Critical Care-Exam 1 Test Exam Questions
and Answers (Latest Update 2025)GRADED
A+
Which of the following professional organizations best supports critical care nursing practice?
a. American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
b. American Heart Association
c. American Nurses Association
d. Society of Critical Care Medicine - CORRECT ANSWERS a. American Association of Critical-
Care Nurses
A nurse has been working as a staff nurse in the surgical intensive care unit for 2 years and is interested
in certification. Which credential would be most applicable for the nurse to seek?
a. ACNPC-AG
b. CNML
c. CCRN
d. PCCN - CORRECT ANSWERS c. CCRN
The main purpose of certification is to
a. assure the consumer that you will not make a mistake.
b. prepare for graduate school.
c. promote magnet status for your facility.
d. validate knowledge of critical care nursing. - CORRECT ANSWERS d. validate knowledge of
critical care nursing.
The synergy model of practice focuses on
a. allowing unrestricted visiting for the patient 24 hours a day.
b. holistic and alternative therapies.
c. the needs of patients and their families, which drive nursing competency.
d. patients' needs for energy and support. - CORRECT ANSWERS c. the needs of patients and
their families, which drive nursing competency.
The family of your critically ill patient tells you that they have not spoken with the physician in over 24
hours and that they have some questions they want clarified. During morning rounds, you convey this
concern to the attending intensivist and arrange a meeting with the family at 4:00 PM. Which
competency of critical care nursing does this represent?
a. Advocacy and moral agency in solving ethical issues
b. Clinical judgment and clinical reasoning skills
c. Collaboration with patients, families, and team members
d. Facilitation of learning for patients, families, and team members - CORRECT ANSWERS c.
Collaboration with patients, families, and team members
The AACN Standards for Acute and Critical Care Nursing Practice use what framework to guide critical
care nursing practice?
,a. Evidence-based practice
b. Healthy work environment
c. National Patient Safety Goals
d. Nursing process - CORRECT ANSWERS d. Nursing process
The charge nurse is responsible for making the patient assignments on the critical care unit. An
experienced, certified nurse is assigned to care for the acutely ill patient with sepsis who also requires
continuous renal replacement therapy and mechanical ventilation. The nurse with less than 1 year of
experience is assigned to two patients who are more stable. This assignment reflects implementation of
the
a. crew resource management model.
b. National Patient Safety Goals.
c. Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) model.
d. synergy model of practice. - CORRECT ANSWERS d. synergy model of practice.
The vision of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses is a health care system driven by
a. a healthy work environment.
b. care from a multiprofessional team under the direction of a critical care physician.
c. the needs of critically ill patients and families.
d. respectful, healing, and humane environments. - CORRECT ANSWERS c. the needs of
critically ill patients and families.
The most important outcome of effective communication is to
a. demonstrate caring practices to family members.
b. ensure that patient teaching is done.
c. meet the diversity needs of patients.
d. reduce patient errors. - CORRECT ANSWERS d. reduce patient errors.
You are caring for a critically ill patient whose urine output has been low for 2 consecutive hours. After a
thorough patient assessment, you call the intensivist with report. Which information do you convey
regarding background?
a. Urine output of 40 mL/2 hours
b. Current vital signs and history of aortic aneurysm repair 4 hours ago
c. A statement that the patient is possibly hypovolemic
d. A request for IV fluids - CORRECT ANSWERS b. Current vital signs and history of aortic
aneurysm repair 4 hours ago
The family members of a critically ill patient bring a copy of the patient's living will to the hospital, which
identifies the patient's wishes regarding health care. You discuss contents of the living will with the
patient's physician. This is an example of implementation of which of the AACN Standards of
Professional Performance?
a. Acquires and maintains current knowledge of practice
b. Acts ethically on the behalf of the patient and family
c. Considers factors related to safe patient care
d. Uses clinical inquiry and integrates research findings in practice - CORRECT ANSWERS b. Acts
ethically on the behalf of the patient and family
,Which of the following assists the critical care nurse in ensuring that care is appropriate and based on
research?
a. Clinical practice guidelines
b. Computerized physician order entry
c. Consulting with advanced practice nurses
d. Implementing Joint Commission National Patient Safety Goals - CORRECT ANSWERS a.
