NURS 101L | Fundamentals of Nursing Skills Lab | Week 6
Comprehensive Assessment Quiz 2026 |WCU
1. When assessing a patient’s blood pressure, the nurse uses a cuff that is too
narrow for the patient’s arm. What impact will this have on the reading?
A. The blood pressure reading will be falsely low.
B. The blood pressure reading will be falsely high.
C. The reading will be accurate if the patient is supine.
D. The diastolic pressure will be accurate but systolic will be high.
Answer: B
Rationale: A cuff that is too narrow or too small for the limb circumference will result in a
falsely high blood pressure reading because the pressure is not evenly distributed.
2. In what order should a nurse perform the physical assessment techniques for
an adult patient’s abdomen?
A. Inspection, Auscultation, Percussion, Palpation
B. Inspection, Palpation, Percussion, Auscultation
C. Palpation, Percussion, Auscultation, Inspection
D. Auscultation, Inspection, Palpation, Percussion
Answer: A
Rationale: For abdominal assessment, auscultation is performed before percussion and
palpation to avoid stimulating bowel sounds that were not originally present.
,3. A nurse identifies a pressure injury that presents as an area of non-blanchable
erythema over the sacrum. The skin is intact. What stage is this injury?
A. Stage 2
B. Stage 1
C. Stage 3
D. Stage 4
Answer: B
Rationale: Stage 1 pressure injuries are characterized by intact skin with a localized area
of non-blanchable erythema.
4. While auscultating a patient’s lungs, the nurse hears high-pitched, musical
whistling sounds primarily during expiration. How should the nurse document
this?
A. Wheezes
B. Rhonchi
C. Crackles
D. Pleural friction rub
Answer: A
Rationale: Wheezes are high-pitched, continuous musical sounds caused by air flowing
through narrow or obstructed airways, often most prominent during expiration.
5. The nurse is calculating a pulse deficit. Which method is correct?
A. Add the radial and apical pulse rates and divide by two.
B. Subtract the apical pulse rate from the radial pulse rate.
C. Subtract the radial pulse rate from the apical pulse rate.
D. Multiply the difference between systolic and diastolic BP by 2.
Answer: C
, Rationale: A pulse deficit is the difference between the apical and radial pulse rates,
indicating that some heart contractions are not strong enough to produce a peripheral
pulse.
6. Which assessment finding is a priority for a nurse when checking a patient’s
neurovascular status of an extremity after a cast application?
A. Capillary refill of 2 seconds
B. Absence of a palpable distal pulse
C. Patient reporting a pain level of 3 out of 10
D. Slight edema of the toes
Answer: B
Rationale: The absence of a distal pulse is a critical finding indicating severe circulatory
impairment and is a medical emergency.
7. A nurse performs the Weber test and the patient reports hearing the sound
louder in the right ear. What does this suggest?
A. Normal hearing in both ears
B. Conductive hearing loss in the left ear
C. Sensorineural hearing loss in the right ear
D. Conductive hearing loss in the right ear
Answer: D
Rationale: In the Weber test, sound lateralizes to the affected ear in conductive hearing
loss because the affected ear is not distracted by ambient noise.
8. What is the correct technique for assessing the carotid arteries?
A. Palpate both arteries simultaneously to compare strength.
B. Have the patient perform the Valsalva maneuver during palpation.
C. Auscultate for bruits using the diaphragm of the stethoscope.
D. Palpate each artery separately to avoid carotid sinus reflex.
Answer: D
Comprehensive Assessment Quiz 2026 |WCU
1. When assessing a patient’s blood pressure, the nurse uses a cuff that is too
narrow for the patient’s arm. What impact will this have on the reading?
A. The blood pressure reading will be falsely low.
B. The blood pressure reading will be falsely high.
C. The reading will be accurate if the patient is supine.
D. The diastolic pressure will be accurate but systolic will be high.
Answer: B
Rationale: A cuff that is too narrow or too small for the limb circumference will result in a
falsely high blood pressure reading because the pressure is not evenly distributed.
2. In what order should a nurse perform the physical assessment techniques for
an adult patient’s abdomen?
A. Inspection, Auscultation, Percussion, Palpation
B. Inspection, Palpation, Percussion, Auscultation
C. Palpation, Percussion, Auscultation, Inspection
D. Auscultation, Inspection, Palpation, Percussion
Answer: A
Rationale: For abdominal assessment, auscultation is performed before percussion and
palpation to avoid stimulating bowel sounds that were not originally present.
,3. A nurse identifies a pressure injury that presents as an area of non-blanchable
erythema over the sacrum. The skin is intact. What stage is this injury?
A. Stage 2
B. Stage 1
C. Stage 3
D. Stage 4
Answer: B
Rationale: Stage 1 pressure injuries are characterized by intact skin with a localized area
of non-blanchable erythema.
4. While auscultating a patient’s lungs, the nurse hears high-pitched, musical
whistling sounds primarily during expiration. How should the nurse document
this?
A. Wheezes
B. Rhonchi
C. Crackles
D. Pleural friction rub
Answer: A
Rationale: Wheezes are high-pitched, continuous musical sounds caused by air flowing
through narrow or obstructed airways, often most prominent during expiration.
5. The nurse is calculating a pulse deficit. Which method is correct?
A. Add the radial and apical pulse rates and divide by two.
B. Subtract the apical pulse rate from the radial pulse rate.
C. Subtract the radial pulse rate from the apical pulse rate.
D. Multiply the difference between systolic and diastolic BP by 2.
Answer: C
, Rationale: A pulse deficit is the difference between the apical and radial pulse rates,
indicating that some heart contractions are not strong enough to produce a peripheral
pulse.
6. Which assessment finding is a priority for a nurse when checking a patient’s
neurovascular status of an extremity after a cast application?
A. Capillary refill of 2 seconds
B. Absence of a palpable distal pulse
C. Patient reporting a pain level of 3 out of 10
D. Slight edema of the toes
Answer: B
Rationale: The absence of a distal pulse is a critical finding indicating severe circulatory
impairment and is a medical emergency.
7. A nurse performs the Weber test and the patient reports hearing the sound
louder in the right ear. What does this suggest?
A. Normal hearing in both ears
B. Conductive hearing loss in the left ear
C. Sensorineural hearing loss in the right ear
D. Conductive hearing loss in the right ear
Answer: D
Rationale: In the Weber test, sound lateralizes to the affected ear in conductive hearing
loss because the affected ear is not distracted by ambient noise.
8. What is the correct technique for assessing the carotid arteries?
A. Palpate both arteries simultaneously to compare strength.
B. Have the patient perform the Valsalva maneuver during palpation.
C. Auscultate for bruits using the diaphragm of the stethoscope.
D. Palpate each artery separately to avoid carotid sinus reflex.
Answer: D
