NUR 504
EXAM 1
Advanced Health Assessment
Questions And Answers Plus Rationales
Instant Pdf Download | 2026
THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS :
➢ Printable + Tablet-friendly Pdf
➢ Latest Qs & Ans 2026/27 Update
➢ Qs & Answers Plus Rationales
,1. A 72-year-old patient reports forgetting names and occasionally
getting lost in familiar neighborhoods. What is the MOST
appropriate initial advanced practice assessment action?
a) Order an immediate MRI to rule out a stroke.
b) Refer to neurology for cognitive testing.
c) Perform a brief cognitive screening tool (e.g., MoCA) and a thorough
medication review.
d) Reassure the patient that this is normal aging.
Answer: c (Mild cognitive impairment is not normal aging; assess with a
validated tool and review anticholinergic medications, polypharmacy,
etc.)
2. Which of the following represents a "pertinent negative" in a
patient presenting with acute chest pain?
a) The patient reports the pain radiates to the left arm.
b) The patient has a history of hypertension.
c) The patient denies shortness of breath or diaphoresis.
d) The patient’s heart rate is 110 bpm.
Answer: c (Pertinent negatives are symptoms a patient does not have
that would help rule in/out a diagnosis. Absence of SOB/diaphoresis
makes ACS less likely.)
3. When auscultating heart sounds, you hear a high-pitched,
blowing, decrescendo murmur immediately after S2. You are most
likely hearing:
a) Mitral stenosis
b) Aortic stenosis
c) Mitral regurgitation
d) Aortic regurgitation
Answer: d (Aortic regurgitation is a diastolic, decrescendo, blowing
murmur best heard at the left sternal border.)
4. A 45-year-old male presents for an annual exam. He has no
complaints but his BMI is 31 kg/m². According to the USPSTF 2026
guidelines, what should you recommend?
a) Referral for bariatric surgery.
, b) Intensive, multicomponent behavioral weight loss interventions.
c) Low-dose aspirin for primary prevention.
d) No intervention unless comorbidities develop.
Answer: b (USPSTF recommends intensive behavioral interventions for
adults with BMI ≥30, regardless of other risk factors.)
5. During the abdominal exam, you palpate a firm, non-tender,
pulsatile mass just above the umbilicus. Your NEXT best step is:
a) Firmly palpate to assess the borders of the mass.
b) Perform percussion to check for tympany.
c) Stop palpating and immediately order a vascular ultrasound.
d) Auscultate for a bruit over the mass.
Answer: c (This is concerning for an abdominal aortic aneurysm; do not
palpate deeply—stop and get imaging.)
6. Which of the following is a reliable indicator of central cyanosis?
a) Bluish discoloration of the fingers alone
b) Bluish discoloration of the oral mucosa or tongue
c) Pallor of the nail beds after pressure
d) Circumoral cyanosis only after cold exposure
Answer: b (Central cyanosis involves the mucous membranes/tongue
and indicates hypoxemia; peripheral cyanosis can be vasomotor.)
7. A patient describes knee pain as "aching and worse at the end of
the day" with crepitus but no swelling. The most likely diagnosis is:
a) Rheumatoid arthritis
b) Gout
c) Osteoarthritis
d) Septic arthritis
Answer: c (OA typically presents with mechanical pain, worse with
activity, no systemic signs, and crepitus.)
8. The prone position is MOST helpful when examining which joint?
a) Temporomandibular joint
b) Hip (internal rotation)
EXAM 1
Advanced Health Assessment
Questions And Answers Plus Rationales
Instant Pdf Download | 2026
THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS :
➢ Printable + Tablet-friendly Pdf
➢ Latest Qs & Ans 2026/27 Update
➢ Qs & Answers Plus Rationales
,1. A 72-year-old patient reports forgetting names and occasionally
getting lost in familiar neighborhoods. What is the MOST
appropriate initial advanced practice assessment action?
a) Order an immediate MRI to rule out a stroke.
b) Refer to neurology for cognitive testing.
c) Perform a brief cognitive screening tool (e.g., MoCA) and a thorough
medication review.
d) Reassure the patient that this is normal aging.
Answer: c (Mild cognitive impairment is not normal aging; assess with a
validated tool and review anticholinergic medications, polypharmacy,
etc.)
2. Which of the following represents a "pertinent negative" in a
patient presenting with acute chest pain?
a) The patient reports the pain radiates to the left arm.
b) The patient has a history of hypertension.
c) The patient denies shortness of breath or diaphoresis.
d) The patient’s heart rate is 110 bpm.
Answer: c (Pertinent negatives are symptoms a patient does not have
that would help rule in/out a diagnosis. Absence of SOB/diaphoresis
makes ACS less likely.)
3. When auscultating heart sounds, you hear a high-pitched,
blowing, decrescendo murmur immediately after S2. You are most
likely hearing:
a) Mitral stenosis
b) Aortic stenosis
c) Mitral regurgitation
d) Aortic regurgitation
Answer: d (Aortic regurgitation is a diastolic, decrescendo, blowing
murmur best heard at the left sternal border.)
4. A 45-year-old male presents for an annual exam. He has no
complaints but his BMI is 31 kg/m². According to the USPSTF 2026
guidelines, what should you recommend?
a) Referral for bariatric surgery.
, b) Intensive, multicomponent behavioral weight loss interventions.
c) Low-dose aspirin for primary prevention.
d) No intervention unless comorbidities develop.
Answer: b (USPSTF recommends intensive behavioral interventions for
adults with BMI ≥30, regardless of other risk factors.)
5. During the abdominal exam, you palpate a firm, non-tender,
pulsatile mass just above the umbilicus. Your NEXT best step is:
a) Firmly palpate to assess the borders of the mass.
b) Perform percussion to check for tympany.
c) Stop palpating and immediately order a vascular ultrasound.
d) Auscultate for a bruit over the mass.
Answer: c (This is concerning for an abdominal aortic aneurysm; do not
palpate deeply—stop and get imaging.)
6. Which of the following is a reliable indicator of central cyanosis?
a) Bluish discoloration of the fingers alone
b) Bluish discoloration of the oral mucosa or tongue
c) Pallor of the nail beds after pressure
d) Circumoral cyanosis only after cold exposure
Answer: b (Central cyanosis involves the mucous membranes/tongue
and indicates hypoxemia; peripheral cyanosis can be vasomotor.)
7. A patient describes knee pain as "aching and worse at the end of
the day" with crepitus but no swelling. The most likely diagnosis is:
a) Rheumatoid arthritis
b) Gout
c) Osteoarthritis
d) Septic arthritis
Answer: c (OA typically presents with mechanical pain, worse with
activity, no systemic signs, and crepitus.)
8. The prone position is MOST helpful when examining which joint?
a) Temporomandibular joint
b) Hip (internal rotation)
