Nurs 307 Exam 3 Review Questions With Complete
Solutions
A 16-year-old girl is being seen at the clinic for gastrointestinal
symptoms and weight loss. The nurse determines that many of
her symptoms may be related to erratic eating patterns, eating
predominantly fast foods, and high caffeine intake. In this
situation, which is most appropriate when collecting current
dietary intake information?
1. Using the food frequency questionnaire to identify the amount
of intake of specific foods
2. Scheduling a time for direct observation of the adolescent
during meals
3. Asking the patient for a 24-hour diet recall, and assuming it to
be reflective of a typical day for her
4. Having the patient complete a food diary for 3 days, including
2 weekdays and 1 weekend day Correct Answers 4. Having the
patient complete a food diary for 3 days, including 2 weekdays
and 1 weekend day
rationale: Food diaries require the individual to write down
everything consumed for a certain time period. Because of the
erratic eating patterns of this individual, assessing dietary intake
over a few days would produce more accurate information
regarding eating patterns than a 24-hour recall. Direct
observation is best used with young children or older adults. A
food frequency questionnaire asks about the frequency of certain
foods rather than total daily intake.
A 17-year-old single mother is describing how difficult it is to
raise a 3-year-old child by herself. During the course of the
interview she states, "I can't believe my boyfriend left me to do
,this by myself! What a terrible thing to do to me!" Which of
these responses by the nurse uses empathy?
1. "You feel alone."
2. "You can't believe he left you alone?"
3. "It must be so hard to care for a child all alone."
4. "I would be angry, too; raising a child alone is no picnic."
Correct Answers 3. "It must be so hard to care for a child all
alone."
rationale: An empathetic response recognizes the feeling and
puts it into words. It names the feeling, allows its expression,
and strengthens rapport. Some empathetic responses are, "This
must be very hard for you," "I understand," or simply placing
your hand on the person's arm. Simply reflecting the person's
words or agreeing with the person is not an empathetic response.
Simply reflecting the person's words by saying "You feel alone"
or "You can't believe he left you alone", or agreeing with the
person by saying "I would be angry, too; raising a child alone is
no picnic" are not empathetic responses. They do not name the
feeling, allow its expression or strengthen rapport.
A 29-year-old woman tells the nurse that she has "excruciating
pain" in her back. Which response by the nurse would be
appropriate?
1. "I've had back pain myself, and it can be excruciating."
2. "The pain must be terrible. You probably pinched a nerve."
3. "How would you say the pain affects your ability to do your
daily activities?"
4. "How does your family react to your pain?" Correct Answers
3. "How would you say the pain affects your ability to do your
daily activities?"
,rationale: The symptom of pain is difficult to quantify because
of individual interpretation. It is important to find out the
meaning of the pain to the person by asking how it affects daily
activities. The nurse needs to find out the patient's perception or
meaning of the pain, rather than how the family reacts to it. The
nurse should avoid the use of adjectives when discussing the
person's pain, should not give his or her opinion of the cause, or
focus on their own experience with pain. Instead, the nurse
should ask the patient how the pain affects his or her daily
activities.
A 29-year-old woman weighs 156 pounds. Her ideal body
weight is calculated to be 120 pounds. How would the nurse
classify the woman's weight?
1. Suffering from malnutrition
2. Mildly overweight
3. Within appropriate range of ideal weight
4. Obese Correct Answers 4. Obese
rationale: Obesity, as a result of caloric excess, refers to weight
more than 20% above ideal body weight. For this patient, 20%
of her ideal body weight would be 24 pounds, and greater than
20% of her body weight would be over 144 pounds. Therefore,
having a weight of 156 pounds would be considered obese.
A 4-year-old boy is brought to the emergency department by his
mother. She says he points to his stomach and says, "It hurts so
bad." Which pain assessment tool would be the best choice
when assessing this child's pain?
1. Descriptor scale
2. Faces Pain Scale—Revised (FPS-R)
3. Numeric rating scale
, 4. Brief pain inventory Correct Answers 2. Faces Pain Scale—
Revised (FPS-R)
rationale: Rating scales can be introduced at the age of 4 or 5
years. The FPS-R is designed for use by children and asks the
child to choose a face that shows "how much hurt (or pain) you
have now." Young children should not be asked to rate pain by
using numbers. A 4-year-old should not be asked to use a
descriptor scale, numeric rating scale, or brief pain inventory as
they do not have the ability to accurately describe or rate pain
intensity on a numerical scale.
A 60-year-old patient has been treated for pneumonia for the
past 6 weeks. The patient is seen today in the clinic for an
"unexplained" weight loss of 10 pounds over the last 6 weeks.
Which is an appropriate rationale for this patient's weight loss?
1. Chronic diseases such as hypertension cause weight loss.
2. Weight loss is probably the result of unhealthy eating habits.
3. Unexplained weight loss often accompanies short-term
illnesses.
4. Weight loss is probably the result of a mental health
dysfunction. Correct Answers 3. Unexplained weight loss often
accompanies short-term illnesses.
rationale: An unexplained weight loss may be a sign of a short-
term illness or a chronic illness such as endocrine disease,
malignancy, depression, anorexia nervosa, or bulimia.
Hypertension, unhealthy eating, and mental health dysfunction
are not common causes of unexplained weight loss.
A 60-year-old woman has developed reflexive sympathetic
dystrophy after arthroscopic repair of her shoulder. Which is a
key feature of this condition?
