Page 1 of 82
NURS 607 HEALTH ASSESSMENT EXAM PREP 2026 QUESTIONS
WITH VERIFIED ANSWERS DETAILED RATIONALES GRADED
A+
Part I: Health History & Interviewing Techniques (Questions 1–30)
1. A client repeatedly states, "I'm fine, there's nothing wrong," while avoiding eye
contact and wringing their hands. Which response best reflects therapeutic
communication?
A. "Most clients with your condition feel anxious. It's normal to be scared."
B. "Why are you avoiding eye contact with me? Are you hiding something?"
C. "Let's move on so we don't waste time. I'll just check your vital signs."
D. "You say you're fine, but your body language suggests you may be anxious.
Tell me more about what you're feeling."
Rationale: Therapeutic communication uses congruence between verbal and
nonverbal cues, offering an open-ended invitation to explore feelings without
judgment or confrontation .
2. During the health history, which component is designed to explore the client's
own words about why they are seeking care?
A. Review of systems
B. Past medical history
C. Chief complaint
D. Family history
Rationale: The chief complaint records the patient's primary reason for the visit,
ideally in the patient's own words, and guides the focus of the encounter.
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3. Which of the following is a key component of the OLDCARTS mnemonic used
to characterize a symptom?
A. Only the location and duration
B. Onset, Location, Duration, Character, Aggravating/Alleviating factors,
Radiation, Timing, Severity
C. Only the severity and timing
D. Only the aggravating factors and radiation
Rationale: OLDCARTS is a systematic framework for fully characterizing a
symptom: Onset, Location, Duration, Character, Aggravating/Alleviating factors,
Radiation, Timing, and Severity .
4. A client from a culture that values indirect communication may avoid direct eye
contact when discussing sensitive topics. How should the clinician interpret this
behavior?
A. As a sign of dishonesty
B. As a culturally appropriate behavior that does not necessarily indicate
avoidance
C. As a sign of cognitive impairment
D. As a reason to terminate the interview
Rationale: Cultural norms influence communication styles, including eye contact;
clinicians must avoid ethnocentric interpretations and instead assess behavior
within the client's cultural context.
5. Which of the following best describes a "pertinent negative" in the health
history?
A. A symptom the patient reports
B. A symptom the patient explicitly denies that is relevant to the differential
diagnosis
C. A family history finding
D. A medication side effect
Rationale: Pertinent negatives are symptoms the patient denies that are relevant to
narrowing the differential diagnosis, and they should be documented to
demonstrate a comprehensive review.
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6. Which of the following is an example of a leading question that should be
avoided during the interview?
A. "Can you describe the pain for me?"
B. "You don't have any chest pain, do you?"
C. "When did the pain start?"
D. "What makes the pain worse?"
Rationale: Leading questions suggest the desired answer and can bias the patient's
response; open-ended, neutral questions are preferred.
7. What is the primary purpose of the review of systems (ROS)?
A. To document the family history
B. To systematically screen for symptoms across all body systems
C. To record vital signs
D. To list medications
Rationale: The ROS is a structured, system-by-system review of symptoms that
helps identify undiagnosed problems and guides the physical examination.
8. A clinician is interviewing an adolescent patient. Which approach is most
appropriate?
A. Directing all questions to the parent
B. Providing confidentiality and offering the adolescent a chance to speak
privately
C. Avoiding sensitive topics
D. Using an authoritative tone
Rationale: Adolescents benefit from privacy and respect for confidentiality, which
supports open communication about sensitive health topics and builds trust.
9. Which of the following best describes the purpose of a genogram in the health
history?
A. To measure height and weight
B. To map family relationships and identify patterns of illness across
generations
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C. To record vital signs
D. To assess mental status
Rationale: A genogram provides a visual representation of family structure and
health patterns, helping identify genetic and environmental risk factors.
10. A patient with limited health literacy is being educated about a new medication.
Which strategy is most appropriate?
A. Using complex medical terminology
B. Using plain language and teach-back to confirm understanding
C. Providing lengthy written instructions only
D. Rushing through the explanation
Rationale: Plain language and teach-back improve comprehension and retention of
health information for patients with limited health literacy.
11. Which of the following is a barrier to effective patient communication that
clinicians should actively address?
A. Using qualified interpreters
B. Health literacy limitations and language barriers
C. Allowing the patient to ask questions
D. Providing written instructions
Rationale: Limited health literacy and language barriers can impede understanding
and must be addressed through plain language, teach-back, and interpreter services.
12. A patient reports a "sensation of something in the eye" and has a red, tearing
eye. Which assessment finding would most suggest a corneal abrasion rather than
conjunctivitis?
A. Bilateral redness with purulent discharge
B. A positive fluorescein uptake under blue light
C. Preauricular lymph node enlargement
D. Diffuse conjunctival injection without pain
Rationale: Fluorescein dye with blue light highlights corneal epithelial defects
(abrasions) as bright green areas .
