Test yourself on the nursing basics that show up again and again on the NCLEX. This free Fundamentals of Nursing Practice Test #1 covers infection control, PPE, client safety, fall prevention, positioning, vital signs, skin integrity, documentation, delegation, and prioritization. Work through 10 timed questions, then check every answer with the full rationales below. No sign-up required.
All 10 Questions With Answers & Rationales
Prefer to work at your own pace? Every question from the timed quiz above is listed here in full. Choose your answer, then tap Show Answer & Rationale to check it.
Question 1: Infection Control
A nurse is leaving the room of a client on contact precautions for Clostridioides difficile. Which hand hygiene method should the nurse use?
- A. Alcohol-based hand rub
- B. Soap and water
- C. Removing gloves without hand hygiene
- D. An antiseptic wipe
Show Answer & Rationale
Answer: B. Soap and water
Rationale: C. difficile forms spores that alcohol does not kill. Washing with soap and water uses friction and running water to physically remove the spores from the hands. Gloves are worn in the room, but hand hygiene is still required after removing them.
Question 2: Infection Control
A nurse is removing personal protective equipment after caring for a client on contact and droplet precautions. Which item should the nurse remove first?
- A. Gloves
- B. Gown
- C. Face mask
- D. Goggles
Show Answer & Rationale
Answer: A. Gloves
Rationale: Gloves are the most contaminated item, so they come off first. The CDC sequence is gloves, then goggles or face shield, then gown, then mask, followed by hand hygiene. Some facilities remove the gown and gloves together; follow facility policy.
Question 3: Positioning
A client is receiving a continuous enteral tube feeding. How should the nurse position the client?
- A. Flat in bed
- B. Trendelenburg
- C. Head of bed elevated at least 30 degrees
- D. Left side-lying with the head of bed flat
Show Answer & Rationale
Answer: C. Head of bed elevated at least 30 degrees
Rationale: Keeping the head of the bed elevated at least 30 degrees during tube feedings, unless contraindicated, reduces the risk of reflux and aspiration. Lying flat or head-down increases that risk.
Question 4: Delegation
Which task can the registered nurse delegate to an assistive personnel (AP)?
- A. Assessing a newly admitted client
- B. Teaching a client how to use an incentive spirometer
- C. Evaluating a client's response to pain medication
- D. Measuring vital signs on a stable postoperative client
Show Answer & Rationale
Answer: D. Measuring vital signs on a stable postoperative client
Rationale: Routine vital signs on a stable client are within the AP's scope. Assessment, teaching, and evaluation require nursing judgment and stay with the RN. The RN still reviews the vital signs and acts on any abnormal values.
Question 5: Safety
A nurse discovers a small fire in a client's room. What is the nurse's first action?
- A. Remove the client from the room
- B. Activate the fire alarm
- C. Close the door to contain the fire
- D. Use the fire extinguisher
Show Answer & Rationale
Answer: A. Remove the client from the room
Rationale: The RACE sequence is Rescue, Alarm, Contain, Extinguish. Removing the client from immediate danger comes first, then activating the alarm, closing doors, and extinguishing if it is safe to do so.
Question 6: Safety
A client is at high risk for falls. Which intervention is most appropriate?
- A. Raise all four side rails
- B. Keep the bed in the lowest position with the brakes locked
- C. Apply a vest restraint at night
- D. Ask the provider for a sedative
Show Answer & Rationale
Answer: B. Keep the bed in the lowest position with the brakes locked
Rationale: A low, locked bed reduces the distance and force of a fall. Raising all four side rails is a form of restraint and can lead to more serious falls when clients climb over them. Restraints and sedation increase fall and injury risk.
Question 7: Vital Signs
A client just finished a cup of hot coffee. The nurse needs to take an oral temperature. What should the nurse do?
- A. Take the oral temperature now
- B. Take a rectal temperature instead
- C. Wait 15 to 30 minutes, then take the oral temperature
- D. Document the temperature from the last shift
Show Answer & Rationale
Answer: C. Wait 15 to 30 minutes, then take the oral temperature
Rationale: Hot or cold drinks, eating, and smoking temporarily change the temperature in the mouth. Waiting 15 to 30 minutes gives an accurate reading. Switching to a rectal route is unnecessary, and copying an old value is falsification.
Question 8: Skin Integrity
A client is on bed rest and cannot change position independently. What is the minimum frequency for repositioning?
- A. Every 4 hours
- B. At least every 2 hours
- C. Once a shift
- D. Only when the client is uncomfortable
Show Answer & Rationale
Answer: B. At least every 2 hours
Rationale: Repositioning at least every 2 hours is the standard teaching for immobile clients to relieve pressure over bony prominences. The schedule may be more frequent based on the client's skin assessment, support surface, and risk score.
Question 9: Documentation
A nurse makes an error while documenting in a paper chart. How should the nurse correct it?
- A. Cover it with correction fluid
- B. Scribble over it until it cannot be read
- C. Remove the page and copy it over
- D. Draw a single line through it, then initial and date it
Show Answer & Rationale
Answer: D. Draw a single line through it, then initial and date it
Rationale: A single line keeps the original entry readable, which is required for a legal record. Correction fluid, obliterating the entry, or removing pages can look like an attempt to hide information. Follow facility policy for electronic records.
Question 10: Prioritization
A nurse receives report on four clients. Which client should the nurse see first?
- A. A client with pain rated 6/10 who is due for medication in 30 minutes
- B. A client requesting help with a bed bath
- C. A postoperative client who is restless with oxygen saturation of 88%
- D. A client who needs discharge teaching
Show Answer & Rationale
Answer: C. A postoperative client who is restless with oxygen saturation of 88%
Rationale: Restlessness with a low oxygen saturation suggests hypoxia, a breathing problem that is a priority under the ABCs. Pain, hygiene, and teaching are important but are not immediately life-threatening.
Fundamentals of Nursing Practice Tests
Six free, timed tests on the nursing basics — every question with a full rationale. Work through all six to build speed and confidence.
Safety, Infection Control & Priorities
Hand hygiene, PPE, fire safety, falls, positioning, vital signs, documentation, delegation, and prioritization.
Infection Control & Asepsis
Isolation precautions, PPE order, sterile technique, sterile gloves, hand hygiene, and sharps safety.
Vital Signs & Assessment
Apical pulse, blood pressure errors, respirations, temperature, oxygen saturation, pain scales, and abdominal assessment.
Hygiene, Mobility & Body Mechanics
Body mechanics, transfers, canes, crutches, walkers, oral care, foot care, and immobility.
Medication Administration
Client identifiers, IM sites, sublingual meds, eye and ear drops, mixing insulin, and NG tube meds.
Communication, Legal & Ethics
Therapeutic communication, informed consent, HIPAA, restraints, advance directives, SBAR, and ethics.
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