Monday, June 16, 2008

Scope of Nursing Licensure Examination (Professional Regulation Commission Board of Nursing) Nursing Practice 1 (Part I)

Nursing Practice 1 Foundation of Professional Nursing Practice

Test Description:

Theories concepts, principles and process basic to the practice of nursing with emphasis on health promotion and health maintenance: It includes basic nursing skills in the care of clients across age groups in any setting.

Moreover, it encompasses the varied roles, functions and responsibilities of the professional nurse in varied health care settings.

Test Scope:


I. Personal and Professional Growth and Development

a. Historical perspective in nursing – Local and Foreign, just read, no need to memorize since the recent board exam does not include this anymore. Memorizing the dates will only consume a lot of time.

b. Nursing as a profession – This is part of the Professional adjustment subject. Understand the concept of profession and its definition in nursing.

c. Theoretical foundation of nursing applied in health care situations – Same advice, avoid memorizing the theories as much as possible, but also do not skip this part, since the questions that will appear in Test 1 will always be unpredictable. Just knowing the theories and the theorists will do well to you.

d. Continuing professional education – This topic is discussed in Venzon’s Professional Nursing in the Philippines. It is also termed as CPE. CPE is not a master degree, it is a requirement by the PRC for professionals, not only nurses, to acquire certain amount of units to have a continuing education to improve knowledge and to become updated in the field of career. Examples of CPE are seminars, training and etc.


e. Professional organizations in nursing – Much to the dismay of people who have studied this thoroughly, there were no single question asked in the 2008 board exam about the professional organization in nursing. Simply read the organizations, besides, learning the organizations will prove helpful after passing the board exam for your career as a nurse

f. The nurse in health care – This is much like in health care delivery system and the settings. Just read, this can be found in the Fundamentals by Kozier.

1. Eleven key areas of responsibilities – This is not asked directly, it’s like a summary of nursing practice. Don’t bother yourself trying to find this because it is incorporated in all the topics of foundation of nursing.

2. Fields of nursing – This is also not commonly asked, but understand and read the setting and fields of nursing from clinical, community, hospital, industrial and etc.

3. Roles and functions – Roles and functions are asked through questions related to nursing intervention, so just study the basic fundamentals of nursing.

II. Safe and Quality Care

a. The Nursing Process – If you still haven’t mastered the ADPIE, then read thoroughly, don’t worry too much, this is one of the easiest questions being asked.


b. Basic Nursing Skills
1. Admission and Discharge – Understand the common concepts in admission and discharge in the hospital setting

2. Vital Signs – Hopefully by know, you have memorized the normal values, you’ll never know if it will be asked. Do not stick to one source of value, try to compare as many values as you can and get the average. Have a review of the skills in taking the vital signs because the recent board exam are going back to basic and asks tricky questions. Do not underestimate this topic.

3. Physical Examination and Health Assessment – By understanding and reading thoroughly this skills in the Fundamentals of Nursing, by the time when you are studying for the Medical Surgical Nursing, it will be easier for you to review and less consumption of time. Again, commonly questions are going back to basic, so review skills that you may have forgotten. The BON really likes to pick questions which answers are found in the smallest corner of the book especially in the nursing procedure.

4. Administration of medications – If you feel like you have forgotten this topic, then read as much as possible. Sometimes, questions could be as simple but as tricky like asking which container must be injected with air first, either a vial or ampules. It’s just one of the questions that are appearing the recent board.

5. Asepsis and infection control – This will be a valuable start in preparation for Communicable Disease Nursing and Infectious Diseases. Don’t disregard simple and basic facts. Sometimes, questions could go like which protective garment must be removed first.

6. First aid measures – First aid measures is like an emergency or disaster nursing, common answers to this question, assess first for consciousness, (if looking unconscious or if situation suggests suspected head trauma), then follow the rules of ABC (airway, breathing, circulation). Never disregard this ABC fact, because sometime it might be tricky, as soon as you see check for airway for any obstruction, it’s like an automatic answer, unless if there is a question to assess for consciousness.