4|Page
NURS 607 HEALTH ASSESSMENT EXAM PREP 2026 QUESTIONS
WITH VERIFIED ANSWERS DETAILED RATIONALES GRADED
A+
Part I: Health History & Interviewing Techniques (Questions 1–30)
1. A client repeatedly states, "I'm fine, there's nothing wrong," while avoiding eye
contact and wringing their hands. Which response best reflects therapeutic
communication?
A. "Most clients with your condition feel anxious. It's normal to be scared."
B. "Why are you avoiding eye contact with me? Are you hiding something?"
C. "Let's move on so we don't waste time. I'll just check your vital signs."
D. "You say you're fine, but your body language suggests you may be anxious.
Tell me more about what you're feeling."
Rationale: Therapeutic communication uses congruence between verbal and
nonverbal cues, offering an open-ended invitation to explore feelings without
judgment or confrontation .
2. During the health history, which component is designed to explore the client's
own words about why they are seeking care?
A. Review of systems
B. Past medical history
C. Chief complaint
D. Family history
Rationale: The chief complaint records the patient's primary reason for the visit,
ideally in the patient's own words, and guides the focus of the encounter.
1|Page
,Page 2 of 82
3. Which of the following is a key component of the OLDCARTS mnemonic used
to characterize a symptom?
A. Only the location and duration
B. Onset, Location, Duration, Character, Aggravating/Alleviating factors,
Radiation, Timing, Severity
C. Only the severity and timing
D. Only the aggravating factors and radiation
Rationale: OLDCARTS is a systematic framework for fully characterizing a
symptom: Onset, Location, Duration, Character, Aggravating/Alleviating factors,
Radiation, Timing, and Severity .
4. A client from a culture that values indirect communication may avoid direct eye
contact when discussing sensitive topics. How should the clinician interpret this
behavior?
A. As a sign of dishonesty
B. As a culturally appropriate behavior that does not necessarily indicate
avoidance
C. As a sign of cognitive impairment
D. As a reason to terminate the interview
Rationale: Cultural norms influence communication styles, including eye contact;
clinicians must avoid ethnocentric interpretations and instead assess behavior
within the client's cultural context.
5. Which of the following best describes a "pertinent negative" in the health
history?
A. A symptom the patient reports
B. A symptom the patient explicitly denies that is relevant to the differential
diagnosis
C. A family history finding
D. A medication side effect
Rationale: Pertinent negatives are symptoms the patient denies that are relevant to
narrowing the differential diagnosis, and they should be documented to
demonstrate a comprehensive review.
2|Page
,Page 3 of 82
6. Which of the following is an example of a leading question that should be
avoided during the interview?
A. "Can you describe the pain for me?"
B. "You don't have any chest pain, do you?"
C. "When did the pain start?"
D. "What makes the pain worse?"
Rationale: Leading questions suggest the desired answer and can bias the patient's
response; open-ended, neutral questions are preferred.
7. What is the primary purpose of the review of systems (ROS)?
A. To document the family history
B. To systematically screen for symptoms across all body systems
C. To record vital signs
D. To list medications
Rationale: The ROS is a structured, system-by-system review of symptoms that
helps identify undiagnosed problems and guides the physical examination.
8. A clinician is interviewing an adolescent patient. Which approach is most
appropriate?
A. Directing all questions to the parent
B. Providing confidentiality and offering the adolescent a chance to speak
privately
C. Avoiding sensitive topics
D. Using an authoritative tone
Rationale: Adolescents benefit from privacy and respect for confidentiality, which
supports open communication about sensitive health topics and builds trust.
9. Which of the following best describes the purpose of a genogram in the health
history?
A. To measure height and weight
B. To map family relationships and identify patterns of illness across
generations
3|Page
, Page 4 of 82
C. To record vital signs
D. To assess mental status
Rationale: A genogram provides a visual representation of family structure and
health patterns, helping identify genetic and environmental risk factors.
10. A patient with limited health literacy is being educated about a new medication.
Which strategy is most appropriate?
A. Using complex medical terminology
B. Using plain language and teach-back to confirm understanding
C. Providing lengthy written instructions only
D. Rushing through the explanation
Rationale: Plain language and teach-back improve comprehension and retention of
health information for patients with limited health literacy.
11. Which of the following is a barrier to effective patient communication that
clinicians should actively address?
A. Using qualified interpreters
B. Health literacy limitations and language barriers
C. Allowing the patient to ask questions
D. Providing written instructions
Rationale: Limited health literacy and language barriers can impede understanding
and must be addressed through plain language, teach-back, and interpreter services.
12. A patient reports a "sensation of something in the eye" and has a red, tearing
eye. Which assessment finding would most suggest a corneal abrasion rather than
conjunctivitis?
A. Bilateral redness with purulent discharge
B. A positive fluorescein uptake under blue light
C. Preauricular lymph node enlargement
D. Diffuse conjunctival injection without pain
Rationale: Fluorescein dye with blue light highlights corneal epithelial defects
(abrasions) as bright green areas .
4|Page
