5 Nursing Practice Questions with Rationales
Test Your Knowledge in Nursing Theory, CHN, Research & Maternal Nursing
Preparing for the Philippine Nurse Licensure Examination (PNLE) requires consistent practice, strong foundational knowledge, and the ability to analyze nursing situations carefully.
One effective way to prepare for the nursing board exam is by answering nursing practice questions with rationales. This allows you to identify knowledge gaps, improve your test-taking strategies, and understand the nursing concepts behind each answer.
In this nursing reviewer, you will answer 5 PNLE-style practice questions covering important topics in Nursing Theories, Community Health Nursing, Nursing Research, Community Organization, and Maternal and Newborn Nursing.
Try answering each question before looking at the correct answer. After answering, read the rationale carefully and identify the nursing principle being tested.
1. Nursing Theories: Behavioral System Model
A common skill is one of the important competencies expected of a nurse. This nursing theory focuses on how the client adapts to illness. The goal of nursing is to reduce stress so that the client can move more easily through recovery.
Which nursing theorist developed the Behavioral System Model?
A. Joyce Travelbee
B. Sister Callista Roy
C. Martha Rogers
D. Dorothy Johnson
✅ Correct Answer: D. Dorothy Johnson
The Behavioral System Model was developed by Dorothy E. Johnson. Johnson viewed the person as a behavioral system composed of several interrelated behavioral subsystems.
According to Johnson's model, illness or other stressors may disrupt the individual's behavioral equilibrium. Nursing helps restore or maintain balance within the behavioral system.
This makes the theory particularly useful when assessing how illness affects a person's behavior and adaptation.
📝 PNLE Tip: Remember the key association: Dorothy Johnson = Behavioral System Model.
2. Community Health Nursing: Department of Health
Situation: One important tool a community health nurse uses in conducting community activities is the CHN bag. Community health nurses also work within the broader goals and responsibilities of the Philippine health system.
Which of the following best represents the mission of the Department of Health (DOH)?
A. Health for all Filipinos
B. Ensure the accessibility and quality of health care
C. Improve the general health status of the population
D. Health in the hands of the Filipino people by the year 2020
✅ Correct Answer: B. Ensure the accessibility and quality of health care
The Department of Health's mission has emphasized the provision of accessible and quality health services to Filipinos. The DOH serves as the principal health agency responsible for protecting and promoting the health of the population.
Community health nurses contribute to this goal by providing health education, disease prevention, health promotion, community assessment, and other essential services.
Why the other choices?
- A. Health for all Filipinos – This is a broad health goal rather than the specific mission statement being tested.
- C. Improve the general health status of the population – This describes a broad public health objective.
- D. Health in the hands of the Filipino people by the year 2020 – This is associated with an older health vision/goal and is not the best answer to the mission question.
📝 PNLE Tip: When answering questions about government health agencies, carefully distinguish between a mission, vision, goal, and objective.
3. Nursing Research: Proportionate Stratified Random Sampling
Situation: A school-wide survey conducted at University Schools Inc. showed that 45% of the students are Roman Catholics, 25% are Iglesia ni Cristo, 15% are Aglipayans, 10% are Seventh-day Adventists, and 5% are Muslims.
A group of nursing students wishes to use proportionate stratified random sampling in their study entitled "Effects of Religion on Students' Ethics and Values."
If the estimated student population is 3,800, how many Aglipayans should be recruited if the sample is proportionate to the population distribution?
A. 550
B. 600
C. 570
D. 610
✅ Correct Answer: C. 570
Aglipayans represent 15% of the total student population.
To determine the number of Aglipayans:
Therefore, the researchers should recruit approximately 570 Aglipayan students if the sample is allocated proportionately according to the population distribution.
📝 PNLE Research Tip: For proportionate sampling questions, convert the percentage into a decimal and multiply it by the total population or sample size specified in the question.
Formula:
4. Community Health Nursing: Promoting Community Change
Situation: The nurse, acting as a community organizer, should be conscious of her responsibilities as a manager.
For progress to take place, change must occur. However, a community may be hesitant to accept change because of the anxiety and uncertainty it may bring.
What should be the nurse's first strategy to promote change?
A. Provide reinforcement and other methods of reward to encourage change.
B. Clearly rationalize the need for change during a community assembly.
C. Enroll community members in a seminar discussing the proposed change.
D. Seek the help of authorities to enforce the change.
✅ Correct Answer: B. Clearly rationalize the need for change during a community assembly.
