NURS 502 ADVANCED HEALTH ASSESSMENT
FINAL EXAM 2025 QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS(USC)
A patient has come in for an examination and states, "I have this spot in front of my ear lobe here on my
cheek that seems to be getting bigger and is tender. What do you think it is?" The NP notes swelling
above the angle of the jaw and suspects it could be an inflammation of his:
A) occipital node
B) thyroid gland
C) parotid gland
D) none of the above
The swelling of the parotid gland is seen anterior to the ear lobes and above the angles of the jaw.
All of the following are a common or concerning symptom in a health history for a respiratory
assessment EXCEPT?
A) palpitations
B) blood-streaked sputum
C) chest pain
D) snoring
Chest pain, blood-streaked sputum, and snoring are all common or concerning symptoms in a health
history for respiratory assessment.
,The nurse practitioner might see which of the following physical findings in a patient with otitis externa?
A) a bulging, red tympanic membrane
B) an unusually prominent short process and prominent handle.
C) a chalky, white patch with irregular margins on the inferior part of the tympanic membrane.
D) Pain with the movement of the auricle and tragus (tug test): a swollen, narrowed, moist, pale and
tender ear canal.
Frank blood or clear watery drainage (cerebrospinal leak) after trauma suggest a basal skull fracture and
warrants immediate referral. Purulent drainage indicates otitis externa or otitis media. (Bates, 245-246)
Suzanne, a 25 year old, comes to your clinic to establish care. You are the student preparing to go into
the examination room to interview her. Which of the following is the most logical sequence for the
patient-provider interview?
A) Establish the agenda, negotiate a plan, establish rapport, and invite the patient's story.
B) Invite the patient's story, negotiate a plan, establish the agenda, and establish rapport.
C) Greet the patient, establish rapport, invite the patient's story, establish the agenda, expand and
clarify the patient's story, and negotiate a plan.
D) Negotiate a plan, establish an agenda, invite the patient's story, and establish rapport.
The sequence of the interview: Greeting the patient and establishing rapport. Taking notes. Establishing
the agenda for the interview. Inviting the patient's story. Expanding and clarifying the patient's story.
Sharing the treatment plan.
A young woman undergoes cranial nerve testing. On touching the soft palate, her uvula deviates to the
left. Which of the following is likely?
A) CN IX lesion on the left
B) CN X lesion on the left
,C) CN IX lesion on the right
D) CN X lesion on the right
In cranial nerve X paralysis, the soft palate fails to rise and the uvula deviates to the opposite side.
When performing posterior palpation of the thyroid gland, you should do all fo the following, EXCEPT:
A) Have the patient tip his or her head forward and slightly to the side.
B) Place your index fingers above the cricoid cartilage.
C) Palpate between the sternocleidomastoid muscle and the trachea for the lobes of the thyroid.
D) Move your fingers laterally to palpate for the thyroid lobes.
Place the fingers of both hands on the patient's neck so that your index fingers are just BELOW the
cricoid cartilage.
You are interviewing an elderly woman in the ambulatory setting and trying to get more information
about her urinary symptoms. Which of the following techniques is NOT a component of guided
questioning?
A) Reassuring the patient that the urinary symptoms are benign and that she doesn't need to worry
about it being a sign of cancer.
B) Offering the patient multiple choices in order to clarify the character of the urinary symptoms she is
experiencing.
C) Asking her to tell you what she means when she states that she has a urinary tract infection.
D) Directed questioning starting with the general and proceeding to the specific in a manner that does
not make the patient give a yes/no answer.
, A) Reassuring bthe bpatient bthat bthe burinary bsymptoms bare bbenign band bthat bshe bdoesn't bneed bto
bworry babout bit bbeing ba bsign bof bcancer.
Bates bp b59, b69-71
A b59 byear bold bpatients btells bthe bnurse bpractitioner bthat bhe bthinks bhe bmust bhave bulcerative bcolitis. bHe
bhas bbeen bhaving b"black bstools" bfor bthe blast b24 bhours. bHow bwould bthe bnurse bpractitioner bbest
bdocument bTHE bFACTS bfor bhis breason bfor bseeking bcare?
A) JM bis ba b59 byear bold bmale bhere bfor bhaving b"black bstools" bfor bthe bpast b24 bhours.
B) JM bcame binto bthe bclinic bcomplaining bof bblack bstools bfor bthe bpast b24 bhours.
C) JM bis ba b59 byear bold bmale bhere bfor b"ulcerative bcolitis."
D) JM, ba b59 byear bold bmale, bstates bhe bhas bulcerative bcolitis band bwants bit bchecked.
Chief bComplaint(s) bThe bone bor bmore bsymptoms bor bconcerns bcausing bthe bpatient bto bseek bcare. bMake
bevery beffort bto bquote bthe bpatient's bown bwords.
A bpatient btells bthe bnurse bpractitioner bthat bshe bhas bhad babdominal bpain bfor bthe bpast bweek. bWhat
bwould bbe bthe bbest bresponse bby bthe bnurse bpractitioner?
A) We'll btalk bmore babout bthat blater bin bthe binterview."
B) "Have byou bever bhad bany bchildren?"
C) "What bhave byou bhad bto beat bin bthe blast b4 bhours?"
D) "Can byou bpoint bto bwhere bit bhurts?"
Each bprinciple bsymptom bshould bbe bwell-characterized, bwith bdescriptions bof blocation; balong bwith bthe
bother bseven battributes. bLocation: bAsk bthe bpatient bto bpoint bto bthe bpain bbecause blay bterms bmay bnot bbe
bspecific benough bto blocalize bthe bsite bof borigin.
