Original DHA nursing questions on fundamentals & patient safety, with explanations.
Short answer: 10 original multiple-choice practice questions on fundamentals & patient safety for nurses preparing for the DHA licensing exam, each with the correct answer and a full explanation. This is a Meddex topic, not a DHA heading. They are original and are not real exam items.
About these questions
Every question here is original. Meddex wrote it for exam preparation. None is a real, recalled or leaked exam item, and none comes from DHA, Prometric, UAE University or the NIHS.
Meddex is independent and is not affiliated with DHA, Prometric, UAE University or the NIHS.
Clinical review of the question bank is not complete yet. Treat the explanations as study aids and check official guidance before you rely on a fact.
This is a sample, not the whole bank, and doing well on it does not predict an exam result.
What patient safety covers
Assessment, communication, safe handover and everyday patient care.
Safety questions reward the action that protects the patient first and goes through the right channel: check identity, assess before you act and escalate with a clear message.
Where it fits in the exam
DHA lists four coverage headings for Registered Nurse and publishes no weights. Fundamentals & Patient Safety is one of ten Meddex domains, so it is a Meddex grouping and not a DHA heading. Its questions can appear under more than one DHA heading.
DHA does not state how many answer options its questions have or whether each has one best answer. Meddex practice items use four options with one best answer, as a practice format.
How to use these questions
Decide your answer before you press Show answer. Then read the reason for every option, including the ones you rejected. Note the idea you missed and come back to it in a few days.
Practice questions
Question 1
Fundamentals & Patient SafetyMedium
On a busy ward, nurses are repeatedly interrupted during the medicines round and two near-miss reports mention wrong doses being drawn up. Which change is most likely to reduce these errors?
AOption A: Remind staff in a memo to concentrate harder and take more care
BOption B: Ask healthcare assistants to carry out the checks that nurses used to do
COption C: Introduce protected time with a visible sign and a rule that non-urgent queries wait
DOption D: Allow patients and visitors to remind nurses of their medicines and to call out any queries while the round continues
Show answer for question 1
Correct answer: C. Introduce protected time with a visible sign and a rule that non-urgent queries wait
Interruptions and distraction are recognised contributors to medication errors. System changes such as protected rounds, clear signage and routing non-urgent queries elsewhere work better than relying on individual vigilance, and they should be reviewed using incident data.
Why A is wrong. Appeals to individual effort do not change the conditions that cause the errors.
Why B is wrong. Moving checks to staff without the right competencies shifts risk rather than reducing it.
Why D is wrong. Patient reminders add to distraction and are not a substitute for a reliable system.
Topic: Medication errors - reducing interruptions during a medicines round. Reference: World Health Organization: Medication Without Harm global patient safety challenge; Potter and Perry Fundamentals of Nursing: Medication administration
Question 2
Fundamentals & Patient SafetyMedium
A frail woman weighing 38 kg is prescribed intravenous paracetamol 1 g every six hours for post-operative pain. The nurse is about to give the first dose. What should the nurse do?
AOption A: Give 1 g because it is the usual adult dose, she is over 18 and the prescription has already been signed by a doctor
BOption B: Give the 1 g dose over twice the usual time and watch for liver symptoms
COption C: Give half of the vial, estimating the volume by eye, and note it on the chart
DOption D: Withhold the dose and ask the prescriber or pharmacist to review it against her weight
Show answer for question 2
Correct answer: D. Withhold the dose and ask the prescriber or pharmacist to review it against her weight
Adults weighing 50 kg or less are normally given weight-based intravenous paracetamol, about 15 mg/kg per dose with a maximum of 60 mg/kg a day (not above 3 g), according to product information. For 38 kg that is about 570 mg per dose, so 1 g is a considerable overdose. Checking the dose is part of the rights of administration. The nurse withholds it and asks the prescriber to correct the order, rather than altering it alone.
Why A is wrong. Following the usual adult dose ignores her weight and gives about 26 mg/kg, well above the weight-based dose.
Why B is wrong. Slowing the infusion does not reduce the total dose, so the overdose risk remains.
Why C is wrong. Estimating a part dose by eye is inaccurate, and a nurse should not change a prescription alone.
Topic: Medication rights - checking the dose against body weight. Reference: Summary of Product Characteristics: paracetamol 10 mg/mL solution for infusion (adults and adolescents weighing 50 kg or less); World Health Organization: Medication Without Harm
Question 3
Fundamentals & Patient SafetyMedium
A nurse is giving bedside handover in a four-bed bay. The patient, who is awake, wants to take part. The nurse needs to mention a sensitive history that the other patients should not hear. What is the best approach?
