Community Nursing Test Banks
Question and Answers, With Rationales
Newly updated 2021
Which of the following best describes the primary reason that
... [Show More] Americans are concerned about health
care?
a. Politicians are discussing how to improve
health care.
b. The media has provided mixed messages
about the health care system.
c. Our national health care costs keep
increasing.
d. The new health care system offers free
services to Americans.
ANS: C
The primary reason for the focus on health care is the constantly increasing costs, which cannot
be sustained. The costs of caring for the sick accounted for the majority of escalating health care
dollars, which increased from 5.7% of the gross domestic product in 1965 to 17.6% in 2009.
Politicians and the media both influence Americans’ perceptions about health care; however, they
are not the primary reason why Americans are concerned. The new health care system will
change the health care access and availablity, but will not necessarily be offering any free
services to Americans.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Understand (Comprehension) REF: p. 2
2. A nurse has begun to lobby with politicians for changes to the health care system. Why is this
involvement important?
a. Nurses, as central characters in several
popular TV series, are currently very
visible in American media.
b. Nurses are primarily responsible for
managing the various units in our health
care system.
c. Nurses are the largest group of health care
providers.
d. Nurses are the only group that is
employed both inside and outside of
hospitals.
ANS: C
As the largest group of health care providers, nurses are informed about the current health care
system and all the problems that result from people not seeking care until they are desperately ill.
Nurses, as the American Nurses Association (ANA) emphasize, usually believe that health care
is a right, not a privilege. Therefore, nurses, whose work is central to our current health care
delivery system, can also be instrumental in working politically to create a health care delivery
system that will meet health needs. While nurses are in several current TV series and are
employed both inside and outside of hospitals, physicians and other health care providers are as
well. Nurses are often managers, but managers often have other backgrounds, such as business
administration.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Understand (Comprehension) REF: p. 2
3. What conclusion can be drawn from examining where nurses are employed?
a. There is a trend toward consolidation of
health care into large central medical
centers.
b. There is an increased emphasis on
community-based health care.
c. There is an obvious need to decrease
health care costs by cutting positions.
d. Managed care organizations (MCOs) are
employing nurses to improve customer
relations.
ANS: B
MCOs are employing nurses in many capacities. Although hospitals are closing and acute care is
increasingly found in central medical centers, the same trend may be seen in an increase in
neighborhood-based practice centers. While positions are cut in most industries, health care is
recognized as an area where growth in employment is expected. However, nurses are
increasingly employed in community settings as opposed to hospitals. This change reflects the
move toward community-based care rather than hospital-based tertiary care. To help decrease the
continued rise in health care costs, the increased emphasis is on disease prevention rather than
high-cost treatment.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Understand (Comprehension) REF: p. 2
4. Which ethical belief would be most helpful in the current health care crisis?
a. Emphasis should be on individual and
corporation freedom in the marketplace.
b. Emphasis should be on individual
autonomy and freedom of choice.
c. Emphasis should be on social justice and
collective responsibility.
d. Emphasis should be on the effectiveness
of technology in resolving problems.
ANS: C
Public health recognizes the necessity of collective action in keeping the environment safe and in
egalitarian tradition and vision. An overinvestment in technology and seeking of cures within the
market justice system has stifled the evolution of a health system to protect and preserve the
health of the population. Although individual autonomy and freedom of choice are important, so
is the recognition of collective responsibility in ensuring social justice, which entitles all people
to basic necessities.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Apply (Application) REF: p. 2
5. What is the primary problem seen in Healthy People 2020’s emphasis on choosing healthy
lifestyle behaviors, such as daily exercise or healthy food choices?
a. Emphasis on other lifestyle choices, such
as not smoking and minimal use of
alcohol or drugs, is also needed.
b. All of us must work together to make
unhealthy behaviors socially
unacceptable.
c. It costs more to make healthy choices,
such as buying and eating fresh fruits and
vegetables as opposed to quick and cheap
fast-food choices.
d. Public policy emphasizes personal
responsibility but ignores social and
environmental changes needed for wellbeing.
ANS: D
Although all responses are accurate, the primary problem is the emphasis on personal choices in
the Healthy People 2020 objectives. Emphasis on personal choices ignores the need for
community responsibility and action that addresses environmental or cultural restraints to health.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Apply (Application) REF: p. 2
6. What responsibility does the American Nurses Association (ANA) Code of Ethics require of the
nurse beyond giving excellent care to patients?
a. Accept longer work schedules to ensure
that professional care is always available
to clients
b. Recognize the need for experienced nurses
to mentor new graduates to help increase
and expand the number of professionals
available
c. Support health legislation to improve
accessibility and cost of health care
d. Volunteer to work overtime as needed to
ensure maximum quality of care
ANS: C
The ANA Code of Ethics promotes social reform by focusing on health policy and legislation to
positively affect accessibility, quality, and cost of health care. The code does not directly address
workplace issues, such as work schedules or need for overtime.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Analyze (Analysis) REF: p. 2
7. What is the community health nursing definition of health?
a. Health is a person’s goal-directed
purposeful process toward well-being or
wholeness.
b. Health is an individual’s physical, mental,
and social well-being, not merely the
absence of disease or infirmity.
c. Health is the mutual adaptation between a
person and his or her environment in
meeting daily existence.
d. Health is families and aggregates choosing
actions to ensure safety and well-being.
ANS: D
The text stresses that health is not just the result of an individual’s choices, but choices and
actions of individuals, families, groups, and communities that lead to better health.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Apply (Application) REF: p. 3 [Show Less]