PHYSICAL EXAMINATION AND
HEALTH ASSESSMENT CHAPTER
1-3 PRACTICE EXAM QUESTIONS
WITH ANSWERS
Chapter 01: Evidence-Based Assessment
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. After completing an initial assessment of a patient, the nurse has charted that his respirations are eupneic
and his pulse is 58 beats per minute. These types of data would be:
a. Objective.
b. Reflective.
c. Subjective.
d. Introspective.
ANSWER: A
Objective data are what the health professional observes by inspecting, percussing, palpating, and
auscultating during the physical examination. Subjective data is what the person says about him or herself
during history taking. The terms reflective and introspective are not used to describe data.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Understanding (Comprehension)
MSC: Client Needs: Safe and Effective Care Environment: Management of Care
2. A patient tells the nurse that he is very nervous, is n a u se a. Ct eOd,Ma n d feels hot. These types of data would be:
a. Objective.
b. Reflective.
c. Subjective.
d. Introspective.
ANSWER: C
,Subjective data are what the person says about him or herself during history taking. Objective data are what
the health professional observes by inspecting, percussing, palpating, and auscultating during the physical
examination. The terms reflective and introspective are not used to describe data.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Understanding (Comprehension)
MSC: Client Needs: Safe and Effective Care Environment: Management of Care
3. The patients recor d, laboratory studies, objective data, and subjective data combine to f orm the:
,a. Data base.
b. Admitting data.
c. Financial statement.
d. Discharge summary.
ANSWER: A
Together with the patients record and laboratory studies, the objective and subjective data form the data
base. The other items are not part of the patients record, laboratory studies, or data.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Remembering (Knowledge)
MSC: Client Needs: Safe and Effective Care Environment: Management of Care
4. When listening to a patients breath sounds, the nurse is unsure of a sound that is heard. The nurses
next action should be to:
a. Immediately notify the patients physician.
b. Document the sound exactly as it was heard.
c. Validate the data by asking a coworker to listen to the breath sounds.
d. Assess again in 20 minutes to note whether the sound is still present.
ANSWER: C
When unsure of a sound heard while listening to a patients breath sounds, the nurse validates the data to
ensure accuracy. If the nurse has less experience in an area, then he or she asks an expert to listen.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Analyzing (Analysis)
MSC: Client Needs: Safe and Effective Care Environment: Management of Care
5. The nurse is conducting a class for new graduate nurses. During the teaching session, the nurse should keep
in mind that novice nurses, without a background of skills and experience from which to draw, are more likely
to make their decisions using:
a. Intuition.
b. A set of rules.
c. Articles in journals.
d. Advice from supervisors.
ANSWER: B
, Novice nurses operate from a set of defined, structured rules. The expert practitioner uses intuitive links.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Understanding (Comprehension)
HEALTH ASSESSMENT CHAPTER
1-3 PRACTICE EXAM QUESTIONS
WITH ANSWERS
Chapter 01: Evidence-Based Assessment
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. After completing an initial assessment of a patient, the nurse has charted that his respirations are eupneic
and his pulse is 58 beats per minute. These types of data would be:
a. Objective.
b. Reflective.
c. Subjective.
d. Introspective.
ANSWER: A
Objective data are what the health professional observes by inspecting, percussing, palpating, and
auscultating during the physical examination. Subjective data is what the person says about him or herself
during history taking. The terms reflective and introspective are not used to describe data.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Understanding (Comprehension)
MSC: Client Needs: Safe and Effective Care Environment: Management of Care
2. A patient tells the nurse that he is very nervous, is n a u se a. Ct eOd,Ma n d feels hot. These types of data would be:
a. Objective.
b. Reflective.
c. Subjective.
d. Introspective.
ANSWER: C
,Subjective data are what the person says about him or herself during history taking. Objective data are what
the health professional observes by inspecting, percussing, palpating, and auscultating during the physical
examination. The terms reflective and introspective are not used to describe data.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Understanding (Comprehension)
MSC: Client Needs: Safe and Effective Care Environment: Management of Care
3. The patients recor d, laboratory studies, objective data, and subjective data combine to f orm the:
,a. Data base.
b. Admitting data.
c. Financial statement.
d. Discharge summary.
ANSWER: A
Together with the patients record and laboratory studies, the objective and subjective data form the data
base. The other items are not part of the patients record, laboratory studies, or data.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Remembering (Knowledge)
MSC: Client Needs: Safe and Effective Care Environment: Management of Care
4. When listening to a patients breath sounds, the nurse is unsure of a sound that is heard. The nurses
next action should be to:
a. Immediately notify the patients physician.
b. Document the sound exactly as it was heard.
c. Validate the data by asking a coworker to listen to the breath sounds.
d. Assess again in 20 minutes to note whether the sound is still present.
ANSWER: C
When unsure of a sound heard while listening to a patients breath sounds, the nurse validates the data to
ensure accuracy. If the nurse has less experience in an area, then he or she asks an expert to listen.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Analyzing (Analysis)
MSC: Client Needs: Safe and Effective Care Environment: Management of Care
5. The nurse is conducting a class for new graduate nurses. During the teaching session, the nurse should keep
in mind that novice nurses, without a background of skills and experience from which to draw, are more likely
to make their decisions using:
a. Intuition.
b. A set of rules.
c. Articles in journals.
d. Advice from supervisors.
ANSWER: B
, Novice nurses operate from a set of defined, structured rules. The expert practitioner uses intuitive links.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Understanding (Comprehension)
