Health Promotion and Maintenance NCLEX-PN practice questions
- of the exam
- 6–12% of the exam
- Client Needs category
- Health Promotion and Maintenance Client Needs category
- last updated
- October 2026 last updated
Health Promotion and Maintenance tests care across the lifespan: expected growth and development, prevention, and early detection. Items range from a labor and postpartum client to developmental milestones, immunizations, and health screening.
Updated October 2026
Health Promotion and Maintenance
5 free health promotion and maintenance questions
Playable here, no account. Rationales expand in place.
Health Promotion and Maintenance · free set
1 of 5A practical nurse is reinforcing discharge teaching with the parents of a 3-week-old newborn. Which instruction should the practical nurse include about safe sleep practices?
Rationale
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends placing infants on their backs on a firm, flat sleep surface for every sleep to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). This is the single most effective safe sleep intervention for newborns and young infants. Option A: Placing a newborn prone (on the stomach) significantly increases the risk of SIDS; it is not recommended and does not prevent choking in healthy newborns. Option B: Bed-sharing with parents increases the risk of SIDS and accidental suffocation; the newborn should sleep in a separate approved sleep space in the same room as the parents. Option D: Soft crib bumpers are a suffocation hazard and are not recommended by the AAP; the crib should be free of all loose bedding and soft objects.
Answer: C
A practical nurse at a community health clinic is collecting data during a well-child visit for an 18-month-old child. The parent reports that the child walks independently, climbs on furniture, and uses approximately 15 different single words. Which conclusion by the practical nurse is most accurate when comparing this child to expected developmental milestones?
Rationale
At 18 months, expected developmental milestones include walking independently, climbing, and a vocabulary of approximately 10–20 single words. All behaviors described by the parent fall within the normal range for this age, indicating the child's development is on track. Option B: Two-word phrases are an expected language milestone at approximately 24 months (2 years), not 18 months. A vocabulary of roughly 10–20 single words is the appropriate benchmark for an 18-month-old and does not indicate delay. Option C: Independent walking is typically achieved between 9 and 15 months, making it an expected, not advanced, skill for an 18-month-old. Stating that walking is not expected until age 2 is inaccurate. Option D: Riding a tricycle is a gross motor milestone expected at approximately 3 years of age. It is not a milestone associated with 18 months and would be an unreasonable expectation at this developmental stage.
Answer: A
A practical nurse is reinforcing discharge teaching to the mother of a 10-day-old newborn at a well-child clinic visit. The mother asks which sleep position is safest for her infant at home. Which response should the practical nurse provide?
Rationale
Current American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines recommend placing infants supine (on the back) on a firm, flat sleep surface free of loose bedding, pillows, bumper pads, and soft objects to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). This is the foundational safe-sleep teaching the practical nurse should reinforce. Option B: Car seats and infant swings are not approved sleep surfaces; prolonged unmonitored sleep in these devices can cause positional asphyxia due to airway flexion. Option C: Prone positioning significantly increases the risk of SIDS and is not recommended for unsupervised infant sleep, regardless of concerns about aspiration. Option D: Side-lying is not recommended because infants can roll to a prone position; only back-sleeping meets safe-sleep standards.
Answer: A
A practical nurse is working at a community health fair when a 52-year-old client approaches and states, 'My doctor told me I should be screened for colorectal cancer, but I have no idea what that means or where to start.' Which action by the practical nurse is most appropriate?
Rationale
Participating in health screening programs includes providing accurate, evidence-based information. The American Cancer Society recommends colorectal cancer screening beginning at age 45 for average-risk adults. Within LPN/LVN scope, the practical nurse reinforces health promotion information and describes available evidence-based screening options, empowering the client to make an informed decision. Option B: Referral to a specialist before providing basic health education is unnecessary and withholds information the practical nurse is qualified and expected to share in a health promotion setting. Option C: Colonoscopy is one valid option, but presenting it as the only choice is misleading; multiple evidence-based modalities exist and clients benefit from knowing their full range of options before deciding. Option D: Screening guidelines apply to all average-risk adults regardless of family history; a family history increases risk and may lower the recommended starting age, but it is not required for screening to be indicated.
Answer: A
A practical nurse is monitoring a client on a postpartum unit 16 hours after an uncomplicated vaginal delivery with a midline episiotomy. The client is stable and attempting to breastfeed. Which findings would the practical nurse expect to collect during routine monitoring of this client? Select all that apply.
Rationale
At 16 hours postpartum, a firm, midline uterine fundus at the level of the umbilicus is expected, reflecting normal early uterine involution. Moderate lochia rubra with a fleshy odor is the anticipated discharge during the first 1–3 days after delivery. Perineal edema with intact episiotomy sutures is a normal finding in the immediate postpartum period following a midline episiotomy. Option A: Bilateral calf pain and swelling are classic signs of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a serious postpartum complication requiring immediate reporting to the RN or provider. Option E: A temperature of 38.9°C (102°F) exceeds the acceptable postpartum range and is a potential indicator of infection such as endometritis; this finding must be reported to the RN or provider. Option F: A urine output of 15 mL over 2 hours (7.5 mL/hr) constitutes oliguria, as the expected minimum is at least 30 mL/hr. This abnormal finding requires prompt reporting.
Answer: B, C, D
2026 test plan
What Health Promotion and Maintenance covers
A selection of the activities NCSBN lists for this category, in plain words.
- Antepartum, labor and stable postpartum care
- Comparing a child to developmental milestones
- Immunizations, required and voluntary
- Health screening and prevention of high-risk behaviors
- Collecting health history and baseline data
- Barriers to communication and learning
How to answer these
Know what is expected so you can spot what is not. Many items list normal findings beside one that needs reporting.
Other NCLEX-PN categories
Coordinated Care
18–24% of the exam →
Safety and Infection Prevention and Control
10–16% of the exam →
Psychosocial Integrity
9–15% of the exam →
Basic Care and Comfort
7–13% of the exam →
Pharmacological Therapies
10–16% of the exam →
Reduction of Risk Potential
9–15% of the exam →
Physiological Adaptation
7–13% of the exam →
Keep practising health promotion and maintenance.
Answer NCLEX-PN practice questions, read the rationale on every option, and see which category needs work.
Free NCLEX-PN practice questions with rationales