Collecting Subjective Data (Coursepoint)

During one of your clinical placements you encounter a client who becomes silent during the nursing interview. What would be appropriate for you to do? (Mark all that apply.) - Watch the client closely for nonverbal cues - Ask your question again - Give brief encouragement to the client - Appear attentive - Change the subject you are asking about

- Watch the client closely for nonverbal cues - Give brief encouragement to the client - Appear attentive

A client reports difficulty sleeping. Which question would be the most effective way for the nurse to open the interview? A. "Can you tell me about your sleep problem from when it started until now?" B. "When did the sleep problem begin?" C. "What have you tried to help with your sleep?" D. "How would you rate your sleep on a scale from 1 to 10?"

A. "Can you tell me about your sleep problem from when it started until now?"

A nurse is discussing with a client the client's personal health history. Which of the following would be an appropriate question to ask at this time? A. "What diseases did you have as a child?" B. "Are both of your parents still living?" C. "What do you usually eat in a typical day?" D. "How do you feel about having to seek health care?"

A. "What diseases did you have as a child?"

During an interview, how can the nurse best assist the client as the client tells their story? A. Avoid interrupting the client. B. Suggest information the client has appeared to have forgotten. C. Use a focused questioning format. D. Correct the client when the client makes erroneous statements.

A. Avoid interrupting the client.

The nurse is interviewing a 78-year-old client for the first time. The nurse should first A. assess the client's hearing acuity. B. obtain biographic data. C. use medical terminology appropriately. D. establish rapport with the client.

A. assess the client's hearing acuity.

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. coping-stress-tolerance D. role-relationship

A. value-belief

The nurse is performing a follow-up assessment and interview of a 72-year-old woman with a history of congestive heart failure. The nurse asks the client, "Have you been experiencing any activity intolerance since I last saw you?" What would be a more appropriate way for the nurse to elicit this information? A. "Has your heart failure been causing you any dyspnea lately?" B. "Has this been having an effect on your ability to carry out your routines and get around your home?" C. "Has your congestive heart failure been affecting your activities of daily living recently?" D. "Do you ever find yourself SOB when you're carrying out your daily routines?"

B. "Has this been having an effect on your ability to carry out your routines and get around your home?"

During an assessment the client says "I've been having bad pain in my left leg for a week." In which section should the nurse document this information? A. health patterns B. chief complaint C. review of systems D. history of present illness

B. chief complaint

The nurse is preparing to interview an adult client for the first time. The nurse observes that the client appears very anxious. The nurse should A. avoid discussing sensitive issues. B. explain the role and purpose of the nurse. C. set time limits with the client. D. allow the client time to calm down.

B. explain the role and purpose of the nurse.

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

B. rephrasing the client's statements.

The nurse is interviewing a client in the clinic for the first time. The client appears to have a very limited vocabulary. The nurse should plan to A. use standard medical terminology. B. use very basic lay terminology. C. have a family member present during the interview. D. show the client pictures of different symptoms, such as the "faces pain chart."

B. use very basic lay terminology.

During an interview between a nurse and a client, the nurse and the client collaborate to identify problems and goals. This occurs during the phase of the interview termed A. ongoing. B. working. C. closure. D. introductory.

B. working.

The review of systems is to be completed next while conducting a comprehensive assessment. Which type of question should the nurse use for this review? A. open-ended B. yes or no C. narrative D. summative

B. yes or no

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. "What medication do you take for your depression?" C. "Have you ever had a problem with mental or emotional illness?" D. "Have you considered counseling for your mental problems?

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

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. "How do you manage your stress?" D. "Is stress a problem in your life?"

C. "How do you manage your stress?"

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 long did the spell last?" B. "How bad was the tingling and numbness?" C. "What other symptoms occurred during the spell?" D. "Where did the numbness and tingling occur?"

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

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 would you describe your feelings about getting older?" 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 often do your adult children typically visit you?"

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

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. Refer all questions to the client's family member in room. C. Ask the client to repeat the statement or question. D. Change the subject to put the client at ease.