Solutions
A 16-year-old girl is being seen at the clinic for gastrointestinal
symptoms and weight loss. The nurse determines that many of
her symptoms may be related to erratic eating patterns, eating
predominantly fast foods, and high caffeine intake. In this
situation, which is most appropriate when collecting current
dietary intake information?
1. Using the food frequency questionnaire to identify the amount
of intake of specific foods
2. Scheduling a time for direct observation of the adolescent
during meals
3. Asking the patient for a 24-hour diet recall, and assuming it to
be reflective of a typical day for her
4. Having the patient complete a food diary for 3 days, including
2 weekdays and 1 weekend day Correct Answers 4. Having the
patient complete a food diary for 3 days, including 2 weekdays
and 1 weekend day
rationale: Food diaries require the individual to write down
everything consumed for a certain time period. Because of the
erratic eating patterns of this individual, assessing dietary intake
over a few days would produce more accurate information
regarding eating patterns than a 24-hour recall. Direct
observation is best used with young children or older adults. A
food frequency questionnaire asks about the frequency of certain
foods rather than total daily intake.
A 17-year-old single mother is describing how difficult it is to
raise a 3-year-old child by herself. During the course of the
interview she states, "I can't believe my boyfriend left me to do
,this by myself! What a terrible thing to do to me!" Which of
these responses by the nurse uses empathy?
1. "You feel alone."
2. "You can't believe he left you alone?"
3. "It must be so hard to care for a child all alone."
4. "I would be angry, too; raising a child alone is no picnic."
Correct Answers 3. "It must be so hard to care for a child all
alone."
rationale: An empathetic response recognizes the feeling and
puts it into words. It names the feeling, allows its expression,
and strengthens rapport. Some empathetic responses are, "This
must be very hard for you," "I understand," or simply placing
your hand on the person's arm. Simply reflecting the person's
words or agreeing with the person is not an empathetic response.
Simply reflecting the person's words by saying "You feel alone"
or "You can't believe he left you alone", or agreeing with the
person by saying "I would be angry, too; raising a child alone is
no picnic" are not empathetic responses. They do not name the
feeling, allow its expression or strengthen rapport.
A 29-year-old woman tells the nurse that she has "excruciating
pain" in her back. Which response by the nurse would be
appropriate?
1. "I've had back pain myself, and it can be excruciating."
2. "The pain must be terrible. You probably pinched a nerve."
3. "How would you say the pain affects your ability to do your
daily activities?"
4. "How does your family react to your pain?" Correct Answers
3. "How would you say the pain affects your ability to do your
daily activities?"
,rationale: The symptom of pain is difficult to quantify because
of individual interpretation. It is important to find out the
meaning of the pain to the person by asking how it affects daily
activities. The nurse needs to find out the patient's perception or
meaning of the pain, rather than how the family reacts to it. The
nurse should avoid the use of adjectives when discussing the
person's pain, should not give his or her opinion of the cause, or
focus on their own experience with pain. Instead, the nurse
should ask the patient how the pain affects his or her daily
activities.
A 29-year-old woman weighs 156 pounds. Her ideal body
weight is calculated to be 120 pounds. How would the nurse
classify the woman's weight?
1. Suffering from malnutrition
2. Mildly overweight
3. Within appropriate range of ideal weight
4. Obese Correct Answers 4. Obese
rationale: Obesity, as a result of caloric excess, refers to weight
more than 20% above ideal body weight. For this patient, 20%
of her ideal body weight would be 24 pounds, and greater than
20% of her body weight would be over 144 pounds. Therefore,
having a weight of 156 pounds would be considered obese.
A 4-year-old boy is brought to the emergency department by his
mother. She says he points to his stomach and says, "It hurts so
bad." Which pain assessment tool would be the best choice
when assessing this child's pain?
1. Descriptor scale
2. Faces Pain Scale—Revised (FPS-R)
3. Numeric rating scale
, 4. Brief pain inventory Correct Answers 2. Faces Pain Scale—
Revised (FPS-R)
rationale: Rating scales can be introduced at the age of 4 or 5
years. The FPS-R is designed for use by children and asks the
child to choose a face that shows "how much hurt (or pain) you
have now." Young children should not be asked to rate pain by
using numbers. A 4-year-old should not be asked to use a
descriptor scale, numeric rating scale, or brief pain inventory as
they do not have the ability to accurately describe or rate pain
intensity on a numerical scale.
A 60-year-old patient has been treated for pneumonia for the
past 6 weeks. The patient is seen today in the clinic for an
"unexplained" weight loss of 10 pounds over the last 6 weeks.
Which is an appropriate rationale for this patient's weight loss?
1. Chronic diseases such as hypertension cause weight loss.
2. Weight loss is probably the result of unhealthy eating habits.
3. Unexplained weight loss often accompanies short-term
illnesses.
4. Weight loss is probably the result of a mental health
dysfunction. Correct Answers 3. Unexplained weight loss often
accompanies short-term illnesses.
rationale: An unexplained weight loss may be a sign of a short-
term illness or a chronic illness such as endocrine disease,
malignancy, depression, anorexia nervosa, or bulimia.
Hypertension, unhealthy eating, and mental health dysfunction
are not common causes of unexplained weight loss.
A 60-year-old woman has developed reflexive sympathetic
dystrophy after arthroscopic repair of her shoulder. Which is a
key feature of this condition?
