NURS 6050 – POLICY AND ADVOCACY FOR
IMPROVING POPULATION HEALTH, DESIGNED FOR
11-WEEK ,QUARTER 1
Each question includes the correct answer and a rationale in italics.
Section 1: Foundations of Health Policy (Questions 1–30)
1. What is the primary purpose of health policy?
a) To increase hospital profits
b) To guide decisions and achieve specific health outcomes
c) To limit patient autonomy
d) To reduce the number of healthcare providers
Answer: b
Rationale: Health policy is defined as decisions, plans, and actions undertaken to achieve
specific healthcare goals within a society. It provides a framework for improving
population health outcomes, not primarily for financial or restrictive purposes.
2. Which level of government is primarily responsible for regulating healthcare
professionals?
a) Federal
b) State
c) Local
d) International
Answer: b
Rationale: States have the constitutional authority under the Tenth Amendment to
regulate healthcare professionals through licensing boards, scope of practice laws, and
disciplinary actions.
,3. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) was signed into law in which year?
a) 2008
b) 2010
c) 2012
d) 2014
Answer: b
Rationale: The ACA was signed by President Obama on March 23, 2010, representing the
most significant regulatory overhaul of the U.S. healthcare system since Medicare and
Medicaid were enacted in 1965.
4. What is a key component of the ACA?
a) Elimination of all private insurance
b) Prohibition of denying coverage for pre-existing conditions
c) Mandatory government-run single-payer system
d) Removal of Medicaid expansion
Answer: b
Rationale: The ACA prohibits insurance companies from denying coverage or charging
higher premiums based on pre-existing conditions, which expanded access for millions of
Americans.
5. Advocacy in nursing is best defined as:
a) Supporting only individual patient rights
b) Acting on behalf of patients, communities, and the profession to promote health and
justice
c) Following all hospital policies without question
d) Avoiding political involvement
Answer: b
Rationale: Nursing advocacy extends beyond individual patients to include communities
and the profession itself. It involves promoting health equity, social justice, and systemic
change.
,6. Which federal agency sets and enforces standards for workplace safety?
a) CDC
b) FDA
c) OSHA
d) CMS
Answer: c
Rationale: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is responsible for
ensuring safe and healthful working conditions by setting and enforcing standards.
7. Medicare primarily serves which population?
a) Low-income families
b) Adults aged 65 and older and certain younger people with disabilities
c) Pregnant women and children
d) Veterans only
Answer: b
*Rationale: Medicare is a federal health insurance program primarily for people 65+,
though it also covers certain younger individuals with disabilities or end-stage renal
disease.*
8. What is the role of a Nurse in the policy-making process?
a) Passive observer
b) Active participant in all stages from agenda setting to evaluation
c) Only implementer of policies made by others
d) Exclusively clinical caregiver without policy input
Answer: b
Rationale: Nurses bring frontline clinical expertise to policy-making and should engage
actively in agenda setting, policy formulation, adoption, implementation, and evaluation.
9. Social determinants of health (SDOH) include all EXCEPT:
a) Genetics
, b) Education
c) Housing
d) Employment
Answer: a
Rationale: SDOH are the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age—
such as education, housing, and employment. Genetics is a biological determinant, not a
social one.
10. Which model focuses on upstream interventions to address root causes of poor
health?
a) Biomedical model
b) Downstream curative model
c) Socio-ecological model
d) Fee-for-service model
Answer: c
Rationale: The socio-ecological model examines multiple levels of influence (individual,
interpersonal, community, societal) and emphasizes upstream interventions addressing
root causes rather than only treating symptoms.
11. What is meant by "health equity"?
a) Everyone receives the exact same healthcare services
b) Every person has a fair opportunity to achieve their full health potential
c) Only wealthy individuals receive quality care
d) Healthcare is rationed equally
Answer: b
Rationale: Health equity means removing obstacles to health such as poverty,
discrimination, and lack of access to care, allowing everyone a fair opportunity to be as
healthy as possible.
