HEALTH ASSESSMENT IN NURSING
8TH EDITION
• AUTHOR(S)JANET R. WEBER, JANE
HARMON KELLEY-LANDAETA
TEST BANK
1
Reference: Ch. 1 — The Nurse’s Role in Health Assessment —
Purpose & Scope of Assessment
Stem: A 68-year-old man is admitted for hip replacement. On
initial assessment the nurse asks about allergies, current
medications, and usual functional status. Which action best
reflects the nurse’s primary purpose when collecting this
admission data?
A. To formulate a definitive medical diagnosis prior to the
provider’s exam
B. To identify baseline function, safety risks, and immediate
nursing needs
C. To obtain information solely for billing and charting purposes
,D. To collect data only if the patient volunteers it without
prompting
Correct answer: B
Rationale — Correct (B): Admission assessment establishes
baseline functional status, uncovers safety risks (e.g., falls,
medication interactions), and identifies immediate nursing
interventions. This supports individualized plan of care and
handoff communication.
Rationale — Incorrect (A): Nurses gather assessment data to
inform care and refer, but not to make definitive medical
diagnoses.
Rationale — Incorrect (C): Documentation may serve billing,
but primary purpose is clinical—patient safety and care
planning.
Rationale — Incorrect (D): Relying only on volunteered
information risks missing critical data; structured questioning is
required.
Teaching point: Admission assessment establishes baseline
function and immediate nursing priorities.
Citation: Weber, J. R., & Kelley-Landaeta, J. H. (2025). Health
Assessment in Nursing (8th ed.). Ch. 1.
2
Reference: Ch. 1 — The Nurse’s Role in Health Assessment —
Sources of Data
,Stem: During a bedside assessment, the patient is nonverbal
and appears confused. Family members report the patient’s
baseline as independent in ADLs. Which source should the
nurse prioritize for accurate baseline functional information?
A. The patient’s current nonverbal behavior
B. The electronic health record from three years ago
C. The family’s account of the patient’s usual function
D. The nurse’s subjective impression without corroboration
Correct answer: C
Rationale — Correct (C): When patients cannot reliably report,
collateral sources (family, caregivers) provide valid baseline
information for functional status and help detect changes. Use
this information while documenting source.
Rationale — Incorrect (A): Current behavior may reflect acute
change and not the usual baseline.
Rationale — Incorrect (B): Older EHR data may be outdated;
corroborate with current caregivers.
Rationale — Incorrect (D): Nurse impressions are helpful but
must be corroborated and documented as observation, not
baseline history.
Teaching point: Use collateral sources when patients cannot
reliably report baseline function.
Citation: Weber, J. R., & Kelley-Landaeta, J. H. (2025). Health
Assessment in Nursing (8th ed.). Ch. 1.
, 3
Reference: Ch. 1 — The Nurse’s Role in Health Assessment —
Subjective vs Objective Data
Stem: A nurse documents “patient reports 7/10 pain” and later
records “grimacing and guarding noted.” Why is it essential to
include both subjective and objective findings in the record?
A. Only objective data are legally admissible, so subjective data
are optional
B. Subjective data are used for diagnosis while objective data
are for treatment orders
C. Combining both supports clinical decisions, monitoring, and
interdisciplinary communication
D. Subjective complaints should be minimized to prevent
unnecessary interventions
Correct answer: C
Rationale — Correct (C): Both data types provide a complete
clinical picture: subjective symptoms drive assessment and care
planning; objective signs permit monitoring and validate
symptoms. Documentation of both improves safety and legal
defensibility.
Rationale — Incorrect (A): Both subjective and objective data
are legally relevant; neither is optional.
Rationale — Incorrect (B): Nurses do not solely use subjective
data for diagnosis; interdisciplinary teams use all data.
Rationale — Incorrect (D): Minimizing subjective complaints
may miss clinically important symptoms and harm the patient.
8TH EDITION
• AUTHOR(S)JANET R. WEBER, JANE
HARMON KELLEY-LANDAETA
TEST BANK
1
Reference: Ch. 1 — The Nurse’s Role in Health Assessment —
Purpose & Scope of Assessment
Stem: A 68-year-old man is admitted for hip replacement. On
initial assessment the nurse asks about allergies, current
medications, and usual functional status. Which action best
reflects the nurse’s primary purpose when collecting this
admission data?
A. To formulate a definitive medical diagnosis prior to the
provider’s exam
B. To identify baseline function, safety risks, and immediate
nursing needs
C. To obtain information solely for billing and charting purposes
,D. To collect data only if the patient volunteers it without
prompting
Correct answer: B
Rationale — Correct (B): Admission assessment establishes
baseline functional status, uncovers safety risks (e.g., falls,
medication interactions), and identifies immediate nursing
interventions. This supports individualized plan of care and
handoff communication.
Rationale — Incorrect (A): Nurses gather assessment data to
inform care and refer, but not to make definitive medical
diagnoses.
Rationale — Incorrect (C): Documentation may serve billing,
but primary purpose is clinical—patient safety and care
planning.
Rationale — Incorrect (D): Relying only on volunteered
information risks missing critical data; structured questioning is
required.
Teaching point: Admission assessment establishes baseline
function and immediate nursing priorities.
Citation: Weber, J. R., & Kelley-Landaeta, J. H. (2025). Health
Assessment in Nursing (8th ed.). Ch. 1.
2
Reference: Ch. 1 — The Nurse’s Role in Health Assessment —
Sources of Data
,Stem: During a bedside assessment, the patient is nonverbal
and appears confused. Family members report the patient’s
baseline as independent in ADLs. Which source should the
nurse prioritize for accurate baseline functional information?
A. The patient’s current nonverbal behavior
B. The electronic health record from three years ago
C. The family’s account of the patient’s usual function
D. The nurse’s subjective impression without corroboration
Correct answer: C
Rationale — Correct (C): When patients cannot reliably report,
collateral sources (family, caregivers) provide valid baseline
information for functional status and help detect changes. Use
this information while documenting source.
Rationale — Incorrect (A): Current behavior may reflect acute
change and not the usual baseline.
Rationale — Incorrect (B): Older EHR data may be outdated;
corroborate with current caregivers.
Rationale — Incorrect (D): Nurse impressions are helpful but
must be corroborated and documented as observation, not
baseline history.
Teaching point: Use collateral sources when patients cannot
reliably report baseline function.
Citation: Weber, J. R., & Kelley-Landaeta, J. H. (2025). Health
Assessment in Nursing (8th ed.). Ch. 1.
, 3
Reference: Ch. 1 — The Nurse’s Role in Health Assessment —
Subjective vs Objective Data
Stem: A nurse documents “patient reports 7/10 pain” and later
records “grimacing and guarding noted.” Why is it essential to
include both subjective and objective findings in the record?
A. Only objective data are legally admissible, so subjective data
are optional
B. Subjective data are used for diagnosis while objective data
are for treatment orders
C. Combining both supports clinical decisions, monitoring, and
interdisciplinary communication
D. Subjective complaints should be minimized to prevent
unnecessary interventions
Correct answer: C
Rationale — Correct (C): Both data types provide a complete
clinical picture: subjective symptoms drive assessment and care
planning; objective signs permit monitoring and validate
symptoms. Documentation of both improves safety and legal
defensibility.
Rationale — Incorrect (A): Both subjective and objective data
are legally relevant; neither is optional.
Rationale — Incorrect (B): Nurses do not solely use subjective
data for diagnosis; interdisciplinary teams use all data.
Rationale — Incorrect (D): Minimizing subjective complaints
may miss clinically important symptoms and harm the patient.
