Deck 52: Theoretical Foundations of Nursing Practice

Question 1

The nurse is visiting a patient at home after he was discharged from the hospital following a heart attack.She listens to the patient's concerns about being an invalid for the rest of his life because of his bad heart,but he is afraid of having "open heart" surgery.The nurse explains the different surgical procedures that are available to the patient,as well as other options such as cardiac rehabilitation.After several such visits,the patient states that he believes that cardiac rehabilitation therapy would be best for him,and asks the nurse how he can get in.The nurse calls the patient's physician and sets up a referral for cardiac rehabilitation.This action most closely fits which of the following theories?

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

Answer 1

A
Peplau's theory focuses on the individual,the nurse,and the interactive process or nurse-patient relationship.Goals are to educate the patient and family and to help the patient define the problem and solutions.Henderson's theory focuses on helping the patient with activities that the patient would perform unaided if he or she were able.Nightingale viewed nursing not as limited to the administration of medications and treatments,but rather as oriented toward providing fresh air,light,warmth,cleanliness,quiet,and adequate nutrition.The goal of Orem's theory is to help the patient perform self-care.

Question 2

A system is made up of separate components.A closed system

A) Interacts with the environment.
B) Is exemplified by the human organism.
C) Does not interact with the environment.
D) Is exemplified by the nursing process.

Answer 2

C
Two types of systems have been identified: open and closed.An open system,such as a human organism or processes like the nursing process,interacts with the environment.A closed system does not interact with the environment.

Question 3

Many aspects of nursing theory are based on developmental theories because human growth and development is believed to be

A) Erratic and difficult to predict.
B) An orderly predictive process.
C) An orderly process until adulthood.
D) Unpredictable during childhood.

Answer 3

B
Human growth and development is an orderly predictive process that begins with conception and continues through death.It is not erratic or difficult to predict.It does not stop at adulthood and is not unpredictable during childhood.

Question 4

The nurse is making rounds and finds her older adult patient sobbing and obviously upset.She states that her doctor told her that she has cancer,and she does not want to die."What's the sense?" she says."I might as well die.I'm going to anyway.I guess that shows how useless I really am.Nobody wants an old lady around." The nurse notices that the patient's respirations have increased,and the tip of her nose and ear lobes are becoming cyanotic.The nurse assesses the patient and finds that the patient's pulse rate is over 150 beats per minute.According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs,the nurse should first

A) Call the physician to request a psychiatric consult.
B) Reassure the patient that she has value as a human being.
C) Place the patient on oxygen and try to calm her.
D) Call the patient's family to help her realize that she is wanted.

Question 5

The student nurse is learning nursing theories but fails to see how they relate to the nursing process.The professional nurse realizes that nursing theory

A) Has a minor role in professional nursing.
B) Requires the nursing process to develop knowledge.
C) Can direct how a nurse uses the nursing process.
D) is specific to certain patients only.

Question 6

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." The instructor's best response would be

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

Question 7

The nurse is caring for a patient who is known as a "frequent flyer," and who has been labeled as "noncompliant" by most of the staff because she does not follow her 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." This is because Orem's theory

A) Is useful in designing interventions to promote self-care.
B) Does not allow for environmental influences on care.
C) Allows for development of a plan of care that the patient must follow.
D) Is not useful in promoting self-care regimens.

Question 8

As the initial model for nursing,Nightingale's "descriptive theory" encouraged nurses to

A) Know all about the disease processes affecting their patient.
B) Think about their patients and patients' environment.
C) Combine nursing knowledge with medicine.
D) Focus on medication administration and treatments.

Question 9

The type of theory that is used to develop and test specific nursing interventions is known as _____ theory.

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

Question 10

Nursing has its own body of knowledge that is both theoretical and practical.Which of the following is an example of theoretical knowledge?

A) Reflection on care experiences
B) Synthesis and integration of the art and science of nursing
C) Reflection on basic values and principles
D) Creating a narrow understanding of nursing practice

Question 11

The nurse is caring for a patient who is actively bleeding.The physician orders blood transfusions.The nurse notes in the chart that the patient is a Jehovah's Witness and informs the patient of the physician's order.The patient states that she is a Jehovah's Witness and does not want blood products.The nurse contacts the physician to tell him that blood cannot be given to this patient and requests alternative treatment.In doing so,the nurse is operating within which of the following theories?

A) Leininger's cultural care diversity and universality theory
B) Roy's adaptation theory
C) Watson's philosophy of transpersonal caring
D) Orem's self-care deficit theory

Question 12

The nurse is caring for a patient diagnosed with essential hypertension.The physician orders blood pressure medication that the nurse administers.The nurse then monitors the patient's blood pressure for several days to help determine the effectiveness of the administration.In doing so,the nurse evaluates which of the following system components?

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

Question 13

The nurse researcher is evaluating whether holding pressure at an injection site after injecting the anticoagulant enoxaparin (Lovenox)will reduce bruising at the injection site.This study involves a prescriptive theory because it

A) Tests a specific nursing intervention.
B) Explains why bruising occurs.
C) Is broad in scope and complex.
D) Reflects a wide variety of nursing care situations.

Question 14

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 his insulin.Which nursing theory is the nurse utilizing?

A) Watson's philosophy of transpersonal caring
B) Orem's self-care deficit theory
C) Rogers' theory
D) Henderson's theory

Question 15

The nursing process is

A) The generation of nursing knowledge for use in practice.
B) A systematic view of a phenomenon specific to inquiry.
C) A method used to inform a system about how it functions.
D) A systematic process for the delivery of nursing care.

Question 16

Psychosocial theories are needed in nursing because nursing is a diverse discipline that strives to meet which criteria?

A) Physiological needs of the patient
B) Psychological needs of the patient
C) Sociocultural needs of the patient
D) Spiritual needs of the patient
E) The nurse-patient relationship

Question 17

A paradigm is useful in describing the domain of a discipline.Nursing's paradigm includes which of the following?

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

Question 18

The patient is terminally ill and is under hospice care.The nurse cares for the patient by bathing,shaving,and repositioning him.The family believes that the end is very near and would like a Catholic priest called to provide the patient with the Sacrament of the Sick.The nurse places a call to the Catholic Church the patient attended and arranges for the priest's visit.Under which of the following theories does the nurse's care fall?

A) Roy's adaptation theory
B) Watson's philosophy of transpersonal caring
C) Henderson's theory
D) Orem's self-care deficit theory

Question 19

The patient is admitted to the ICU to rule out a myocardial infarction (MI).During the admission process,the patient is noted to have a history of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)and is placed in isolation until cultures can be obtained and the patient declared noninfectious.During the isolation process,the nurse encourages family visits,realizing that which level of Maslow's hierarchy of needs is at risk?

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

Question 20

The prospective nursing student is trying to decide on which nursing program to attend.She is examining the nursing philosophies of each program.She believes that the essence of nursing is "Caring." Which of the following theories would most likely meet her needs?

A) Benner and Wrubel's theory of nursing
B) Roy's adaptation theory
C) Orem's self-care deficit theory
D) Rogers' theory