Health Assessment Exam 1

40. The nurse is assessing a client's pain. Which question would be most appropriate to ask the client when the goal is to identify precipitating factors that might have exacerbated the pain? A) "What were you doing when the pain first stated?" B) "Do concurrent symptoms accompany the pain?" C) "When did the pain start?" D) "Is the pain continuous or intermittent?"

A) "What were you doing when the pain first stated?"

36. The nurse has completed the initial assessment of a client and is now performing data analysis. The nurse obtained a blood pressure reading of 114/70 mm Hg. What is this client's pulse pressure? A) 44 mm Hg B) 92 mm Hg C) 114 mm Hg D) 184 mm Hg

A) 44 mm Hg

13. A female client is told that she needs a pelvic exam and Papanicolaou (Pap) smear. She says "Absolutely not! There's no way I'll let you do that to me!" Which response by the nurse would be most appropriate? A) Explain the importance of the pelvic exam and Pap smear, but respect the client's wishes and omit the exam. B) Tell the client that this is the only way she can be checked for cancer. C) Ask the client if she would prefer another practitioner to perform the exam. D) Proceed with the pelvic exam and document the client's protests in the health record.

A) Explain the importance of the pelvic exam and Pap smear, but respect the client's wishes and omit the exam.

29. A nurse who provides care on a medical unit utilizes the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) as part of the standard admission protocol. After obtaining a score of 9 from a recently admitted client, the nurse should recognize the possibility of which of the following? A) Hazardous and harmful alcohol use B) Imminent liver disease C) Acute pancreatitis D) Alcoholism

A) Hazardous and harmful alcohol use

17. A nurse is reviewing the four basic physical examination techniques and their sequence prior to receiving a new client from postanesthetic recovery. The nurse should plan to perform which technique first? A) Inspection B) Palpation C) Percussion D) Auscultation

A) Inspection

5. A nurse is completing an assessment that will involve gathering subjective and objective data. Which of the following assessment techniques will best allow the nurse to collect objective data? A) Inspection B) Therapeutic communication C) Interviewing D) Active listening

A) Inspection

12. The nurse is preparing to assess an older adult client's near vision. Which of the following pieces of equipment would be most appropriate for the nurse to use? A) Newspaper B) Snellen chart C) Ophthalmoscope D) Penlight

A) Newspaper

20. A surgical client's pain has become increasingly severe overnight, and she has received her maximum current doses of analgesics. The nurse has consequently phoned the surgeon to obtain a new order for analgesia. After the surgeon tells the nurse the new order, how should the nurse best validate this information? A) Read the order back to the surgeon for confirmation. B) Compare the order with the standard timing and dosage of the analgesic. C) Compare the order to the client's existing medication administration record (MAR). D) Have another nurse read the order that the nurse has transcribed.

A) Read the order back to the surgeon for confirmation.

4. The nurse has completed the comprehensive health assessment of a client who has been admitted for the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia. Following the completion of this assessment, the nurse periodically performs a partial assessment primarily for which reason? A) Reassess previously detected problems B) Provide information for the client's record C) Address areas previously omitted D) Determine the need for crisis intervention

A) Reassess previously detected problems

18. A nurse has documented the nursing history and physical examination of a client. This health information is best described as which of the following? A) Subjective data and objective data B) Interpretation and inference C) Observation and inspection D) Data and results

A) Subjective data and objective data

31. The nurse is preparing to assess a client's vital signs. Which vital sign should the nurse assess first? A) Temperature B) Pulse C) Respiration D) Blood pressure

A) Temperature

23. The emergency department has collected extensive data from a client who has presented with a new onset of severe abdominal pain. What nursing action should the nurse perform before proceeding with data analysis? A) Validate the collected data. B) Formulate a nursing diagnosis. C) Make inferences about the data. D) Identify the client's strengths.

A) Validate the collected data.

3. After teaching a group of students about the phases of the nursing process, the instructor determines that the teaching was successful when the students identify which phase as being foundational to all other phases? A) Assessment B) Planning C) Implementation D) Evaluation

A. Assessment

27. A client's recent episode of becoming lost near his home has prompted the nurse to use the Saint Louis University Mental Status (SLUMS) Assessment Tool. The nurse should begin this assessment by asking what question? A) "How would you respond if someone said that you might have dementia?" B) "Can I ask you some questions about your memory?" C) "Do you generally consider yourself to be an intelligent person?" D) "I want to ask you some questions to see if you have Alzheimer's."

B) "Can I ask you some questions about your memory?"

