NURS 224: Health History and Interview

weeks ago. The woman is crying and is having difficulty talking. The nurse moves closer and places a hand on the woman's hand. What type of communication is this? a) Active listening b) Restatement c) Reflection d) Encouraging elaboration (facilitation)

a) Active listening

The nurse is teaching the client how to self-administer insulin. Which functional health pattern does this nursing intervention address? a) Health perception-health management b) Role-relationship c) Coping/stress tolerance d) Cognition-perception

a) Health perception-health management

A client comes to the emergency department with severe abdominal pain. When performing a complete assessment, the nurse would focus on which of the following areas when covering past health history? a) previous medical and surgical problems b) aggravating factors of the pain c) duration of the pain d) intensity of the pain

a) previous medical and surgical problems

A student nurse is conducting her first client interview. The student suddenly draws a blank on what to ask the client next. What is a useful interview technique for the student to use at this point? a) Transition b) Summarization c) Reassurance d) Termination

b) Summarization

During an interview with an adult client for the first time, the nurse can clarify the client's statements by a) offering a "laundry list" of descriptors. b) rephrasing the client's statements. c) repeating verbatim what the client has said. d) inferring what the client's statements mean.

b) rephrasing the client's statements.

A client comes to the ED complaining of chest pain. This would be considered a) subjective secondary data b) subjective primary data c) objective secondary data d) objective primary data

b) subjective primary data

How should the nurse document a client's chief complaint of right hip pain for the comprehensive health history? a) Patient complains of right hip pain. b) Patient states right hip hurts with walking. c) "I have pain in my right hip when I walk." d) "I am here to see a doctor for pain."

c) "I have pain in my right hip when I walk."

A 71-year-old woman has been admitted to the hospital for a vaginal hysterectomy, and the nurse is collecting subjective data prior to surgery. Which statement by the nurse could be construed as judgmental? a) "How often do your adult children typically visit you?" b) "Your husband's death must have been very difficult for you." c) "You must quit smoking because it affects others, not only you." d) "How would you describe your feelings about getting older?"

c) "You must quit smoking because it affects others, not only you."

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

c) Describe how you breathe for me

When recording the client's reason for seeking care (chief concerns) during the health history, it is recommended that the interviewer: a) Summarize the client's words b) Paraphrase the client's words c) Quote the client's words d) Describe the client's concerns and health goals

c) Quote the client's words

The nurse documents information about a client's activity-exercise health pattern. Which information did the nurse most likely document? a) gained 15 lbs. over the last 6 months b) experiences panic attacks several times a week c) unable to go to the gym since having back surgery d) misses seeing friends who used to go for walks together

c) unable to go to the gym since having back surgery

The nurse has just asked a client how he feels about his emphysema. He becomes silent, folds his arms across his chest, and leans back in his chair. Then the client replies "It is what it is." How should the nurse respond? a) "You seem bothered by this question." b) "Next, I would like to talk with you about your smoking habit." c) "Okay, let's move on to your other problems." d) "You have adopted a practical attitude toward your problem."

a) "You seem bothered by this question."

When beginning the collection of the client data base, which of the following would be most important for the nurse to do? a) Establish a trusting relationship b) Determine the client's strengths c) Identify health problems d) Make inferences

a) Establish a trusting relationship

What occurs during the termination phase of an interview? a) Planning for follow-up care b) Addressing topics that have not yet been addressed c) Assessing the client's mental status d) Letting the client know you understood all he or she has told you

a) Planning for follow-up care

Prior to a client interview, the nurse collects information from the client's medical record, such as prior surgeries, home medications, allergies, and past treatments. What phase of the interview process is this? a) Pre-interaction b) Beginning c) Working d) Closing

a) Pre-interaction

An older adult client is brought to the ED. The client tells the nurse, "I feel like something really heavy is sitting on my chest." The nurse then says to the client, "You feel as if something heavy is sitting on your chest?" Of what type of nurse-client communication is this an example? a) Restatement b) Active listening c) Encouraging elaboration d) Reflection

a) Restatement

An elderly client arrives in the Emergency Department with nonspecific symptoms. When the nurse attempts to take the health history, the client appears not to understand and does not answer the questions. The nurse realizes that this might be because of a common problem in the elderly, which is: a) sensory deficits b) anorexia c) decubitus d) altruism

a) sensory deficits

A client is asked to describe "something that brings the most hope." Which functional health pattern is the nurse assessing? a) value-belief b) self-perception c) role-relationship d) coping-stress-tolerance

a) value-belief

The principle of confidentiality is of paramount importance in the nurse-client relationship. When should you inform the client of with whom his or her information will be shared? a) When the client asks b) At the beginning of the interview c) At the end of the interview d) Whenever it seems appropriate

b) At the beginning of the interview

Mrs. T. comes for her regular visit to the clinic. Her regular provider is on vacation, but the client did not want to wait. The nurse has heard about this client many times from colleagues and is aware that she is very talkative. Which of the following is a helpful technique to improve the quality of the interview for both provider and client? a) Allow the client to speak uninterrupted for the duration of the appointment. b) Briefly summarize what the client says in the first 5 minutes and then try to have her focus on one aspect of what she discussed. c) Set the time limit at the beginning of the interview and stick with it, no matter what occurs in the course of the interview. d) Allow impatience to show so that the client picks up on nonverbal cues that the appointment needs to end.

b) Briefly summarize what the client says in the first 5 minutes and then try to have her focus on one aspect of what she discussed.

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.

A nurse is interviewing a client with a different cultural background. Which nonverbal behavior should the nurse adopt to best facilitate communication during this phase of assessment? a) Standing while the client is seated b) Using a moderate amount of eye contact c) Sitting across the room from the client d) Minimizing facial expressions

b) Using a moderate amount of eye contact

Which client situation would require a focused health history? a) a client has who has recently been diagnosed with a chronic illness b) a client with gastrointestinal disease with acute abdominal pain c) a client who just confirmed she is pregnant d) a client for who makes frequent hospital visits reporting the same symptom

b) a client with gastrointestinal disease with acute abdominal pain

While interviewing an adult client about the client's stress levels and coping responses, an appropriate question by the nurse is a) "Do you feel stress at work?" b) "How often do you feel stressed?" c) "Is stress a problem in your life?" d) "How do you manage your stress?"

d) "How do you manage your stress?"

Which of the following questions is most useful in the assessment of a client's diabetes management? a) "You check your sugars before each meal, don't you?" b) "Are you still using your glucometer 4 times a day?" c) "Are you staying vigilant with your blood sugar monitoring?" d) "What is your routine for checking your blood sugar these days?"

d) "What is your routine for checking your blood sugar these days?"

A client reports pain as being 7 on a scale from 1 to 10. In which area of the symptom should the nurse document this information? a) Onset b) Location c) Duration d) Characteristic

d) Characteristic

A nurse assesses a client with regard to nutritional habits, use of substances, education, and work and stress levels. The nurse recognizes this as what type of information? a) History of present health concern b) Personal health history c) Family health history d) Lifestyle and health practices profile

d) Lifestyle and health practices profile

While interviewing a client, the nurse asks, "What happens when you have low blood glucose?" This type of response to the client is used for what purpose? a) To summarize the conversation b) To restate what the client has said c) To promote objectivity d) To clarify

d) To clarify

During an interview with an adult client, the nurse can keep the interview from going off course by a) using open-ended questions. b) rephrasing the client's statements. c) inferring information. d) using closed-ended questions.

d) using closed-ended questions.