NUR 603 FINAL EXAM REVIEW| 155 ACTUAL QUESTIONS &
CORRECT DETAILED VERIFIED ANSWERS 2025
Janet is a 30-year-old who has recently been diagnosed with a herniated disc at the level of L5-S1. She is
currently in the emergency room with suspicion of cauda equina compression. Which of the following is
a sign or symptom of cauda equina compression?
A. Gastrocnemius weakness
B. A reduced or absent ankle reflex
C. Numbness in the lateral foot
D. Paresthesia of the perineum and buttocks - ANSWER D. Paresthesia of the perineum and buttocks
Mr. Jackson is a 65-year-old man recently diagnosed with osteoarthritis. The clinician has explained to
Mr. Jackson that the goals for managing osteoarthritis include controlling pain, maximizing functional
independence and mobility, minimizing disability, and preserving quality of life. Mr. Jackson explains to
the clinician that his first choice would be to use complementary therapies to control his condition and
asks what therapies are most effective in treating osteoarthritis. What would be the most appropriate
response from the clinician?
A. "Complementary therapies should be considered only if surgical interventions are not successful."
B. "I am unfamiliar with the available complementary therapies for osteoarthritis and prefer to discuss
more mainstream treatments, such as NSAIDs and physical therapy, to manage your condition."
C. "I would be happy to discuss all the treatment options available to you. Compleme - ANSWER C. "I
would be happy to discuss all the treatment options available to you. Complementary therapies, such as
acupuncture, acupressure, and tai-chi, are being studied for use in the treatment of osteoarthritis and
have shown promise when used with standard medical therapy."
John is a 16-year-old boy who presents to the emergency room after hurting his knee in a football game.
He described twisting his knee and then being unable to extend it completely. John tells the clinician
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,that he heard a pop when the injury occurred and has been experiencing localized pain. The clinician
suspects a meniscal tear. Which test would be most appropriate to assess for the presence of a meniscal
tear?
A. Valgus stress test
B. McMurray circumduction test
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,C. Lachman test
D. Varus stress test - ANSWER B. McMurray circumduction test
The clinician suspects that a client has patellar instability. In order to test for this, the client is seated
with the quadriceps relaxed, and the knee is placed in extension. Next the patella is displaced laterally,
and the knee flexed to 30°. If instability is present, this maneuver displaces the patella to an abnormal
position on the lateral femoral condyle, and the client will perceive pain. Testing for patellar instability in
this way is known as:
A. Apprehension sign
B. Bulge sign
C. Thumb sign
D. None of the above - ANSWER A. Apprehension sign
A clinician has performed a synovial fluid analysis and the results are as follows: visual analysis: turbid
and yellow, viscosity: decreased, 52,000 white blood cells (WBCs) per mm3, polymorphonuclear
leukocytes (PMNs): 75%, protein: 5 g/dL. Which of the following conditions could this result be
attributed to?
A. Rheumatoid arthritis
B. Osteoarthritis
C. Gout
D. Septic arthritis - ANSWER D. Septic arthritis
Mr. S presents in the clinic with pain, tenderness, erythema, and swelling of his left great toe. The
clinician suspects acute gout. Which of the following should the clinician expect in the initial test results
for this patient?
A. Elevated uric acid level
B. Elevated blood urea nitrogen
C. Decreased urine pH
D. Decreased C-reactive protein - ANSWER A. Elevated uric acid level
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, Debbie is a 43-year-old female being evaluated for a wrist injury. The clinician is assessing for median
nerve compression by having Debbie maintain forced flexion of her wrist for 1 minute with the dorsal
surface of each hand pressed together. Which of these tests did the clinician just perform?
A. Allen's test
B. Phalen's test
C. Tinel's sign
D. Finkelstein's test - ANSWER B. Phalen's test
Sam is a 25-year-old who has been diagnosed with low back strain based on his history of localized low
back pain and muscle spasm along with a normal neurological examination. As the clinician, you explain
to Sam that low back pain is a diagnosis of exclusion. Which of the following symptoms would alert the
clinician to the more serious finding of a herniated nucleus pulposus or ruptured disc?
A. Morning stiffness and limited mobility of the lumbar spine
B. Unilateral radicular pain symptoms that extend below the knee and are equal to or greater than the
back pain
C. Fever, chills, and elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate
D. Pathologic fractures, severe night pain, weight loss, and fatigue - ANSWER B. Unilateral radicular pain
symptoms that extend below the knee and are equal to or greater than the back pain
Felice is a 66-year-old female who complains that walking and prolonged standing causes pain and
weakness in her legs and buttocks. She expresses that she has short-term relief when she leans on the
shopping cart. When she sleeps on her back, she sometimes wakes up in the night in pain. Which of the
following diagnoses is most likely?
A. Multiple sclerosis
B. Herniated lumbar disc
C. Lumbar spinal stenosis
D. Cervical spondylosis - ANSWER C. Lumbar spinal stenosis
To diagnose fibromyalgia, there must be tenderness on digital palpation in at least 11 of 18 (nine pairs)
tender point sites, which would include the
A. occiput, low cervical, trapezius, and supraspinatus
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CORRECT DETAILED VERIFIED ANSWERS 2025
Janet is a 30-year-old who has recently been diagnosed with a herniated disc at the level of L5-S1. She is
currently in the emergency room with suspicion of cauda equina compression. Which of the following is
a sign or symptom of cauda equina compression?
