Potter & Perry Chapter 15: Critical Thinking
in Nursing Practice, Questions and Answers
With Rationale.
Two pt deaths have occurred on a medical unit in the last month. The staff
notices that everyone feels pressured and team members are getting into more
arguments. As a nurse on the unit, what will best help you manage this stress
A. keep a journal
B. participate in a unit meeting to discuss feelings about the pt deaths
C. ask the nurse manager to assign you to less difficult patients
D. review the policy and procedure manual on proper care of patients after death
Answer: B
Rationale: By connecting and meeting with staff colleagues, the nurse can talk about
the experiences of caring for dying patients and learn that her feelings are likely shared
by others. A journal is helpful but not the best way to relieve stress. A policy and
procedure manual will not help the nurse examine and understand the nature of the
stress. Asking for a different assignment is no guarantee that another stressful
experience will develop.
A nurse has seen many cancer patients struggle with pain management bc they
are afraid of becoming addicted to the medicine. Pain control is a priority for
cancer care. By helping patients focus on their values and beliefs about pain
control, a nurse can best make clinical decisions. This is an example of:
A. creativity
B. fairness
C. clinical reasoning
D. applying ethical criteria
Answer: D
Rationale: The use of ethical criteria for nursing judgment allows a nurse to focus on a
patient's values and beliefs. Clinical decisions are then just, faithful to the patient's
choices, and beneficial to the patient's well-being.
A nurse prepares to insert a Foley catheter. The procedure manual calls for the pt
to lie in the dorsal recumbent position. The pt complains of having back pain
when lying on her back. Despite this, the nurse positions the pt supine with knees
flexed as the manual recommends and begins to insert the catheter. This is an
example of:
A. accuracy
B. reflection
C. risk taking
D. basic critical thinking
Answer: D
Rationale: Basic critical thinking is concrete and based on a set of rules or principles,
such as the guidelines in a hospital procedure manual. The nurse's approach is not
accurate, as accuracy requires use of all of the facts (e.g. the patient's discomfort). A
, critical thinker is willing to take risks in trying different ways to solve problems; following
one basic approach is not risk taking. This is also not an example of reflection.
A nurse is preparing medications for a patient. The nurse checks the name of the
medication on the label with the name of the medication on the doctor's order. At
the bedside the nurse checks the patient's name against the medication order as
well. The nurse is following which critical thinking attitude:
A. responsible
B. complete
C. accurate
D. broad
Answer: A
Rationale: The nurse is demonstrating responsibility for correct medication and patient
identification. The other three choices are critical thinking intellectual standards.
A nurse on a busy medicine unit is assigned to 4 patients. It is 10am. Two
patients have medications due and one of those has a specimen of urine to be
collected. One patient is having complications from surgery and is being
prepared to return to the operating room. The fourth pt requires instruction about
activity restrictions before going home this afternoon. Which of the following
should the nurse use in making clinical decisions appropriate for the pt group?
(select all that apply)
A. consider availability of assistive personnel to obtain the specimen
B. combine activities to resolve more than one pt problem
C. analyze the diagnoses/problems and decide which are most urgent based on
patient's need
D. plan a family conference for tomorrow to make decisions about resources the
pt will need to go home
E. Identify the nursing diagnoses for the pt going home
Answer: A, B, C
Rationale: Analyzing urgency of problems helps in prioritization as does considering the
resources that are available (such as assistive personnel) to complete patient care
activities. Deciding on how to combine activities is good time management. Holding a
family conference is a good idea but in this case would be too late to be beneficial to the
patient. The nurse must identify nursing diagnoses for all patients in order to determine
priorities.
By using known criteria in conducting an assessment such as reviewing with a pt
the typical characteristics of pain, a nurse is demonstrating which critical
thinking attitude?
A. curiosity
B. adequacy
C. discipline
D. thinking independently
Answer: C
Rationale: Discipline is being thorough in whatever you do. Using known criteria for
assessment and evaluation, as in the case of pain, is an example of discipline.
A nurse just started working at a well-baby clinic. One of her recent experiences
was to help a mother learn the steps of breast-feeding. During the first clinic visit
in Nursing Practice, Questions and Answers
With Rationale.
