Nursing Process NCLEX Questions
Comprehensive Set For Fundamentals
of Nursing Class | 165 Questions and
Correct Answers With Rationale.
Updated Fall 2024/2025.
A female patient who is receiving chemotherapy for breast cancer tells the nurse, "The treatment for this
cancer is worse than the disease itself. I'm not going to come for my therapy anymore." The nurse
responds by using critical thinking skills to address this patient problem. Which action is the first step the
nurse would take in this process?
a. The nurse judges whether the patient database is adequate to address the problem.
b. The nurse considers whether or not to suggest a counseling session for the patient.
c. The nurse reassesses the patient and decides how best to intervene in her care.
d. The nurse identifies several options for intervening in the patient's care and critiques the merit of each
option.
C-The nurse reassesses the patient and decides how best to intervene in her care.
The first step when thinking critically about a situation is to identify the purpose or goal of your thinking.
Reassessing the patient helps to discipline thinking by directing all thoughts toward the goal. Once the
problem is addressed, it is important for the nurse to judge the adequacy of the knowledge, identify
potential problems, use helpful resources, and critique the decision.
During which part of the client interview would it be best for the nurse to ask, "What's the weather
forecast for today?"
A. Introduction
B. Body
C. Closing
D. Orientation
A. Introduction
Rationale: Asking about the weather initiates the social or introductory phase of the interview and
allows the nurse to begin an assessment of the client's mental status. The goal is to develop rapport with
the client at the beginning of the interview. In the body the client responds to the nurse's questions.
During the closing the nurse or the client terminates the interview.
During which of the five steps in the Nursing Process does the nurse determine whether outcomes of
care are achieved?
,1. Implementation
2. Evaluation
3. Planning
4. Analysis
2.
Evaluation occurs when actual outcomes are compared with expected outcomes that reflect goal
achievement. If the goal is achieved, the patient's needs are met.
What is the purpose of the nursing process?
a. Providing patient-centered care
b. Identifying members of the health care team
c. Organizing the ways nurses think about patient care
d. Facilitating communication among members of the health care team
c. Organizing the ways nurses think about patient care
The nursing process is the methodology used to "think like a nurse." Providing patient-centered care and
enhancing communication among health team members is facilitated through the use of care plans.
Collaborating with rather than identifying members of the health care team is part of many plans of care.
Once a nurse assesses a client's condition and identifies appropriate nursing diagnoses, a:
1. Plan is developed for nursing care.
2. Physical assessment begins
3. List of priorities is determined.
4. Review of the assessment is conducted with other team members.
A 1. Plan is developed for nursing care.
The nurse would do which of the following activities during the diagnosing phase of the nursing process?
Select all that apply.
A. Collect and organize client information
B. Analyze data
C. Identify problems, risk, and client strengths
,D. Develop nursing diagnoses
E. Develop client goals
B. Analyze data
C. Identify problems, risk, and client strengths
D. Develop nursing diagnoses
Rationale: The diagnosing phase of the nursing process involves data analysis, which leads to
identification of problems, risks, and strengths and the development of nursing diagnoses. Collecting and
organizing client data is done in the assessment phase of the nursing process. Goal setting occurs during
the planning phase.
Planning is a category of nursing behaviors in which:
1. The nurse determines the health care needed for the client.
2. The Physician determines the plan of care for the client.
3. Client-centered goals and expected outcomes are established.
4. The client determines the care needed.
C 3. Client-centered goals and expected outcomes are established.
A patient comes to the emergency department complaining of nausea and vomiting. What should the
nurse ask the patient about first?
a. Family history of diabetes
b. Medications the patient is taking
c. Operations the patient has had in the past
d. Severity and duration of the nausea and vomiting
d. Severity and duration of the nausea and vomiting
In an emergent situation, the nurse initially focuses on the patient's chief complaint to determine its
cause. Before initiating care, the nurse gathers information on the other topics.
The nursing process ensures that nurses are person centered rather than task centered. Rather than
simply approaching a patient to take vital signs, the nurse thinks, "How is Mrs. Barclay today? Are our
nursing actions helping her to achieve her goals? How can we better help her?" This demonstrates which
characteristic of the nursing process?
a. Systematic
b. Interpersonal
c. Dynamic
d. Universally applicable in nursing situations
, B- Interpersonal
All of the other options are characteristics of the nursing process, but the conversation and thinking
quoted best illustrates the interpersonal dimension of the nursing process.
The nurse is most likely to collect timely, specific information by asking which of the following questions?
A. "Would you describe what you are feeling?"
B. "How are you today?"
C. "What would you like to talk about?"
D. "Where does it hurt?"
A. "Would you describe what you are feeling?"
Rationale: This is an open-ended question that will elicit subjective data. The data collected will reflect
the client's current health status and human response(s) and should generate specific information that
can be used to identify actual and/or potential health problems. Options 2 and 3 are more likely to elicit
general, nonspecific information. Option 4 may result in a brief, one-word response or nonverbal gesture
indicating the site of the client's pain. A better approach to collect specific information might be,
"Describe any pain you are having."
When considering the Nursing Process, the word "observe" is to "assess" as the word "explore" is to:
1. Plan
2. Analyze
3. Evaluate
4. Implement
Analyze fits the analogy because the word means to investigate and the word Explore means to examine.
(Observe and Assess are similar. Observe means to view something scientifically and assess means to
collect information.)
Which statement is related to the concept that is central to the nursing process?
1. It is dynamic rather than static
2. It focuses on the role of the nurse
3. It moves from the simple to the complex
4. It is based on the patient's medicalproblem
It is dynamic rather than static
The nurse should avoid asking the client which of the following leading questions during a client
interview?
