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NSG 3160 exam 3
NSG3160/ NSG 3160 Exam 3: Health Assessment Review | (NEW 2026/ 2027 Update)
Questions & Answers| Grade A| 100% Correct (Verified Solutions)- Galen
1. The vertebra prominens is a landmark frequently used during a physical assessment
of the posterior thorax. Which statement accurately describes this structure?
A. The body of the C7 vertebra.
B. The spinous process of C1.
C. The spinous process of C7.
D. The transverse process of T1.
CORRECT ANSWER: C
Rationale: The vertebra prominens is the most prominent bony spur protruding at the
base of the neck and is the spinous process of the seventh cervical vertebra (C7). It is a
key landmark for locating the apex of the lung.
2. A nurse measures a patient’s costal angle during a respiratory assessment. Which
finding would be considered normal in a healthy adult?
A. 45 degrees
NSG 3160 exam 3
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NSG 3160 exam 3
B. 60 degrees
C. 90 degrees
D. 120 degrees
CORRECT ANSWER: C
Rationale: The costal angle is the angle formed by the merging of the right and left
costal margins at the xiphoid process. In a healthy adult, this angle is usually 90 degrees
or less. An angle wider than 90 degrees may indicate chronic hyperinflation of the lungs,
as seen in conditions like COPD.
3. When reviewing lung anatomy, the nurse recalls that the left lung differs from the
right lung in which way?
A. It is divided by the horizontal fissure.
B. It consists of two lobes.
C. It has a larger capacity than the right lung.
D. It is shorter due to underlying stomach placement.
CORRECT ANSWER: B
Rationale: The left lung is composed of two lobes (upper and lower) separated by the
oblique fissure. The right lung has three lobes (upper, middle, and lower). This
asymmetry accommodates the heart.
NSG 3160 exam 3
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NSG 3160 exam 3
4. A nurse is teaching a student about lung anatomy. Which statement is true regarding
the apices of the lungs?
A. They lie at the level of the diaphragm.
B. They extend 3–4 cm above the inner third of the clavicles.
C. They are located at the sixth rib anteriorly.
D. They are not palpable in a routine assessment.
CORRECT ANSWER: B
Rationale: The apex (top) of each lung extends approximately 3–4 cm above the inner
third of the clavicle into the neck region. This is an important landmark during
percussion and auscultation.
5. During an anterior thorax examination, the nurse remembers that the trachea
bifurcates into the right and left main bronchi at which anterior landmark?
A. Suprasternal notch
B. Sternal angle
C. Xiphoid process
D. Costal angle
NSG 3160 exam 3
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NSG 3160 exam 3
CORRECT ANSWER: B
Rationale: The sternal angle (angle of Louis) is the palpable ridge where the manubrium
meets the body of the sternum. It is anteriorly aligned with the tracheal bifurcation
(carina) and the second rib, making it a critical topographic landmark.
6. Which finding would the nurse expect during a routine lung assessment of a healthy
adult?
A. Absent breath sounds at the bases
B. Muffled voice sounds and symmetric tactile fremitus
C. Hyperresonance on percussion over lung fields
D. Egophony present over the scapulae
CORRECT ANSWER: B
Rationale: In normal lung tissue, voice sounds are muffled and indistinct, and tactile
fremitus (vibrations felt on the chest wall when a patient speaks) is symmetric
bilaterally. Asymmetry or changes in these findings can indicate pathology.
7. Which muscles are identified as the primary muscles of respiration?
A. Sternocleidomastoid and scalene
B. Diaphragm and intercostals
NSG 3160 exam 3
NSG 3160 exam 3
NSG3160/ NSG 3160 Exam 3: Health Assessment Review | (NEW 2026/ 2027 Update)
Questions & Answers| Grade A| 100% Correct (Verified Solutions)- Galen
1. The vertebra prominens is a landmark frequently used during a physical assessment
of the posterior thorax. Which statement accurately describes this structure?
A. The body of the C7 vertebra.
B. The spinous process of C1.
C. The spinous process of C7.
D. The transverse process of T1.
CORRECT ANSWER: C
Rationale: The vertebra prominens is the most prominent bony spur protruding at the
base of the neck and is the spinous process of the seventh cervical vertebra (C7). It is a
key landmark for locating the apex of the lung.
2. A nurse measures a patient’s costal angle during a respiratory assessment. Which
finding would be considered normal in a healthy adult?
A. 45 degrees
NSG 3160 exam 3
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NSG 3160 exam 3
B. 60 degrees
C. 90 degrees
D. 120 degrees
CORRECT ANSWER: C
Rationale: The costal angle is the angle formed by the merging of the right and left
costal margins at the xiphoid process. In a healthy adult, this angle is usually 90 degrees
or less. An angle wider than 90 degrees may indicate chronic hyperinflation of the lungs,
as seen in conditions like COPD.
3. When reviewing lung anatomy, the nurse recalls that the left lung differs from the
right lung in which way?
A. It is divided by the horizontal fissure.
B. It consists of two lobes.
C. It has a larger capacity than the right lung.
D. It is shorter due to underlying stomach placement.
CORRECT ANSWER: B
Rationale: The left lung is composed of two lobes (upper and lower) separated by the
oblique fissure. The right lung has three lobes (upper, middle, and lower). This
asymmetry accommodates the heart.
NSG 3160 exam 3
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NSG 3160 exam 3
4. A nurse is teaching a student about lung anatomy. Which statement is true regarding
the apices of the lungs?
A. They lie at the level of the diaphragm.
B. They extend 3–4 cm above the inner third of the clavicles.
C. They are located at the sixth rib anteriorly.
D. They are not palpable in a routine assessment.
CORRECT ANSWER: B
Rationale: The apex (top) of each lung extends approximately 3–4 cm above the inner
third of the clavicle into the neck region. This is an important landmark during
percussion and auscultation.
5. During an anterior thorax examination, the nurse remembers that the trachea
bifurcates into the right and left main bronchi at which anterior landmark?
A. Suprasternal notch
B. Sternal angle
C. Xiphoid process
D. Costal angle
NSG 3160 exam 3
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NSG 3160 exam 3
CORRECT ANSWER: B
Rationale: The sternal angle (angle of Louis) is the palpable ridge where the manubrium
meets the body of the sternum. It is anteriorly aligned with the tracheal bifurcation
(carina) and the second rib, making it a critical topographic landmark.
6. Which finding would the nurse expect during a routine lung assessment of a healthy
adult?
A. Absent breath sounds at the bases
B. Muffled voice sounds and symmetric tactile fremitus
C. Hyperresonance on percussion over lung fields
D. Egophony present over the scapulae
CORRECT ANSWER: B
Rationale: In normal lung tissue, voice sounds are muffled and indistinct, and tactile
fremitus (vibrations felt on the chest wall when a patient speaks) is symmetric
bilaterally. Asymmetry or changes in these findings can indicate pathology.
7. Which muscles are identified as the primary muscles of respiration?
A. Sternocleidomastoid and scalene
B. Diaphragm and intercostals
NSG 3160 exam 3
