Nursing Assessment
Study Guide | Physical
Assessment, NCLEX
Questions & Nursing
Exam Review |
Guaranteed success|
Updated 2026 Questions and Answers
100% Verified Exam Prep and Comprehensive
Rationales
Included
,Explain the difference between inspection, palpation, Inspection = Visual Observation
percussion, and auscultation
Palpation = Feeling with the Hand
Percussion = Tapping and Listening
Auscultation = Listening
Explain the differences between comprehensive, focused, Comprehensive (Initial Assessment) = Everything
and screening assessments, and give 2 examples of each Such as Annual Physicals and new patients
Focused = Assessed on a particular illness
Such as disease, condition, ER visit, school nurse
Screening = very particular disease or illness, also focused on preventive care.
Such as, colonoscopy, treatment for COPD
How would you determine if a patient can follow If they respond and follow to commands given, such as "raise your leg, open your
commands? eyes, etc."
True or False: A patient can follow commands when they False: When they let go per being asked, that is following commands
grab your 3 fingers
Differentiate between central and peripheral cyanosis Central = Face only, commonly lips. Sign of decreased oxygen
Peripheral = Outer limbs, especially fingers and toes. Sign of decreased cardiac
output
What are you listening for when auscultating the S1, S2 sounds, rate and rhythm
cardiovascular system?
How is it best to test pupillary response? use a penlight from the side, not directly into the eye
Define what diseases are associated with crackles, Crackles = Congestive Heart Failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder
rhonchi, and wheezes
Rhonchi = Pneumonia
Wheezing = Asthma
Explain the difference between subjective and objective Subjective = information giving by the patient (I have pain in my chest, it is hard to
information. Give 2 examples of each breathe)
Objective = Observed first hand by nurse; factual information (BPM = 84, No sound
in lower abdomen)
What is Health Assessment in Nursing? A systematic method of collecting data about a patient for the purpose of
determining the patient's health status.
Health Assessments includes: _____________, history, physical, objective
_____________exam, and ______________ assessment
, What are the 6 Purposes of Health Assessment? Provide a baseline of client's ability at the time of the admission / first assessment /
first contact with nurse.
Serve as a comparison for later history & physical findings/evaluate outcomes.
Identify nursing diagnosis and formulate the nursing care plan.
Educate client / family on health issues relevant to the individual / family.
Pinpoint actual health problems.
Identify risk factors for health problems.
Health Assessment is _______________ sensitive and Culturally, nursing care
Integrated with __________ _________
What is the Nursing Goal of Health Assessment? Nursing goal: To diagnose and treat human responses. "How is the patient reacting
to an illness?"
What is Medicine's Goal of Health Assessment?
Medicine's Goal: To diagnose and treat disease
Regarding the Role of the Nurse, what is the main word Observation
used by Florence Nightingale for assessment?
Today nurses employ a ___________ view of the patient. holistic
What types of assessment confirm this? Biophysical, psychosocial, developmental, & cultural assessment.
What are the Components of Health Assessment? Health History
Physical Exam
Objective assessment of above information, including Data Validation & review of
test results
Documentation
Health History — (subjective or objective?) Health History — subjective
Physical Exam — (subjective or objective?) Physical Exam — objective
Where would Assessment also fit in the nursing process? Evaluation
Why? See if the what you are doing for the patient is working
What are the 3 types of Health Assessment? Comprehensive (complete) physical assessment
Focused assessment / Ongoing
Health screening
Which assessment is very thorough? Comprehensive (complete) physical assessment
What 3 details show that it is very thorough Detailed health history
Complete physical exam
Examines client's overall health status
Study Guide | Physical
Assessment, NCLEX
Questions & Nursing
Exam Review |
Guaranteed success|
Updated 2026 Questions and Answers
100% Verified Exam Prep and Comprehensive
Rationales
Included
,Explain the difference between inspection, palpation, Inspection = Visual Observation
percussion, and auscultation
Palpation = Feeling with the Hand
Percussion = Tapping and Listening
Auscultation = Listening
Explain the differences between comprehensive, focused, Comprehensive (Initial Assessment) = Everything
and screening assessments, and give 2 examples of each Such as Annual Physicals and new patients
Focused = Assessed on a particular illness
Such as disease, condition, ER visit, school nurse
Screening = very particular disease or illness, also focused on preventive care.
Such as, colonoscopy, treatment for COPD
How would you determine if a patient can follow If they respond and follow to commands given, such as "raise your leg, open your
commands? eyes, etc."
True or False: A patient can follow commands when they False: When they let go per being asked, that is following commands
grab your 3 fingers
Differentiate between central and peripheral cyanosis Central = Face only, commonly lips. Sign of decreased oxygen
Peripheral = Outer limbs, especially fingers and toes. Sign of decreased cardiac
output
What are you listening for when auscultating the S1, S2 sounds, rate and rhythm
cardiovascular system?
How is it best to test pupillary response? use a penlight from the side, not directly into the eye
Define what diseases are associated with crackles, Crackles = Congestive Heart Failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder
rhonchi, and wheezes
Rhonchi = Pneumonia
Wheezing = Asthma
Explain the difference between subjective and objective Subjective = information giving by the patient (I have pain in my chest, it is hard to
information. Give 2 examples of each breathe)
Objective = Observed first hand by nurse; factual information (BPM = 84, No sound
in lower abdomen)
What is Health Assessment in Nursing? A systematic method of collecting data about a patient for the purpose of
determining the patient's health status.
Health Assessments includes: _____________, history, physical, objective
_____________exam, and ______________ assessment
, What are the 6 Purposes of Health Assessment? Provide a baseline of client's ability at the time of the admission / first assessment /
first contact with nurse.
Serve as a comparison for later history & physical findings/evaluate outcomes.
Identify nursing diagnosis and formulate the nursing care plan.
Educate client / family on health issues relevant to the individual / family.
Pinpoint actual health problems.
Identify risk factors for health problems.
Health Assessment is _______________ sensitive and Culturally, nursing care
Integrated with __________ _________
What is the Nursing Goal of Health Assessment? Nursing goal: To diagnose and treat human responses. "How is the patient reacting
to an illness?"
What is Medicine's Goal of Health Assessment?
Medicine's Goal: To diagnose and treat disease
Regarding the Role of the Nurse, what is the main word Observation
used by Florence Nightingale for assessment?
Today nurses employ a ___________ view of the patient. holistic
What types of assessment confirm this? Biophysical, psychosocial, developmental, & cultural assessment.
What are the Components of Health Assessment? Health History
Physical Exam
Objective assessment of above information, including Data Validation & review of
test results
Documentation
Health History — (subjective or objective?) Health History — subjective
Physical Exam — (subjective or objective?) Physical Exam — objective
Where would Assessment also fit in the nursing process? Evaluation
Why? See if the what you are doing for the patient is working
What are the 3 types of Health Assessment? Comprehensive (complete) physical assessment
Focused assessment / Ongoing
Health screening
Which assessment is very thorough? Comprehensive (complete) physical assessment
What 3 details show that it is very thorough Detailed health history
Complete physical exam
Examines client's overall health status