A. "What medication do you take at home?"
Comprehensive Set For Fundamentals
of Nursing Class | 165 Questions and
Correct Answers With Rationale.
Updated Fall 2024/2025.
A female patient who is receiving chemotherapy for breast cancer tells the nurse, "The treatment for this
cancer is worse than the disease itself. I'm not going to come for my therapy anymore." The nurse
responds by using critical thinking skills to address this patient problem. Which action is the first step the
nurse would take in this process?
a. The nurse judges whether the patient database is adequate to address the problem.
b. The nurse considers whether or not to suggest a counseling session for the patient.
c. The nurse reassesses the patient and decides how best to intervene in her care.
d. The nurse identifies several options for intervening in the patient's care and critiques the merit of each
option.
C-The nurse reassesses the patient and decides how best to intervene in her care.
The first step when thinking critically about a situation is to identify the purpose or goal of your thinking.
Reassessing the patient helps to discipline thinking by directing all thoughts toward the goal. Once the
problem is addressed, it is important for the nurse to judge the adequacy of the knowledge, identify
potential problems, use helpful resources, and critique the decision.
During which part of the client interview would it be best for the nurse to ask, "What's the weather
forecast for today?"
A. Introduction
B. Body
C. Closing
D. Orientation
A. Introduction
Rationale: Asking about the weather initiates the social or introductory phase of the interview and
allows the nurse to begin an assessment of the client's mental status. The goal is to develop rapport with
the client at the beginning of the interview. In the body the client responds to the nurse's questions.
During the closing the nurse or the client terminates the interview.
During which of the five steps in the Nursing Process does the nurse determine whether outcomes of
care are achieved?
,1. Implementation
2. Evaluation
3. Planning
4. Analysis
2.
Evaluation occurs when actual outcomes are compared with expected outcomes that reflect goal
achievement. If the goal is achieved, the patient's needs are met.
What is the purpose of the nursing process?
a. Providing patient-centered care
b. Identifying members of the health care team
c. Organizing the ways nurses think about patient care
d. Facilitating communication among members of the health care team
c. Organizing the ways nurses think about patient care
The nursing process is the methodology used to "think like a nurse." Providing patient-centered care and
enhancing communication among health team members is facilitated through the use of care plans.
Collaborating with rather than identifying members of the health care team is part of many plans of care.
Once a nurse assesses a client's condition and identifies appropriate nursing diagnoses, a:
1. Plan is developed for nursing care.
2. Physical assessment begins
3. List of priorities is determined.
4. Review of the assessment is conducted with other team members.
A 1. Plan is developed for nursing care.
The nurse would do which of the following activities during the diagnosing phase of the nursing process?
Select all that apply.
A. Collect and organize client information
B. Analyze data
C. Identify problems, risk, and client strengths
,D. Develop nursing diagnoses
E. Develop client goals
B. Analyze data
C. Identify problems, risk, and client strengths
D. Develop nursing diagnoses
Rationale: The diagnosing phase of the nursing process involves data analysis, which leads to
identification of problems, risks, and strengths and the development of nursing diagnoses. Collecting and
organizing client data is done in the assessment phase of the nursing process. Goal setting occurs during
the planning phase.
Planning is a category of nursing behaviors in which:
1. The nurse determines the health care needed for the client.
2. The Physician determines the plan of care for the client.
3. Client-centered goals and expected outcomes are established.
4. The client determines the care needed.
C 3. Client-centered goals and expected outcomes are established.
A patient comes to the emergency department complaining of nausea and vomiting. What should the
nurse ask the patient about first?
a. Family history of diabetes
b. Medications the patient is taking
c. Operations the patient has had in the past
d. Severity and duration of the nausea and vomiting
d. Severity and duration of the nausea and vomiting
In an emergent situation, the nurse initially focuses on the patient's chief complaint to determine its
cause. Before initiating care, the nurse gathers information on the other topics.
The nursing process ensures that nurses are person centered rather than task centered. Rather than
simply approaching a patient to take vital signs, the nurse thinks, "How is Mrs. Barclay today? Are our
nursing actions helping her to achieve her goals? How can we better help her?" This demonstrates which
characteristic of the nursing process?
a. Systematic
b. Interpersonal
c. Dynamic
d. Universally applicable in nursing situations
, B- Interpersonal
All of the other options are characteristics of the nursing process, but the conversation and thinking
quoted best illustrates the interpersonal dimension of the nursing process.
The nurse is most likely to collect timely, specific information by asking which of the following questions?
A. "Would you describe what you are feeling?"
B. "How are you today?"
C. "What would you like to talk about?"
D. "Where does it hurt?"
A. "Would you describe what you are feeling?"
Rationale: This is an open-ended question that will elicit subjective data. The data collected will reflect
the client's current health status and human response(s) and should generate specific information that
can be used to identify actual and/or potential health problems. Options 2 and 3 are more likely to elicit
general, nonspecific information. Option 4 may result in a brief, one-word response or nonverbal gesture
indicating the site of the client's pain. A better approach to collect specific information might be,
"Describe any pain you are having."
When considering the Nursing Process, the word "observe" is to "assess" as the word "explore" is to:
1. Plan
2. Analyze
3. Evaluate
4. Implement
Analyze fits the analogy because the word means to investigate and the word Explore means to examine.
(Observe and Assess are similar. Observe means to view something scientifically and assess means to
collect information.)
Which statement is related to the concept that is central to the nursing process?
1. It is dynamic rather than static
2. It focuses on the role of the nurse
3. It moves from the simple to the complex
4. It is based on the patient's medicalproblem
It is dynamic rather than static
The nurse should avoid asking the client which of the following leading questions during a client
interview?
A. "What medication do you take at home?"
