Comprehensive NSG 3250 Adult Health I Exam 1 Review
2026/2027 | Practice Questions, Verified Answers, and
Rationales (Galen College of Nursing)
Chapter 1: Foundations of Adult Health Nursing — Assessment, Clinical
Judgment & the Nursing Process
Questions 1–25
1. A nurse is collecting data through interview, observation, and physical
examination to determine a patient's health status and identify actual or potential
problems. Which step of the nursing process is the nurse performing?
A. Planning
B. Assessment
C. Diagnosis
D. Evaluation
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Assessment is the first step of the nursing process and involves
the systematic collection of subjective and objective data through interview,
observation, and examination. Planning involves developing a care plan, diagnosis
involves analyzing data to identify problems, and evaluation determines whether
goals have been met.
2. A nurse is prioritizing care for four patients. Which patient should the nurse
assess first based on airway, breathing, and circulation (ABC) principles?
A. A patient with a healed surgical scar requesting pain medication
B. A patient with new-onset severe respiratory distress
C. A patient with a mild headache and stable vital signs
D. A patient with dry skin and mild thirst
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: According to ABC prioritization, airway and breathing take
precedence over all other concerns. New-onset severe respiratory distress
,directly threatens oxygenation and ventilation. Mild headache, stable vitals,
healed scars, dry skin, and mild thirst are non-urgent findings.
3. During an initial adult assessment, which finding should the nurse address most
urgently because it suggests impaired oxygenation?
A. Mild thirst
B. A chronic healed scar
C. New central cyanosis
D. Dry skin
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Central cyanosis (bluish discoloration of the lips, tongue, and
oral mucosa) indicates significant oxygenation impairment and requires
immediate intervention. Mild thirst and dry skin suggest possible dehydration but
are not immediately life-threatening. A chronic healed scar is a normal finding.
4. Which statement best describes the nursing process when used to manage an
adult patient's changing condition?
A. Interventions are performed without assessment
B. Only the diagnosis is required for care planning
C. Assessment data guide nursing decisions, interventions, and evaluation
D. Evaluation occurs only after discharge
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The nursing process is continuous and cyclical. Assessment
data guide nursing diagnoses, planning, interventions, and evaluation.
Interventions should never be performed without assessment, the diagnosis
alone is insufficient for care planning, and evaluation is ongoing, not limited to
discharge.
5. A nurse is preparing to conduct a health history on a newly admitted patient.
Which component is most essential to include?
A. The patient's financial status
B. The patient's chief complaint and history of present illness
,C. The patient's family members' occupations
D. The patient's preferred room temperature
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The chief complaint and history of present illness are core
components of the health history, establishing the reason for seeking care and
the chronology of symptoms. Financial status, family occupations, and room
temperature preferences, while potentially relevant to discharge planning or
comfort, are not primary components of the health history.
6. A patient tells the nurse, "I feel like something is terribly wrong, but I can't
explain it." How should the nurse document this finding?
A. As an objective finding
B. As a subjective finding
C. As a nursing diagnosis
D. As a medical diagnosis
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Subjective data are information perceived only by the affected
person, including feelings, perceptions, and concerns. The patient's statement is a
subjective finding. Objective data are observable and measurable (e.g., vital signs,
laboratory values). A nursing diagnosis is a clinical judgment about the patient's
response to a health condition, and a medical diagnosis identifies a disease
process.
7. A nurse is assessing a patient's pain using the PQRST mnemonic. What does the
"R" in PQRST represent?
A. Radiation
B. Rate
C. Relief
D. Redness
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: PQRST stands for Provocation/Palliation, Quality,
Region/Radiation, Severity, and Timing. The "R" represents Region and Radiation
, — where the pain is located and whether it radiates to other areas. Rate, relief,
and redness are not components of the PQRST mnemonic.
8. A nurse is assessing a patient's vital signs. Which finding should the nurse
report immediately to the provider?
A. Blood pressure 118/76 mm Hg
B. Heart rate 72 beats/min
C. Respiratory rate 8 breaths/min
D. Temperature 37.2°C (99°F)
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: A respiratory rate of 8 breaths/min is below the normal adult
range (12–20 breaths/min) and indicates bradypnea, which can progress to
respiratory failure. This requires immediate notification of the provider. The other
vital signs are within normal limits.
9. A nurse is performing a physical assessment. Which technique should the nurse
use to assess the texture and temperature of the patient's skin?
A. Inspection
B. Palpation
C. Percussion
D. Auscultation
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Palpation uses the hands to assess texture, temperature,
moisture, organ size, and tenderness. Inspection uses visual observation,
percussion involves tapping to assess underlying structures, and auscultation
involves listening to body sounds.
