SNB Nursing Professional Practice Sample Questions

1. A patient requests access to their medical records. What is the most appropriate nursing response?

Refuse the request

Provide records immediately without process

Inform the patient about the institutional process

Give only laboratory reports

Access to medical records follows established institutional procedures.

Explanation

Access to medical records follows established institutional procedures.

2. A nurse is asked to perform a procedure she has not been trained for due to short staffing. Which principle best justifies her refusal?

Nurses may refuse any task they find uncomfortable

Nurses must practice within their competence and scope to ensure patient safety

Staffing shortages override scope of practice limitations

Patient permission is sufficient to proceed with any procedure

Nurses must practice within their competence and scope to ensure patient safety.

Explanation

Nurses must practice within their competence and scope to ensure patient safety.

3. A confused patient repeatedly attempts to remove a central venous catheter. What is the most appropriate action?

Apply restraints immediately

Obtain a physician order and attempt less restrictive measures first

Seek family permission only

Assign another patient to monitor the situation

Restraints are a last resort after other interventions fail.

Explanation

Restraints are a last resort after other interventions fail.

4. An elderly patient with advanced dementia refuses a life-saving procedure. What should the nurse do first?

Physically restrain the patient

Assess decision-making capacity and notify the medical team

Obtain consent from any available family member

Proceed with treatment immediately

Capacity assessment is essential before accepting refusal of treatment.

Explanation

Capacity assessment is essential before accepting refusal of treatment.

5. Which task can most appropriately be delegated to an enrolled nurse?

Initial nursing assessment

Development of a care plan

Routine vital signs monitoring for a stable patient

Clinical judgment regarding patient deterioration

Stable patient monitoring may be delegated, but assessment remains the RN's responsibility.

Explanation

Stable patient monitoring may be delegated, but assessment remains the RN's responsibility.

6. A nurse forgets to document a wound dressing performed 6 hours earlier. What is the best action?

Leave it undocumented

Backdate the entry

Make a late entry with the current date and time

Ask another nurse to document it

Late entries should be clearly identified and documented honestly.

Explanation

Late entries should be clearly identified and documented honestly.

7. A nurse receives a call from a patient's neighbor requesting information about the patient's diagnosis. What should the nurse do?

Provide basic information only

Confirm admission but not the diagnosis

Refuse disclosure without patient consent

Ask the caller to visit the ward

Patient information is confidential and cannot be disclosed without authorization.

Explanation

Patient information is confidential and cannot be disclosed without authorization.

8. A nurse is asked to perform a procedure for which she has not been trained. What is the most appropriate action?

Perform it because staffing is short

Refuse and seek supervision or training

Watch a video and proceed

Ask the patient for permission

Nurses must practice within their competence and scope to ensure patient safety.

Explanation

Nurses must practice within their competence and scope to ensure patient safety.

9. A patient signs a consent form but appears confused about the procedure. What should the nurse do?

Send the patient to surgery immediately

Witness the signature only

Notify the physician and clarify the patient's understanding

Ignore the confusion

Valid consent requires understanding.

Explanation

Valid consent requires understanding.

10. A family requests that a cancer diagnosis be withheld from a competent patient. What is the most appropriate action?

Respect the family's wishes

Answer honestly according to patient rights and the care plan

Remove the family from the room

Ignore the patient's questions

Competent patients have the right to know about their condition.

Explanation

Competent patients have the right to know about their condition.

11. A competent patient refuses all treatment despite understanding the consequences. What should the nurse do?

Force treatment

Respect the decision after informed refusal

Obtain family consent

Call security

Competent adults may refuse care.

Explanation

Competent adults may refuse care.

12. A dying patient repeatedly expresses fear and distress. What is the most appropriate nursing response?

Prioritize paperwork

Ask family to provide support

Provide emotional support and address psychological needs

Leave the patient until symptoms worsen

Holistic care includes emotional support.

Explanation

Holistic care includes emotional support.

13. A physician asks a nurse to modify documentation to avoid legal issues. What should the nurse do?

Follow the instruction

Refuse and report the request

Modify only part of the documentation

Ask another nurse to handle it

Documentation must remain truthful.

Explanation

Documentation must remain truthful.

14. A nurse learns confidential information about a colleague's illness. What should the nurse do?

Share with coworkers

Discuss it outside of work

Maintain confidentiality

Post anonymously online

Confidentiality applies to all health information.

Explanation

Confidentiality applies to all health information.

15. A patient falls despite repeated education. What is the most appropriate nursing action?

Avoid documentation

Document the incident and complete incident reporting

Blame the patient

Change previous documentation

Accurate reporting supports patient safety.

Explanation

Accurate reporting supports patient safety.

16. A nurse accepts a luxury watch from a grateful patient. What is the most appropriate action?

Accept because it is appreciation

Accept if supervisor approves

Decline to maintain professional boundaries

Accept if documented

Expensive gifts may compromise professional boundaries.

Explanation

Expensive gifts may compromise professional boundaries.

17. A patient says, "I have never taken this medicine before." What should the nurse do?

Administer anyway

Stop and verify before administration

Tell the patient not to worry

Ask another patient

Concerns must be verified before administration.

Explanation

Concerns must be verified before administration.

18. A nurse discovers a colleague documented medication administration that never occurred. What is the best action?

Ignore the issue

Speak privately to the nurse and report according to policy

Delete the documentation yourself

Inform the family immediately

Unsafe practice must be addressed through proper channels.

Explanation

Unsafe practice must be addressed through proper channels.

19. A nurse notices an incorrect medication has been prescribed. What should the nurse do?

Administer because the physician ordered it

Clarify the order before administration

Ignore the concern

Ask the family for permission

Nurses share responsibility for medication safety.

