NR509 Week 4 Advanced Physical
Assessment Exam Questions and Answers
1. The sac that surrounds and protects the heart is called the:
a. Pericardium.
b. Myocardium.
c. Endocardium.
d. Pleural space.: a. Pericardium.
2. The direction of blood flow through the heart is best described
by which of these?
a. Vena cava - right atrium - right ventricle - lungs - pulmonary
artery - left atrium - left ventricle
b. Right atrium - right ventricle - pulmonary artery - lungs -
pulmonary vein - left atrium - left ventricle
c. Aorta - right atrium - right ventricle - lungs - pulmonary vein -
left atrium - left ventricle - vena cava
d. Right atrium - right ventricle - pulmonary vein - lungs - pulmonary
artery - left atrium - left ventricle: b. Right atrium - right ventricle - pulmonary artery -
lungs - pulmonary vein - left atrium - left ventricle
3. The nurse is reviewing the anatomy and physiologic functioning of
the heart. Which statement best describes what is meant by atrial
,kick?
a. The atria contract during systole and attempt to push against closed
valves.
b. Contraction of the atria at the beginning of diastole can be felt
as a palpita- tion.
c. .. Atrial kick is the pressure exerted against the atria as the
ventricles contract during systole.
d. The atria contract toward the end of diastole and push the
remaining blood into the ventricles.: d. The atria contract toward the end of diastole and
push the remaining blood into the ventricles.
4. When listening to heart sounds, the nurse knows the valve
closures that can be heard best at the base of the heart are:
a. Mitral and tricuspid.
b. Tricuspid and aortic.
c. Aortic and pulmonic.
d. Mitral and pulmonic.: c. Aortic and pulmonic.
5. Which of these statements describes the closure of the valves
in a normal cardiac cycle?
a. The aortic valve closes slightly before the tricuspid valve.
b. The pulmonic valve closes slightly before the aortic valve.
c. The tricuspid valve closes slightly later than the mitral valve.
d. Both the tricuspid and pulmonic valves close at the same time.: c.
,The tricuspid valve closes slightly later than the mitral valve.
6. The component of the conduction system referred to as the
pacemaker of the heart is the:
a. Atrioventricular (AV) node.
b. Sinoatrial (SA) node.
c. Bundle of His.
d. Bundle branches.: b. Sinoatrial (SA) node.
7. The electrical stimulus of the cardiac cycle follows which sequence?
a. AV node - SA node - bundle of His
b. Bundle of His - AV node - SA node
c. SA node - AV node - bundle of His - bundle branches
d. AV node - SA node - bundle of His - bundle branches: d. AV node - SA node -
bundle of His - bundle branches
8. The findings from an assessment of a 70-year-old patient with
swelling in his ankles include jugular venous pulsations 5 cm above
the sternal angle when the head of his bed is elevated 45 degrees.
The nurse knows that this finding indicates:
a. Decreased fluid volume.
b. .. Increased cardiac output.
c. Narrowing of jugular veins.
, d. Elevated pressure related to heart failure.: d. Elevated pressure related to heart
failure.
9. When assessing a newborn infant who is 5 minutes old, the
nurse knows which of these statements to be true?
a. The left ventricle is larger and weighs more than the right ventricle.
b. The circulation of a newborn is identical to that of an adult.
c. Blood can flow into the left side of the heart through an opening in
the atrial
septum.
d. .. The foramen ovale closes just minutes before birth, and the
ductus arterio- sus closes immediately after.: c. Blood can flow into the left side of the
heart through an opening in the atrial septum.
10. A 25-year-old woman in her fifth month of pregnancy has a
blood pressure of 100/70 mm Hg. In reviewing her previous
examination, the nurse notes that her blood pressure in her second
month was 124/80 mm Hg. In evaluating this change, what does the
nurse know to be true?
a. This decline in blood pressure is the result of peripheral
vasodilatation and is an expected change.
b. Because of increased cardiac output, the blood pressure should be
higher at this time.
c. This change in blood pressure is not an expected finding because
Assessment Exam Questions and Answers
1. The sac that surrounds and protects the heart is called the:
a. Pericardium.
b. Myocardium.
c. Endocardium.
d. Pleural space.: a. Pericardium.