Two pt deaths have occurred on a medical unit in the last month. The staff
notices that everyone feels pressured and team members are getting into more
arguments. As a nurse on the unit, what will best help you manage this stress
A. keep a journal
B. participate in a unit meeting to discuss feelings about the pt deaths
C. ask the nurse manager to assign you to less difficult patients
D. review the policy and procedure manual on proper care of patients after death
Answer: B
Rationale: By connecting and meeting with staff colleagues, the nurse can talk about
the experiences of caring for dying patients and learn that her feelings are likely shared
by others. A journal is helpful but not the best way to relieve stress. A policy and
procedure manual will not help the nurse examine and understand the nature of the
stress. Asking for a different assignment is no guarantee that another stressful
experience will develop.
A nurse has seen many cancer patients struggle with pain management bc they
are afraid of becoming addicted to the medicine. Pain control is a priority for
cancer care. By helping patients focus on their values and beliefs about pain
control, a nurse can best make clinical decisions. This is an example of:
A. creativity
B. fairness
C. clinical reasoning
D. applying ethical criteria
Answer: D
Rationale: The use of ethical criteria for nursing judgment allows a nurse to focus on a
patient's values and beliefs. Clinical decisions are then just, faithful to the patient's
choices, and beneficial to the patient's well-being.
A nurse prepares to insert a Foley catheter. The procedure manual calls for the pt
to lie in the dorsal recumbent position. The pt complains of having back pain
when lying on her back. Despite this, the nurse positions the pt supine with knees
flexed as the manual recommends and begins to insert the catheter. This is an
example of:
A. accuracy
B. reflection
C. risk taking
D. basic critical thinking
Answer: D
Rationale: Basic critical thinking is concrete and based on a set of rules or principles,
such as the guidelines in a hospital procedure manual. The nurse's approach is not
accurate, as accuracy requires use of all of the facts (e.g. the patient's discomfort). A
, critical thinker is willing to take risks in trying different ways to solve problems; following
one basic approach is not risk taking. This is also not an example of reflection.
A nurse is preparing medications for a patient. The nurse checks the name of the
medication on the label with the name of the medication on the doctor's order. At
the bedside the nurse checks the patient's name against the medication order as
well. The nurse is following which critical thinking attitude:
A. responsible
B. complete
C. accurate
D. broad
Answer: A
Rationale: The nurse is demonstrating responsibility for correct medication and patient
identification. The other three choices are critical thinking intellectual standards.
A nurse on a busy medicine unit is assigned to 4 patients. It is 10am. Two
patients have medications due and one of those has a specimen of urine to be
collected. One patient is having complications from surgery and is being
prepared to return to the operating room. The fourth pt requires instruction about
activity restrictions before going home this afternoon. Which of the following
should the nurse use in making clinical decisions appropriate for the pt group?
(select all that apply)
A. consider availability of assistive personnel to obtain the specimen
B. combine activities to resolve more than one pt problem
C. analyze the diagnoses/problems and decide which are most urgent based on
patient's need
D. plan a family conference for tomorrow to make decisions about resources the
pt will need to go home
E. Identify the nursing diagnoses for the pt going home
Answer: A, B, C
Rationale: Analyzing urgency of problems helps in prioritization as does considering the
resources that are available (such as assistive personnel) to complete patient care
activities. Deciding on how to combine activities is good time management. Holding a
family conference is a good idea but in this case would be too late to be beneficial to the
patient. The nurse must identify nursing diagnoses for all patients in order to determine
priorities.
By using known criteria in conducting an assessment such as reviewing with a pt
the typical characteristics of pain, a nurse is demonstrating which critical
thinking attitude?
A. curiosity
B. adequacy
C. discipline
D. thinking independently
Answer: C
Rationale: Discipline is being thorough in whatever you do. Using known criteria for
assessment and evaluation, as in the case of pain, is an example of discipline.
A nurse just started working at a well-baby clinic. One of her recent experiences
was to help a mother learn the steps of breast-feeding. During the first clinic visit
