Galen NSG 3160 Health Assessment: Exam 2 - Questions with
Correct Answers
100 questions
1. A patient begins crying while describing a recent loss. The nurse's best response is to:
A. Change the subject to a less emotional topic
B. Tell the patient everything will be fine
C. Leave the room until the patient stops crying
D. Pause, allow silence and offer a tissue
Correct Answer: D. Pause, allow silence and offer a tissue
Rationale: Silence and a small gesture of support show acceptance and give the patient time to express
feelings. Changing the subject, false reassurance and leaving all communicate discomfort and can shut
down important disclosure.
2. The HEEADSSS assessment is designed for:
A. Assessing infant reflexes
B. Psychosocial screening of adolescents
C. Measuring cognitive function in older adults
D. Pain assessment in nonverbal patients
Correct Answer: B. Psychosocial screening of adolescents
Rationale: HEEADSSS covers home, education/employment, eating, activities, drugs, sexuality,
suicide/depression and safety to identify adolescent risks. Infant reflexes, cognitive screening and
nonverbal pain use other tools.
3. Which statement is an example of an ethical breach in confidentiality?
A. Sharing findings with the patient's care team
B. Documenting findings in the secure health record
C. Giving report at a private handoff
D. Discussing the patient's diagnosis in a crowded elevator
Correct Answer: D. Discussing the patient's diagnosis in a crowded elevator
Rationale: Speaking about a patient where others can hear exposes protected health information and
violates HIPAA. Sharing with the care team, secure documentation and private handoffs are appropriate
uses of information.
,4. Which interviewing technique is a barrier to communication?
A. Facilitation
B. Reflection
C. Giving false reassurance
D. Clarification
Correct Answer: C. Giving false reassurance
Rationale: False reassurance such as 'Don't worry' dismisses the patient's feelings and closes off
discussion. Facilitation, reflection and clarification are therapeutic techniques that encourage the patient
to continue and confirm understanding.
5. The nurse says, 'You said the pain gets worse at night?' This technique is:
A. Confrontation
B. Interpretation
C. Summary
D. Reflection
Correct Answer: D. Reflection
Rationale: Reflection repeats part of what the patient said, encouraging them to expand on it.
Confrontation points out a discrepancy, interpretation offers the nurse's inference and summary
condenses the whole interview at the end.
6. The chief complaint is best recorded as:
A. The nurse's interpretation of the problem
B. The medical diagnosis
C. The patient's own words describing why they are seeking care
D. A list of all past illnesses
Correct Answer: C. The patient's own words describing why they are seeking care
Rationale: The reason for seeking care is documented in the patient's own words, often in quotation
marks, to avoid bias. Nurse interpretations and diagnoses belong elsewhere, and past illnesses are
recorded in the past health history.
,7. Which statement about documenting assessment findings is correct?
A. Use personal opinions to describe the patient
B. Use objective, specific descriptions and avoid vague terms such as 'normal' or 'good'
C. Erase errors completely
D. Document findings before the assessment is performed
Correct Answer: B. Use objective, specific descriptions and avoid vague terms such as
'normal' or 'good'
Rationale: Precise descriptions such as '2-cm red macule on left forearm' are clear and legally
defensible. Opinions are subjective and unprofessional, errors must be corrected per policy without
obliterating them and pre-charting is falsification.
8. A patient's family history should include:
A. Only the patient's own illnesses
B. The age and health or cause of death of parents, siblings and grandparents
C. Only illnesses that are contagious
D. Only the spouse's health
Correct Answer: B. The age and health or cause of death of parents, siblings and
grandparents
Rationale: Family history identifies hereditary and familial risks such as heart disease, diabetes and
cancer by recording the health of blood relatives. The patient's own illnesses go in the past history, and a
spouse is not a blood relative.
9. A normal resting adult pulse rate is:
A. 60 to 100 beats per minute
B. 40 to 60 beats per minute
C. 100 to 140 beats per minute
D. 20 to 40 beats per minute
Correct Answer: A. 60 to 100 beats per minute
Rationale: The normal adult rate is 60 to 100, although well-conditioned athletes may have rates in the
50s. Rates below 60 are bradycardia and above 100 tachycardia, which need interpretation in context.
, 10. Neuropathic pain is often described as:
A. Burning, shooting or electric-like
B. Dull and aching only
C. Throbbing over a bruise
D. Cramping after a meal
Correct Answer: A. Burning, shooting or electric-like
Rationale: Neuropathic pain arises from nerve damage and causes burning, tingling or shooting
sensations, as in diabetic neuropathy. Dull aching or throbbing pain over injured tissue is nociceptive, and
cramping after meals suggests visceral pain.
11. A patient's blood pressure is 118/76 mm Hg. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) is approximately:
A. 90 mm Hg
B. 97 mm Hg
C. 42 mm Hg
D. 76 mm Hg
Correct Answer: A. 90 mm Hg
Rationale: MAP equals diastolic plus one-third of pulse pressure: 76 + () = 76 + 14 = 90 mm Hg.
Forty-two is the pulse pressure, 97 is a simple average of the two values and 76 is only the diastolic.
12. Fever increases the pulse rate by approximately:
A. 10 beats per minute for each 1 C rise in temperature
B. 50 beats per minute per degree
C. No change
D. A decrease of 20 beats per minute
Correct Answer: A. 10 beats per minute for each 1 C rise in temperature
Rationale: Higher metabolic demand with fever raises heart rate, so tachycardia should be interpreted in
light of temperature. A large rise or a falling rate with fever suggests another problem.
