CHAPTER 1 Foundations for Clinical Proficiency 

MULTIPLE CHOICE

1. After completing an initial assessment of a patient, the nurse has charted that his respirations 

are eupneic and his pulse is 58 beats per minute. These types of data would be:

a

.

Objective.

b

.

Reflective.

c

.

Subjective.

d

.

Introspective.

ANS: A

Objective data are what the health professional observes by inspecting, percussing, palpating, 

and auscultating during the physical examination. Subjective data is what the person says about 

him or herself during history taking. The terms reflective and introspective are not used to 

describe data.

DIF: Cognitive Level: Understanding (Comprehension) REF: p. 2

MSC: Client Needs: Safe and Effective Care Environment: Management of Care

2. A patient tells the nurse that he is very nervous, is nauseated, and feels hot. These types of 

data would be:

a

.

Objective.

b

.

Reflective.

c

.

Subjective.

d

.

Introspective.

ANS: C

Subjective data are what the person says about him or herself during history taking. Objective 

data are what the health professional observes by inspecting, percussing, palpating, and 

auscultating during the physical examination. The terms reflective and introspective are not used

to describe data.

DIF: Cognitive Level: Understanding (Comprehension) REF: p. 2

MSC: Client Needs: Safe and Effective Care Environment: Management of Care

3. The patients record, laboratory studies, objective data, and subjective data combine to form 

the:

a

.

Data base.

b

.

Admitting data.

c

.

Financial statement.

d

.

Discharge summary.

ANS: A

Together with the patients record and laboratory studies, the objective and subjective data form 

the data base. The other items are not part of the patients record, laboratory studies, or data.

DIF: Cognitive Level: Remembering (Knowledge) REF: p. 2

MSC: Client Needs: Safe and Effective Care Environment: Management of Care

4. When listening to a patients breath sounds, the nurse is unsure of a sound that is heard. The 

nurses next action should be to:

a

.

Immediately notify the patients physician.

b

.

Document the sound exactly as it was heard.

c

.

Validate the data by asking a coworker to listen to the breath sounds.

d

.

Assess again in 20 minutes to note whether the sound is still present.

ANS: C

When unsure of a sound heard while listening to a patients breath sounds, the nurse validates the 

data to ensure accuracy. If the nurse has less experience in an area, then he or she asks an expert 

to listen.

DIF: Cognitive Level: Analyzing (Analysis) REF: p. 2

MSC: Client Needs: Safe and Effective Care Environment: Management of Care

5. The nurse is conducting a class for new graduate nurses. During the teaching session, the 
nurse should keep in mind that novice nurses, without a background of skills and experience 
from which to draw, are more likely to make their decisions using:
a
.
Intuition.
b
.
A set of rules.
c
.
Articles in journals.
d
.
Advice from supervisors.
ANS: B
Novice nurses operate from a set of defined, structured rules. The expert practitioner uses 
intuitive links.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Understanding (Comprehension) REF: p. 3 
MSC: Client Needs: General
6. Expert nurses learn to attend to a pattern of assessment data and act without consciously 
labeling it. These responses are referred to as:
a
.
Intuition.
b
.
The nursing process.
c
.
Clinical knowledge.
d
.
Diagnostic reasoning.
ANS: A
Intuition is characterized by pattern recognition expert nurses learn to attend to a pattern of 
assessment data and act without consciously labeling it. The other options are not correct.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Understanding (Comprehension) REF: p. 4 
MSC: Client Needs: General
7. The nurse is reviewing information about evidence-based practice (EBP). Which statement 
best reflects EBP?
a
.
EBP relies on tradition for support of best practices.
b
.
EBP is simply the use of best practice techniques for the treatment of patients.
c
.
EBP emphasizes the use of best evidence with the clinicians experience.
d
.
The patients own preferences are not important with EBP.
ANS: C
EBP is a systematic approach to practice that emphasizes the use of best evidence in combination 
with the clinicians experience, as well as patient preferences and values, when making decisions 
about care and treatment. EBP is more than simply using the best practice techniques to treat 
patients, and questioning tradition is important when no compelling and supportive research 
evidence exists.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Applying (Application) REF: p. 5
MSC: Client Needs: Safe and Effective Care Environment: Management of Care
8. The nurse is conducting a class on priority setting for a group of new graduate nurses. Which 
is an example of a first-level priority problem?
a
.
Patient with postoperative pain
b
.
Newly diagnosed patient with diabetes who needs diabetic teaching
c
.
Individual with a small laceration on the sole of the foot
d
.
Individual with shortness of breath and respiratory distress
ANS: D
First-level priority problems are those that are emergent, life threatening, and immediate (e.g., 
establishing an airway, supporting breathing, maintaining circulation, monitoring abnormal vital 
signs) (see Table 1-1).
DIF: Cognitive Level: Understanding (Comprehension) REF: p. 4
MSC: Client Needs: Safe and Effective Care Environment: Management of Care
9. When considering priority setting of problems, the nurse keeps in mind that second-level 
priority problems include which of these aspects?
a
.
Low self-esteem
b
.
Lack of knowledge
c
.
Abnormal laboratory values
d
.
Severely abnormal vital signs
ANS: C
Second-level priority problems are those that require prompt intervention to forestall further 
deterioration (e.g., mental status change, acute pain, abnormal laboratory values, risks to safety 
or security) (see Table 1-1).
DIF: Cognitive Level: Understanding (Comprehension) REF: p. 4
MSC: Client Needs: Safe and Effective Care Environment: Management of Care
10. Which critical thinking skill helps the nurse see relationships among the data?
a
.
Validation
b
.
Clustering related cues
c
.
Identifying gaps in data
d
.
Distinguishing relevant from irrelevant
ANS: B
Clustering related cues helps the nurse see relationships among the data.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Understanding (Comprehension) REF: p. 2
MSC: Client Needs: Safe and Effective Care Environment: Management of Care
11. The nurse knows that developing appropriate nursing interventions for a patient relies on the 
appropriateness of the diagnosis.
a Nursing
.
b Medical
c Admission
.
d Collaborative
.
ANS: A
An accurate nursing diagnosis provides the basis for the selection of nursing interventions to 
achieve outcomes for which the nurse is accountable. The other items do not contribute to the 
development of appropriate nursing interventions.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Understanding (Comprehension) REF: p. 6
MSC: Client Needs: Safe and Effective Care Environment: Management of Care
12. The nursing process is a sequential method of problem solving that nurses use and includes 
which steps?
a Assessment, treatment, planning, evaluation, discharge, and follow-up
.
b Admission, assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and discharge planning
.
c Admission, diagnosis, treatment, evaluation, and discharge planning
.
d Assessment, diagnosis, outcome identification, planning, implementation, and
. evaluation
ANS: D
The nursing process is a method of problem solving that includes assessment, diagnosis, 
outcome identification, planning, implementation, and evaluation
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