IMPROVING POPULATION HEALTH, DESIGNED FOR
11-WEEK ,QUARTER 1
Each question includes the correct answer and a rationale in italics.
Section 1: Foundations of Health Policy (Questions 1–30)
1. What is the primary purpose of health policy?
a) To increase hospital profits
b) To guide decisions and achieve specific health outcomes
c) To limit patient autonomy
d) To reduce the number of healthcare providers
Answer: b
Rationale: Health policy is defined as decisions, plans, and actions undertaken to achieve
specific healthcare goals within a society. It provides a framework for improving
population health outcomes, not primarily for financial or restrictive purposes.
2. Which level of government is primarily responsible for regulating healthcare
professionals?
a) Federal
b) State
c) Local
d) International
Answer: b
Rationale: States have the constitutional authority under the Tenth Amendment to
regulate healthcare professionals through licensing boards, scope of practice laws, and
disciplinary actions.
,3. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) was signed into law in which year?
a) 2008
b) 2010
c) 2012
d) 2014
Answer: b
Rationale: The ACA was signed by President Obama on March 23, 2010, representing the
most significant regulatory overhaul of the U.S. healthcare system since Medicare and
Medicaid were enacted in 1965.
4. What is a key component of the ACA?
a) Elimination of all private insurance
b) Prohibition of denying coverage for pre-existing conditions
c) Mandatory government-run single-payer system
d) Removal of Medicaid expansion
Answer: b
Rationale: The ACA prohibits insurance companies from denying coverage or charging
higher premiums based on pre-existing conditions, which expanded access for millions of
Americans.
5. Advocacy in nursing is best defined as:
a) Supporting only individual patient rights
b) Acting on behalf of patients, communities, and the profession to promote health and
justice
c) Following all hospital policies without question
d) Avoiding political involvement
Answer: b
Rationale: Nursing advocacy extends beyond individual patients to include communities
and the profession itself. It involves promoting health equity, social justice, and systemic
change.
,6. Which federal agency sets and enforces standards for workplace safety?
a) CDC
b) FDA
c) OSHA
d) CMS
Answer: c
Rationale: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is responsible for
ensuring safe and healthful working conditions by setting and enforcing standards.
7. Medicare primarily serves which population?
a) Low-income families
b) Adults aged 65 and older and certain younger people with disabilities
c) Pregnant women and children
d) Veterans only
Answer: b
*Rationale: Medicare is a federal health insurance program primarily for people 65+,
though it also covers certain younger individuals with disabilities or end-stage renal
disease.*
8. What is the role of a Nurse in the policy-making process?
a) Passive observer
b) Active participant in all stages from agenda setting to evaluation
c) Only implementer of policies made by others
d) Exclusively clinical caregiver without policy input
Answer: b
Rationale: Nurses bring frontline clinical expertise to policy-making and should engage
actively in agenda setting, policy formulation, adoption, implementation, and evaluation.
9. Social determinants of health (SDOH) include all EXCEPT:
a) Genetics
, b) Education
c) Housing
d) Employment
Answer: a
Rationale: SDOH are the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age—
such as education, housing, and employment. Genetics is a biological determinant, not a
social one.
10. Which model focuses on upstream interventions to address root causes of poor
health?
a) Biomedical model
b) Downstream curative model
c) Socio-ecological model
d) Fee-for-service model
Answer: c
Rationale: The socio-ecological model examines multiple levels of influence (individual,
interpersonal, community, societal) and emphasizes upstream interventions addressing
root causes rather than only treating symptoms.
11. What is meant by "health equity"?
a) Everyone receives the exact same healthcare services
b) Every person has a fair opportunity to achieve their full health potential
c) Only wealthy individuals receive quality care
d) Healthcare is rationed equally
Answer: b
Rationale: Health equity means removing obstacles to health such as poverty,
discrimination, and lack of access to care, allowing everyone a fair opportunity to be as
healthy as possible.
