Selected Nursing Theorist

Every question here, with the answer

1. A nurse manager is reviewing high infection-related mortality on a crowded unit where rooms are dirty and ventilation is poor. Which action best reflects Florence Nightingale’s approach to improving patient outcomes?

   1. Develop a developmental care plan based on the patient’s life stage.
   2. Focus primarily on the nurses’ professional identity and role development.
   3. Implement improved sanitation practices and monitor patient outcomes.
   4. Increase the number of nighttime rounds while leaving the environment unchanged.

   Answer: Implement improved sanitation practices and monitor patient outcomes.

   Nightingale used statistics to show that hospital-acquired disease was killing soldiers and then improved sanitation and medical care, which reduced mortality. The other options reflect partial nursing activities or other theoretical perspectives but do not address the environmental and evidence-based focus described for Nightingale.

2. A psychiatric nurse wants to apply Hildegard Peplau’s theory when caring for a patient admitted with severe anxiety. Which nursing actions are most consistent with this theory? Select all that apply.

   1. Focus only on completing assigned tasks efficiently.
   2. Demonstrate empathy and mutual respect during interactions.
   3. Use therapeutic communication to understand the patient’s psychological needs.
   4. Avoid discussing the nurse-patient relationship because it is not part of care.
   5. Build a collaborative partnership with the patient.

   Answer: Demonstrate empathy and mutual respect during interactions., Use therapeutic communication to understand the patient’s psychological needs., Build a collaborative partnership with the patient.

   Peplau’s theory emphasizes the nurse-patient relationship as therapeutic, collaborative, and centered on psychological needs. A purely task-oriented approach or avoiding the relationship conflicts with the shift Peplau promoted in psychiatric nursing.

3. A patient recovering from illness says, “I want to feed myself, but I feel too weak and do not know how to manage with this equipment.” Which nursing response best reflects Virginia Henderson’s view of nursing?

   1. Refer the patient to psychiatric services because dependence indicates poor coping.
   2. Create a plan focused mainly on hospital policies and organizational structure.
   3. Feed the patient at every meal to conserve the patient’s energy.
   4. Assist and teach the patient so the patient can regain as much independence as possible.

   Answer: Assist and teach the patient so the patient can regain as much independence as possible.

   Henderson defined nursing as assisting the individual with activities they would perform unaided if they had the needed strength, will, or knowledge. The best response supports independence rather than creating unnecessary dependence or shifting focus away from the patient’s basic needs.

4. A nurse is planning discharge teaching for a patient who cannot independently manage wound care and medication scheduling after hospitalization. Which actions align with Dorothea Orem’s self-care deficit nursing theory? Select all that apply.

   1. Encourage the patient to participate in their own care as able.
   2. Assess which health-maintaining activities the patient can perform independently.
   3. Identify where the patient is unable to meet self-care needs.
   4. Assume the nurse should make all care decisions because patients do not have responsibility for self-care.
   5. Design nursing interventions to assist the patient in meeting self-care needs.

   Answer: Encourage the patient to participate in their own care as able., Assess which health-maintaining activities the patient can perform independently., Identify where the patient is unable to meet self-care needs., Design nursing interventions to assist the patient in meeting self-care needs.

   Orem’s theory centers on self-care, self-care deficit, and nursing systems that assist patients when they cannot meet their own needs. It also emphasizes empowering individuals to participate in care, so assuming the nurse should make all decisions is inconsistent with the theory.

5. A hospital changes its staffing policy, and the nurse administrator anticipates effects on patient flow, communication, and unit functioning. Which theoretical approach best supports this type of analysis?

   1. Patient-centered approaches to nursing
   2. Descriptive theory
   3. General systems theory
   4. Theory of human caring

   Answer: General systems theory

   General systems theory encourages nurses to view health care as interconnected components, where a change in one area can affect the larger system. The other options may guide care or describe phenomena but do not most directly address ripple effects across an organization.

6. A nurse is caring for patients across the life span and wants to apply developmental theory appropriately. Which nursing applications are supported by the section? Select all that apply.

   1. Understand that successfully navigating psychosocial stages supports overall psychological well-being.
   2. Use the same psychosocial approach for every age group because development is not relevant to care.
   3. Consider physical, cognitive, emotional, and social aspects when planning care.
   4. Recognize that adolescents may need support related to identity and role confusion.
   5. Provide age-appropriate and developmentally sensitive care.

   Answer: Understand that successfully navigating psychosocial stages supports overall psychological well-being., Consider physical, cognitive, emotional, and social aspects when planning care., Recognize that adolescents may need support related to identity and role confusion., Provide age-appropriate and developmentally sensitive care.

   Developmental theories help nurses understand needs at different life stages, including Erikson’s stages such as identity versus role confusion in adolescence. The section specifically supports age-appropriate, developmentally sensitive care rather than using the same approach for all patients.