WGU MSN Nursing Assessment ACTUAL
QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED ANSWERS PLUS
RATIONALES 2026 Q&A | INSTANT DOWNLOAD
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,Section 1: Advanced Health Assessment (Questions 1-25)
1. A 68-year-old patient presents with a chief complaint of dizziness. Which of the following is considered a "red flag"
symptom that requires immediate further investigation?
A) Dizziness that occurs when standing up quickly
B) Dizziness accompanied by vertigo and tinnitus
C) Dizziness associated with syncope and palpitations
D) Dizziness that improves with rest
Answer: C
Rationale: Dizziness associated with syncope (fainting) and palpitations is a red flag for a potential cardiac arrhythmia or
structural heart disease, which requires urgent cardiac evaluation. Positional dizziness (A) is often benign (orthostatic
hypotension). Vertigo with tinnitus (B) suggests a vestibular disorder like Meniere's disease. Dizziness improving with rest
(D) is non-specific.
2. When performing a focused abdominal assessment on a patient with suspected appendicitis, which sign involves pain
in the right lower quadrant when pressure is applied to the left lower quadrant?
A) Murphy's sign
B) McBurney's point tenderness
C) Rovsing's sign
D) Psoas sign
, Answer: C
Rationale: Rovsing's sign is pain in the right lower quadrant (RLQ) when the left lower quadrant (LLQ) is palpated. This is
a classic sign of appendicitis. Murphy's sign (A) is for cholecystitis. McBurney's point tenderness (B) is direct tenderness
at the specific location of the appendix. Psoas sign (D) is pain with right hip extension.
3. A patient presents with a new onset of a single, painless, firm, and mobile nodule on their neck. What is the most
appropriate initial action for the MSN-prepared nurse?
A) Reassure the patient that it is likely a benign lymph node.
B) Prescribe a course of antibiotics.
C) Refer the patient for an urgent biopsy.
D) Document the finding and schedule a follow-up in 6 months.
Answer: C
Rationale: A new, painless, firm, and mobile nodule in the neck could be a sign of malignancy (e.g., lymphoma, thyroid
cancer). While it could be benign, the standard of care for a master's-prepared nurse is to refer for further evaluation,
often including a biopsy or imaging, to rule out cancer. Reassurance (A) and waiting 6 months (D) are inappropriate and
could delay a critical diagnosis.
4. Which cranial nerve is assessed by having the patient shrug their shoulders against resistance?
A) Cranial Nerve X (Vagus)
QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED ANSWERS PLUS
RATIONALES 2026 Q&A | INSTANT DOWNLOAD
,Section 1: Advanced Health Assessment (Questions 1-25)
1. A 68-year-old patient presents with a chief complaint of dizziness. Which of the following is considered a "red flag"
symptom that requires immediate further investigation?
A) Dizziness that occurs when standing up quickly
B) Dizziness accompanied by vertigo and tinnitus
C) Dizziness associated with syncope and palpitations
D) Dizziness that improves with rest
Answer: C
Rationale: Dizziness associated with syncope (fainting) and palpitations is a red flag for a potential cardiac arrhythmia or
structural heart disease, which requires urgent cardiac evaluation. Positional dizziness (A) is often benign (orthostatic
hypotension). Vertigo with tinnitus (B) suggests a vestibular disorder like Meniere's disease. Dizziness improving with rest
(D) is non-specific.
2. When performing a focused abdominal assessment on a patient with suspected appendicitis, which sign involves pain
in the right lower quadrant when pressure is applied to the left lower quadrant?
A) Murphy's sign
B) McBurney's point tenderness
C) Rovsing's sign
D) Psoas sign
, Answer: C
Rationale: Rovsing's sign is pain in the right lower quadrant (RLQ) when the left lower quadrant (LLQ) is palpated. This is
a classic sign of appendicitis. Murphy's sign (A) is for cholecystitis. McBurney's point tenderness (B) is direct tenderness
at the specific location of the appendix. Psoas sign (D) is pain with right hip extension.
3. A patient presents with a new onset of a single, painless, firm, and mobile nodule on their neck. What is the most
appropriate initial action for the MSN-prepared nurse?
A) Reassure the patient that it is likely a benign lymph node.
B) Prescribe a course of antibiotics.
C) Refer the patient for an urgent biopsy.
D) Document the finding and schedule a follow-up in 6 months.
Answer: C
Rationale: A new, painless, firm, and mobile nodule in the neck could be a sign of malignancy (e.g., lymphoma, thyroid
cancer). While it could be benign, the standard of care for a master's-prepared nurse is to refer for further evaluation,
often including a biopsy or imaging, to rule out cancer. Reassurance (A) and waiting 6 months (D) are inappropriate and
could delay a critical diagnosis.
4. Which cranial nerve is assessed by having the patient shrug their shoulders against resistance?
A) Cranial Nerve X (Vagus)
