NSG 500 Exam 4 V2 | NSG 500 Advanced
Health Assessment | Wilkes University |
2026 Q&A with Rationale (Wilkes NSG500
Exam 4 2026)
1. When assessing the musculoskeletal system, the practitioner performs the McMurray test.
A positive result is indicated by a palpable click or pop and suggests which of the following?
A. Anterior cruciate ligament tear
B. Medial or lateral meniscus injury
C. Collateral ligament strain
D. Patellar subluxation
Answer: B
Rationale: The McMurray test is specifically designed to evaluate the integrity of the
meniscus within the knee joint. During the maneuver, the clinician rotates the lower leg
while extending the knee to trap a torn piece of cartilage. A positive finding of a click or
pain indicates a meniscal tear, which requires further imaging or orthopedic consultation.
2. During a neurological examination, the nurse practitioner asks the patient to identify a
common object, such as a key, placed in their hand while their eyes are closed. This
assessment technique is known as:
A. Graphesthesia
,B. Two-point discrimination
C. Extinction
D. Stereognosis
Answer: D
Rationale: Stereognosis is the ability to recognize the form and nature of objects through
the sense of touch alone. This test evaluates the higher-level integrative functions of the
sensory cortex and the posterior columns of the spinal cord. Inability to identify the object
correctly is termed astereognosis and may indicate a lesion in the sensory cortex.
3. Which cranial nerve is primarily responsible for the motor function of the muscles of
mastication and sensory input from the face?
A. Cranial Nerve XII (Hypoglossal)
B. Cranial Nerve VII (Facial)
C. Cranial Nerve IX (Glossopharyngeal)
D. Cranial Nerve V (Trigeminal)
Answer: D
Rationale: Cranial Nerve V, the Trigeminal nerve, has three sensory branches providing
feeling to the face and a motor branch for chewing. Practitioners test this by palpating the
temporal and masseter muscles while the patient clenches their teeth. Deficits in this nerve
can lead to facial numbness or difficulty with biting and chewing movements.
, 4. A 72-year-old male patient presents with difficulty initiating a urine stream and a sensation
of incomplete bladder emptying. Upon digital rectal examination (DRE), the nurse
practitioner notes a non-tender, symmetrically enlarged, firm, and smooth prostate. These
findings are most consistent with:
A. Prostate cancer
B. Acute bacterial prostatitis
C. Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)
D. Prostatic abscess
Answer: C
Rationale: Benign prostatic hyperplasia typically presents as a smooth, rubbery, and
symmetrical enlargement of the prostate gland without nodules. This condition is common
in aging men and causes obstructive voiding symptoms due to urethral compression. In
contrast, prostate cancer usually presents as a hard, irregular, or nodular area on the gland.
5. The nurse practitioner is assessing a patient’s deep tendon reflexes and notes that the
patellar reflex is very brisk with several beats of clonus. How should this finding be
documented using the standard grading scale?
A. 4+
B. 2+
C. 3+
D. 1+
Health Assessment | Wilkes University |
2026 Q&A with Rationale (Wilkes NSG500
Exam 4 2026)
1. When assessing the musculoskeletal system, the practitioner performs the McMurray test.
A positive result is indicated by a palpable click or pop and suggests which of the following?
A. Anterior cruciate ligament tear
B. Medial or lateral meniscus injury
C. Collateral ligament strain
D. Patellar subluxation
Answer: B
Rationale: The McMurray test is specifically designed to evaluate the integrity of the
meniscus within the knee joint. During the maneuver, the clinician rotates the lower leg
while extending the knee to trap a torn piece of cartilage. A positive finding of a click or
pain indicates a meniscal tear, which requires further imaging or orthopedic consultation.
2. During a neurological examination, the nurse practitioner asks the patient to identify a
common object, such as a key, placed in their hand while their eyes are closed. This
assessment technique is known as:
A. Graphesthesia
,B. Two-point discrimination
C. Extinction
D. Stereognosis
Answer: D
Rationale: Stereognosis is the ability to recognize the form and nature of objects through
the sense of touch alone. This test evaluates the higher-level integrative functions of the
sensory cortex and the posterior columns of the spinal cord. Inability to identify the object
correctly is termed astereognosis and may indicate a lesion in the sensory cortex.
3. Which cranial nerve is primarily responsible for the motor function of the muscles of
mastication and sensory input from the face?
A. Cranial Nerve XII (Hypoglossal)
B. Cranial Nerve VII (Facial)
C. Cranial Nerve IX (Glossopharyngeal)
D. Cranial Nerve V (Trigeminal)
Answer: D
Rationale: Cranial Nerve V, the Trigeminal nerve, has three sensory branches providing
feeling to the face and a motor branch for chewing. Practitioners test this by palpating the
temporal and masseter muscles while the patient clenches their teeth. Deficits in this nerve
can lead to facial numbness or difficulty with biting and chewing movements.
, 4. A 72-year-old male patient presents with difficulty initiating a urine stream and a sensation
of incomplete bladder emptying. Upon digital rectal examination (DRE), the nurse
practitioner notes a non-tender, symmetrically enlarged, firm, and smooth prostate. These
findings are most consistent with:
A. Prostate cancer
B. Acute bacterial prostatitis
C. Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)
D. Prostatic abscess
Answer: C
Rationale: Benign prostatic hyperplasia typically presents as a smooth, rubbery, and
symmetrical enlargement of the prostate gland without nodules. This condition is common
in aging men and causes obstructive voiding symptoms due to urethral compression. In
contrast, prostate cancer usually presents as a hard, irregular, or nodular area on the gland.
5. The nurse practitioner is assessing a patient’s deep tendon reflexes and notes that the
patellar reflex is very brisk with several beats of clonus. How should this finding be
documented using the standard grading scale?
A. 4+
B. 2+
C. 3+
D. 1+