Explanation

Nurses share responsibility for medication safety.

20. A nurse suspects physical abuse of an elderly patient. What is the most appropriate action?

Ignore suspicion without proof

Report according to safeguarding procedures

Ask the patient to return later

Inform the media

Suspected abuse must be reported appropriately.

Explanation

Suspected abuse must be reported appropriately.

21. A nurse accesses a celebrity's medical record out of curiosity. How should this be classified?

Acceptable if kept confidential

Acceptable during break time

Professional misconduct and a privacy breach

Acceptable if nothing is printed

Access without clinical need is prohibited.

Explanation

Access without clinical need is prohibited.

22. A competent patient refuses surgery, but the family insists treatment proceed. Whose decision should be followed?

Family wishes

Physician preference

Patient autonomy

Hospital convenience

Competent patients have decision-making authority.

Explanation

Competent patients have decision-making authority.

23. A patient develops hypotension and altered consciousness. What is the nurse's priority action?

Complete documentation

Notify family

Activate escalation protocol and assess ABCs

Prepare discharge paperwork

Patient stabilization is the priority.

Explanation

Patient stabilization is the priority.

24. A colleague appears intoxicated during duty. What is the most appropriate action?

Ignore it

Report concerns through appropriate channels

Cover for the colleague

Confront the colleague publicly

Nurses have a duty to protect patient safety.

Explanation

Nurses have a duty to protect patient safety.

25. A physician verbally orders a high-risk medication during an emergency. What should the nurse do?

Administer without confirmation

Repeat back the order for verification

Ignore the order

Ask another nurse to decide

Read-back verification improves medication safety.

Explanation

Read-back verification improves medication safety.

26. A competent adult refuses a blood transfusion for religious reasons. What is the most appropriate nursing action?

Proceed due to emergency

Respect refusal after ensuring informed decision-making

Obtain family consent

Seek a court order immediately

Competent adults may refuse treatment.

Explanation

Competent adults may refuse treatment.

27. A patient with terminal cancer has a documented refusal of CPR and suffers cardiac arrest. What should the nurse do?

Begin CPR immediately

Follow documented wishes and institutional policy

Ask family first

Wait for physician arrival

Valid advance care plans should be respected.

Explanation

Valid advance care plans should be respected.

28. Which action is most likely to result in disciplinary action?

Arriving 5 minutes late

Incomplete handwriting

Falsifying patient records

Taking a meal break

Falsification of records is serious misconduct.

Explanation

Falsification of records is serious misconduct.

29. A nurse posts: "Busy shift today. Treated a famous businessman involved in a major accident." How should this be classified?

Acceptable because no name is mentioned

Acceptable if the account is private

A breach of confidentiality

Acceptable if deleted later

Indirect identification may still breach confidentiality.

Explanation

Indirect identification may still breach confidentiality.

30. A nurse experiences a needle-stick injury after administering medication. What is the most appropriate immediate action?

Continue working and report later

Wash the area immediately and report promptly

Wait for symptoms to appear

Hide the incident

Immediate reporting and post-exposure management are required.

Explanation

Immediate reporting and post-exposure management are required.

SNB Nursing Professional Practice Sample Questions

1. A patient requests access to their medical records. What is the most appropriate nursing response?

2.

What first name or nickname would you like us to use?

2. A nurse is asked to perform a procedure she has not been trained for due to short staffing. Which principle best justifies her refusal?

3. A confused patient repeatedly attempts to remove a central venous catheter. What is the most appropriate action?

4. An elderly patient with advanced dementia refuses a life-saving procedure. What should the nurse do first?

5. Which task can most appropriately be delegated to an enrolled nurse?

6. A nurse forgets to document a wound dressing performed 6 hours earlier. What is the best action?

7. A nurse receives a call from a patient's neighbor requesting information about the patient's diagnosis. What should the nurse do?

8. A nurse is asked to perform a procedure for which she has not been trained. What is the most appropriate action?

9. A patient signs a consent form but appears confused about the procedure. What should the nurse do?

10. A family requests that a cancer diagnosis be withheld from a competent patient. What is the most appropriate action?

11. A competent patient refuses all treatment despite understanding the consequences. What should the nurse do?

12. A dying patient repeatedly expresses fear and distress. What is the most appropriate nursing response?

13. A physician asks a nurse to modify documentation to avoid legal issues. What should the nurse do?

14. A nurse learns confidential information about a colleague's illness. What should the nurse do?

15. A patient falls despite repeated education. What is the most appropriate nursing action?

16. A nurse accepts a luxury watch from a grateful patient. What is the most appropriate action?

17. A patient says, "I have never taken this medicine before." What should the nurse do?

18. A nurse discovers a colleague documented medication administration that never occurred. What is the best action?

19. A nurse notices an incorrect medication has been prescribed. What should the nurse do?

20. A nurse suspects physical abuse of an elderly patient. What is the most appropriate action?

21. A nurse accesses a celebrity's medical record out of curiosity. How should this be classified?

22. A competent patient refuses surgery, but the family insists treatment proceed. Whose decision should be followed?

23. A patient develops hypotension and altered consciousness. What is the nurse's priority action?

24. A colleague appears intoxicated during duty. What is the most appropriate action?

25. A physician verbally orders a high-risk medication during an emergency. What should the nurse do?

26. A competent adult refuses a blood transfusion for religious reasons. What is the most appropriate nursing action?

27. A patient with terminal cancer has a documented refusal of CPR and suffers cardiac arrest. What should the nurse do?

28. Which action is most likely to result in disciplinary action?

29. A nurse posts: "Busy shift today. Treated a famous businessman involved in a major accident." How should this be classified?

30. A nurse experiences a needle-stick injury after administering medication. What is the most appropriate immediate action?