1
FUNDAMENTAL OF NURSING
Review
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Critical thinking characteristics include
a. Considering what is important in a given situation.
b. Accepting one, established way to provide patient care.
c. Making decisions based on intuition.
d. Being able to read and follow physician’s orders.
ANS: A
Critical thinking involves being able to decipher what is relevant and important in a given
situation and to make a clinical decision based on that importance. Patient care can be provided
in many ways. Clinical decisions should be based on evidence and research. Following
physician’s orders is not considered a critical thinking skill.
DIF: Remember REF: 193 OBJ: Describe characteristics of a critical thinker.
TOP: Assessment MSC: Health Promotion and Maintenance
2. Which of these patient scenarios is most indicative of critical thinking?
a. Administering pain relief medication according to what was given last shift
b. Asking a patient what pain relief methods, pharmacological and
nonpharmacological, have worked in the past
c. Offering pain relief medication based on physician orders
d. Explaining to the patient that his reports of severe pain are not consistent with the
minor procedure that was performed
ANS: B
Asking the patient what pain relief methods have worked in the past is an example of exploring
many options for pain relief. Administering medication based on a previous assessment is not
practicing according to standards of care. The nurse is to conduct an assessment each shift on
his/her patient and intervene accordingly. Nonpharmacological pain relief methods are available,
as are medications for pain. Pain is subjective. The nurse should offer pain relief methods based
on the patient’s reports without being judgmental.
DIF: Apply REF: 193 OBJ: Describe characteristics of a critical thinker.
TOP: Assessment MSC: Health Promotion and Maintenance
3. Professional nurses are responsible for making clinical decisions to
a. Prove traditional methods of providing nursing care to patients.
b. Take immediate action when a patient’s condition worsens.
c. Apply clear textbook solutions to patients’ problems.
d. Formulate standardized care plans for groups of patients.
ANS: B
, 2
Professional nurses are responsible for making clinical decisions to take immediate action when
a patient’s condition worsens. Patient care should be based on evidence-based practice, not on
tradition. Clear textbooks solutions to patient problems are not always available. Care plans
should be individualized.
DIF: Understand REF: 193| 201
OBJ: Discuss the nurse’s responsibility in making clinical decisions.
TOP: Implementation MSC: Health Promotion and Maintenance
4. The nurse needs a reminder of professional responsibility when performing which of these
actions?
a. Making an informed clinical decision
b. Making an ethical clinical decision
c. Making a clinical decision in the patient’s best interest
d. Making a clinical decision based on previous shift assessments
ANS: D
The professional nurse is responsible for assessing patients each shift. Making informed, ethical
decisions in the patient’s best interest is practicing responsibly.
DIF: Understand REF: 193-194| 201
OBJ: Discuss the nurse’s responsibility in making clinical decisions.
TOP: Evaluation MSC: Health Promotion and Maintenance
5. Which of the following demonstrates a nurse utilizing self-reflection to improve clinical decision
making?
a. Uses an objective approach in all situations
b. Obtains data in an orderly fashion
c. Improves a plan of care while thinking back on interventions performed
d. Provides evidence-based explanations for all nursing interventions
ANS: C
Self-reflection utilizes critical thinking when thinking back on the effectiveness of interventions
and how they were performed. The other options are not the best examples of self-reflection but
do represent good nursing practice. Using an objective approach and obtaining data in an orderly
fashion does not involve purposefully thinking back to discover the meaning or purpose of a
situation. Providing evidence-based explanations for nursing interventions does not always
involve thinking back to discover the meaning of a situation.
DIF: Understand REF: 202
OBJ: Discuss how reflection improves clinical decision making.
TOP: Evaluation MSC: Health Promotion and Maintenance
8.A new graduate nurse will make the best clinical decisions by applying the components of the nursing
critical thinking model and which of the following?
a. Drawing on past clinical experiences to formulate standardized care plans
b. Relying on recall of information from past lectures and textbooks
c. Depending on the charge nurse to determine priorities of care
d. Using the nursing process
, 3
ANS: D
Using the nursing process along with applying components of the nursing critical thinking model
will help the new graduate nurse make the most appropriate clinical decisions. Care plans should
be individualized, and recalling facts does not utilize critical thinking skills to make clinical
decisions. The new nurse should not rely on the charge nurse to determine priorities of care.
