Chapter 2: Collecting Subjective Data: The Interview and Health History

When gathering information about medication use, a nurse should ask a client about which types of drugs? A. Prescription and OTC medications B. Prescription medications only C. Over the counter (OTC) medications D. Vitamins and herbal supplements

A. Prescription and OTC medications

Nonverbal communication is a very important aspect in nurse-client relationships. What can the nurse do to help gain trust in clients? Select all that apply. A. Use gestures intentionally to illustrate points, especially for clients who cannot communicate verbally B. Do not use facial expressions such as rolling the eyes or looking bored or disgusted C. Do not look the client in the eye D. Make sure that dress and appearance are professional E. Laugh a lot, which puts the client at ease

A, B, C

The nurse is focusing an interview on a patient's respiratory status. Which question should the nurse ask first to begin this interview? A. Do you have any difficulty producing sputum? B. Describe how you breathe for me? C. Do you currently have a cough? D. Do you experience any pain when you breathe?

B. Describe how you breathe for me?

The nurse is preparing to interview a client with a documented history of mental illness. Which question should the nurse use to begin this interview? A. "When was the last time you talked with a psychiatrist?" B. "Have you considered counseling for your mental problems? C. "Have you ever had a problem with mental or emotional illness?" D. "What medication do you take for your depression?"

C. "Have you ever had a problem with mental or emotional illness?"

The nurse is caring for a client exhibiting slurred speech after suffering from a cerebrovascular accident. The nurse is unable to completely understand the client. What is the nurse's best action? A. Turn the television on for distraction. B. Change the subject to put the client at ease. C. Refer all questions to the client's family member in room. D. Ask the client to repeat the statement or question.

D. Ask the client to repeat the statement or question.

In interviewing a client about substance use, a nurse asks her whether she takes any herbal supplements. Which of the following is the best rationale for asking this question? A. Some herbal supplements may interact with prescribed medications. B. Taking herbal supplements is an indicator that the client is concerned with maintaining her health. C. Abuse of herbal supplements can result in cardiac dysfunction. D. Taking herbal supplements may be the client's mechanism for coping with stress.

A. Some herbal supplements may interact with prescribed medications.

The nurse is preparing to interview a client with a history of sexual abuse. What technique should the nurse use when conducting this interview? A. Skip the sexual history B. Ask direct questions C. Avoid eye contact D. Be nonjudgmental

D. Be nonjudgmental

A nurse is interviewing a man complaining of a pain in his shoulder. The nurse asks him where exactly the pain is, and he points to a spot on the lateral, posterior upper arm. The nurse has seen similar cases in other clients and recognizes that is likely from prolonged work at a computer, particularly using a mouse. Which of the following is the most effective use of inferring that the nurse might implement in this situation? A. "You work at a computer a lot, don't you?" B. "When did the pain start?" C. "I recommend that you change your posture while working at the computer." D."Do you perform any sustained or continually repetitive motions with that arm?"

D."Do you perform any sustained or continually repetitive motions with that arm?"

A client reports experiencing chest pain after eating. Which category within the review of systems should the nurse document this information? A. Gastrointestinal B. Cardiovascular C. Neurologic D. Musculoskeletal

A. Gastrointestinal

An older client cannot recall the date of a surgical procedure but the adult daughter interjects with the exact date because it occurred a week before her wedding. How should the nurse document this information? A. Last surgery date validated by adult daughter B. Adult daughter controlling the interview C. Unable to recall exact date of last surgery D. Confused regarding dates of surgical procedures

A. Last surgery date validated by adult daughter

A nurse is collecting data on a client's chief complaint, which is a spell of numbness and tingling on her left side. Which of the following questions would be best for eliciting information related to associated factors? A. "How bad was the tingling and numbness?" B. "What other symptoms occurred during the spell?" C. "How long did the spell last?" D. "Where did the numbness and tingling occur?"

B. "What other symptoms occurred during the spell?"

Which type of question is asked first by the nurse in order to attain a full description of the client's symptoms and to generate and test diagnostic hypotheses? A. Pertinent positive and negative questions to determine relevant details B. Open-ended questions to encourage the client to tell his or her story C. Specific questions to secure a description of every symptom D. Yes-or-no questions to determine relevant areas of the physical examination

B. Open-ended questions to encourage the client to tell his or her story

A nurse collects data about a client's family health history. Which family members' health problems should the nurse include when documenting this information in the database? A. Those with diseases that are known to have a genetic link B. Those with illnesses that resulted in death or disablement C. As many genetic relatives as the client can recall D. Only the members with health problems that relate to the client's gender

C. As many genetic relatives as the client can recall

During an interview, the patient begins to talk about the frequency of being abused by a spouse. What can the nurse do at this time to acknowledge the sensitivity of the information the patient is providing? A. Avoid maintaining eye contact while the patient is discussing spouse abuse. B. Key the information into the electronic medical record as the patient is speaking. C. Stop documenting in order to maintain eye contact with the patient. D. Write down the information as the patient is speaking.

C. Stop documenting in order to maintain eye contact with the patient.