19. A nurse is providing a verbal update to a client's primary care provider because of the client's worsening nausea. When using an SBAR format to provide a report, the nurse should complete the report with which of the following statements? A) "What would you like to do to address this client's nausea?" B) "I think this client would benefit from an antiemetic." C) "This client has no recent history of any nausea or vomiting." D) "This client rates his nausea as seven out of ten."

B) "I think this client would benefit from an antiemetic."

8. During an assessment, the nurse determines that a client sees more than one primary care provider and has obtained prescriptions from each provider. Which method would be most appropriate to determine a client's current medication regimen? A) Ask the client to identify which medications taken every day. B) Ask the client to bring all the medications and supplements to an interview. C) Ask the caregiver whether the client is taking prescribed medications. D) Ask the client about the use of any over-the-counter medications.

B) Ask the client to bring all the medications and supplements to an interview.

41. A nurse is admitting a client to the postsurgical unit from the postanesthetic care unit. The nurse has transferred the client from the stretcher to a bed and asked the client if he is experiencing pain. The client acknowledges that he is in pain. What should be the nurse's next action? A) Ask the client to briefly explain his cultural background. B) Assess the client's pain according to COLDSPA. C) Assess the client's self-management skills. D) Assess the client's pain by obtaining a set of vital signs.

B) Assess the client's pain according to COLDSPA.

2. A client has presented to the emergency department (ED) with complaints of abdominal pain. Which member of the care team would most likely be responsible for collecting the subjective data on the client during the initial comprehensive assessment? A) Gastroenterologist B) ED nurse C) Admissions clerk D) Diagnostic technician

B) ED nurse

9. A client has just been admitted to the postsurgical unit from postanesthetic recovery, and the nurse is in the introductory phase of the client interview. Which of the following activities should the nurse perform first? A) Collaborate with the client to identify problems. B) Explain the purpose of the interview. C) Determine the client's vital signs. D) Obtain family health history data.

B) Explain the purpose of the interview.

30. A nurse is assessing a client who is exhibiting decorticate posturing. Which of the following would the nurse observe? A) Extended upper extremities B) Internally rotated lower extremities C) Pronated forearms D) Flexed hands at the side of the body

B) Internally rotated lower extremities

26. A nursing student has been assigned to the care of a client whose history suggests the need for a mental status assessment. This client most likely has a history of health problems affecting what body system? A) Respiratory B) Neurologic C) Cardiovascular D) Renal

B) Neurologic

7. A client has presented to the emergency department and is having difficulty describing her vague sensation of physical discomfort and unease. How can the nurse best elicit meaningful assessment data about the nature of the client's complaint? A) Ignore the complaint for now and return to it later in the assessment. B) Provide a laundry list of descriptive words. C) Restate the question using simpler terms. D) Wait in silence until the client can determine the correct words.

B) Provide a laundry list of descriptive words.

33. The nurse has begun a client's assessment and is applying the blood pressure cuff on a client's arm. Which action would be most appropriate? A) The cuff is wrapped loosely around the arm. B) The cuff is placed about 1 inch above the antecubital area. C) The bladder inside the cuff encircles 50% of the arm circumference. D) The nurse can fit three to four fingers under the inflated cuff.

B) The cuff is placed about 1 inch above the antecubital area.

22. The nurse is reviewing and analyzing data from the initial assessment of a newly admitted client who is a 79-year-old man. What assessment finding most clearly indicates a need for further data? A) The man has male pattern baldness. B) The man has a diffuse rash on his torso. C) The man's heart rate is 63 beats per minute. D) The man had an inguinal hernia repair in 2008.

B) The man has a diffuse rash on his torso.

35. A nurse is obtaining a client's radial pulse. Which of the following actions demonstrates correct technique for this assessment? A) Application of firm pressure on the wrist area along the side of the fifth digit B) Use of two middle fingers lightly applied to wrist area along the thumb side C) Use of the thumb and index finger applied to obliterate the wrist area along the thumb side D) Application of the bell of the stethoscope to the antecubital area of the upper extremity

B) Use of two middle fingers lightly applied to wrist area along the thumb side

6. A nurse is providing feedback to a colleague after observing the colleague's interview of a newly admitted client. Which of the following would the nurse identify as an example of a closed-ended question or statement? A) "Tell me about your relationship with your children?" B) "Tell me what you eat in a normal day?" C) "Are you allergic to any medications?" D) "What is your typical day like?"

C) "Are you allergic to any medications?"