When introducing change in a community, the nurse should first help community members understand the reason and need for the proposed change.
Community participation and understanding are important factors in successful community organization. Clearly explaining the problem, the reason for change, and the expected benefits can help reduce anxiety and resistance.
Simply forcing a community to accept a change may result in resistance and poor cooperation.
📝 PNLE Tip: In community health nursing, remember the importance of:
- Community participation
- Effective communication
- Health education
- Building trust
- Understanding community needs
- Gaining cooperation
5. Maternal Nursing: Second Stage of Labor
Situation: A nurse determines that a client is in the second stage of labor and may begin pushing.
What marks the beginning and end of the second stage of labor?
A. Cervical dilation of 7–8 cm; complete cervical dilation
B. Complete cervical dilation; delivery of the neonate
C. Cervical dilation of 7–8 cm; delivery of the placenta
D. Complete cervical dilation; delivery of the placenta
✅ Correct Answer: B. Complete cervical dilation; delivery of the neonate
The second stage of labor begins when the cervix is completely dilated, at approximately 10 cm, and ends with the birth of the baby.
During this stage, the fetus moves through the birth canal and is eventually delivered.
The delivery of the placenta occurs during the third stage of labor, not the second stage.
📝 PNLE Tip: Memorize the stages of labor:
- First Stage: Onset of true labor → complete cervical dilation
- Second Stage: Complete cervical dilation → birth of the baby
- Third Stage: Birth of the baby → delivery of the placenta
- Fourth Stage: Immediate postpartum recovery period
📋 Nursing Practice Questions Answer Key
| Question | Answer | Topic |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | D | Nursing Theory |
| 2 | B | Community Health Nursing |
| 3 | C | Nursing Research |
| 4 | B | Community Organization |
| 5 | B | Maternal Nursing |
📊 How Did You Perform?
- 5/5 – Excellent! You have a strong foundation in these nursing concepts.
- 4/5 – Very Good! Review the question you missed and understand its rationale.
- 3/5 – Good Start! Continue practicing and strengthen your weaker areas.
- 2/5 – Needs Improvement. Review the concepts carefully and answer more practice questions.
- 0–1/5 – Keep Going! Use your mistakes as a guide for what you need to study next.
🎯 Quick Nursing Review
- Dorothy Johnson: Behavioral System Model.
- Department of Health: Questions about the DOH often test the distinction between its mission, vision, goals, and objectives.
- Proportionate Stratified Sampling: Use the subgroup percentage to determine its proportional representation.
- Community Change: Explain and rationalize the need for change and encourage community participation.
- Second Stage of Labor: Complete cervical dilation → birth of the neonate.
Why Should Nursing Students Practice Board Exam Questions?
Nursing board exam preparation involves more than reading textbooks and memorizing definitions. Students must also develop the ability to analyze clinical situations, identify priorities, apply nursing theories, and select the best answer among several plausible choices.
Regularly answering PNLE practice questions with rationales can help you recognize commonly tested concepts and improve your confidence when answering board-style questions.
When reviewing your answers, don't simply memorize the correct letter. Instead, ask yourself: Why is this answer correct? Why are the other choices incorrect? What nursing principle is being tested?
PNLE Test-Taking Tips
- Read the entire question. Avoid choosing an answer before understanding the complete situation.
- Look for keywords. Words such as first, priority, best, initial, most appropriate, and next can change the way a question should be answered.
- Identify what the question is really asking. Determine whether it is testing knowledge, application, prioritization, or clinical judgment.
- Eliminate obviously incorrect choices. This can help narrow down the best answer.
- Don't change an answer without a good reason. If your first choice is based on sound reasoning, avoid changing it simply because you become anxious.
- Review your mistakes. Your incorrect answers can identify the topics that require additional study.
- Practice consistently. Short but regular review sessions can be more effective than relying entirely on last-minute studying.
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Disclaimer: This article is provided for educational and nursing review purposes only. The questions and explanations are intended to support learning and examination preparation. They are not a substitute for formal nursing education, clinical training, current evidence-based references, official examination materials, or professional medical advice. Students should always consult current authoritative nursing references and applicable official guidelines when preparing for the Philippine Nurse Licensure Examination.