Clinical practice guidelines
Comparing the patient's current (home) medications with those ordered during hospitalization and
communicating a complete list of medications to the next provider when the patient is transferred
within an organization or to another setting are strategies to:
a. improve accuracy of patient identification.
b. prevent errors related to look-alike and sound-alike medications.
c. reconcile medications across the continuum of care.
d. reduce harms associated with the administration of anticoagulants. - CORRECT ANSWERS c.
reconcile medications across the continuum of care.
As part of nursing management of a critically ill patient, orders are written to keep the head of the bed
elevated at 30 degrees, awaken the patient from sedation each morning to assess readiness to wean
from mechanical ventilation, and implement oral care protocols every 4 hours. These interventions are
done as a group to reduce the risk of ventilator-associated pneumonia. This group of evidence-based
interventions is often called a
a. bundle of care.
b. clinical practice guideline.
c. patient safety goal.
d. quality improvement initiative. - CORRECT ANSWERS a. bundle of care.
You work in an intermediate care unit and have asked to be involved in developing new guidelines to
prevent pressure ulcers in your patient population. The nurse manager tells you that you do not yet
have enough experience to be on the prevention task force and that your ideas will be rejected by
others. This situation is an example of
a. a barrier to handoff communication.
b. a work environment that is unhealthy.
c. ineffective decision making.
d. nursing practice that is not evidence-based. - CORRECT ANSWERS b. a work environment
that is unhealthy.
Which of the following statements describes the core concept of the synergy model of practice?
a. All nurses must be certified in order to have the synergy model implemented.
b. Family members must be included in daily interdisciplinary rounds.
c. Nurses and physicians must work collaboratively and synergistically to influence care.
d. Unique needs of patients and their families influence nursing competencies. - CORRECT ANSWERS
d. Unique needs of patients and their families influence nursing competencies.
A nurse who plans care based on the patient's gender, ethnicity, spirituality, and lifestyle is said to
a. be a moral advocate.
b. facilitate learning.
c. respond to diversity.
, d. use clinical judgment. - CORRECT ANSWERS c. respond to diversity.
Which of the following is a National Patient Safety Goal? (Select all that apply.)
a. Accurately identify patients.
b. Eliminate the use of patient restraints.
c. Reconcile medications across the continuum of care.
d. Reduce risks of health care-acquired infection.
e. Reduce costs associated with hospitalization. - CORRECT ANSWERS a. Accurately identify
patients.
c. Reconcile medications across the continuum of care.
d. Reduce risks of health care-acquired infection.
Which of the following is (are) official journal(s) of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses?
(Select all that apply.)
a. American Journal of Critical Care
b. Critical Care Clinics of North America
c. Critical Care Nurse
d. Critical Care Nursing Quarterly
e. Critical Care Nursing Management - CORRECT ANSWERS a. American Journal of Critical Care
c. Critical Care Nurse
The first critical care units were (Select all that apply.)
a. burn units.
b. coronary care units.
c. recovery rooms.
d. neonatal intensive care units.
e. high-risk OB units. - CORRECT ANSWERS b. coronary care units.
c. recovery rooms.
Which of the following nursing activities demonstrates implementation of the AACN Standards of
Professional Performance? (Select all that apply.)
a. Attending a meeting of the local chapter of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses in which
a continuing education program on sepsis is being taught
b. Collaborating with a pastoral services colleague to assist in meeting spiritual needs of the patient and
family
c. Participating on the unit's nurse practice council
d. Posting an article from Critical Care Nurse on the management of venous thromboembolism for your
colleagues to read
e. Using evidence-based strategies to prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia - CORRECT ANSWERS
a. Attending a meeting of the local chapter of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses in which
a continuing education program on sepsis is being taught
b. Collaborating with a pastoral services colleague to assist in meeting spiritual needs of the patient and
family
c. Participating on the unit's nurse practice council
d. Posting an article from Critical Care Nurse on the management of venous thromboembolism for your
colleagues to read
e. Using evidence-based strategies to prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia
and Answers (Latest Update 2025)GRADED
A+
Which of the following professional organizations best supports critical care nursing practice?