AOption A: Pull the curtains and lower the voice, then share the detail privately or in a quiet area
BOption B: Write the details on a whiteboard above the bed so the next nurse can read them
COption C: Include the full history aloud, because bedside handover means everything is shared openly
DOption D: Leave the sensitive detail out of the handover entirely so that it is not passed on
Show answer for question 3
Correct answer: A. Pull the curtains and lower the voice, then share the detail privately or in a quiet area
Bedside handover improves safety and involvement, but confidentiality still applies. The nurse offers privacy, for example by moving the discussion or using a quiet area for sensitive information, and passes on all information that the incoming nurse needs for safe care.
Why B is wrong. A visible board shares private information with visitors and other patients.
Why C is wrong. Sensitive details overheard by others breach confidentiality and dignity.
Why D is wrong. Omitting relevant history makes handover unsafe, as the next nurse may not know important risks.
Topic: Handover - privacy during bedside handover. Reference: Joint Commission: Sentinel Event Alert 58, Inadequate hand-off communication; Potter and Perry Fundamentals of Nursing: Communication and confidentiality
Question 4
Fundamentals & Patient SafetyMedium
A patient with capacity refuses a prescribed dressing change on his leg wound after the nurse has explained the risks. Which entry in the notes is best?
AOption A: 'Patient difficult and uncooperative again this morning, refused dressing and was unwilling to listen to advice from staff.'
BOption B: 'Dressing not done.'
COption C: 'Patient attention-seeking and always refuses care, so no further action is needed.'
DOption D: '10:00 declined dressing change; infection risk explained; patient said he understood and did not want it today; doctor informed 10:15. Signed and dated.'
Show answer for question 4
Correct answer: D. '10:00 declined dressing change; infection risk explained; patient said he understood and did not want it today; doctor informed 10:15. Signed and dated.'
Records are legal documents and should be factual, objective, timed and signed. A good entry shows what was offered and explained, the patient's own words, and what was done next, such as informing the doctor. Judgemental labels and entries with no detail do not show that the refusal was informed or that care was escalated.
Why A is wrong. Labels such as 'difficult' are opinions, not facts, and say nothing about what was explained or done.
Why B is wrong. An entry with no reason, no explanation given and no action leaves the record incomplete.
Why C is wrong. A subjective label and a decision to take no action fall short of professional record-keeping standards.
Topic: Documentation - recording a patient who declines care. Reference: Nursing and Midwifery Council: The Code, standard 10 (keep clear and accurate records); Potter and Perry Fundamentals of Nursing: Documentation
Question 5
Fundamentals & Patient SafetyMedium
A confused inpatient keeps pulling at an IV line. What should the nurse try FIRST?
AOption A: Administer a PRN sedative to settle the patient for the rest of the shift
BOption B: Apply soft wrist restraints and review them every four hours
COption C: Discontinue the IV therapy and all other treatment until the patient is calmer
DOption D: Cover the line and address needs such as pain or toileting
Show answer for question 5
Correct answer: D. Cover the line and address needs such as pain or toileting
Always use the least restrictive alternative: identify triggers (pain, toileting, hunger), reorient, conceal or secure the line, and increase observation. Restraint is a last resort requiring an order and ongoing review.
Why A is wrong. Chemical restraint should not be a first response and can worsen confusion and falls.
Why B is wrong. Restraint is a last resort that needs an order and ongoing review, and it often increases agitation and injury.
Why C is wrong. Stopping necessary treatment because of behaviour is not appropriate and may harm the patient.
A 95 kg patient cannot bear weight on either leg and needs to move from the bed to a chair. Which is the safest method?
AOption A: Ask two nurses to lift him together, each holding him under an arm
BOption B: Slide him across the gap on a bed sheet held by one nurse
COption C: Ask him to hold the nurse around the neck while she pivots him
DOption D: Use a hoist with the correct sling, following the handling plan
Show answer for question 6
Correct answer: D. Use a hoist with the correct sling, following the handling plan
Patients who cannot bear weight are moved with mechanical aids according to a handling risk assessment. Manual lifting under the arms or neck holds injures staff and risks patient shoulder and skin injury.
Why A is wrong. Under-arm lifting is unsafe for the patient's shoulders and for staff backs.
Why B is wrong. One nurse cannot control a 95 kg patient, so this risks both a fall and injury.
Why C is wrong. Neck-holding transfers risk patient and staff injury and are not safe for a dependent patient.
Topic: Mobility - safe patient handling. Reference: Health and Safety Executive: Manual handling operations regulations 1992 - guidance on regulations (L23); Potter and Perry Fundamentals of Nursing
Question 7
Fundamentals & Patient SafetyMedium
A nurse finds an 80-year-old man on the floor beside his bed. He is awake, says his hip hurts and cannot say how long he has been there. What should the nurse do first?