7. Wound Care – Same advice, if this seems like a thing of the past, the review and read the wound care chapter in your fundamental of nursing textbook.

8. Peri-operative Care – This part is also asked in test 3 of the NLE so review as early as possible for preparation. Some information are only found in the Fundamentals textbook, and some are only found in MS textbooks.

9. Post-mortem Care – Know this topic, BON really likes to ask questions that are very basic.
c. Measures to meet physiological needs – This 8 part of measures to meet physiological needs are the best preparation for Medical Surgical Nursing. It is important to recall the basic nursing skills and procedure.
1. Oxygenation
2. Nutrition
3. Activity, rest and sleep
4. Fluid and Electrolyte balance
5. Urinary elimination
6. Bowel elimination
7. Safety, comfort and hygiene
8. Mobility and immobility

III. Health Education – This is presented in questions as very hard, very tricky, or super easy. The only suggestion that I can give is that thoroughly study the nursing intervention of cases in MS.

a. Teaching and learning principles in the care of client
b. Health education in all levels of care
c. Discharge Planning

IV. Ethico-Moral Responsibility

a. Bioethical principles – These are all discussed either in Nursing Research, Prof Ad, or Nursing Ethics. Know each definition and understand the Informed Consent carefully. It is always important to secure an Informed Consent from patients for any invasive procedure (except for simple IV meds, chemotherapy and other complicated procedures always require an informed consent)
1. Beneficence
2. Non-malefescence
3. Justice
4. Autonomy
5. Stewardship
6. Truth telling
7. Confidentiality
8. Privacy
9. Informed Consent

b. Patient’s Bill of Rights – No need to memorize each line. Just understand the basic concept of bills of rights.
c. Code of Ethics in Nursing – Same as Patient’s Bill of Rights

V. Legal Responsibility – I’m am greatly suggesting that you take time to study this, because most often than not, the Board of Nursing has these trend of asking questions pertaining to Legal Responsibility. Reading the textbook by Venzon in Professional Nursing and Management towards Quality Care is not sufficient. The best thing to do is understand each concept and try find questions related to application of the legalities.

a. Legal Aspects in the practice of Nursing
b. The Philippine Nursing Law of 2002 (R.A 9173)
c. Related Laws affecting the practice of nursing

VI. Management of Environment and Resources

a. Theories and principles of management
b. Nursing administration and management
c. Theories, principles, and styles of leadership
d. Concepts and principles of organization
e. Patient care classifications
f. Nursing care systems
g. Delegation and accountability

VII. Records Management – This is part of the Prof Ad subject, don’t take for granted but don’t take too seriously, just read.

a. Anecdotal Report
b. Incident Report
c. Memorandum
d. Hospital Manual
e. Documentation
f. Endorsement and end-of-shift report
g. Referral

VIII. Quality Improvement – Understand Quality Assurance

a. Standards of Nursing practice
b. Nursing audit
c. Accreditation/certification in nursing practice
d. Quality assurance

IX. Research – As discussed in the Overview, it is important to focus on the different types of research and how they are being applied according to study subject. Research questions never fails to appear in one of the five sets of examination.

a. Problem identification
b. Ethics and science of research
c. The scientific approach
d. Research process
e. Research designs and methodology
1. Qualitative
2. Quantitative
f. Utilization and dissemination of research findings


X. Communication – One of the most important topic to be understood because NLE commonly asks questions relating to a conversation between a nurse and a client.

a. Dynamics of communication
b. Nurse-client relationship
c. Professional-professional relationship
d. Therapeutic use of self
e. Use of information technology


XI. Collaboration and Teamwork – Just read but do not take seriously, it has never been asked so far in the board exam, but it is better to be prepared.

a. Networking
b. Inter-agency partnership
c. Teamwork strategies
d. Nursing and partnership with other professions and agencies

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