DIF: Apply REF: 199
OBJ: Describe the components of a critical thinking model for clinical decision making.
TOP: Implementation MSC: Health Promotion and Maintenance
9. The critical thinking skill of evaluation in nursing practice can be best described as
a. Examining the meaning of data.
b. Reviewing the effectiveness of nursing actions.
c. Supporting findings and conclusions.
d. Searching for links between data and the nurse’s assumptions.
ANS: B
Reviewing the effectiveness of interventions best describes evaluation. Examining the meaning
of data is inference. Supporting findings and conclusions provides explanations. Searching for
links between the data and the nurse’s assumptions describes analysis.
DIF: Understand REF: 195-197
OBJ: Discuss critical thinking skills used in nursing practice. TOP: Evaluation
MSC: Health Promotion and Maintenance
12. The nursing student can best develop critical thinking skills by doing which of the following?
a. Studying 3 hours more each night
b. Actively participating in all clinical experiences
c. Interviewing staff nurses about their nursing experiences
d. Attending all open skills lab opportunities
ANS: B
Nursing is an applied science, and to apply knowledge learned and develop critical thinking
skills to make clinical decisions, the student should actively participate in all clinical
experiences. Studying for longer hours, interviewing nurses, and attending skills labs do not
provide opportunities for clinical decision making, as do actual clinical experiences.
DIF: Understand REF: 196-198
OBJ: Explain the relationship between clinical experience and critical thinking.
TOP: Implementation MSC: Health Promotion and Maintenance
14. The nurse enters a room to find the patient sitting up in bed crying. How would the nurse display a
critical thinking attitude in this situation?
a. Tell the patient she’ll be back in 30 minutes.
b. Set a box of tissues at the patient’s bedside before leaving the room.
c. Ask the patient why she is crying.
d. Limit visitors while the patient is upset.
ANS: C
, 4
The nurse should try to find out why the patient is crying to intervene appropriately. Telling the
patient that she will return, providing tissues, and limiting visitors may be appropriate actions but
do not address the reason why the patient is crying.
DIF: Apply REF: 195| 201
OBJ: Discuss the critical thinking attitudes used in clinical decision making.
TOP: Assessment MSC: Health Promotion and Maintenance
15. A patient is having trouble reaching the water fountain while holding on to crutches. The nurse
suggests that the patient place the crutches against the wall while stabilizing himself with two
hands on the water fountain. Which critical thinking attitude is utilized in this situation?
a. Humility
b. Confidence
c. Risk taking
d. Creativity
ANS: D
The nurse uses creativity in this situation to figure out how the patient can stabilize himself while
getting a drink of water. Humility is recognizing when more information is needed to make a
decision. Confidence is being well prepared to perform nursing care safely. This question best
illustrates the attitude of creativity. Risk taking is demonstrating the courage to speak out or to
question orders based on the nurse’s own knowledge base.
DIF: Understand REF: 200-201
OBJ: Discuss the critical thinking attitudes used in clinical decision making.
TOP: Implementation MSC: Health Promotion and Maintenance
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. The use of critical thinking skills during the assessment phase of the nursing process ensures that
the nurse
a. Completes a comprehensive database.
b. Identifies pertinent nursing diagnoses.
c. Intervenes based on patient goals and priorities of care.
d. Determines whether outcomes have been achieved.
ANS: A
The assessment phase of the nursing process involves data collection to complete a thorough
patient database. Identifying nursing diagnoses occurs during the diagnosis phase. The nurse
carries out interventions during the implementation phase, and determining whether outcomes
have been achieved takes place during the evaluation phase of the nursing process.
DIF: Understand REF: 207
OBJ: Discuss the relationship between critical thinking and nursing assessment.
