10 Nursing Board Exam Questions and Rationale

1. Which element in the circular chain of infection can be eliminated by preserving

skin integrity?
a. Host
b. Reservoir
c. Mode of transmission
d. Portal of entry

Answer: D. In the circular chain of infection, pathogens must be able to leave their
reservoir and be transmitted to a susceptible host through a portal of entry, such as
broken skin.

2. Which of the following will probably result in a break in sterile technique for
respiratory isolation?
a. Opening the patient’s window to the outside environment
b. Turning on the patient’s room ventilator
c. Opening the door of the patient’s room leading into the hospital
corridor
d. Failing to wear gloves when administering a bed bath

Answer: C. Respiratory isolation, like strict isolation, requires that the door to the
door patient’s room remain closed. However, the patient’s room should be well
ventilated, so opening the window or turning on the ventricular is desirable. The
nurse does not need to wear gloves for respiratory isolation, but good hand washing
is important for all types of isolation.

3. Effective hand washing requires the use of:

a. Soap or detergent to promote emulsification
b. Hot water to destroy bacteria
c. A disinfectant to increase surface tension
d. All of the above

Answer: A. Soaps and detergents are used to help remove bacteria because of their
ability to lower the surface tension of water and act as emulsifying agents. Hot
water may lead to skin irritation or burns.

4. After routine patient contact, hand washing should last at least:

a. 30 seconds
b. 1 minute
c. 2 minute
d. 3 minutes

Answer: A. Depending on the degree of exposure to pathogens, hand washing may

last from 10 seconds to 4 minutes. After routine patient contact, hand washing for
30 seconds effectively minimizes the risk of pathogen transmission.

5. All of the following statement are true about donning sterile gloves except:
a. The first glove should be picked up by grasping the inside of the cuff.
b. The second glove should be picked up by inserting the gloved fingers
under the cuff outside the glove.
c. The gloves should be adjusted by sliding the gloved fingers under the
sterile cuff and pulling the glove over the wrist
d. The inside of the glove is considered sterile

Answer: D. The inside of the glove is always considered to be clean, but not sterile.

6. When removing a contaminated gown, the nurse should be careful that the first
thing she touches is the:
a. Waist tie and neck tie at the back of the gown
 b. Waist tie in front of the gown
c. Cuffs of the gown
d. Inside of the gown

Answer: A. The back of the gown is considered clean, the front is contaminated. So,
after removing gloves and washing hands, the nurse should untie the back of the
gown; slowly move backward away from the gown, holding the inside of the gown
and keeping the edges off the floor; turn and fold the gown inside out; discard it in a
contaminated linen container; then wash her hands again.

7. Which of the following procedures always requires surgical asepsis?

a. Vaginal instillation of conjugated estrogen
b. Urinary catheterization
c. Nasogastric tube insertion
d. Colostomy irrigation

Answer: B. The urinary system is normally free of microorganisms except at the

urinary meatus. Any procedure that involves entering this system must use
surgically aseptic measures to maintain a bacteria-free state.

8. Which of the following constitutes a break in sterile technique while preparing a

sterile field for a dressing change?
a. Using sterile forceps, rather than sterile gloves, to handle a sterile item
b. Touching the outside wrapper of sterilized material without sterile
gloves
c. Placing a sterile object on the edge of the sterile field
d. Pouring out a small amount of solution (15 to 30 ml) before pouring the
solution into a sterile container

Answer: C. The edges of a sterile field are considered contaminated. When sterile
items are allowed to come in contact with the edges of the field, the sterile items
also become contaminated.

9. A client has undergone right pneumonectomy. When turning the client, the nurse
should plan to position the client either:

a. Right side-lying position or supine

b. High fowlers
c. Right or left side lying position
d. Low fowler’s position

Answer: A. Right side lying position or supine position permits ventilation of the
remaining lung and prevent fluid from draining into sutured bronchial stump.

10. A client has undergone gastrectomy. Nurse Jovy is aware that the best position
for the client is:

a. Left side lying

b. Low fowler’s
c. Prone
d. Supine

Answer: B. A client who has had abdominal surgery is best placed in a low fowler’s
position. This relaxes abdominal muscles and provides maximum respiratory and
cardiovascular function.

Source: Reviews and Rationales Series for Nursing by Mary Ann Hogan and Judy E.
White