A. Gastrocnemius weakness
B. A reduced or absent ankle reflex
C. Numbness in the lateral foot
D. Paresthesia of the perineum and buttocks - ANSWER D. Paresthesia of the perineum and buttocks
Mr. Jackson is a 65-year-old man recently diagnosed with osteoarthritis. The clinician has explained to
Mr. Jackson that the goals for managing osteoarthritis include controlling pain, maximizing functional
independence and mobility, minimizing disability, and preserving quality of life. Mr. Jackson explains to
the clinician that his first choice would be to use complementary therapies to control his condition and
asks what therapies are most effective in treating osteoarthritis. What would be the most appropriate
response from the clinician?
A. "Complementary therapies should be considered only if surgical interventions are not successful."
B. "I am unfamiliar with the available complementary therapies for osteoarthritis and prefer to discuss
more mainstream treatments, such as NSAIDs and physical therapy, to manage your condition."
C. "I would be happy to discuss all the treatment options available to you. Compleme - ANSWER C. "I
would be happy to discuss all the treatment options available to you. Complementary therapies, such as
acupuncture, acupressure, and tai-chi, are being studied for use in the treatment of osteoarthritis and
have shown promise when used with standard medical therapy."
John is a 16-year-old boy who presents to the emergency room after hurting his knee in a football game.
He described twisting his knee and then being unable to extend it completely. John tells the clinician
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,that he heard a pop when the injury occurred and has been experiencing localized pain. The clinician
suspects a meniscal tear. Which test would be most appropriate to assess for the presence of a meniscal
tear?
A. Valgus stress test
B. McMurray circumduction test
https://www.stuvia.com/en-us/user/MBOFFIN
,C. Lachman test
D. Varus stress test - ANSWER B. McMurray circumduction test
The clinician suspects that a client has patellar instability. In order to test for this, the client is seated
with the quadriceps relaxed, and the knee is placed in extension. Next the patella is displaced laterally,
and the knee flexed to 30°. If instability is present, this maneuver displaces the patella to an abnormal
position on the lateral femoral condyle, and the client will perceive pain. Testing for patellar instability in
this way is known as:
A. Apprehension sign
B. Bulge sign
C. Thumb sign
D. None of the above - ANSWER A. Apprehension sign
A clinician has performed a synovial fluid analysis and the results are as follows: visual analysis: turbid
and yellow, viscosity: decreased, 52,000 white blood cells (WBCs) per mm3, polymorphonuclear
leukocytes (PMNs): 75%, protein: 5 g/dL. Which of the following conditions could this result be
attributed to?
A. Rheumatoid arthritis
B. Osteoarthritis
C. Gout
D. Septic arthritis - ANSWER D. Septic arthritis
Mr. S presents in the clinic with pain, tenderness, erythema, and swelling of his left great toe. The
clinician suspects acute gout. Which of the following should the clinician expect in the initial test results
for this patient?
A. Elevated uric acid level
B. Elevated blood urea nitrogen
C. Decreased urine pH
D. Decreased C-reactive protein - ANSWER A. Elevated uric acid level
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, Debbie is a 43-year-old female being evaluated for a wrist injury. The clinician is assessing for median
nerve compression by having Debbie maintain forced flexion of her wrist for 1 minute with the dorsal
surface of each hand pressed together. Which of these tests did the clinician just perform?
A. Allen's test
B. Phalen's test
C. Tinel's sign
D. Finkelstein's test - ANSWER B. Phalen's test
Sam is a 25-year-old who has been diagnosed with low back strain based on his history of localized low
back pain and muscle spasm along with a normal neurological examination. As the clinician, you explain
to Sam that low back pain is a diagnosis of exclusion. Which of the following symptoms would alert the
clinician to the more serious finding of a herniated nucleus pulposus or ruptured disc?
A. Morning stiffness and limited mobility of the lumbar spine
B. Unilateral radicular pain symptoms that extend below the knee and are equal to or greater than the
back pain
C. Fever, chills, and elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate
D. Pathologic fractures, severe night pain, weight loss, and fatigue - ANSWER B. Unilateral radicular pain
symptoms that extend below the knee and are equal to or greater than the back pain
Felice is a 66-year-old female who complains that walking and prolonged standing causes pain and
weakness in her legs and buttocks. She expresses that she has short-term relief when she leans on the
shopping cart. When she sleeps on her back, she sometimes wakes up in the night in pain. Which of the
following diagnoses is most likely?
A. Multiple sclerosis
B. Herniated lumbar disc
C. Lumbar spinal stenosis
D. Cervical spondylosis - ANSWER C. Lumbar spinal stenosis
To diagnose fibromyalgia, there must be tenderness on digital palpation in at least 11 of 18 (nine pairs)
tender point sites, which would include the
A. occiput, low cervical, trapezius, and supraspinatus
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