FINAL EXAM 2025 QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS(USC)
A patient has come in for an examination and states, "I have this spot in front of my ear lobe here on my
cheek that seems to be getting bigger and is tender. What do you think it is?" The NP notes swelling
above the angle of the jaw and suspects it could be an inflammation of his:
A) occipital node
B) thyroid gland
C) parotid gland
D) none of the above
The swelling of the parotid gland is seen anterior to the ear lobes and above the angles of the jaw.
All of the following are a common or concerning symptom in a health history for a respiratory
assessment EXCEPT?
A) palpitations
B) blood-streaked sputum
C) chest pain
D) snoring
Chest pain, blood-streaked sputum, and snoring are all common or concerning symptoms in a health
history for respiratory assessment.
,The nurse practitioner might see which of the following physical findings in a patient with otitis externa?
A) a bulging, red tympanic membrane
B) an unusually prominent short process and prominent handle.
C) a chalky, white patch with irregular margins on the inferior part of the tympanic membrane.
D) Pain with the movement of the auricle and tragus (tug test): a swollen, narrowed, moist, pale and
tender ear canal.
Frank blood or clear watery drainage (cerebrospinal leak) after trauma suggest a basal skull fracture and
warrants immediate referral. Purulent drainage indicates otitis externa or otitis media. (Bates, 245-246)
Suzanne, a 25 year old, comes to your clinic to establish care. You are the student preparing to go into
the examination room to interview her. Which of the following is the most logical sequence for the
patient-provider interview?
A) Establish the agenda, negotiate a plan, establish rapport, and invite the patient's story.
B) Invite the patient's story, negotiate a plan, establish the agenda, and establish rapport.
C) Greet the patient, establish rapport, invite the patient's story, establish the agenda, expand and
clarify the patient's story, and negotiate a plan.
D) Negotiate a plan, establish an agenda, invite the patient's story, and establish rapport.
The sequence of the interview: Greeting the patient and establishing rapport. Taking notes. Establishing
the agenda for the interview. Inviting the patient's story. Expanding and clarifying the patient's story.
Sharing the treatment plan.
A young woman undergoes cranial nerve testing. On touching the soft palate, her uvula deviates to the
left. Which of the following is likely?
A) CN IX lesion on the left
B) CN X lesion on the left
,C) CN IX lesion on the right
D) CN X lesion on the right
In cranial nerve X paralysis, the soft palate fails to rise and the uvula deviates to the opposite side.
When performing posterior palpation of the thyroid gland, you should do all fo the following, EXCEPT:
A) Have the patient tip his or her head forward and slightly to the side.
B) Place your index fingers above the cricoid cartilage.
C) Palpate between the sternocleidomastoid muscle and the trachea for the lobes of the thyroid.
D) Move your fingers laterally to palpate for the thyroid lobes.
Place the fingers of both hands on the patient's neck so that your index fingers are just BELOW the
cricoid cartilage.
You are interviewing an elderly woman in the ambulatory setting and trying to get more information
about her urinary symptoms. Which of the following techniques is NOT a component of guided
questioning?
A) Reassuring the patient that the urinary symptoms are benign and that she doesn't need to worry
about it being a sign of cancer.
B) Offering the patient multiple choices in order to clarify the character of the urinary symptoms she is
experiencing.
C) Asking her to tell you what she means when she states that she has a urinary tract infection.
D) Directed questioning starting with the general and proceeding to the specific in a manner that does
not make the patient give a yes/no answer.
, A) Reassuring bthe bpatient bthat bthe burinary bsymptoms bare bbenign band bthat bshe bdoesn't bneed bto
bworry babout bit bbeing ba bsign bof bcancer.
Bates bp b59, b69-71
A b59 byear bold bpatients btells bthe bnurse bpractitioner bthat bhe bthinks bhe bmust bhave bulcerative bcolitis. bHe
bhas bbeen bhaving b"black bstools" bfor bthe blast b24 bhours. bHow bwould bthe bnurse bpractitioner bbest
bdocument bTHE bFACTS bfor bhis breason bfor bseeking bcare?
A) JM bis ba b59 byear bold bmale bhere bfor bhaving b"black bstools" bfor bthe bpast b24 bhours.
B) JM bcame binto bthe bclinic bcomplaining bof bblack bstools bfor bthe bpast b24 bhours.
C) JM bis ba b59 byear bold bmale bhere bfor b"ulcerative bcolitis."
D) JM, ba b59 byear bold bmale, bstates bhe bhas bulcerative bcolitis band bwants bit bchecked.
Chief bComplaint(s) bThe bone bor bmore bsymptoms bor bconcerns bcausing bthe bpatient bto bseek bcare. bMake
bevery beffort bto bquote bthe bpatient's bown bwords.
A bpatient btells bthe bnurse bpractitioner bthat bshe bhas bhad babdominal bpain bfor bthe bpast bweek. bWhat
bwould bbe bthe bbest bresponse bby bthe bnurse bpractitioner?
A) We'll btalk bmore babout bthat blater bin bthe binterview."
B) "Have byou bever bhad bany bchildren?"
C) "What bhave byou bhad bto beat bin bthe blast b4 bhours?"
D) "Can byou bpoint bto bwhere bit bhurts?"
Each bprinciple bsymptom bshould bbe bwell-characterized, bwith bdescriptions bof blocation; balong bwith bthe
bother bseven battributes. bLocation: bAsk bthe bpatient bto bpoint bto bthe bpain bbecause blay bterms bmay bnot bbe
bspecific benough bto blocalize bthe bsite bof borigin.
