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NURS 5220 ADVANCED HEALTH ASSESSMENT
QUESTIONS WITH VERIFIED SOLUTIONS
2026/2027
Question 1
A nurse practitioner is obtaining a comprehensive health history from a new
patient. Which sequence best represents the appropriate order for conducting
the interview?
A. Chief complaint, review of systems, family history, biographic data, past
history, psychosocial history
B. Past medical history, family history, review of systems, chief complaint, social
history, biographic data
C. Biographic information, source and reliability, chief complaint, history of
present illness, past health history, family history, personal and psychosocial
history, review of systems
D. Review of systems, psychosocial history, chief complaint, family history, past
health history, history of present illness
Correct Answer: C
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Rationale: The comprehensive health history follows a standard sequence
beginning with biographic data and source of history, then chief complaint,
history of present illness, past health history, family history, personal and
psychosocial history, and finally review of systems.
Question 2
A patient reports chest pain. The nurse practitioner uses the OLDCARTS
mnemonic to characterize the symptom. Which component of OLDCARTS does
the question "Does anything make the pain better or worse?" address?
A. Onset
B. Location
C. Aggravating and alleviating factors
D. Timing
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: OLDCARTS stands for Onset, Location, Duration, Character,
Aggravating/Alleviating factors, Radiation, Timing, and Severity. Asking what
makes the pain better or worse addresses aggravating and alleviating factors.
Question 3
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A 68-year-old patient with hypertension reports progressive exertional dyspnea.
The clinician hears a low-frequency sound immediately after S2, best appreciated
with the bell at the cardiac apex in the left lateral decubitus position. Which
finding is most consistent with this assessment?
A. Physiologic splitting of S2
B. Pericardial friction rub
C. S3 gallop associated with ventricular volume overload
D. S4 caused by atrial contraction against a compliant ventricle
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: An S3 gallop is a low-frequency sound heard immediately after S2, best
auscultated with the bell at the apex in the left lateral decubitus position. It is
associated with ventricular volume overload and heart failure.
Question 4
A patient can speak at length, but statements lack meaningful content despite
fluent speech. Which cortical region is most strongly associated with this pattern?
A. Dominant frontal Broca area
B. Occipital visual cortex
NURS 5220 ADVANCED HEALTH ASSESSMENT
QUESTIONS WITH VERIFIED SOLUTIONS
2026/2027
Question 1
A nurse practitioner is obtaining a comprehensive health history from a new
patient. Which sequence best represents the appropriate order for conducting
the interview?
A. Chief complaint, review of systems, family history, biographic data, past
history, psychosocial history
B. Past medical history, family history, review of systems, chief complaint, social
history, biographic data
C. Biographic information, source and reliability, chief complaint, history of
present illness, past health history, family history, personal and psychosocial
history, review of systems
D. Review of systems, psychosocial history, chief complaint, family history, past
health history, history of present illness
Correct Answer: C
,2|Page
Rationale: The comprehensive health history follows a standard sequence
beginning with biographic data and source of history, then chief complaint,
history of present illness, past health history, family history, personal and
psychosocial history, and finally review of systems.
Question 2
A patient reports chest pain. The nurse practitioner uses the OLDCARTS
mnemonic to characterize the symptom. Which component of OLDCARTS does
the question "Does anything make the pain better or worse?" address?
A. Onset
B. Location
C. Aggravating and alleviating factors
D. Timing
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: OLDCARTS stands for Onset, Location, Duration, Character,
Aggravating/Alleviating factors, Radiation, Timing, and Severity. Asking what
makes the pain better or worse addresses aggravating and alleviating factors.
Question 3
, 3|Page
A 68-year-old patient with hypertension reports progressive exertional dyspnea.
The clinician hears a low-frequency sound immediately after S2, best appreciated
with the bell at the cardiac apex in the left lateral decubitus position. Which
finding is most consistent with this assessment?
A. Physiologic splitting of S2
B. Pericardial friction rub
C. S3 gallop associated with ventricular volume overload
D. S4 caused by atrial contraction against a compliant ventricle
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: An S3 gallop is a low-frequency sound heard immediately after S2, best
auscultated with the bell at the apex in the left lateral decubitus position. It is
associated with ventricular volume overload and heart failure.
Question 4
A patient can speak at length, but statements lack meaningful content despite
fluent speech. Which cortical region is most strongly associated with this pattern?
A. Dominant frontal Broca area
B. Occipital visual cortex