15. When assessing the temperature of the feet of an older client with diabetes, the nurse would use which part of the hand to obtain the most accurate assessment data? A) Finger pad surface B) Palmar hand surface C) Dorsal hand surface D) Ulnar hand surface

C) Dorsal hand surface

39. The nurse collects vital signs on a hospital client who has recently been experiencing pain. Which of the following would suggest most strongly to the nurse that the client is experiencing pain? A) Respiratory rate of 18 breaths per minute B) Temperature of 99.1°F C) Heart rate of 110 beats per minute D) Blood pressure of 120/70 mm Hg

C) Heart rate of 110 beats per minute

34. Which of the following would be most important for the nurse to do when assessing a client's blood pressure? A) Palpate the pulsations of the ulnar artery. B) Hold the client's arm slightly flexed with palm down. C) Inflate the cuff 30 mm Hg above where the radial pulse disappears. D) Deflate the cuff about 5 mm Hg per second.

C) Inflate the cuff 30 mm Hg above where the radial pulse disappears.

25. A nurse has identified a goal of developing his critical thinking skills. In order to facilitate this goal, what action should the nurse prioritize? A) Applying quick decision-making B) Seeking new experiences C) Maintaining an open mind D) Maintaining a stable and static knowledge base

C) Maintaining an open mind

16. The nurse is using her fingerpads to palpate a client's body part during the physical examination. Which of the following would the nurse best be able to detect? A) Temperature B) Vibrations C) Pulses D) Fremitus

C) Pulses

10. The nurse is using the mnemonic "COLDSPA" to assess a client's complaint of lower abdominal pain. The nurse asks the client to rate the pain on a scale of 0 to 10. The nurse is assessing which aspect of the complaint? A) Character B) Onset C) Severity D) Pattern

C) Severity

32. A nurse obtains the blood pressure of a client who is uncharacteristically fatigued and who is lying in bed rather than sitting in a chair. The nurse should interpret the client's blood pressure reading in light of what principle? A) The client's blood pressure will be slightly highly than the client's norm. B) Position rarely affects the client's blood pressure. C) The client's blood pressure will be slightly lower than standing readings. D) There will be questionable accuracy of the blood pressure reading.

C) The client's blood pressure will be slightly lower than standing readings.

37. A nurse is admitting a client to the postsurgical unit following breast reconstruction surgery. Which of the following would the nurse use as the primary assessment for the client's pain? A) The client's spiritual view of the pain B) Current pain therapies used preoperatively C) The client's report of her pain D) Psychosocial questions related to her perceptions of pain

C) The client's report of her pain

11. A nurse is admitting a new client to the subacute medical unit and is completing a comprehensive assessment. The nurse is appropriately applying standard precautions by performing which of the following actions? A) Performing hand hygiene between examinations of each body part B) Discarding in the trash can the safety pin that was used to assess sensory perception C) Wearing gloves to palpate the tongue and buccal membranes D) Wearing a gown, gloves, and mask during the physical exam

C) Wearing gloves to palpate the tongue and buccal membranes

28. The nurse is assessing a client using the Glasgow Coma Scale following an acute hypoglycemic episode and obtains a score of 14. The nurse interprets this as indicating which of the following? A) Deep coma B) Coma C) Obtunded D) Alert and oriented

D) Alert and oriented

1. A nurse on a postsurgical unit is admitting a client following the client's cholecystectomy (gall bladder removal). What is the overall purpose of assessment for this client? A) Collecting accurate data B) Assisting the primary care provider C) Validating previous data D) Making clinical judgments

D) Making clinical judgments

21. A client has illuminated his call light and tells the nurse that he is having "ten out of ten" pain. The nurse's initial inspection reveals that the client is watching videos on his tablet computer and appears to be at ease physically and emotionally. How should the nurse validate the client's subjective complaint of pain? A) Ask the client to repeat his rating of his pain. B) Observe the client for several seconds to see if his demeanor or his behavior changes. C) Consult the client's medication administration record (MAR) to check for recent analgesic use. D) Perform further assessments addressing various aspects of the client's pain.

D) Perform further assessments addressing various aspects of the client's pain.

24. A nurse is planning a client's care following the completion of an initial assessment. When formulating a risk nursing diagnosis, which piece of data would be most useful? A) The client has an elevated white blood cell count. B) The client is 66 years of age. C) The client has pain in her joints, especially in the morning. D) The client is separated from her usual social supports.

D) The client is separated from her usual social supports.

38. The nurse is using the Verbal Descriptor Scale to assess a client's pain. The nurse will prioritize which of the following data? A) The client's facial expressions B) The client's report on a 0 to 10 numeric scale C) The client's rating on a 0 to 10 visual analog scale D) The client's explanation of how her pain feels

D) The client's explanation of how her pain feels

14. The nurse is preparing to perform a physical examination on a female client who has been transferred to the medical unit from the emergency department. The nurse should begin the collection of objective data with which of the following examinations? A) Head and neck examination B) Palpation of lymph nodes C) Breast examination D) Vital signs

D) Vital signs