ADVANCED ASSESSMENT INTERPRETING
FINDINGS AND FORMULATING
DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSES EXAM SCRIPT
UPDATED QUESTIONS AND ACCURATE
ANSWERS FULL SOLUTION
●● A patient tells the nurse practitioner that she has had abdominal pain
for the past week. What would be the best response by the nurse
practitioner?
A) We'll talk more about that later in the interview."
B) "Have you ever had any children?"
C) "What have you had to eat in the last 4 hours?"
D) "Can you point to where it hurts?"
Answer: D) "Can you point to where it hurts?"
Each principle symptom should be well-characterized, with descriptions
of location; along with the other seven attributes. Location: Ask the
patient to point to the pain because lay terms may not be specific enough
to localize the site of origin.
●● A 29-year-old woman tells the nurse that she has "excruciating pain"
in her back. Which of the following would be an appropriate response by
the nurse to her statement?
,A) "How does your family react to your pain?"
B) "That must be terrible. You probably pinched a nerve."
C) "I've had back pain myself and it can be excruciating."
D) "How would you say the pain affects your ability to do your daily
activities?"
Answer: D) "How would you say the pain affects your ability to do your
daily activities?"
Inquire about the effects of pain on the patient's daily activities, mood,
sleep, work, and sexual activity.
●● In recording the childhood illnesses of a patient who denies having
had any, which of the following notes by the nurse would be most
accurate?
A) Patient denies usual childhood illnesses.
B) Patient states he was a "very healthy" child.
C) Patient states sister had measles, but he didn't.
D) Patient denies measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox, pertussis,
rheumatic fever, and polio.
Answer: D) Patient denies measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox,
pertussis, rheumatic fever, and polio.
,Childhood illnesses include measles, rubella, mumps, whooping cough,
rheumatic fever, scarlet fever, and polio. They are included in the past
history.
●● A patient tells the nurse that he is allergic to penicillin. What would
be the nurse's best response to this information?
A) "Are you allergic to any other drugs?"
B) "How often have you received penicillin?"
C) "I'll write your allergy on your chart so you won't receive any."
D) "Please describe what happens to you when you take penicillin."
Answer: D) "Please describe what happens to you when you take
penicillin."
Allergies, including specific reactions to each medication, such as rash
or nausea, must be recorded.
●● The nurse is taking a family history. Important diseases or problems
to ask the patient about include:
A) emphysema.
B) head trauma.
C) mental illness.
D) fractured bones.
Answer: C) mental illness.
, Specifically ask for any family history of heart disease, high blood
pressure, stroke, diabetes, obesity, blood disorders, ovarian cancer, colon
cancer, sickle cell anemia, arthritis, allergies, alcohol or drug addiction,
mental illness, suicide, seizure disorder, kidney disease, and
tuberculosis. The other answers are acquired.
●● The following information is recorded in the health history: "Patient
denies chest pain, palpitations, orthopnea, and paroxysmal nocturnal
dyspnea." Which category does it belong to?
A) Chief complaint
B) Present illness
C) Personal and social history
D) Review of systems
Answer: D) Review of systems
Most review of systems questions pertain to systems. You may also draw
on Review of Systems questions related to the Chief Complaint to
establish positives and negatives that help clarify the diagnosis.
●● Which of the following statements represents subjective data
obtained from the patient regarding his skin?
A) Skin appears dry.
B) No obvious lesions
C) Denies color change
FINDINGS AND FORMULATING
DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSES EXAM SCRIPT
UPDATED QUESTIONS AND ACCURATE
ANSWERS FULL SOLUTION
●● A patient tells the nurse practitioner that she has had abdominal pain
for the past week. What would be the best response by the nurse
practitioner?
A) We'll talk more about that later in the interview."
B) "Have you ever had any children?"
C) "What have you had to eat in the last 4 hours?"
D) "Can you point to where it hurts?"
Answer: D) "Can you point to where it hurts?"
Each principle symptom should be well-characterized, with descriptions
of location; along with the other seven attributes. Location: Ask the
patient to point to the pain because lay terms may not be specific enough
to localize the site of origin.
●● A 29-year-old woman tells the nurse that she has "excruciating pain"
in her back. Which of the following would be an appropriate response by
the nurse to her statement?
,A) "How does your family react to your pain?"
B) "That must be terrible. You probably pinched a nerve."
C) "I've had back pain myself and it can be excruciating."
D) "How would you say the pain affects your ability to do your daily
activities?"
Answer: D) "How would you say the pain affects your ability to do your
daily activities?"
Inquire about the effects of pain on the patient's daily activities, mood,
sleep, work, and sexual activity.
●● In recording the childhood illnesses of a patient who denies having
had any, which of the following notes by the nurse would be most
accurate?
A) Patient denies usual childhood illnesses.
B) Patient states he was a "very healthy" child.
C) Patient states sister had measles, but he didn't.
D) Patient denies measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox, pertussis,
rheumatic fever, and polio.
Answer: D) Patient denies measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox,
pertussis, rheumatic fever, and polio.
,Childhood illnesses include measles, rubella, mumps, whooping cough,
rheumatic fever, scarlet fever, and polio. They are included in the past
history.
●● A patient tells the nurse that he is allergic to penicillin. What would
be the nurse's best response to this information?
A) "Are you allergic to any other drugs?"
B) "How often have you received penicillin?"
C) "I'll write your allergy on your chart so you won't receive any."
D) "Please describe what happens to you when you take penicillin."
Answer: D) "Please describe what happens to you when you take
penicillin."
Allergies, including specific reactions to each medication, such as rash
or nausea, must be recorded.
●● The nurse is taking a family history. Important diseases or problems
to ask the patient about include:
A) emphysema.
B) head trauma.
C) mental illness.
D) fractured bones.
Answer: C) mental illness.
, Specifically ask for any family history of heart disease, high blood
pressure, stroke, diabetes, obesity, blood disorders, ovarian cancer, colon
cancer, sickle cell anemia, arthritis, allergies, alcohol or drug addiction,
mental illness, suicide, seizure disorder, kidney disease, and
tuberculosis. The other answers are acquired.
●● The following information is recorded in the health history: "Patient
denies chest pain, palpitations, orthopnea, and paroxysmal nocturnal
dyspnea." Which category does it belong to?
A) Chief complaint
B) Present illness
C) Personal and social history
D) Review of systems
Answer: D) Review of systems
Most review of systems questions pertain to systems. You may also draw
on Review of Systems questions related to the Chief Complaint to
establish positives and negatives that help clarify the diagnosis.
●● Which of the following statements represents subjective data
obtained from the patient regarding his skin?
A) Skin appears dry.
B) No obvious lesions
C) Denies color change