a. American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
b. American Heart Association
c. American Nurses Association
d. Society of Critical Care Medicine - CORRECT ANSWERS a. American Association of Critical-
Care Nurses
A nurse has been working as a staff nurse in the surgical intensive care unit for 2 years and is interested
in certification. Which credential would be most applicable for the nurse to seek?
a. ACNPC-AG
b. CNML
c. CCRN
d. PCCN - CORRECT ANSWERS c. CCRN
The main purpose of certification is to
a. assure the consumer that you will not make a mistake.
b. prepare for graduate school.
c. promote magnet status for your facility.
d. validate knowledge of critical care nursing. - CORRECT ANSWERS d. validate knowledge of
critical care nursing.
The synergy model of practice focuses on
a. allowing unrestricted visiting for the patient 24 hours a day.
b. holistic and alternative therapies.
c. the needs of patients and their families, which drive nursing competency.
d. patients' needs for energy and support. - CORRECT ANSWERS c. the needs of patients and
their families, which drive nursing competency.
The family of your critically ill patient tells you that they have not spoken with the physician in over 24
hours and that they have some questions they want clarified. During morning rounds, you convey this
concern to the attending intensivist and arrange a meeting with the family at 4:00 PM. Which
competency of critical care nursing does this represent?
a. Advocacy and moral agency in solving ethical issues
b. Clinical judgment and clinical reasoning skills
c. Collaboration with patients, families, and team members
d. Facilitation of learning for patients, families, and team members - CORRECT ANSWERS c.
Collaboration with patients, families, and team members
The AACN Standards for Acute and Critical Care Nursing Practice use what framework to guide critical
care nursing practice?
,a. Evidence-based practice
b. Healthy work environment
c. National Patient Safety Goals
d. Nursing process - CORRECT ANSWERS d. Nursing process
The charge nurse is responsible for making the patient assignments on the critical care unit. An
experienced, certified nurse is assigned to care for the acutely ill patient with sepsis who also requires
continuous renal replacement therapy and mechanical ventilation. The nurse with less than 1 year of
experience is assigned to two patients who are more stable. This assignment reflects implementation of
the
a. crew resource management model.
b. National Patient Safety Goals.
c. Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) model.
d. synergy model of practice. - CORRECT ANSWERS d. synergy model of practice.
The vision of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses is a health care system driven by
a. a healthy work environment.
b. care from a multiprofessional team under the direction of a critical care physician.
c. the needs of critically ill patients and families.
d. respectful, healing, and humane environments. - CORRECT ANSWERS c. the needs of
critically ill patients and families.
The most important outcome of effective communication is to
a. demonstrate caring practices to family members.
b. ensure that patient teaching is done.
c. meet the diversity needs of patients.
d. reduce patient errors. - CORRECT ANSWERS d. reduce patient errors.
You are caring for a critically ill patient whose urine output has been low for 2 consecutive hours. After a
thorough patient assessment, you call the intensivist with report. Which information do you convey
regarding background?
a. Urine output of 40 mL/2 hours
b. Current vital signs and history of aortic aneurysm repair 4 hours ago
c. A statement that the patient is possibly hypovolemic
d. A request for IV fluids - CORRECT ANSWERS b. Current vital signs and history of aortic
aneurysm repair 4 hours ago
The family members of a critically ill patient bring a copy of the patient's living will to the hospital, which
identifies the patient's wishes regarding health care. You discuss contents of the living will with the
patient's physician. This is an example of implementation of which of the AACN Standards of
Professional Performance?
a. Acquires and maintains current knowledge of practice
b. Acts ethically on the behalf of the patient and family
c. Considers factors related to safe patient care
d. Uses clinical inquiry and integrates research findings in practice - CORRECT ANSWERS b. Acts
ethically on the behalf of the patient and family
,Which of the following assists the critical care nurse in ensuring that care is appropriate and based on
research?
a. Clinical practice guidelines
b. Computerized physician order entry
c. Consulting with advanced practice nurses
d. Implementing Joint Commission National Patient Safety Goals - CORRECT ANSWERS a.
