NU 650 Exam 1: Advanced Health Assessment Practice
Questions – Herzing University Graduate
School of Nursing – 2026/2027 Edition –
Questions and Answers for MSN and NP
Candidates
Section 1: Health History and Interviewing Techniques
Question 1
A nurse practitioner is beginning a comprehensive health history on a new patient. What
is the correct sequence for conducting the health history?
A) Past medical history, chief complaint, family history, review of systems
B) Chief complaint, history of present illness, past medical history, family history, social
history, review of systems
C) Review of systems, social history, past medical history, chief complaint
D) Family history, past medical history, chief complaint, review of systems
Answer: B
Rationale: The standard comprehensive history follows a logical sequence beginning
with the chief complaint and HPI to establish the reason for the visit, then expands to
,past medical, family, social history, and finally the review of systems. This order helps
clinicians focus on the presenting problem while gathering contextual information.
Question 2
When documenting the chief complaint, the advanced practice nurse should:
A) Use diagnostic terminology
B) Use the patient's own words in quotation marks
C) Summarize the complaint in medical terms only
D) Omit the chief complaint if it is obvious
Answer: B
Rationale: The chief complaint should be documented in the patient's own words,
enclosed in quotation marks (e.g., "My chest feels tight"). This preserves the patient's
perspective and is a legal requirement for medical records.
Question 3
A patient describes chest pain as "a heavy pressure that started 2 hours ago while I was
shoveling snow." Which component of the HPI is being documented?
A) Quality and timing
B) Location and duration
C) Quality, timing, and context
D) Severity and modifying factors
Answer: C
,Rationale: The patient is describing quality ("heavy pressure"), timing ("2 hours ago"),
and context/activity ("while shoveling snow"). These are key elements of the HPI using
the OLDCARTS or OPQRST mnemonic.
Question 4
What does the mnemonic "OLDCARTS" help the clinician remember?
A) Components of the review of systems
B) Elements of the history of present illness
C) Parts of the physical examination
D) Documentation requirements
Answer: B
Rationale: OLDCARTS stands for Onset, Location, Duration, Character, Aggravating
factors, Relieving factors, Timing, and Severity. It is a systematic way to characterize the
chief complaint and HPI.
Question 5
A nurse practitioner asks a patient whether she has experienced any palpitations,
shortness of breath, or leg swelling. These questions are part of which section of the
health history?
A) History of Present Illness
B) Chief Complaint
C) Review of Systems
D) Past Medical History
, Answer: C
Rationale: The Review of Systems (ROS) is a systematic inventory of symptoms
organized by body system, conducted to identify any problems the patient may not
have volunteered. Cardiovascular ROS questions include palpitations, dyspnea, and
edema.
Question 6
The "past medical history" section should include:
A) Only surgical history
B) Childhood illnesses, adult medical conditions, surgeries, hospitalizations, blood
transfusions, and immunizations
C) Only current medications
D) Only chronic conditions
Answer: B
Rationale: Past medical history is a comprehensive section including childhood
illnesses, adult medical conditions, surgical history, hospitalizations, blood transfusions,
immunizations, and current medications. This provides a complete picture of the
patient's health status over time.
Question 7
A patient reports a 10-pound unintentional weight loss over 2 months. This finding
raises suspicion for which categories of illness?
Questions – Herzing University Graduate
School of Nursing – 2026/2027 Edition –
Questions and Answers for MSN and NP
Candidates
Section 1: Health History and Interviewing Techniques
Question 1
A nurse practitioner is beginning a comprehensive health history on a new patient. What
is the correct sequence for conducting the health history?
A) Past medical history, chief complaint, family history, review of systems
B) Chief complaint, history of present illness, past medical history, family history, social
history, review of systems
C) Review of systems, social history, past medical history, chief complaint
D) Family history, past medical history, chief complaint, review of systems
Answer: B
Rationale: The standard comprehensive history follows a logical sequence beginning
with the chief complaint and HPI to establish the reason for the visit, then expands to
,past medical, family, social history, and finally the review of systems. This order helps
clinicians focus on the presenting problem while gathering contextual information.
Question 2
When documenting the chief complaint, the advanced practice nurse should:
A) Use diagnostic terminology
B) Use the patient's own words in quotation marks
C) Summarize the complaint in medical terms only
D) Omit the chief complaint if it is obvious
Answer: B
Rationale: The chief complaint should be documented in the patient's own words,
enclosed in quotation marks (e.g., "My chest feels tight"). This preserves the patient's
perspective and is a legal requirement for medical records.
Question 3
A patient describes chest pain as "a heavy pressure that started 2 hours ago while I was
shoveling snow." Which component of the HPI is being documented?
A) Quality and timing
B) Location and duration
C) Quality, timing, and context
D) Severity and modifying factors
Answer: C
,Rationale: The patient is describing quality ("heavy pressure"), timing ("2 hours ago"),
and context/activity ("while shoveling snow"). These are key elements of the HPI using
the OLDCARTS or OPQRST mnemonic.
Question 4
What does the mnemonic "OLDCARTS" help the clinician remember?
A) Components of the review of systems
B) Elements of the history of present illness
C) Parts of the physical examination
D) Documentation requirements
Answer: B
Rationale: OLDCARTS stands for Onset, Location, Duration, Character, Aggravating
factors, Relieving factors, Timing, and Severity. It is a systematic way to characterize the
chief complaint and HPI.
Question 5
A nurse practitioner asks a patient whether she has experienced any palpitations,
shortness of breath, or leg swelling. These questions are part of which section of the
health history?
A) History of Present Illness
B) Chief Complaint
C) Review of Systems
D) Past Medical History
, Answer: C
Rationale: The Review of Systems (ROS) is a systematic inventory of symptoms
organized by body system, conducted to identify any problems the patient may not
have volunteered. Cardiovascular ROS questions include palpitations, dyspnea, and
edema.
Question 6
The "past medical history" section should include:
A) Only surgical history
B) Childhood illnesses, adult medical conditions, surgeries, hospitalizations, blood
transfusions, and immunizations
C) Only current medications
D) Only chronic conditions
Answer: B
Rationale: Past medical history is a comprehensive section including childhood
illnesses, adult medical conditions, surgical history, hospitalizations, blood transfusions,
immunizations, and current medications. This provides a complete picture of the
patient's health status over time.
Question 7
A patient reports a 10-pound unintentional weight loss over 2 months. This finding
raises suspicion for which categories of illness?
