NURS 5220 EXAM 2 EXAM
2026/2027 | Advanced Health
Assessment | UTA | PDF |
Answers
Section 1: General Assessment & Health History
1. Which component is considered the most important source of subjective
data during a health history?
o A. The patient's medical records
o B. The patient's own account of their symptoms
o C. The physical examination findings
o D. The family member's report
o Rationale: The patient's own account is the primary source of
subjective data. While records and family reports are useful, the
patient's subjective experience is the gold standard for the history
component.
2. A patient states, "I feel like my heart is racing." This is an example of
which type of data?
o A. Objective
o B. Subjective
o C. Inferential
o D. Nosocomial
, o Rationale: Subjective data includes symptoms the patient feels
and reports. "Racing heart" is a symptom (palpitations), whereas
measuring the pulse would be objective data.
3. What is the primary purpose of the review of systems (ROS)?
o A. To identify the patient's chief complaint
o B. To evaluate the patient's past medical history
o C. To systematically screen for symptoms in all body systems
o D. To document the patient's family history
o Rationale: The ROS is a systematic head-to-toe screening of
symptoms by body system to uncover problems the patient may not
have mentioned otherwise.
4. Which of the following is an example of a "pertinent negative"?
o A. Patient reports chest pain
o B. Patient denies shortness of breath
o C. Patient has a history of hypertension
o D. Patient's blood pressure is 150/90
o Rationale: A pertinent negative is a symptom the patient
specifically denies that is relevant to the chief complaint. Denying
shortness of breath with chest pain is clinically significant.
5. During a health history, a patient reports a history of smoking. This is
documented under which section?
o A. Chief complaint
o B. Past medical history
o C. Personal and social history
o D. Family history
, o Rationale: Smoking is a lifestyle habit documented in the
personal and social history section, which includes alcohol, tobacco,
drug use, and sexual history.
Section 2: Physical Examination Techniques
6. What is the correct order of physical examination techniques for the
abdomen?
o A. Inspection, palpation, percussion, auscultation
o B. Inspection, auscultation, percussion, palpation
o C. Auscultation, inspection, palpation, percussion
o D. Percussion, inspection, auscultation, palpation
o Rationale: For the abdomen, auscultation is performed before
palpation and percussion to avoid altering bowel sounds. The correct
order is Inspection, Auscultation, Percussion, Palpation.
7. Which technique involves listening to sounds produced by the body?
o A. Palpation
o B. Percussion
o C. Auscultation
o D. Inspection
o Rationale: Auscultation is the act of listening to sounds produced
by the body, such as heart sounds, lung sounds, and bowel sounds.
8. What is the primary purpose of percussion during a physical exam?
o A. To feel the texture of organs
o B. To listen to heart sounds
, o C. To assess the density of underlying tissues
o D. To visually inspect the body
o Rationale: Percussion involves tapping the body to produce
sounds that reveal the density and borders of underlying organs and
tissues (e.g., dullness over the liver, tympany over the stomach).
9. Which type of palpation uses the fingertips to examine the texture, size,
and consistency of a specific area?
o A. Light palpation
o B. Deep palpation
o C. Superficial palpation
o D. Direct palpation
o Rationale: Direct (or superficial) palpation uses the fingertips to
examine a specific area lightly. Deep palpation is used to feel
abdominal organs.
10.A nurse uses the bell of the stethoscope to listen for which type of sound?
o A. High-pitched bowel sounds
o B. Low-pitched heart murmurs
o C. High-pitched breath sounds
o D. Normal heart sounds (S1, S2)
o Rationale: The bell of the stethoscope is designed to detect low-
pitched sounds, such as certain heart murmurs (e.g., mitral stenosis)
and bruits. The diaphragm detects high-pitched sounds.
Section 3: Skin, Hair, and Nails
11.Which of the following is a primary skin lesion?
2026/2027 | Advanced Health
Assessment | UTA | PDF |
Answers
Section 1: General Assessment & Health History
1. Which component is considered the most important source of subjective
data during a health history?
o A. The patient's medical records
o B. The patient's own account of their symptoms
o C. The physical examination findings
o D. The family member's report
o Rationale: The patient's own account is the primary source of
subjective data. While records and family reports are useful, the
patient's subjective experience is the gold standard for the history
component.
2. A patient states, "I feel like my heart is racing." This is an example of
which type of data?
o A. Objective
o B. Subjective
o C. Inferential
o D. Nosocomial
, o Rationale: Subjective data includes symptoms the patient feels
and reports. "Racing heart" is a symptom (palpitations), whereas
measuring the pulse would be objective data.
3. What is the primary purpose of the review of systems (ROS)?
o A. To identify the patient's chief complaint
o B. To evaluate the patient's past medical history
o C. To systematically screen for symptoms in all body systems
o D. To document the patient's family history
o Rationale: The ROS is a systematic head-to-toe screening of
symptoms by body system to uncover problems the patient may not
have mentioned otherwise.
4. Which of the following is an example of a "pertinent negative"?
o A. Patient reports chest pain
o B. Patient denies shortness of breath
o C. Patient has a history of hypertension
o D. Patient's blood pressure is 150/90
o Rationale: A pertinent negative is a symptom the patient
specifically denies that is relevant to the chief complaint. Denying
shortness of breath with chest pain is clinically significant.
5. During a health history, a patient reports a history of smoking. This is
documented under which section?
o A. Chief complaint
o B. Past medical history
o C. Personal and social history
o D. Family history
, o Rationale: Smoking is a lifestyle habit documented in the
personal and social history section, which includes alcohol, tobacco,
drug use, and sexual history.
Section 2: Physical Examination Techniques
6. What is the correct order of physical examination techniques for the
abdomen?
o A. Inspection, palpation, percussion, auscultation
o B. Inspection, auscultation, percussion, palpation
o C. Auscultation, inspection, palpation, percussion
o D. Percussion, inspection, auscultation, palpation
o Rationale: For the abdomen, auscultation is performed before
palpation and percussion to avoid altering bowel sounds. The correct
order is Inspection, Auscultation, Percussion, Palpation.
7. Which technique involves listening to sounds produced by the body?
o A. Palpation
o B. Percussion
o C. Auscultation
o D. Inspection
o Rationale: Auscultation is the act of listening to sounds produced
by the body, such as heart sounds, lung sounds, and bowel sounds.
8. What is the primary purpose of percussion during a physical exam?
o A. To feel the texture of organs
o B. To listen to heart sounds
, o C. To assess the density of underlying tissues
o D. To visually inspect the body
o Rationale: Percussion involves tapping the body to produce
sounds that reveal the density and borders of underlying organs and
tissues (e.g., dullness over the liver, tympany over the stomach).
9. Which type of palpation uses the fingertips to examine the texture, size,
and consistency of a specific area?
o A. Light palpation
o B. Deep palpation
o C. Superficial palpation
o D. Direct palpation
o Rationale: Direct (or superficial) palpation uses the fingertips to
examine a specific area lightly. Deep palpation is used to feel
abdominal organs.
10.A nurse uses the bell of the stethoscope to listen for which type of sound?
o A. High-pitched bowel sounds
o B. Low-pitched heart murmurs
o C. High-pitched breath sounds
o D. Normal heart sounds (S1, S2)
o Rationale: The bell of the stethoscope is designed to detect low-
pitched sounds, such as certain heart murmurs (e.g., mitral stenosis)
and bruits. The diaphragm detects high-pitched sounds.
Section 3: Skin, Hair, and Nails
11.Which of the following is a primary skin lesion?