Clinical practice guidelines
Comparing the patient's current (home) medications with those ordered during hospitalization and
communicating a complete list of medications to the next provider when the patient is transferred
within an organization or to another setting are strategies to:
a. improve accuracy of patient identification.
b. prevent errors related to look-alike and sound-alike medications.
c. reconcile medications across the continuum of care.
d. reduce harms associated with the administration of anticoagulants. - CORRECT ANSWERS c.
reconcile medications across the continuum of care.
As part of nursing management of a critically ill patient, orders are written to keep the head of the bed
elevated at 30 degrees, awaken the patient from sedation each morning to assess readiness to wean
from mechanical ventilation, and implement oral care protocols every 4 hours. These interventions are
done as a group to reduce the risk of ventilator-associated pneumonia. This group of evidence-based
interventions is often called a
a. bundle of care.
b. clinical practice guideline.
c. patient safety goal.
d. quality improvement initiative. - CORRECT ANSWERS a. bundle of care.
You work in an intermediate care unit and have asked to be involved in developing new guidelines to
prevent pressure ulcers in your patient population. The nurse manager tells you that you do not yet
have enough experience to be on the prevention task force and that your ideas will be rejected by
others. This situation is an example of
a. a barrier to handoff communication.
b. a work environment that is unhealthy.
c. ineffective decision making.
d. nursing practice that is not evidence-based. - CORRECT ANSWERS b. a work environment
that is unhealthy.
Which of the following statements describes the core concept of the synergy model of practice?
a. All nurses must be certified in order to have the synergy model implemented.
b. Family members must be included in daily interdisciplinary rounds.
c. Nurses and physicians must work collaboratively and synergistically to influence care.
d. Unique needs of patients and their families influence nursing competencies. - CORRECT ANSWERS
d. Unique needs of patients and their families influence nursing competencies.
A nurse who plans care based on the patient's gender, ethnicity, spirituality, and lifestyle is said to
a. be a moral advocate.
b. facilitate learning.
c. respond to diversity.
, d. use clinical judgment. - CORRECT ANSWERS c. respond to diversity.
Which of the following is a National Patient Safety Goal? (Select all that apply.)
a. Accurately identify patients.
b. Eliminate the use of patient restraints.
c. Reconcile medications across the continuum of care.
d. Reduce risks of health care-acquired infection.
e. Reduce costs associated with hospitalization. - CORRECT ANSWERS a. Accurately identify
patients.
c. Reconcile medications across the continuum of care.
d. Reduce risks of health care-acquired infection.
Which of the following is (are) official journal(s) of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses?
(Select all that apply.)
a. American Journal of Critical Care
b. Critical Care Clinics of North America
c. Critical Care Nurse
d. Critical Care Nursing Quarterly
e. Critical Care Nursing Management - CORRECT ANSWERS a. American Journal of Critical Care
c. Critical Care Nurse
The first critical care units were (Select all that apply.)
a. burn units.
b. coronary care units.
c. recovery rooms.
d. neonatal intensive care units.
e. high-risk OB units. - CORRECT ANSWERS b. coronary care units.
c. recovery rooms.
Which of the following nursing activities demonstrates implementation of the AACN Standards of
Professional Performance? (Select all that apply.)
a. Attending a meeting of the local chapter of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses in which
a continuing education program on sepsis is being taught
b. Collaborating with a pastoral services colleague to assist in meeting spiritual needs of the patient and
family
c. Participating on the unit's nurse practice council
d. Posting an article from Critical Care Nurse on the management of venous thromboembolism for your
colleagues to read
e. Using evidence-based strategies to prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia - CORRECT ANSWERS
a. Attending a meeting of the local chapter of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses in which
a continuing education program on sepsis is being taught
b. Collaborating with a pastoral services colleague to assist in meeting spiritual needs of the patient and
family
c. Participating on the unit's nurse practice council
d. Posting an article from Critical Care Nurse on the management of venous thromboembolism for your
colleagues to read
e. Using evidence-based strategies to prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia
