2026 HESI HEALTH ASSESSMENT NURSING RN V1 | 100
Questions with Verified Answers | Registered Nursing | Pass
Guaranteed - A+ Graded
SECTION 1: HEALTH HISTORY & INTERVIEWING TECHNIQUES (Questions 1-15)
Q1: A nurse is conducting a health history interview with a newly admitted patient who
appears anxious and is providing brief, one-word answers. Which interviewing technique
would be MOST appropriate to encourage the patient to share more information?
A. Ask multiple closed-ended questions to gather specific data quickly
B. Use open-ended questions and allow periods of silence
C. Immediately document the limited information and move to physical assessment
D. Tell the patient they must provide more detailed answers for proper care
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Open-ended questions and therapeutic silence are fundamental techniques in
health history interviewing per Bates' Guide to Physical Examination. Open-ended
questions ("Tell me about your symptoms") encourage narrative responses, while
silence allows anxious patients time to organize thoughts. Closed-ended questions (A)
limit information gathering; incomplete documentation (C) violates standards; directing
patients to answer (D) is coercive and non-therapeutic.
Q2: A patient describes chest pain using the OLDCARTS mnemonic. Which component
is MISSING from this description: "The pain started 2 hours ago, it's in the center of my
chest, it feels like pressure, and it's a 9/10 severity"?
,A. Onset
B. Location
C. Character
D. Aggravating/Alleviating factors
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The OLDCARTS mnemonic (Onset, Location, Duration, Character,
Aggravating/Alleviating, Radiation, Timing, Severity) requires all elements for
comprehensive pain assessment. The patient provided Onset (2 hours ago), Location
(center of chest), Character (pressure), and Severity (9/10), but omitted what makes the
pain better or worse—essential data for differential diagnosis per HESI Health
Assessment standards.
Q3: During a family history assessment, a 45-year-old patient reports that their father
died of a myocardial infarction at age 52 and their mother has type 2 diabetes. Which
documentation format BEST captures this genetic risk information?
A. "Patient has family history of heart disease and diabetes"
B. "Father: MI age 52 (deceased); Mother: Type 2 DM; Siblings: Unknown"
C. "Patient at high risk for cardiac events due to paternal history"
D. "Family history significant; genetic counseling recommended"
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Bates' Guide recommends pedigree/genogram construction with specific
ages, relationships, and conditions for accurate genetic risk stratification. Option B
,provides structured, specific data including age of onset (critical for hereditary
patterns). Vague statements (A, D) or premature conclusions (C) fail to capture
objective family history data needed for clinical decision-making.
Q4: A nurse is taking a social history from a patient and needs to assess substance use.
Which question demonstrates the MOST effective approach for screening sensitive
topics?
A. "You don't use drugs or alcohol, do you?"
B. "How many drinks do you have in a typical week?"
C. "Many people use alcohol or recreational drugs; what's your experience?"
D. "I see you're a smoker; do you also use other substances?"
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Normalization is the evidence-based technique for sensitive topic
interviewing per HESI standards. Stating "Many people..." reduces stigma and
encourages honest disclosure. Leading questions expecting negative answers (A) elicit
denial; assuming use (B, D) may offend or bias responses. Non-judgmental, normalized
framing yields the most accurate social history data.
Q5: A patient states: "I've been feeling really down lately, and I can't seem to sleep." The
nurse responds: "So you're having trouble sleeping. Tell me more about feeling down."
This response demonstrates:
A. Confrontation
B. Clarification
, C. Reflection and facilitation
D. Summarization
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The nurse uses reflection (repeating "feeling down" and "trouble sleeping") to
validate the patient's concerns, then facilitation ("Tell me more") to encourage
elaboration—core therapeutic communication techniques per Bates'. Confrontation (A)
challenges inconsistencies; clarification (B) resolves confusion; summarization (D)
recaps lengthy discussions. Reflection/facilitation builds rapport while gathering mental
health data.
Q6: When documenting a health history in SOAP format, which statement belongs in the
SUBJECTIVE section?
A. "Lungs clear to auscultation bilaterally"
B. "Patient reports nausea rated 6/10 for past 3 hours"
C. "Blood pressure 142/88 mmHg, heart rate 96 bpm"
D. "Skin warm, dry, intact without lesions"
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: SOAP documentation requires subjective data (patient-reported symptoms)
in the 'S' section. Patient-reported nausea (B) is subjective. Physical examination
findings (A, C, D) belong in the Objective ('O') section. Proper documentation separates
patient statements from clinician observations to maintain data integrity per nursing
assessment standards.