Correct Answers
100 questions
1. A patient begins crying while describing a recent loss. The nurse's best response is to:
A. Change the subject to a less emotional topic
B. Tell the patient everything will be fine
C. Leave the room until the patient stops crying
D. Pause, allow silence and offer a tissue
Correct Answer: D. Pause, allow silence and offer a tissue
Rationale: Silence and a small gesture of support show acceptance and give the patient time to express
feelings. Changing the subject, false reassurance and leaving all communicate discomfort and can shut
down important disclosure.
2. The HEEADSSS assessment is designed for:
A. Assessing infant reflexes
B. Psychosocial screening of adolescents
C. Measuring cognitive function in older adults
D. Pain assessment in nonverbal patients
Correct Answer: B. Psychosocial screening of adolescents
Rationale: HEEADSSS covers home, education/employment, eating, activities, drugs, sexuality,
suicide/depression and safety to identify adolescent risks. Infant reflexes, cognitive screening and
nonverbal pain use other tools.
3. Which statement is an example of an ethical breach in confidentiality?
A. Sharing findings with the patient's care team
B. Documenting findings in the secure health record
C. Giving report at a private handoff
D. Discussing the patient's diagnosis in a crowded elevator
Correct Answer: D. Discussing the patient's diagnosis in a crowded elevator
Rationale: Speaking about a patient where others can hear exposes protected health information and
violates HIPAA. Sharing with the care team, secure documentation and private handoffs are appropriate
uses of information.
,4. Which interviewing technique is a barrier to communication?
A. Facilitation
B. Reflection
C. Giving false reassurance
D. Clarification
Correct Answer: C. Giving false reassurance
Rationale: False reassurance such as 'Don't worry' dismisses the patient's feelings and closes off
discussion. Facilitation, reflection and clarification are therapeutic techniques that encourage the patient
to continue and confirm understanding.
5. The nurse says, 'You said the pain gets worse at night?' This technique is:
A. Confrontation
B. Interpretation
C. Summary
D. Reflection
Correct Answer: D. Reflection
Rationale: Reflection repeats part of what the patient said, encouraging them to expand on it.
Confrontation points out a discrepancy, interpretation offers the nurse's inference and summary
condenses the whole interview at the end.
6. The chief complaint is best recorded as:
A. The nurse's interpretation of the problem
B. The medical diagnosis
C. The patient's own words describing why they are seeking care
D. A list of all past illnesses
Correct Answer: C. The patient's own words describing why they are seeking care
Rationale: The reason for seeking care is documented in the patient's own words, often in quotation
marks, to avoid bias. Nurse interpretations and diagnoses belong elsewhere, and past illnesses are
recorded in the past health history.
,7. Which statement about documenting assessment findings is correct?
A. Use personal opinions to describe the patient
B. Use objective, specific descriptions and avoid vague terms such as 'normal' or 'good'
C. Erase errors completely
D. Document findings before the assessment is performed
Correct Answer: B. Use objective, specific descriptions and avoid vague terms such as
'normal' or 'good'
Rationale: Precise descriptions such as '2-cm red macule on left forearm' are clear and legally
defensible. Opinions are subjective and unprofessional, errors must be corrected per policy without
obliterating them and pre-charting is falsification.
8. A patient's family history should include:
A. Only the patient's own illnesses
B. The age and health or cause of death of parents, siblings and grandparents
C. Only illnesses that are contagious
D. Only the spouse's health
Correct Answer: B. The age and health or cause of death of parents, siblings and
grandparents
Rationale: Family history identifies hereditary and familial risks such as heart disease, diabetes and
cancer by recording the health of blood relatives. The patient's own illnesses go in the past history, and a
spouse is not a blood relative.
9. A normal resting adult pulse rate is:
A. 60 to 100 beats per minute
B. 40 to 60 beats per minute
C. 100 to 140 beats per minute
D. 20 to 40 beats per minute
Correct Answer: A. 60 to 100 beats per minute
Rationale: The normal adult rate is 60 to 100, although well-conditioned athletes may have rates in the
50s. Rates below 60 are bradycardia and above 100 tachycardia, which need interpretation in context.
, 10. Neuropathic pain is often described as:
A. Burning, shooting or electric-like
B. Dull and aching only
C. Throbbing over a bruise
D. Cramping after a meal
Correct Answer: A. Burning, shooting or electric-like
Rationale: Neuropathic pain arises from nerve damage and causes burning, tingling or shooting
sensations, as in diabetic neuropathy. Dull aching or throbbing pain over injured tissue is nociceptive, and
cramping after meals suggests visceral pain.
11. A patient's blood pressure is 118/76 mm Hg. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) is approximately:
A. 90 mm Hg
B. 97 mm Hg
C. 42 mm Hg
D. 76 mm Hg
Correct Answer: A. 90 mm Hg
Rationale: MAP equals diastolic plus one-third of pulse pressure: 76 + () = 76 + 14 = 90 mm Hg.
Forty-two is the pulse pressure, 97 is a simple average of the two values and 76 is only the diastolic.
12. Fever increases the pulse rate by approximately:
A. 10 beats per minute for each 1 C rise in temperature
B. 50 beats per minute per degree
C. No change
D. A decrease of 20 beats per minute
Correct Answer: A. 10 beats per minute for each 1 C rise in temperature
Rationale: Higher metabolic demand with fever raises heart rate, so tachycardia should be interpreted in
light of temperature. A large rise or a falling rate with fever suggests another problem.