10. A nurse is assessing a patient who reports difficulty breathing when lying flat.
The nurse should document this finding as:
A. Orthopnea
B. Dyspnea
C. Tachypnea
D. Apnea
2026/2027 | Practice Questions, Verified Answers, and
Rationales (Galen College of Nursing)
Chapter 1: Foundations of Adult Health Nursing — Assessment, Clinical
Judgment & the Nursing Process
Questions 1–25
1. A nurse is collecting data through interview, observation, and physical
examination to determine a patient's health status and identify actual or potential
problems. Which step of the nursing process is the nurse performing?
A. Planning
B. Assessment
C. Diagnosis
D. Evaluation
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Assessment is the first step of the nursing process and involves
the systematic collection of subjective and objective data through interview,
observation, and examination. Planning involves developing a care plan, diagnosis
involves analyzing data to identify problems, and evaluation determines whether
goals have been met.
2. A nurse is prioritizing care for four patients. Which patient should the nurse
assess first based on airway, breathing, and circulation (ABC) principles?
A. A patient with a healed surgical scar requesting pain medication
B. A patient with new-onset severe respiratory distress
C. A patient with a mild headache and stable vital signs
D. A patient with dry skin and mild thirst
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: According to ABC prioritization, airway and breathing take
precedence over all other concerns. New-onset severe respiratory distress
,directly threatens oxygenation and ventilation. Mild headache, stable vitals,
healed scars, dry skin, and mild thirst are non-urgent findings.
3. During an initial adult assessment, which finding should the nurse address most
urgently because it suggests impaired oxygenation?
A. Mild thirst
B. A chronic healed scar
C. New central cyanosis
D. Dry skin
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Central cyanosis (bluish discoloration of the lips, tongue, and
oral mucosa) indicates significant oxygenation impairment and requires
immediate intervention. Mild thirst and dry skin suggest possible dehydration but
are not immediately life-threatening. A chronic healed scar is a normal finding.
4. Which statement best describes the nursing process when used to manage an
adult patient's changing condition?
A. Interventions are performed without assessment
B. Only the diagnosis is required for care planning
C. Assessment data guide nursing decisions, interventions, and evaluation
D. Evaluation occurs only after discharge
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The nursing process is continuous and cyclical. Assessment
data guide nursing diagnoses, planning, interventions, and evaluation.
Interventions should never be performed without assessment, the diagnosis
alone is insufficient for care planning, and evaluation is ongoing, not limited to
discharge.
5. A nurse is preparing to conduct a health history on a newly admitted patient.
Which component is most essential to include?
A. The patient's financial status
B. The patient's chief complaint and history of present illness
,C. The patient's family members' occupations
D. The patient's preferred room temperature
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The chief complaint and history of present illness are core
components of the health history, establishing the reason for seeking care and
the chronology of symptoms. Financial status, family occupations, and room
temperature preferences, while potentially relevant to discharge planning or
comfort, are not primary components of the health history.
6. A patient tells the nurse, "I feel like something is terribly wrong, but I can't
explain it." How should the nurse document this finding?
A. As an objective finding
B. As a subjective finding
C. As a nursing diagnosis
D. As a medical diagnosis
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Subjective data are information perceived only by the affected
person, including feelings, perceptions, and concerns. The patient's statement is a
subjective finding. Objective data are observable and measurable (e.g., vital signs,
laboratory values). A nursing diagnosis is a clinical judgment about the patient's
response to a health condition, and a medical diagnosis identifies a disease
process.
7. A nurse is assessing a patient's pain using the PQRST mnemonic. What does the
"R" in PQRST represent?
A. Radiation
B. Rate
C. Relief
D. Redness
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: PQRST stands for Provocation/Palliation, Quality,
Region/Radiation, Severity, and Timing. The "R" represents Region and Radiation
, — where the pain is located and whether it radiates to other areas. Rate, relief,
and redness are not components of the PQRST mnemonic.
8. A nurse is assessing a patient's vital signs. Which finding should the nurse
report immediately to the provider?
A. Blood pressure 118/76 mm Hg
B. Heart rate 72 beats/min
C. Respiratory rate 8 breaths/min
D. Temperature 37.2°C (99°F)
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: A respiratory rate of 8 breaths/min is below the normal adult
range (12–20 breaths/min) and indicates bradypnea, which can progress to
respiratory failure. This requires immediate notification of the provider. The other
vital signs are within normal limits.
9. A nurse is performing a physical assessment. Which technique should the nurse
use to assess the texture and temperature of the patient's skin?
A. Inspection
B. Palpation
C. Percussion
D. Auscultation
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Palpation uses the hands to assess texture, temperature,
moisture, organ size, and tenderness. Inspection uses visual observation,
percussion involves tapping to assess underlying structures, and auscultation
involves listening to body sounds.
10. A nurse is assessing a patient who reports difficulty breathing when lying flat.
The nurse should document this finding as:
A. Orthopnea
B. Dyspnea
C. Tachypnea
D. Apnea