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

A client who only speaks Spanish is admitted to the unit. The client's sister, who speaks English, is in the room when the English-speaking nurse starts the admission assessment. Why would it be inappropriate to use the sister as an interpreter for this client? A. The client's sister may not understand medical terminology B. The sister may not be there every time the nurse needs to talk to the client C. The client may not want the sister to know their private information D. The sister may not tell the client exactly what the nurse says

C. The client may not want the sister to know their private information

The nurse asks a client "is there any time when you feel unsafe?" On which part of the comprehensive health history is the nurse focusing with this question? A. mental health B. self-concept C. family violence D. role-relationship

C. family violence

A client is unable to recall the last time an immunization was received. Which part of the client's health should the nurse realize is being the most impacted by this practice? A. screening test completion B. risk factors C. health maintenance D. compliance with treatment

C. health maintenance

A female client tells the nurse it has been 5 years since her last pap smear examination. Where should the nurse document this information? A. personal and social history B. physical examination C. health maintenance D. review of systems

C. health maintenance

A nurse is interviewing a client who has recently been diagnosed with terminal disease. In covering the lifestyle and health practices profile, the nurse asks the client, "Are you close to any extended family members in the area?" The client objects to the question and asks why the nurse needs to know that. Which is the best rationale for the nurse posing this question? A. "I'm just being friendly. We like to get to know our clients at this practice." B. "With you having a terminal illness, you will need someone to help you plan your funeral." C. "I just thought I might know them; I know pretty much everyone in this town." D. "I just wanted to see what kind of social support you might have to help care for you during your illness."

D. "I just wanted to see what kind of social support you might have to help care for you during your illness."

A nurse is interviewing an adult client who had a miscarriage 3 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. Encouraging elaboration (facilitation) B. Reflection C. Restatement D. Active listening

D. Active listening

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 have any difficulty producing sputum? B. Do you currently have a cough? C. Do you experience any pain when you breathe? D. Describe how you breathe for me?

D. Describe how you breathe for me?

A nurse completes an initial assessment and discusses findings with the client. What is the next best action of the nurse? A. Discuss lifestyle and health practices with the client. B. Perform a review of systems. C. Validate the client's biographical data. D. Develop a plan of care with the client.

D. Develop a plan of care with the client.

How would the nursing instructor explain the goal of guided questioning to his or her students? A. Creating an opportunity for the early generation of a plan B. Developing a basis for accurate health promotion activities C. Providing the most plausible answer to the client D. Facilitating the client's fullest communication

D. Facilitating the client's fullest communication

A client admitted to the health care facility for new onset of abdominal pain expresses to the nurse that she was treated for gastroesophageal reflux disease in the past. In which section of the comprehensive health assessment should the nurse document this information? A. History of present illness B. Chief complaint C. Review of systems D. Personal health history

D. Personal health history

A nurse is admitting a new client. The client is lying in bed. Where should the nurse be positioned? A. Standing beside the bed, looking down at the client B. Leaning on the nightstand at eye level with the client C. Sitting on the side of the bed, looking down at the client D. Seated in a chair at eye level with the client

D. Seated in a chair at eye level with the client

An elderly client with Parkinson's disease and his wife, who appears to be much younger than he, are being interviewed by the nurse to update the client's health history. The nurse also has the client's electronic health record on her tablet computer. Earlier in the day, the nurse had spoken with the client's primary care physician, who had relayed some concerns to the nurse regarding the progression of the client's disease. Which source of biographic information should the nurse view as primary? A. The client's medical record B. The client's wife C. The physician D. The client

D. The client

The nurse performs a comprehensive assessment on a new client. What is the next action of the nurse? A. Instruct the client on what interventions need to be implemented. B. Discuss findings with the health care provider. C. Inform client of available treatments and procedures. D. Validate problems and determine client's goals.

D. Validate problems and determine client's goals.

A client reports the health status of living parents, siblings, and deceased grandparents. What should the nurse do with this information? A. consider using it when planning care B. include in the past medical history C. document it in a narrative note D. create a genogram

D. create a genogram

While interviewing a client for the first time, the nurse is using a standardized nursing history form. The nurse should A. ask the client to complete the form. B. read the questions verbatim from the form. C. ask leading questions throughout the interview. D. maintain eye contact while asking the questions from the form.

D. maintain eye contact while asking the questions from the form.