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NURS 321 – COMPLETE EXAM TEST BANK EXAMS (EXAM 1, EXAM 2, EXAM 3, AND FINAL EXAM) COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND CORRECT DETAILED ANSWERS (VERIFIED ANSWERS) WITH RATIONALES |ALREADY GRADED A+||BRAND NEW VERSION!!

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Master NURS 321 with this comprehensive test bank featuring over 1000 exam-style questions covering all four exams (Exam 1, Exam 2, Exam 3, and Final Exam). Includes verified answers with detailed rationales for every question. Covers health assessment, history taking, pathophysiology, wound care, inflammation, pharmacology fundamentals (six rights, injection angles, IV therapy, medication calculations), fluid & electrolyte balance (hyponatremia, hyperkalemia, hypocalcemia, dehydration), pain management (PQRST method, opioid side effects, PCA pumps), cardiovascular disorders (hypertension, heart failure, MI, DVT, PE, atrial fibrillation), endocrine disorders (diabetes mellitus, DKA, hypoglycemia, thyroid disorders, Cushing's syndrome), immobility complications, musculoskeletal disorders (fractures, compartment syndrome, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis), gastrointestinal disorders (GERD, PUD, appendicitis, pancreatitis, cirrhosis, IBD), renal disorders (AKI, CKD, UTI, nephrolithiasis, pyelonephritis), and respiratory disorders (pneumonia, COPD, asthma, PE, ARDS, pneumothorax, tuberculosis). Perfect for nursing students preparing for NURS 321 exams. Updated for 2026 with current evidence-based practice guidelines.

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NURS 321 – COMPLETE EXAM TEST BANK EXAMS (EXAM 1, EXAM 2,
EXAM 3, AND FINAL EXAM) COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
DETAILED ANSWERS (VERIFIED ANSWERS) WITH RATIONALES
|ALREADY GRADED A+||BRAND NEW VERSION!!



NURS 321 EXAM 1: HEALTH ASSESSMENT, PATHOPHYSIOLOGY & FOUNDATIONS
SECTION 1: HEALTH ASSESSMENT & HISTORY TAKING (Questions 1-20)
Q1. The nurse is performing a health history on a new patient. Which
component of the health history includes the patient's reason for seeking care?
A) Past medical history
B) Chief complaint
C) Family history
D) Social history
Answer: B) Chief complaint
Rationale: The chief complaint is the patient's reason for seeking care,
documented in the patient's own words. It is the primary reason for the
encounter.

Q2. A nurse is assessing a patient's pain using the PQRST method. What does
the "P" stand for?
A) Pain scale
B) Provocation/Palliation
C) Position
D) Pulse
Answer: B) Provocation/Palliation
Rationale: In the PQRST pain assessment, "P" stands for Provocation/Palliation
- what triggers the pain and what makes it better.

Q3. The nurse is assessing a patient's level of consciousness. Which of the
following is the most sensitive indicator of neurological deterioration?
A) Pupillary response


1

,B) Motor function
C) Level of consciousness
D) Vital signs
Answer: C) Level of consciousness
Rationale: Level of consciousness is the most sensitive indicator of
neurological deterioration. Changes in LOC often occur before other signs.

Q4. A nurse is performing a skin assessment. Which finding is characteristic
of a stage 1 pressure injury?
A) Partial-thickness skin loss
B) Intact skin with non-blanching erythema
C) Full-thickness skin loss with visible bone
D) Open ulcer with slough
Answer: B) Intact skin with non-blanching erythema
Rationale: Stage 1 pressure injury is characterized by intact skin with
non-blanching erythema over a bony prominence.

Q5. The nurse is assessing a patient's peripheral pulses. Which pulse
strength scale is correct?
A) 0 = absent, 1+ = weak, 2+ = normal, 3+ = full, 4+ = bounding
B) 0 = absent, 1+ = normal, 2+ = weak, 3+ = bounding, 4+ = full
C) 0 = absent, 1+ = weak, 2+ = bounding, 3+ = full, 4+ = normal
D) 0 = absent, 1+ = full, 2+ = weak, 3+ = normal, 4+ = bounding
Answer: A) 0 = absent, 1+ = weak, 2+ = normal, 3+ = full, 4+ = bounding
Rationale: The pulse strength scale is: 0 = absent, 1+ = weak (diminished),
2+ = normal, 3+ = full (increased), 4+ = bounding.

Q6. The nurse is preparing to auscultate a patient's breath sounds. Which
adventitious sound is characterized by high-pitched, continuous sounds heard
during expiration?
A) Crackles
B) Rhonchi
C) Wheezes

2

,D) Stridor
Answer: C) Wheezes
Rationale: Wheezes are high-pitched, continuous sounds caused by narrowed
airways, classic for asthma and COPD exacerbations.

Q7. A nurse is assessing a patient's heart sounds. The S1 heart sound is
caused by:
A) Closure of the aortic and pulmonic valves
B) Closure of the mitral and tricuspid valves
C) Opening of the mitral valve
D) Ventricular filling
Answer: B) Closure of the mitral and tricuspid valves
Rationale: S1 is the "lub" sound, caused by closure of the atrioventricular
valves (mitral and tricuspid) at the beginning of systole.

Q8. The nurse is assessing a patient's abdomen. Which is the correct order
for abdominal assessment?
A) Inspection, auscultation, percussion, palpation
B) Auscultation, percussion, inspection, palpation
C) Palpation, percussion, auscultation, inspection
D) Inspection, palpation, auscultation, percussion
Answer: A) Inspection, auscultation, percussion, palpation
Rationale: Abdominal assessment should be performed in the order of
inspection, auscultation, percussion, and palpation. Auscultation is performed
before percussion and palpation because those techniques can alter bowel
sounds.

Q9. A nurse is assessing a patient's capillary refill time. Which finding
is considered normal?
A) Less than 2 seconds
B) Less than 3 seconds
C) Less than 5 seconds
D) Less than 10 seconds

3

, Answer: B) Less than 3 seconds
Rationale: Normal capillary refill time is less than 3 seconds. Prolonged
refill indicates poor perfusion.

Q10. The nurse is assessing a patient's pupils. Which finding is normal?
A) Equal, round, reactive to light
B) Unequal, irregular, non-reactive
C) Equal, round, non-reactive
D) Unequal, round, reactive
Answer: A) Equal, round, reactive to light
Rationale: Normal pupils are equal, round, and reactive to light. They should
constrict in response to light and dilate in response to darkness.

Q11. The nurse is performing a focused gastrointestinal assessment. Which
finding would be a concern?
A) Hyperactive bowel sounds
B) Absent bowel sounds
C) Normal bowel sounds
D) Borborygmi
Answer: B) Absent bowel sounds
Rationale: Absent bowel sounds indicate a non-functioning bowel, such as in
peritonitis or paralytic ileus, and require immediate intervention.

Q12. A nurse is assessing a patient's integumentary system. Which finding
is characteristic of a fungal infection?
A) Red, scaly, itchy rash with satellite lesions
B) Pink, well-healed skin
C) Dry, cracked skin
D) Bruised skin
Answer: A) Red, scaly, itchy rash with satellite lesions
Rationale: Fungal infections (e.g., candidiasis) cause red, scaly, itchy
rashes with satellite lesions (smaller lesions around the main rash).


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