RNs, 2
LPNs, 3 public members), and definitions of professional and practical nursing.
• Licensing & Renewal (N 2) – RN and LPN licenses expire February 28 of even-numbered years.
No CE is required for renewal, but APRNs must complete 16 contact hours of pharmacology CE.
Nurses who have not practiced for 5 years must complete a board-approved refresher course.
• Board of Nursing (N 6 & N 7) – Standards of practice require RNs to use the nursing process
(assessment, planning, intervention, evaluation). Rules of conduct define grounds for discipline
(e.g., practicing without a license, unprofessional conduct, misappropriation of patient
property).
• Scope of Practice & Delegation – RNs may delegate tasks to LPNs and unlicensed assistive
personnel (UAP) commensurate with the delegatee’s education and demonstrated abilities.
LPNs must work under the general supervision of an RN or the direction of a provider.
Delegation must include assessment, direction, monitoring, and evaluation.
• Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) – Includes nurse-midwives, nurse anesthetists,
clinical nurse specialists, and nurse practitioners. APRNs may prescribe drugs (including
controlled substances) under a collaborative agreement with a physician or dentist.
• Unprofessional Conduct & Discipline – Grounds for discipline include fraud in procuring a
license, negligence, abuse of alcohol or drugs, practicing beyond the scope, misappropriation of
patient property, and felony/misdemeanor convictions substantially related to nursing. The
Board may revoke, suspend, or reprimand a nurse.
• Mandatory Reporting – Nurses must report violations of rules by other licensees (with a
patient-provider privilege exception). Failure to cooperate with a Board investigation within 30
days creates a rebuttable presumption of non-cooperation.
• Patient Rights & Confidentiality – Nurses must safeguard patient dignity and privacy. Knowingly
or recklessly divulging privileged communication is prohibited. HIPAA applies to all protected
health information.
• Ethical & Legal Principles – Informed consent, advance directives, patient self-determination,
and the nurse’s duty to act as a patient advocate.
• Expedited Partner Therapy (EPT) – Permitted under s. 448.035 and s. 441.18 (opioid
antagonists); not considered unprofessional conduct.
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MCQs
QUESTION 1
A registered nurse in Wisconsin receives a verbal medication order from a physician but cannot clearly
hear the dosage due to background noise on the phone. What is the most appropriate action to ensure
legal and patient safety compliance?
A) Administer the medication based on assumption
B) Ask another nurse for interpretation
C) Document the unclear order and proceed
D) Request clarification directly from the physician before administering the medication
Answer: D – A nurse must clarify any ambiguous order directly with the prescriber. Administering a
medication based on assumption or another nurse‘s interpretation could lead to an error and violate the
nurse’s duty to accept only delegated acts for which the nurse is competent and the order is clear.
QUESTION 2
The Wisconsin Nurse Practice Act is found in which chapter of the Wisconsin Statutes?
A) Chapter 440
B) Chapter 441
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C) Chapter 450
D) Chapter 448
Answer: B – The Nurse Practice Act is codified in Chapter 441 of the Wisconsin Statutes. The Wisconsin
Administrative Code Chapter N 6 provides further standards of practice.
QUESTION 3
How many members serve on the Wisconsin Board of Nursing, and what is their composition?
A) 7 members: 3 RNs, 2 LPNs, 2 public members
B) 9 members: 4 RNs, 2 LPNs, 3 public members
C) 11 members: 5 RNs, 3 LPNs, 3 public members
D) 5 members: all registered nurses
Answer: B – The Board consists of 9 members: 4 registered nurses, 2 licensed practical nurses, and 3
public members, all appointed by the Governor for 4-year terms.
QUESTION 4
A nurse in Wisconsin receives a subpoena for a patient’s medical records. Under Wisconsin law and
HIPAA, what must the nurse do before releasing the records?
A) Immediately release the records to comply with the subpoena
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B) Release only the patient‘s demographic information
C) Ensure the subpoena is accompanied by a court order or a valid patient authorization, or that a
qualified protective order is in place
D) Ignore the subpoena and report it to the police
Answer: C – A subpoena alone is not sufficient to override patient confidentiality. The nurse must verify
that the request is accompanied by a court order, a valid patient authorization, or a qualified protective
order.
QUESTION 5
An RN delegates a task to an LPN. According to Wisconsin Administrative Code N 6, which of the
following is NOT a responsibility of the RN in supervising delegated acts?
A) Delegate tasks commensurate with the educational preparation and demonstrated abilities of the
person supervised
B) Provide direction and assistance to those supervised
C) Observe and monitor the activities of those supervised
D) Perform the delegated task personally instead of delegating
Wisconsin Nursing Jurisprudence Exam QUESTIONS
AND DETAILED SOLUTIONS
✅ SUMMARIZED EXAM COVERAGE (point form)
• Wisconsin Nurse Practice Act (NPA) – Wisconsin Statutes Chapter 441 establishes the legal
authority for nursing practice, the composition of the Board of Nursing (9 members: 4 RNs, 2
LPNs, 3 public members), and definitions of professional and practical nursing.