AOption A: Help him up quickly onto the bed so that he does not get cold on the floor
BOption B: Complete the incident report while the details are still fresh in mind
COption C: Stay with him, call for help and assess for injury before moving him
DOption D: Ask his relatives how often he has fallen at home over the last year
Show answer for question 7
Correct answer: C. Stay with him, call for help and assess for injury before moving him
After a fall the patient is assessed where he lies, covering airway, consciousness, pain, head and neck, hip and limb deformity, and vital signs. He is moved with suitable equipment only when it is safe, and incident reporting and neurological observations follow.
Why A is wrong. Lifting without assessment can worsen a hip fracture or spinal injury.
Why B is wrong. Documentation is required but follows patient safety and care.
Why D is wrong. History from relatives is useful later but delays assessment of an injured patient.
Topic: Falls prevention - patient found on the floor. Reference: NICE Guideline NG249 Falls: assessment and prevention in older people and in people 50 and over at higher risk (2025)
Question 8
Fundamentals & Patient SafetyMedium
A nurse performs passive range-of-motion exercises on the paralysed arm of a patient who has had a stroke. Which technique is correct?
AOption A: Support the limb above and below the joint, moving slowly to resistance
BOption B: Push each joint a little past resistance to gain extra range each session
COption C: Exercise only the unaffected limbs, to avoid injuring the weak side again
DOption D: Move each joint quickly through its full range to save time on the round
Show answer for question 8
Correct answer: A. Support the limb above and below the joint, moving slowly to resistance
Passive movement maintains joint range and prevents contracture. The limb is supported above and below the joint and moved slowly and smoothly to the point of resistance or discomfort and no further, which protects the soft tissue and the shoulder.
Why B is wrong. Forcing past resistance can tear tissue and damage a flaccid shoulder.
Why C is wrong. The paralysed limb is the one at risk of contracture, so leaving it out harms the patient.
Why D is wrong. Rapid movement can injure joints and trigger spasm.
Topic: Range of motion - passive exercise technique. Reference: Potter and Perry Fundamentals of Nursing; National Clinical Guideline for Stroke (Royal College of Physicians)
Question 9
Fundamentals & Patient SafetyEasy
A patient has the nursing diagnosis of risk for deficient fluid volume. Which goal is correctly written?
AOption A: The patient will drink at least 1500 mL of fluid by 20:00 today
BOption B: The patient will understand the importance of hydration
COption C: The patient will drink more fluids
DOption D: The nurse will encourage oral fluids every hour
Show answer for question 9
Correct answer: A. The patient will drink at least 1500 mL of fluid by 20:00 today
A well-written goal is patient-centred, specific, measurable and time-bound. It describes what the patient will do or achieve, not what the nurse will do, and it can be judged as met or not met.
Why B is wrong. Understanding is not directly observable and has no time frame.
Why C is wrong. More fluids is vague and cannot be measured.
Why D is wrong. This describes a nurse intervention, not a patient outcome.
Topic: Nursing process - writing a measurable goal. Reference: Potter and Perry Fundamentals of Nursing; NANDA International Nursing Diagnoses
Question 10
Fundamentals & Patient SafetyMedium
An 86-year-old woman with advanced dementia grimaces and calls out when turned, but cannot use a numerical scale. How should the nurse assess her pain?
AOption A: Wait until she is able to say clearly that she is in pain before treating
BOption B: Ask her daughter to rate the pain for her on a 0 to 10 numerical scale
COption C: Use only changes in her pulse and blood pressure as the measure of pain
DOption D: Use a behavioural scale, such as PAINAD or Abbey, at rest and on moving
Show answer for question 10
Correct answer: D. Use a behavioural scale, such as PAINAD or Abbey, at rest and on moving
When self-report is not possible, a validated behavioural tool is used, scored at rest and on movement and repeated after treatment. Family and carers add useful information but vital signs alone are not specific for pain.
Why A is wrong. Waiting leaves a patient in pain untreated, because people with dementia often cannot say so.
Why B is wrong. A relative's rating is informative but not a substitute for a structured observational tool.
Why C is wrong. Vital signs are unreliable and non-specific indicators of pain.
Topic: Pain assessment - patient with advanced dementia. Reference: American Society for Pain Management Nursing: Pain assessment in the patient unable to self-report (position statement, 2011); Abbey Pain Scale and PAINAD scoring instructions
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Frequently asked questions
DHA does not publish how many questions come from each topic. It lists four coverage headings for Registered Nurse with no weights. Meddex groups its questions into ten domains of its own.
No. They are original practice questions written by Meddex for exam preparation. DHA does not publish sample questions, and its Assessment Manual says sharing assessment questions is not allowed, so we do not use or claim real or recalled items.
The Meddex app has the full bank, which you can practise by topic with a free account. These pages are a short sample, and the questions on them do not change.
No. Each question has a Show answer button. The answer, the explanation and the reason each wrong option is wrong are part of the page text, so they are there when you press it.