TOP: Assessment MSC: Health Promotion and Maintenance
FUNDAMENTAL OF NURSING
Review
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Critical thinking characteristics include
a. Considering what is important in a given situation.
b. Accepting one, established way to provide patient care.
c. Making decisions based on intuition.
d. Being able to read and follow physician’s orders.
ANS: A
Critical thinking involves being able to decipher what is relevant and important in a given
situation and to make a clinical decision based on that importance. Patient care can be provided
in many ways. Clinical decisions should be based on evidence and research. Following
physician’s orders is not considered a critical thinking skill.
DIF: Remember REF: 193 OBJ: Describe characteristics of a critical thinker.
TOP: Assessment MSC: Health Promotion and Maintenance
2. Which of these patient scenarios is most indicative of critical thinking?
a. Administering pain relief medication according to what was given last shift
b. Asking a patient what pain relief methods, pharmacological and
nonpharmacological, have worked in the past
c. Offering pain relief medication based on physician orders
d. Explaining to the patient that his reports of severe pain are not consistent with the
minor procedure that was performed
ANS: B
Asking the patient what pain relief methods have worked in the past is an example of exploring
many options for pain relief. Administering medication based on a previous assessment is not
practicing according to standards of care. The nurse is to conduct an assessment each shift on
his/her patient and intervene accordingly. Nonpharmacological pain relief methods are available,
as are medications for pain. Pain is subjective. The nurse should offer pain relief methods based
on the patient’s reports without being judgmental.
DIF: Apply REF: 193 OBJ: Describe characteristics of a critical thinker.
TOP: Assessment MSC: Health Promotion and Maintenance
3. Professional nurses are responsible for making clinical decisions to
a. Prove traditional methods of providing nursing care to patients.
b. Take immediate action when a patient’s condition worsens.
c. Apply clear textbook solutions to patients’ problems.
d. Formulate standardized care plans for groups of patients.
ANS: B
, 2
Professional nurses are responsible for making clinical decisions to take immediate action when
a patient’s condition worsens. Patient care should be based on evidence-based practice, not on
tradition. Clear textbooks solutions to patient problems are not always available. Care plans
should be individualized.
DIF: Understand REF: 193| 201
OBJ: Discuss the nurse’s responsibility in making clinical decisions.
TOP: Implementation MSC: Health Promotion and Maintenance
4. The nurse needs a reminder of professional responsibility when performing which of these
actions?
a. Making an informed clinical decision
b. Making an ethical clinical decision
c. Making a clinical decision in the patient’s best interest
d. Making a clinical decision based on previous shift assessments
ANS: D
The professional nurse is responsible for assessing patients each shift. Making informed, ethical
decisions in the patient’s best interest is practicing responsibly.
DIF: Understand REF: 193-194| 201
OBJ: Discuss the nurse’s responsibility in making clinical decisions.
TOP: Evaluation MSC: Health Promotion and Maintenance
5. Which of the following demonstrates a nurse utilizing self-reflection to improve clinical decision
making?
a. Uses an objective approach in all situations
b. Obtains data in an orderly fashion
c. Improves a plan of care while thinking back on interventions performed
d. Provides evidence-based explanations for all nursing interventions
ANS: C
Self-reflection utilizes critical thinking when thinking back on the effectiveness of interventions
and how they were performed. The other options are not the best examples of self-reflection but
do represent good nursing practice. Using an objective approach and obtaining data in an orderly
fashion does not involve purposefully thinking back to discover the meaning or purpose of a
situation. Providing evidence-based explanations for nursing interventions does not always
involve thinking back to discover the meaning of a situation.
DIF: Understand REF: 202
OBJ: Discuss how reflection improves clinical decision making.
TOP: Evaluation MSC: Health Promotion and Maintenance
8.A new graduate nurse will make the best clinical decisions by applying the components of the nursing
critical thinking model and which of the following?
a. Drawing on past clinical experiences to formulate standardized care plans
b. Relying on recall of information from past lectures and textbooks
c. Depending on the charge nurse to determine priorities of care
d. Using the nursing process
, 3
ANS: D
Using the nursing process along with applying components of the nursing critical thinking model
will help the new graduate nurse make the most appropriate clinical decisions. Care plans should
be individualized, and recalling facts does not utilize critical thinking skills to make clinical
decisions. The new nurse should not rely on the charge nurse to determine priorities of care.
