LNCC Practice Questions (2026) — Free Sample Questions with Answers

Answer: B

Duty, because no nurse-patient relationship existed: A duty clearly existed: the patient was admitted and under the nursing staff's care.

Damages, because no compensable harm resulted: Correct. Negligence requires actual harm; a breach that produces no injury, added cost or loss generally cannot support a recoverable claim.

Breach, because the alarm policy is not a standard: Failing to follow the facility's fall-prevention policy is evidence of a breach of the standard of care, so breach is not the missing element.

Causation, because falls are inherently unavoidable: Causation links a breach to an injury; with no injury there is nothing to link, and falls are not legally deemed unavoidable.

All four elements - duty, breach, causation and damages - must be proven. A clear breach without resulting harm is usually not a viable malpractice case.

Answer: A

Bone marrow edema in the lateral femoral condyle: Correct. Bone marrow edema (bone bruise) reflects recent trauma and resolves over months, so it supports an acute injury rather than chronic degeneration.

Marginal osteophytes along the medial tibial plateau: Osteophytes take years to form and indicate chronic degenerative joint disease, supporting the defense position.

Joint space narrowing in the medial compartment: Joint space narrowing reflects cartilage loss over time and is a hallmark of osteoarthritis, not acute injury.

Chondrocalcinosis within the meniscal cartilage: Calcium deposition in cartilage is a chronic finding (e.g., CPPD disease) and does not suggest recent trauma.

When sorting new from pre-existing injury, look for time-limited acute markers (edema, hemorrhage, fresh fracture lines) versus findings that take years to develop (osteophytes, narrowing, calcification).

Answer: B

Stage 2 pressure injury: Stage 2 is partial-thickness loss with exposed dermis; fat is not visible.

Stage 3 pressure injury: Correct. Stage 3 is full-thickness skin loss with visible adipose tissue; slough may be present, but fascia, muscle, tendon and bone are not exposed.

Stage 4 pressure injury: Stage 4 requires exposed or directly palpable fascia, muscle, tendon, ligament, cartilage or bone.

Unstageable pressure injury: Unstageable applies when slough or eschar obscures the wound base so depth cannot be confirmed; here fat is visible and depth is known.

Visible fat equals Stage 3; visible or palpable bone, tendon or muscle equals Stage 4; an obscured base equals unstageable.

Answer: C

The worker can sue the employer for pain and suffering in addition to benefits: Workers' compensation is generally the exclusive remedy against the employer, barring ordinary negligence suits for pain and suffering.

The worker must choose between compensation benefits and any lawsuit at all: Accepting benefits does not prevent claims against third parties; the bar applies to the employer.

The worker may pursue a third-party claim against the conveyor's manufacturer: Correct. The exclusive-remedy bar protects the employer, but negligent or liable third parties such as a product manufacturer can still be sued.

The worker can recover only if the employer is proven to be at fault: Workers' compensation is a no-fault system; benefits do not depend on proving employer fault.

Workers' compensation trades no-fault benefits for immunity from employer tort suits; third parties (manufacturers, contractors) remain open to suit, usually subject to a lien by the carrier.

Answer: B

Citing average surgical costs from national charge databases: Accurate costs matter, but a cost source does not establish that the surgery is medically needed for this client.

Documenting a physician's opinion that this surgery will be needed: Correct. Each life care plan item needs medical foundation - a qualified physician's opinion that the care is reasonably likely to be required.

Including the surgery because many C6 patients eventually undergo it: General population patterns are not enough; recommendations must be specific to the client and supported by a physician.

Listing the surgery under optional items for the jury to evaluate: Labeling an item as optional weakens it and does not supply the medical foundation needed to survive challenge.

A defensible life care plan ties every medical item to a physician's foundation and every cost to a documented source.

Answer: D

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act: HIPAA governs privacy and security of health information, not access to emergency care.

The Patient Self-Determination Act: The PSDA requires facilities to inform patients about advance directives; it does not address emergency screening.

The Americans with Disabilities Act: The ADA prohibits disability discrimination; refusing care for inability to pay is addressed by a different statute.

The Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act: Correct. EMTALA requires a medical screening examination and stabilizing treatment (or appropriate transfer) regardless of ability to pay.

EMTALA: any person who comes to a participating hospital's ED gets a medical screening exam and stabilization before financial inquiries delay care or transfer occurs.