• Licensing & Renewal (N 2) – RN and LPN licenses expire February 28 of even-numbered years.
No CE is required for renewal, but APRNs must complete 16 contact hours of pharmacology CE.
Nurses who have not practiced for 5 years must complete a board-approved refresher course.
• Board of Nursing (N 6 & N 7) – Standards of practice require RNs to use the nursing process
(assessment, planning, intervention, evaluation). Rules of conduct define grounds for discipline
(e.g., practicing without a license, unprofessional conduct, misappropriation of patient
property).
• Scope of Practice & Delegation – RNs may delegate tasks to LPNs and unlicensed assistive
personnel (UAP) commensurate with the delegatee’s education and demonstrated abilities.
LPNs must work under the general supervision of an RN or the direction of a provider.
Delegation must include assessment, direction, monitoring, and evaluation.
• Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) – Includes nurse-midwives, nurse anesthetists,
clinical nurse specialists, and nurse practitioners. APRNs may prescribe drugs (including
controlled substances) under a collaborative agreement with a physician or dentist.
• Unprofessional Conduct & Discipline – Grounds for discipline include fraud in procuring a
license, negligence, abuse of alcohol or drugs, practicing beyond the scope, misappropriation of
patient property, and felony/misdemeanor convictions substantially related to nursing. The
Board may revoke, suspend, or reprimand a nurse.
• Mandatory Reporting – Nurses must report violations of rules by other licensees (with a
patient-provider privilege exception). Failure to cooperate with a Board investigation within 30
days creates a rebuttable presumption of non-cooperation.
• Patient Rights & Confidentiality – Nurses must safeguard patient dignity and privacy. Knowingly
or recklessly divulging privileged communication is prohibited. HIPAA applies to all protected
health information.
• Ethical & Legal Principles – Informed consent, advance directives, patient self-determination,
and the nurse’s duty to act as a patient advocate.
• Expedited Partner Therapy (EPT) – Permitted under s. 448.035 and s. 441.18 (opioid
antagonists); not considered unprofessional conduct.
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MCQs
QUESTION 1
A registered nurse in Wisconsin receives a verbal medication order from a physician but cannot clearly
hear the dosage due to background noise on the phone. What is the most appropriate action to ensure
legal and patient safety compliance?
A) Administer the medication based on assumption
B) Ask another nurse for interpretation
C) Document the unclear order and proceed
D) Request clarification directly from the physician before administering the medication
Answer: D – A nurse must clarify any ambiguous order directly with the prescriber. Administering a
medication based on assumption or another nurse‘s interpretation could lead to an error and violate the
nurse’s duty to accept only delegated acts for which the nurse is competent and the order is clear.
QUESTION 2
The Wisconsin Nurse Practice Act is found in which chapter of the Wisconsin Statutes?
A) Chapter 440
B) Chapter 441
, Page 3 of 150
C) Chapter 450
D) Chapter 448
Answer: B – The Nurse Practice Act is codified in Chapter 441 of the Wisconsin Statutes. The Wisconsin
Administrative Code Chapter N 6 provides further standards of practice.
QUESTION 3
How many members serve on the Wisconsin Board of Nursing, and what is their composition?
A) 7 members: 3 RNs, 2 LPNs, 2 public members
B) 9 members: 4 RNs, 2 LPNs, 3 public members
C) 11 members: 5 RNs, 3 LPNs, 3 public members
D) 5 members: all registered nurses
Answer: B – The Board consists of 9 members: 4 registered nurses, 2 licensed practical nurses, and 3
public members, all appointed by the Governor for 4-year terms.
QUESTION 4
A nurse in Wisconsin receives a subpoena for a patient’s medical records. Under Wisconsin law and
HIPAA, what must the nurse do before releasing the records?
A) Immediately release the records to comply with the subpoena
, Page 4 of 150
B) Release only the patient‘s demographic information
C) Ensure the subpoena is accompanied by a court order or a valid patient authorization, or that a
qualified protective order is in place
D) Ignore the subpoena and report it to the police
Answer: C – A subpoena alone is not sufficient to override patient confidentiality. The nurse must verify
that the request is accompanied by a court order, a valid patient authorization, or a qualified protective
order.
QUESTION 5
An RN delegates a task to an LPN. According to Wisconsin Administrative Code N 6, which of the
following is NOT a responsibility of the RN in supervising delegated acts?
A) Delegate tasks commensurate with the educational preparation and demonstrated abilities of the
person supervised
B) Provide direction and assistance to those supervised
C) Observe and monitor the activities of those supervised
D) Perform the delegated task personally instead of delegating