DIF: Apply REF: 199
OBJ: Describe the components of a critical thinking model for clinical decision making.
TOP: Implementation MSC: Health Promotion and Maintenance
9. The critical thinking skill of evaluation in nursing practice can be best described as
a. Examining the meaning of data.
b. Reviewing the effectiveness of nursing actions.
c. Supporting findings and conclusions.
d. Searching for links between data and the nurse’s assumptions.
ANS: B
Reviewing the effectiveness of interventions best describes evaluation. Examining the meaning
of data is inference. Supporting findings and conclusions provides explanations. Searching for
links between the data and the nurse’s assumptions describes analysis.
DIF: Understand REF: 195-197
OBJ: Discuss critical thinking skills used in nursing practice. TOP: Evaluation
MSC: Health Promotion and Maintenance
12. The nursing student can best develop critical thinking skills by doing which of the following?
a. Studying 3 hours more each night
b. Actively participating in all clinical experiences
c. Interviewing staff nurses about their nursing experiences
d. Attending all open skills lab opportunities
ANS: B
Nursing is an applied science, and to apply knowledge learned and develop critical thinking
skills to make clinical decisions, the student should actively participate in all clinical
experiences. Studying for longer hours, interviewing nurses, and attending skills labs do not
provide opportunities for clinical decision making, as do actual clinical experiences.
DIF: Understand REF: 196-198
OBJ: Explain the relationship between clinical experience and critical thinking.
TOP: Implementation MSC: Health Promotion and Maintenance
14. The nurse enters a room to find the patient sitting up in bed crying. How would the nurse display a
critical thinking attitude in this situation?
a. Tell the patient she’ll be back in 30 minutes.
b. Set a box of tissues at the patient’s bedside before leaving the room.
c. Ask the patient why she is crying.
d. Limit visitors while the patient is upset.
ANS: C
, 4
The nurse should try to find out why the patient is crying to intervene appropriately. Telling the
patient that she will return, providing tissues, and limiting visitors may be appropriate actions but
do not address the reason why the patient is crying.
DIF: Apply REF: 195| 201
OBJ: Discuss the critical thinking attitudes used in clinical decision making.
TOP: Assessment MSC: Health Promotion and Maintenance
15. A patient is having trouble reaching the water fountain while holding on to crutches. The nurse
suggests that the patient place the crutches against the wall while stabilizing himself with two
hands on the water fountain. Which critical thinking attitude is utilized in this situation?
a. Humility
b. Confidence
c. Risk taking
d. Creativity
ANS: D
The nurse uses creativity in this situation to figure out how the patient can stabilize himself while
getting a drink of water. Humility is recognizing when more information is needed to make a
decision. Confidence is being well prepared to perform nursing care safely. This question best
illustrates the attitude of creativity. Risk taking is demonstrating the courage to speak out or to
question orders based on the nurse’s own knowledge base.
DIF: Understand REF: 200-201
OBJ: Discuss the critical thinking attitudes used in clinical decision making.
TOP: Implementation MSC: Health Promotion and Maintenance
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. The use of critical thinking skills during the assessment phase of the nursing process ensures that
the nurse
a. Completes a comprehensive database.
b. Identifies pertinent nursing diagnoses.
c. Intervenes based on patient goals and priorities of care.
d. Determines whether outcomes have been achieved.
ANS: A
The assessment phase of the nursing process involves data collection to complete a thorough
patient database. Identifying nursing diagnoses occurs during the diagnosis phase. The nurse
carries out interventions during the implementation phase, and determining whether outcomes
have been achieved takes place during the evaluation phase of the nursing process.
DIF: Understand REF: 207
OBJ: Discuss the relationship between critical thinking and nursing assessment.
TOP: Assessment MSC: Health Promotion and Maintenance