Questions with Verified Answers | Registered Nursing | Pass
Guaranteed - A+ Graded
SECTION 1: HEALTH HISTORY & INTERVIEWING TECHNIQUES (Questions 1-15)
Q1: A nurse is conducting a health history interview with a newly admitted patient who
appears anxious and is providing brief, one-word answers. Which interviewing technique
would be MOST appropriate to encourage the patient to share more information?
A. Ask multiple closed-ended questions to gather specific data quickly
B. Use open-ended questions and allow periods of silence
C. Immediately document the limited information and move to physical assessment
D. Tell the patient they must provide more detailed answers for proper care
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Open-ended questions and therapeutic silence are fundamental techniques in
health history interviewing per Bates' Guide to Physical Examination. Open-ended
questions ("Tell me about your symptoms") encourage narrative responses, while
silence allows anxious patients time to organize thoughts. Closed-ended questions (A)
limit information gathering; incomplete documentation (C) violates standards; directing
patients to answer (D) is coercive and non-therapeutic.
Q2: A patient describes chest pain using the OLDCARTS mnemonic. Which component
is MISSING from this description: "The pain started 2 hours ago, it's in the center of my
chest, it feels like pressure, and it's a 9/10 severity"?
,A. Onset
B. Location
C. Character
D. Aggravating/Alleviating factors
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The OLDCARTS mnemonic (Onset, Location, Duration, Character,
Aggravating/Alleviating, Radiation, Timing, Severity) requires all elements for
comprehensive pain assessment. The patient provided Onset (2 hours ago), Location
(center of chest), Character (pressure), and Severity (9/10), but omitted what makes the
pain better or worse—essential data for differential diagnosis per HESI Health
Assessment standards.
Q3: During a family history assessment, a 45-year-old patient reports that their father
died of a myocardial infarction at age 52 and their mother has type 2 diabetes. Which
documentation format BEST captures this genetic risk information?
A. "Patient has family history of heart disease and diabetes"
B. "Father: MI age 52 (deceased); Mother: Type 2 DM; Siblings: Unknown"
C. "Patient at high risk for cardiac events due to paternal history"
D. "Family history significant; genetic counseling recommended"
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Bates' Guide recommends pedigree/genogram construction with specific
ages, relationships, and conditions for accurate genetic risk stratification. Option B
,provides structured, specific data including age of onset (critical for hereditary
patterns). Vague statements (A, D) or premature conclusions (C) fail to capture
objective family history data needed for clinical decision-making.
Q4: A nurse is taking a social history from a patient and needs to assess substance use.
Which question demonstrates the MOST effective approach for screening sensitive
topics?
A. "You don't use drugs or alcohol, do you?"
B. "How many drinks do you have in a typical week?"
C. "Many people use alcohol or recreational drugs; what's your experience?"
D. "I see you're a smoker; do you also use other substances?"
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Normalization is the evidence-based technique for sensitive topic
interviewing per HESI standards. Stating "Many people..." reduces stigma and
encourages honest disclosure. Leading questions expecting negative answers (A) elicit
denial; assuming use (B, D) may offend or bias responses. Non-judgmental, normalized
framing yields the most accurate social history data.
Q5: A patient states: "I've been feeling really down lately, and I can't seem to sleep." The
nurse responds: "So you're having trouble sleeping. Tell me more about feeling down."
This response demonstrates:
A. Confrontation
B. Clarification
, C. Reflection and facilitation
D. Summarization
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The nurse uses reflection (repeating "feeling down" and "trouble sleeping") to
validate the patient's concerns, then facilitation ("Tell me more") to encourage
elaboration—core therapeutic communication techniques per Bates'. Confrontation (A)
challenges inconsistencies; clarification (B) resolves confusion; summarization (D)
recaps lengthy discussions. Reflection/facilitation builds rapport while gathering mental
health data.
Q6: When documenting a health history in SOAP format, which statement belongs in the
SUBJECTIVE section?
A. "Lungs clear to auscultation bilaterally"
B. "Patient reports nausea rated 6/10 for past 3 hours"
C. "Blood pressure 142/88 mmHg, heart rate 96 bpm"
D. "Skin warm, dry, intact without lesions"
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: SOAP documentation requires subjective data (patient-reported symptoms)
in the 'S' section. Patient-reported nausea (B) is subjective. Physical examination
findings (A, C, D) belong in the Objective ('O') section. Proper documentation separates
patient statements from clinician observations to maintain data integrity per nursing
assessment standards.