2. The direction of blood flow through the heart is best described
by which of these?
a. Vena cava - right atrium - right ventricle - lungs - pulmonary
artery - left atrium - left ventricle
b. Right atrium - right ventricle - pulmonary artery - lungs -
pulmonary vein - left atrium - left ventricle
c. Aorta - right atrium - right ventricle - lungs - pulmonary vein -
left atrium - left ventricle - vena cava
d. Right atrium - right ventricle - pulmonary vein - lungs - pulmonary
artery - left atrium - left ventricle: b. Right atrium - right ventricle - pulmonary artery -
lungs - pulmonary vein - left atrium - left ventricle
3. The nurse is reviewing the anatomy and physiologic functioning of
the heart. Which statement best describes what is meant by atrial
,kick?
a. The atria contract during systole and attempt to push against closed
valves.
b. Contraction of the atria at the beginning of diastole can be felt
as a palpita- tion.
c. .. Atrial kick is the pressure exerted against the atria as the
ventricles contract during systole.
d. The atria contract toward the end of diastole and push the
remaining blood into the ventricles.: d. The atria contract toward the end of diastole and
push the remaining blood into the ventricles.
4. When listening to heart sounds, the nurse knows the valve
closures that can be heard best at the base of the heart are:
a. Mitral and tricuspid.
b. Tricuspid and aortic.
c. Aortic and pulmonic.
d. Mitral and pulmonic.: c. Aortic and pulmonic.
5. Which of these statements describes the closure of the valves
in a normal cardiac cycle?
a. The aortic valve closes slightly before the tricuspid valve.
b. The pulmonic valve closes slightly before the aortic valve.
c. The tricuspid valve closes slightly later than the mitral valve.
d. Both the tricuspid and pulmonic valves close at the same time.: c.
,The tricuspid valve closes slightly later than the mitral valve.
6. The component of the conduction system referred to as the
pacemaker of the heart is the:
a. Atrioventricular (AV) node.
b. Sinoatrial (SA) node.
c. Bundle of His.
d. Bundle branches.: b. Sinoatrial (SA) node.
7. The electrical stimulus of the cardiac cycle follows which sequence?
a. AV node - SA node - bundle of His
b. Bundle of His - AV node - SA node
c. SA node - AV node - bundle of His - bundle branches
d. AV node - SA node - bundle of His - bundle branches: d. AV node - SA node -
bundle of His - bundle branches
8. The findings from an assessment of a 70-year-old patient with
swelling in his ankles include jugular venous pulsations 5 cm above
the sternal angle when the head of his bed is elevated 45 degrees.
The nurse knows that this finding indicates:
a. Decreased fluid volume.
b. .. Increased cardiac output.
c. Narrowing of jugular veins.
, d. Elevated pressure related to heart failure.: d. Elevated pressure related to heart
failure.
9. When assessing a newborn infant who is 5 minutes old, the
nurse knows which of these statements to be true?
a. The left ventricle is larger and weighs more than the right ventricle.
b. The circulation of a newborn is identical to that of an adult.
c. Blood can flow into the left side of the heart through an opening in
the atrial
septum.
d. .. The foramen ovale closes just minutes before birth, and the
ductus arterio- sus closes immediately after.: c. Blood can flow into the left side of the
heart through an opening in the atrial septum.
10. A 25-year-old woman in her fifth month of pregnancy has a
blood pressure of 100/70 mm Hg. In reviewing her previous
examination, the nurse notes that her blood pressure in her second
month was 124/80 mm Hg. In evaluating this change, what does the
nurse know to be true?
a. This decline in blood pressure is the result of peripheral
vasodilatation and is an expected change.
b. Because of increased cardiac output, the blood pressure should be
higher at this time.
c. This change in blood pressure is not an expected finding because
