CH 28: THE NCLEX-RN EXAMINATION

CH 28: THE NCLEX-RN EXAMINATION

WITH CORRECT ANSWERS

• Graduates from approved schools of nursing cannot sign their charting as registered nurses (RNs) until

they:

• pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN®).
• provide evidence of mental competency.
• supply written proof of physical fitness.
• have signed an employment contract with a health care facility. - Correct Answer - A

A compulsory license requirement must be met to legally practice or work as a registered nurse in any state or U.S. territory. Licenses are granted only after an applicant has successfully passed the NCLEX-RN examination.DIF: Comprehension REF: p. 486

• Which statement concerning the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses

(NCLEX-RN) examination is correct?

• Graduates from all three types of nursing programs (diploma, associate degree, and baccalaureate

degree) take the same examination.

• The examination is scored on an interval scale rather than on a pass-fail basis.
• The examination is offered twice a year in major urban areas.
• The candidate has the option of choosing a pencil-and-paper format. - Correct Answer - A

The purpose of the NCLEX-RN examination is to determine safe practice and the ability of candidates to perform at the entry level. Candidates from all three types of nursing programs must demonstrate the same competencies.DIF: Knowledge REF: p. 487

3. Computerized adaptive testing implies that:

• the candidate must be computer literate.
• competency is determined on the basis of difficulty of questions, knowledge of the nursing process,

and the number of questions answered correctly.

• testing facilities have been adapted for the physically challenged candidate.
• questions cannot be adapted to the needs of the student. - Correct Answer - B

Computerized adaptive testing is based on the measurement theory, by which the candidate must prove with a score of 95% that he or she is safe and knowledgeable at entry into the practice level.DIF: Comprehension REF: pp. 487-488

• On the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) examination, when

the candidate is asked to set goals in collaboration with other members of the health care team, the

nurse is being tested in the area of:

• assessment.
• planning.
• analysis.
• implementation. - Correct Answer - B

Setting goals is one of the first steps in the planning process.DIF: Application REF: p. 493

• The length of the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN)

examination is based on the:

• last four numbers of the candidate's social security number.
• location of testing.
• candidate's educational preparation.
• performance of the candidate. - Correct Answer - D

The length of the examination is based on the ability of candidates to provide 95% confidence that they are safe practitioners and have acquired a minimal level of knowledge about the nursing process. The length of the examination ranges from 75 to 265 questions, and it takes up to 6 hours to complete.DIF: Application REF: pp. 487-488

• The primary purpose of the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN)

examination is to:

• ensure that practitioners have the minimum skills and knowledge needed to provide care that will

produce the best patient care outcomes.

• regulate nursing education.
• determine the mandatory educational level required for nurses to practice.
• accredit schools of nursing. - Correct Answer - A

The purpose of the NCLEX-RN examination is twofold: (1) to safeguard the public from unsafe practitioners and (2) to determine whether candidates can perform entry level skills.DIF: Comprehension REF: p. 487

• A student nurse who is preparing to graduate and take the licensure examination asks, "What is

compulsory licensure?" The appropriate response of the nursing advisor is which of the following?

• All candidates wishing to take the licensure examination must pass a drug screen.

• Candidates must not have a felony conviction.
• To practice as an RN, the nurse must be licensed as an RN.
• An impaired nurse must sign a legal document to acknowledge limitations on his or her practice. -

Correct Answer - C Licensure is a prerequisite for practice to ensure public safety.DIF: Knowledge REF: p. 486

• The National Council of State Boards of Nursing determines acceptable National Council Licensure

Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) examination questions on the basis of:

• the geographic location of the candidate.
• research that indicates needed skills for positions in which most entry level nurses are employed.
• surveys conducted by employers to determine the weaknesses of entry level nurses.
• surveys of physicians performed to determine what nurses must know to provide safe care. - Correct

Answer - B Periodically, the National Council of State Boards of Nursing surveys health care providers to identify nursing care activities of entry level nurses.DIF: Comprehension REF: p. 487

• Although the NCLEX-RN examination has new formats for questions, the most common format is the:
• fill-in-the-blank item because candidates are not provided with clues from distracters.
• multiple-choice question item, which allows candidates to select the one correct answer.
• multiple-response item because these questions require a higher level of critical thinking.
• hot-spot item because these questions are written at the application level of Bloom's analysis. -

Correct Answer - B Most NCLEX-RN examination questions have three distracters and one correct answer, but the examination allows all four levels of Bloom's taxonomy to be tested.