NCLEX-RN, Medical exams, 6–12%

Basic Care and Comfort

Comfort and help with the activities of daily living: mobility and immobility, nutrition and hydration, elimination, rest and sleep, personal hygiene, and pain relief without medication.

Position: 5 of 8 client needs categories
Published weighting: 6–12% in the official framework
Topics covered: 4 topics in this guide

What is covered

Topics inside this client needs category.

These topics describe the scope students most often review for this part of NCLEX-RN. Treat them as a study checklist rather than an exhaustive list of what a single exam form can sample.

Mobility and immobility: Pressure injury prevention, positioning, range of motion, and assistive devices.
Nutrition and oral hydration: Therapeutic diets, aspiration precautions, and enteral feedings.
Elimination: Bowel and bladder training, catheter care, and constipation prevention.
Nonpharmacological comfort: Heat, cold, massage, distraction, and positioning for pain and sleep.

Study tips

How to practice Basic Care.

Section-specific guidance that follows from how this material is usually tested.

Learn therapeutic diets by the foods each one allows and forbids.
Tie each immobility complication to the nursing action that prevents it.
For assistive devices, rehearse the safe sequence: cane on the strong side, crutch gaits, and walker steps.

Where this fits

Basic Care and Comfort is 5 of 8 client needs categories in the NCLEX-RN guide, and it carries a published weighting of 6–12% in the official framework. Use the full guide to balance it against everything else you have to review.

Back to the NCLEX-RN guide Official exam information

Sample Basic Care questions

Practice questions, not yet expert-reviewed

Original practice questions written to the published framework for this section. No expert has reviewed them, and they are not taken from any official exam. Try each one before you open the answer.

Question 1Foundational
How often should the nurse reposition a client on bed rest who cannot move independently?
1. AOnly when the client reports discomfort
2. BAt least every 2 hours
3. CEvery 6 hours
4. DOnce per shift
Show answer
Answer: B. At least every 2 hours
Repositioning at least every 2 hours relieves pressure over bony prominences and prevents pressure injuries. A client who cannot move independently may not be able to report discomfort.
Key insight: Turn immobile clients at least every 2 hours.
Question 2Foundational
On which side should a client with a weak left leg hold a cane?
1. AThe right side
2. BThe left side
3. CEither side
4. DIn front of the body with both hands
Show answer
Answer: A. The right side
The cane is held on the strong side, opposite the weak leg, and moves forward together with the weak leg. This widens the base of support and shifts weight away from the weak side.
Key insight: Hold the cane on the strong side.
Question 3Intermediate
Which food should the nurse remove from the meal tray of a client on a low-sodium diet?
1. AFresh apple
2. BPlain baked chicken
3. CSteamed rice
4. DCanned soup
Show answer
Answer: D. Canned soup
Canned soups are among the highest-sodium foods. Fresh fruit, plain meat, and plain grains are low in sodium.
Key insight: Processed and canned foods are high in sodium.
Question 4Intermediate
What is the safest position for a client receiving a continuous enteral tube feeding?
1. AProne
2. BHead of the bed raised 10 degrees
3. CHead of the bed raised at least 30 degrees
4. DFlat on the back
Show answer
Answer: C. Head of the bed raised at least 30 degrees
Raising the head of the bed at least 30 degrees during feeding, and for about an hour after an intermittent one, lowers the risk of aspiration.
Key insight: Keep the head of the bed up at least 30 degrees during tube feedings.
Question 5Advanced
True or false: applying cold to an acute sprain during the first 24 to 48 hours reduces swelling and pain.
1. ATrue
2. BFalse
Show answer
Answer: A. True
Cold causes vasoconstriction, which limits swelling and numbs pain after an acute injury. Heat is used later to increase blood flow and relax muscles.
Key insight: Cold first for acute injuries, heat later.

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Basic Care and Comfort