Kozier & Erb’s Fundamentals of Nursing, 10/E
Chapter 10
Question 1
Type: MCSA
The nurse is providing care to a group of clients. For which situation would the nurse’s use of critical thinking be
a priority?
1. Administering IV push meds to critically ill clients
2. Educating a home health client about treatment options
3. Teaching new parents car seat safety
4. Assisting an orthopedic client with the proper use of crutches
Question 2
Type: MCSA
A client recovering from a stroke does not want to perform prescribed shoulder exercises. What should the nurse
say to the client that demonstrates critical thinking with creativity?
1. “You’ll only get worse if you don’t do these exercises.”
2. “As soon as you get these into your routine, you’ll feel better.”
3. “Your physician wouldn’t have ordered these if they weren’t important.”
4. “Here’s a marker. See how many circles you can make on this board in 10 minutes.”
Question 3
Type: MCSA
A student nurse resists when encouraged to be creative when providing client care. What should the nurse
educator say to encourage this student to be creative?
1. “Creativity allows unique solutions to unique problems.”
2. “Not all your answers are going to be from your textbook.”
3. “Creativity makes nursing more fun.”
4. “You’ll get bored if you don’t learn to be creative.”
Question 4
Type: MCSA
The nurse educator assigns students an activity to implement Socratic questioning in their daily lives. Which
question provided by a student demonstrates this reasoning technique?
1. “What makes you think cramming for a test is an ineffective way to study?”
2. “What other ways of studying could you implement?”
3. “If you didn’t study for your test, what is the probability you will fail?”
4. “If you study all the unit outcomes, what effect will that have?”
Question 5
Type: MCSA
A client is experiencing a productive cough, audible coarse crackles, elevated temperature of 102.3°F, chills, and
body aches. What did the nurse use to determine that this patient is experiencing respiratory compromise?
1. Deductive reasoning
2. Inductive reasoning
3. Socratic questioning
4. Critical analysis
Question 6
Type: MCSA
A client with a PhD in epidemiology has been to numerous physicians and has had numerous laboratory tests, all
of which were abnormal, and exploratory surgery, but no one is able to explain the etiology of his problem. The
client also states that he has a rare form of a neurological disorder. Which statement should the nurse make that
demonstrates critical thinking?
1. “Why don’t you just tell your physician what you think you have?”
2. “Did you bring your prior tests and results with you, so we don’t repeat anything?”
3. “If you know what you have, what do you want from us?”
4. “Describe what tests you’ve had and explain the symptoms of this disorder.”
Question 7
Type: MCSA
A nurse educator has always believed that lectures with focused outlines are the best way to present theory
content in class. A colleague, who teaches the same group of students, but a different subject, utilizes group work
and in-class activities to teach difficult content and finds that students perform as well, or better, on their tests.
The first educator in this situation is starting to rethink her position. What behavior is the first educator
demonstrating?
1. Integrity
2. Perseverance
3. Fair-mindedness
4. Humility
Question 8
Type: MCSA
The nurse who just moved from an urban area to a sparsely populated rural area understands that certain customs
and practices the nurse follows may be quite foreign to the people in the new area. Which attitude of critical
thinking is the nurse demonstrating?
1. Fair-mindedness
2. Insight into egocentricity
3. Intellectual humility
4. Intellectual courage to challenge the status quo and rituals
Question 9
Type: MCSA
The nurse implements a quicker way to set up and initiate an intravenous infusion while still following safe
practice. Which attitude of critical thinking is this nurse practicing?
1. Independence
2. Intellectual courage to challenge the status quo or rituals
3. Integrity
4. Confidence
Question 10
Type: MCSA
The nurse questions the practice of administering rectal suppositories to residents in a long-term care facility at
bedtime, rather than earlier in the day. When told that this is the best time for staff and that’s the routine that has
been practiced for a long time, the nurse continues to research whether there would be a better time, especially in
the best interest of the residents. Which critical thinking attitude is this nurse demonstrating?
1. Confidence
2. Perseverance
3. Curiosity
4. Integrity
Question 11
Type: MCSA
A seasoned nurse uses past experiences and knowledge gained from previous care situations to care for a client
with complex health issues. Which attribute of critical thinking is this nurse practicing?
1. Reflection
2. Context
3. Dialogue
4. Time
Question 12
Type: MCSA
While listening to a client describe current symptoms, the nurse considers the client’s entire situation. Which
attribute of critical thinking is the nurse practicing?
1. Reflection
2. Context
3. Dialogue
4. Time
Question 13
Type: MCSA
A client complaining of shortness of breath has no pallor, cyanosis, or use of accessory muscles with respirations.
The client’s respiratory rate is 16 breaths per minute. The nurse is concerned that the client’s report and the
physical findings conflict. Which standard of critical thinking is the nurse using?
1. Clarity
2. Accuracy
3. Logical reasoning
4. Significance
Question 14
Type: MCSA
The nurse enters the room of a critically ill child after sensing that “something” isn’t right. Once the nurse
determines the child is stable, the nurse continues to perform a check of all the lines and equipment in the room
and finds that the last IV solution hung by the previous nurse was not the correct solution. Which problem-solving
method did this nurse use?
1. Trial and error
2. Intuition
3. Judgment
4. Scientific method
Question 15
Type: MCSA
The nurse systematically tries a variety of products to help with healing of a client’s wound. Which problem–
solving method is the nurse using?
1. Intuition
2. Scientific method
3. Research process
4. Trial and error