NR 509 PHYSICAL ASSESSMENT 2026
COMPREHENSIVE PRACTICE QUESTIONS
AND VERIFIED CORRECT ANSWERS
ADVANCED HEALTH ASSESSMENT,
PHYSICAL EXAMINATION, PATIENT
INTERVIEW, CLINICAL REASONING &
NURSING EXAM STUDY GUIDE | GRADE A+
STUDY RESOURCE
-the client reports sleeping 16 hours a day and withdrawal from friends
-the client reports a 15-pound weight gain over 3 months
Glasgow Coma Scale to assess a client's level of consciousness - CORRECT
ANSWER -- eye opening response
-verbal response
-motor response
GCS of 15 is the highest score possible
equal to or less than 8 indicates the client is comatose
equal to or less than 3 indicates the client is unresponsive
Screening for Depression - CORRECT ANSWER -Screening Tests:
,Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ)
Beck Depression Scale
Geriatric Depression Scale in older adults
Edinburg post-natal depression scale in postpartum and pregnant women
Professional Organization Screening Recommendations:
USPSTF: All adults 18 and over
The American Academy of Family Physicians: General adult population,
including pregnant and postpartum women
The American Academy of Pediatrics: Mothers for postpartum depression
at the infant's 1-, 2-, and 4-month visits
The American College of Preventative Medicine: All adults by primary care
providers
Adolescents screening for depression - CORRECT ANSWER -Screening Tests
-Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)
-Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale
-EQ-SD
-Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale
Professional Organization Screening Recommendations
-USPSTF: Screening all adolescents ages 12-18 years
-The American Academy of Pediatrics Bright Futures program: Annual
screening in adolescent patients for emotional and behavioral problems
-Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (Medicaid's child
health component): Screening to detect the physical and mental conditions
,at various age intervals. If the risk is identified, the provider should follow
up with diagnosis and treatment.
The NP performs a mental status examination. Which of the following are
positive findings? Select all that apply. - CORRECT ANSWER -Flight of ideas,
recalls 1/3 in the exam, erratic speech, mismatched/unseasonal clothing
A focused history of the thorax and respiratory system includes: - CORRECT
ANSWER -description of signs and symptoms (if present) using the OLD
CARTS (onset, location, duration, characteristics, aggravating factors,
relieving factors, treatments, and severity) mnemonic
tobacco use or exposure to secondhand smoke (frequency, amount, and
duration)
occupation and/or possible environmental exposures to irritants
travel history
personal or family history of lung disease
history of related systems if symptoms warrant
Rationale: Shortness of breath related to acute bronchitis can be treated
with a beta-2 agonist that dilates bronchial smooth muscle to increase
oxygenation (Katzung & Trevor, 2020).
Prescription example
RX: albuterol sulfate 90 mcg MDI
Dispense: #1
Sig: Inhale 1-2 puffs q4-6h PRN for wheezing or shortness of breath
Refills: None - CORRECT ANSWER -
, Which is true of a third heart sound (S3)? - CORRECT ANSWER -Caused by
deceleration of blood against ventricular wall
A fellow student asks you how to distinguish jugular venous pulsation
(JVP) from a carotid pulse. Which characteristic is typical of the carotid
pulse? - CORRECT ANSWER -Palpable and height unchanged by inspiration
FIFE model - CORRECT ANSWER -Feelings
Ideas
Functional effect
Expectations
this helps to explore the pt's perspective about health/illness
Adaptive questioning/guided questioning - CORRECT ANSWER -O●Moving
from open-ended to focused questions
OUsing questioning that elicits a graded response
O●Asking a series of questions, one at a time
O ●Offering multiple choices for answers ●Clarifying what the patient
means
O ●Encouraging with continuers
O ●Using echoing
challenging pts - CORRECT ANSWER -OSilent: Silence can be therapeutic,
reflection
OTalkative: Summarization and redirection
COMPREHENSIVE PRACTICE QUESTIONS
AND VERIFIED CORRECT ANSWERS
ADVANCED HEALTH ASSESSMENT,
PHYSICAL EXAMINATION, PATIENT
INTERVIEW, CLINICAL REASONING &
NURSING EXAM STUDY GUIDE | GRADE A+
STUDY RESOURCE
-the client reports sleeping 16 hours a day and withdrawal from friends
-the client reports a 15-pound weight gain over 3 months
Glasgow Coma Scale to assess a client's level of consciousness - CORRECT
ANSWER -- eye opening response
-verbal response
-motor response
GCS of 15 is the highest score possible
equal to or less than 8 indicates the client is comatose
equal to or less than 3 indicates the client is unresponsive
Screening for Depression - CORRECT ANSWER -Screening Tests:
,Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ)
Beck Depression Scale
Geriatric Depression Scale in older adults
Edinburg post-natal depression scale in postpartum and pregnant women
Professional Organization Screening Recommendations:
USPSTF: All adults 18 and over
The American Academy of Family Physicians: General adult population,
including pregnant and postpartum women
The American Academy of Pediatrics: Mothers for postpartum depression
at the infant's 1-, 2-, and 4-month visits
The American College of Preventative Medicine: All adults by primary care
providers
Adolescents screening for depression - CORRECT ANSWER -Screening Tests
-Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)
-Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale
-EQ-SD
-Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale
Professional Organization Screening Recommendations
-USPSTF: Screening all adolescents ages 12-18 years
-The American Academy of Pediatrics Bright Futures program: Annual
screening in adolescent patients for emotional and behavioral problems
-Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (Medicaid's child
health component): Screening to detect the physical and mental conditions
,at various age intervals. If the risk is identified, the provider should follow
up with diagnosis and treatment.
The NP performs a mental status examination. Which of the following are
positive findings? Select all that apply. - CORRECT ANSWER -Flight of ideas,
recalls 1/3 in the exam, erratic speech, mismatched/unseasonal clothing
A focused history of the thorax and respiratory system includes: - CORRECT
ANSWER -description of signs and symptoms (if present) using the OLD
CARTS (onset, location, duration, characteristics, aggravating factors,
relieving factors, treatments, and severity) mnemonic
tobacco use or exposure to secondhand smoke (frequency, amount, and
duration)
occupation and/or possible environmental exposures to irritants
travel history
personal or family history of lung disease
history of related systems if symptoms warrant
Rationale: Shortness of breath related to acute bronchitis can be treated
with a beta-2 agonist that dilates bronchial smooth muscle to increase
oxygenation (Katzung & Trevor, 2020).
Prescription example
RX: albuterol sulfate 90 mcg MDI
Dispense: #1
Sig: Inhale 1-2 puffs q4-6h PRN for wheezing or shortness of breath
Refills: None - CORRECT ANSWER -
, Which is true of a third heart sound (S3)? - CORRECT ANSWER -Caused by
deceleration of blood against ventricular wall
A fellow student asks you how to distinguish jugular venous pulsation
(JVP) from a carotid pulse. Which characteristic is typical of the carotid
pulse? - CORRECT ANSWER -Palpable and height unchanged by inspiration
FIFE model - CORRECT ANSWER -Feelings
Ideas
Functional effect
Expectations
this helps to explore the pt's perspective about health/illness
Adaptive questioning/guided questioning - CORRECT ANSWER -O●Moving
from open-ended to focused questions
OUsing questioning that elicits a graded response
O●Asking a series of questions, one at a time
O ●Offering multiple choices for answers ●Clarifying what the patient
means
O ●Encouraging with continuers
O ●Using echoing
challenging pts - CORRECT ANSWER -OSilent: Silence can be therapeutic,
reflection
OTalkative: Summarization and redirection
