Professional Practice & Ethics for the NCLEX-RN Exam

Common failure modes

These are the patterns that cause most candidates to lose marks on this topic. Recognising them in advance is half the work.

• !Delegating assessment to UAP or LPN (cannot be delegated)
• !Allowing a family member to sign consent without confirming legal authority (designated power of attorney or court-ordered guardian)
• !Disclosing patient information to a family member without written authorization (HIPAA violation)
• !Failing to report suspected abuse — mandatory reporting requires reasonable suspicion, not proof

Study tips

• 1Memorize the 5 Rights of Delegation: right task, right circumstance, right person, right communication, right supervision/evaluation.
• 2Drill RN-only tasks: assessment, teaching, evaluation, IV push meds, blood transfusion initiation. UAP can do ADLs, vital signs (stable), and basic measurements.
• 3Know the 4 ethical principles: autonomy (self-determination), beneficence (do good), nonmaleficence (do no harm), justice (fairness).
• 4Mandatory reporting: child abuse, elder/dependent-adult abuse, gunshot wounds, certain STDs, and TB. Confidentiality is overridden by mandatory reporting laws.

Sample NCLEX-RN Professional Practice & Ethics questions

These sample items mirror the format and difficulty of real NCLEX-RN questions. Practice with thousands more on the free Koydo question bank.

1. 1

   A nurse delegates the following task to a UAP. Which delegation is INAPPROPRIATE?

   • ATake vital signs on a stable post-operative client
   • BBathe a client with chronic stable heart failure
   • CAssess a newly admitted client's pain levelCorrect
   • DAmbulate a client who has been ambulating without difficulty
   Why this answer?

   Assessment cannot be delegated to UAP — assessment requires nursing judgment and is reserved for the RN. UAP may collect data (e.g., report of a number on a pain scale), but the nurse must assess pain in the context of the patient's presentation, history, and analgesic regimen.