Deck 4: Theoretical Foundations of Nursing Practice

Question 1

The nurse is caring for a patient diagnosed with essential hypertension. The health care provider prescribes blood pressure medication that the nurse administers. The nurse then monitors the patient's blood pressure for several days to help determine effectiveness. Which system component is the nurse evaluating?

A) Input
B) Output
C) Content
D) Feedback

Answer 1

Output

Question 2

A nurse is conducting research about the needs of depressed patients. The nurse writes the following: Depression is a patient reporting a score above 7 on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. What did the nurse write?

A) Operational definition
B) Conceptual definition
C) Paradigm
D) Concept

Answer 2

Operational definition

Question 3

A nurse is using Maslow's hierarchy of needs to prioritize care. Place the levels in order of basic priority to highest priority that the nurse will follow.
1) Physiological
2) Self-esteem
3) Self-actualization
4) Safety and security

A) 4, 1, 2, 3, 5
B) 1, 4, 5, 3, 2
C) 4, 5, 3, 2, 1
D) 1, 4, 5, 2, 3

Answer 3

1, 4, 5, 2, 3

Question 4

The nurse is caring for a patient who is actively bleeding. The health care provider prescribes blood transfusions. The patient is a Jehovah's Witness and does not want blood products. The nurse contacts the health care provider to request alternative treatment. Which theory is the nurse using?

A) Roy's theory
B) Leininger's theory
C) Watson's theory
D) Orem's theory

Question 5

The nursing instructor is teaching a class on nursing theory. One of the students asks, "Why do we need to know this stuff? It doesn't really affect patients." What is the instructor's best response?

A) "You are correct, but we have to learn it anyway."
B) "This keeps the focus of nursing narrow."
C) "Theories help explain why nurses do what they do."
D) "Exposure to theories will help you later in graduate school."

Question 6

A nurse is using theoretical knowledge in nursing practice to provide patient care. Which nursing behavior is an example of theoretical knowledge?

A) Reads about different concepts
B) Reflects on clinical experiences
C) Combines the art and science of nursing
D) Creates a narrow understanding of nursing practice

Question 7

Which action indicates the nurse is using the nursing process in patient care?

A) Generates nursing knowledge for use in nursing practice.
B) Conceptualizes an aspect of nursing to predict nursing care.
C) Develops nursing care as a specific, distinct phenomenon.
D) Delivers nursing care using a systematic approach.

Question 8

A nurse is using nursing theory and the nursing process simultaneously to plan nursing care. How will the nurse use nursing theory and the nursing process in practice?

A) Nursing theory can direct how a nurse uses the nursing process.
B) Nursing theory requires the nursing process to develop knowledge.
C) Nursing theory with the nursing process has a minor role in professional nursing.
D) Nursing theory combined with the nursing process is specific to certain ill patients.

Question 9

A patient is admitted with possible methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and is placed in isolation until cultures can be obtained and declared noninfectious. During the isolation process, the nurse encourages family visits. Which level of Maslow's hierarchy of needs is the nurse promoting when the family is encouraged to visit?

A) First level
B) Second level
C) Third level
D) Fourth level

Question 10

The nurse is caring for a patient who does not follow the prescribed regimen for diabetes management. As a prescriber to Orem's theory, the nurse interviews the patient in an attempt to identify the cause of the patient's "noncompliance." What is the rationale for the nurse's behavior?

A) Orem's theory is useful in designing interventions to promote self-care.
B) Orem's theory focuses on cultural issues that may affect compliance.
C) Orem's theory allows for reduction of anxiety with communication.
D) Orem's theory helps nurses manipulate the patient's environment.

Question 11

A nurse is caring for pediatric patients and using the developmental theory to plan nursing care. What is the focus of this nurse's care?

A) Humans have an orderly, predictive process of growth and development.
B) Humans respond to threats by adapting with growth and development.
C) Humans respond with cognitive principles for growth and development.
D) Humans have psychosocial domains to growth and development.

Question 12

The nurse researcher is evaluating whether holding pressure at an injection site after injecting the anticoagulant enoxaparin will reduce bruising at the injection site. This study involves a prescriptive theory. What is the nurse's rationale for involving a prescriptive theory?

A) It explains why bruising occurs.
B) It is broad in scope and complex.
C) It tests a specific nursing intervention.
D) It reflects a wide variety of nursing care situations.

Question 13

The patient is terminally ill and is receiving hospice care. The nurse cares for the patient by bathing, shaving, and repositioning him. The patient would like a Catholic priest called to provide the Sacrament of the Sick. The nurse places a call and arranges for the priest's visit. Which theory does this nurse's care represent?

A) Roy's theory
B) Watson's theory
C) Henderson's theory
D) Orem's self-care deficit theory

Question 14

A nurse is testing meditation for migraine headaches and the expected outcome of care when performing this intervention. Which type of theory is the nurse using?

A) Grand
B) Prescriptive
C) Descriptive
D) Middle-range

Question 15

A nurse is using a nursing metaparadigm to define nursing. Which concepts will the nurse include? (Select all that apply.)

A) Person
B) Disease
C) Health
D) Nursing
E) Environment

Question 16

Upon assessment, the nurse notices that the patient's respirations have increased, and the tip of the nose and earlobes are becoming cyanotic. The nurse finds that the patient's pulse rate is over 100 beats per minute. According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, which patient need should the nurse address first?

A) Self-esteem
B) Physiological
C) Self-actualization
D) Love and belonging

Question 17

The nurse views the patient as an open system that needs help in coping with stressors. Which theorist is the nurse using?

A) King
B) Levine
C) Neuman
D) Johnson

Question 18

Which behavior from a nurse indicates the nurse is using Nightingale's theory to plan nursing care?

A) Knows all about the disease processes affecting patients
B) Focuses on medication administration and treatments
C) Thinks about the patients and patients' environments
D) Considers nursing knowledge and medicine the same

Question 19

The patient is newly diagnosed with diabetes and will be discharged in the next day or so. The nurse is teaching the patient how to draw up and self-administer insulin. Which nursing theory is the nurse utilizing?

A) Watson's theory
B) Orem's theory
C) Roger's theory
D) Henderson's theory

Question 20

The home health nurse listens to the patient's concerns about having "open-heart" surgery. The nurse explains the different surgical procedures and other options, like cardiac rehabilitation. After several visits, the patient wants cardiac rehabilitation. The nurse notifies the health care provider and sets up a referral. Which theory is the nurse using?

A) Peplau's theory
B) Henderson's theory
C) Nightingale's theory
D) Orem's self-care deficit theory

Question 21

A nurse wants to incorporate psychosocial theories into nursing practice. Which elements will the nurse include? (Select all that apply.)

A) Physiological needs of the patient
B) Psychological needs of the patient
C) Sociocultural needs of the patient
D) Cognitive needs of the patient
E) Spiritual needs of the patient