Physical Assessment Questions with Detailed Rationales |
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SECTION A: HEALTH HISTORY COLLECTION & COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT (12
Questions)
Q1: A 54-year-old patient presents to the clinic reporting chest discomfort. The AGACNP
uses the OLDCARTS mnemonic to structure the history of present illness. Which
question best addresses the "C" component?
A. "When did the discomfort first start?"
B. "How would you describe the pain—sharp, dull, pressure, or burning?" [CORRECT]
C. "Does the pain radiate to your arm, jaw, or back?"
D. "What makes the pain better or worse?"
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: In OLDCARTS, "C" stands for Character, which describes the quality of the
symptom. "When did it start" addresses Onset, radiation addresses Radiation, and
aggravating/alleviating factors address the A component.
Q2: During a comprehensive health history, the AGACNP asks a patient to state the
reason for the visit. Which response represents the most appropriate chief complaint?
A. "The patient reports poorly controlled type 2 diabetes."
B. "I have been feeling very tired and thirsty for the past 3 weeks." [CORRECT]
C. "Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbation."
D. "Rule out myocardial infarction."
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The chief complaint should be documented using the patient's own words in
quotation marks. Provider-generated diagnostic labels or "rule out" statements are
inappropriate for the chief complaint field.
Q3: A 28-year-old patient presents with a single episode of ankle sprain sustained 2
hours ago. No significant past medical history is reported. Which type of health history
is most appropriate?
,A. Comprehensive health history
B. Focused health history [CORRECT]
C. Emergency health history only
D. Interval health history
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: A focused health history is appropriate for patients with acute, limited
problems or follow-up visits. A comprehensive history is reserved for new patients,
annual exams, or hospital admissions to establish a complete database.
Q4: The AGACNP is conducting a review of systems (ROS) on a patient presenting with
fatigue. Which line of questioning best exemplifies a systematic ROS approach?
A. "Tell me about your fatigue."
B. "Do you have any shortness of breath, palpitations, or chest discomfort?" [CORRECT]
C. "When did your fatigue begin?"
D. "How does fatigue affect your daily activities?"
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The ROS is a systematic head-to-toe inquiry about symptoms in each body
system. Asking about specific symptoms within the cardiovascular system exemplifies
proper ROS technique, whereas open-ended or functional questions belong in the HPI or
FIFE framework.
Q5: A patient states they had chickenpox as a child, appendectomy at age 16, and
received the influenza vaccine 6 months ago. Under which section of the health history
should this information be documented?
A. History of present illness
B. Family history
C. Past medical history [CORRECT]
D. Social history
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Childhood illnesses, adult illnesses, surgeries, injuries, immunizations, and
last examination dates are documented in the past medical history. The HPI addresses
the current problem only.
, Q6: During a family history assessment, the patient reports that both parents developed
type 2 diabetes in their 60s and that a sibling had a myocardial infarction at age 48.
What is the primary purpose of documenting this information?
A. To determine the patient's current medication adherence
B. To identify genetic and familial risk factors for disease [CORRECT]
C. To assess the patient's psychosocial stressors
D. To establish the patient's insurance eligibility
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The family history identifies hereditary and familial patterns that increase the
patient's risk for specific diseases, guiding screening and prevention strategies. It does
not assess adherence, stressors, or insurance status.
Q7: A 42-year-old patient is being evaluated for hypertension. The AGACNP asks about
occupation, exercise habits, diet, caffeine intake, alcohol use, and tobacco use. Which
component of the health history is being assessed?
A. Review of systems
B. Social history [CORRECT]
C. Family history
D. History of present illness
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Occupation, living situation, diet, exercise, and substance use are core
elements of the social history. These factors influence health outcomes and provide
context for disease risk and management.
Q8: An AGACNP is obtaining a health history from a 7-year-old patient with asthma.
Which technique is most appropriate for this developmental stage?
A. Direct all questions exclusively to the parent
B. Use age-appropriate language and involve both the child and parent [CORRECT]
C. Use only closed-ended questions to maintain focus
D. Avoid discussing fears or concerns to prevent anxiety
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Pediatric history-taking requires developmentally appropriate communication
with the child while corroborating and expanding information with the parent.
School-age children can provide subjective data about symptoms when questions are
adapted to their cognitive level.