HESI Health Assessment / Physical Assessment Practice: Complete Head-to-Toe
Examination Review, Physical Assessment Techniques, Practice Questions, Normal vs
Abnormal Findings, and Nursing Exam Success
HESI Health Assessment / Physical Assessment Practice helps nursing students strengthen
comprehensive patient assessment skills. This guide covers head-to-toe physical
examination techniques, vital signs, health history collection, inspection, palpation,
percussion, auscultation, identification of normal and abnormal findings, realistic HESI-
style practice questions with rationales, and proven strategies to succeed on Health
Assessment HESI exams.
HESI Health Assessment Practice,
HESI Physical Assessment Practice,
HESI health assessment practice exam,
HESI physical exam practice questions
The nurse is testing the extraocular movements in a client to assess for muscle weakness in the eyes. The
nurse should implement which assessment technique to assess for muscle weakness in the eye?
Test the corneal reflexes.
Test the 6 cardinal positions of gaze.
Test visual acuity, using a Snellen eye chart.
Test sensory function by asking the client to close the eyes and then lightly touching the forehead,
cheeks, and chin. - answers Test the 6 cardinal positions of gaze.
The nurse is instructing a client how to perform a testicular self-examination (TSE). The nurse should
explain that which is the best time to perform this exam?
,After a shower or bath
While standing to void
After having a bowel movement
While lying in bed before arising - answers After a shower or bath
The nurse is assessing a client suspected of having meningitis for meningeal irritation and elicits a
positive Brudzinski's sign. Which finding did the nurse observe?
The client rigidly extends the arms with pronated forearms and plantar flexion of the feet.
The client flexes a leg at the hip and knee and reports pain in the vertebral column when the leg is
extended.
The client passively flexes the hip and knee in response to neck flexion and reports pain in the vertebral
column.
The client's upper arms are flexed and held tightly to the sides of the body and the legs are extended and
internally rotated. - answers The client passively flexes the hip and knee in response to neck
flexion and reports pain in the vertebral column.
A client with a diagnosis of asthma is admitted to the hospital with respiratory distress. Which type of
adventitious lung sounds should the nurse expect to hear when performing a respiratory assessment on
this client?
Stridor
Crackles
Wheezes
Diminished - answers Wheezes
The clinic nurse prepares to perform a focused assessment on a client who is complaining of symptoms
of a cold, a cough, and lung congestion. Which should the nurse include for this type of assessment?
Select all that apply.
Auscultating lung sounds
, Obtaining the client's temperature
Assessing the strength of peripheral pulses
Obtaining information about the client's respirations
Performing a musculoskeletal and neurological examination
Asking the client about a family history of any illness or disease - answers Auscultating lung
sounds
Obtaining the client's temperature
Obtaining information about the client's respirations
The nurse is performing a neurological assessment on a client and notes a positive Romberg's test. The
nurse makes this determination based on which observation?
An involuntary rhythmic, rapid, twitching of the eyeballs
A dorsiflexion of the great toe with fanning of the other toes
A significant sway when the client stands erect with feet together, arms at the side, and the eyes closed
A lack of normal sense of position when the client is unable to return extended fingers to a point of
reference - answers A significant sway when the client stands erect with feet together, arms at
the side, and the eyes closed
The nurse notes documentation that a client is exhibiting Cheyne-Stokes respirations. On assessment of
the client, the nurse should expect to note which finding?
Rhythmic respirations with periods of apnea
Regular rapid and deep, sustained respirations
Totally irregular respiration in rhythm and depth
Irregular respirations with pauses at the end of inspiration and expiration - answers Rhythmic
respirations with periods of apnea
A client diagnosed with conductive hearing loss asks the nurse to explain the cause of the hearing
problem. The nurse plans to explain to the client that this condition is caused by which problem?
Examination Review, Physical Assessment Techniques, Practice Questions, Normal vs
Abnormal Findings, and Nursing Exam Success
HESI Health Assessment / Physical Assessment Practice helps nursing students strengthen
comprehensive patient assessment skills. This guide covers head-to-toe physical
examination techniques, vital signs, health history collection, inspection, palpation,
percussion, auscultation, identification of normal and abnormal findings, realistic HESI-
style practice questions with rationales, and proven strategies to succeed on Health
Assessment HESI exams.
HESI Health Assessment Practice,
HESI Physical Assessment Practice,
HESI health assessment practice exam,
HESI physical exam practice questions
The nurse is testing the extraocular movements in a client to assess for muscle weakness in the eyes. The
nurse should implement which assessment technique to assess for muscle weakness in the eye?
Test the corneal reflexes.
Test the 6 cardinal positions of gaze.
Test visual acuity, using a Snellen eye chart.
Test sensory function by asking the client to close the eyes and then lightly touching the forehead,
cheeks, and chin. - answers Test the 6 cardinal positions of gaze.
The nurse is instructing a client how to perform a testicular self-examination (TSE). The nurse should
explain that which is the best time to perform this exam?
,After a shower or bath
While standing to void
After having a bowel movement
While lying in bed before arising - answers After a shower or bath
The nurse is assessing a client suspected of having meningitis for meningeal irritation and elicits a
positive Brudzinski's sign. Which finding did the nurse observe?
The client rigidly extends the arms with pronated forearms and plantar flexion of the feet.
The client flexes a leg at the hip and knee and reports pain in the vertebral column when the leg is
extended.
The client passively flexes the hip and knee in response to neck flexion and reports pain in the vertebral
column.
The client's upper arms are flexed and held tightly to the sides of the body and the legs are extended and
internally rotated. - answers The client passively flexes the hip and knee in response to neck
flexion and reports pain in the vertebral column.
A client with a diagnosis of asthma is admitted to the hospital with respiratory distress. Which type of
adventitious lung sounds should the nurse expect to hear when performing a respiratory assessment on
this client?
Stridor
Crackles
Wheezes
Diminished - answers Wheezes
The clinic nurse prepares to perform a focused assessment on a client who is complaining of symptoms
of a cold, a cough, and lung congestion. Which should the nurse include for this type of assessment?
Select all that apply.
Auscultating lung sounds
, Obtaining the client's temperature
Assessing the strength of peripheral pulses
Obtaining information about the client's respirations
Performing a musculoskeletal and neurological examination
Asking the client about a family history of any illness or disease - answers Auscultating lung
sounds
Obtaining the client's temperature
Obtaining information about the client's respirations
The nurse is performing a neurological assessment on a client and notes a positive Romberg's test. The
nurse makes this determination based on which observation?
An involuntary rhythmic, rapid, twitching of the eyeballs
A dorsiflexion of the great toe with fanning of the other toes
A significant sway when the client stands erect with feet together, arms at the side, and the eyes closed
A lack of normal sense of position when the client is unable to return extended fingers to a point of
reference - answers A significant sway when the client stands erect with feet together, arms at
the side, and the eyes closed
The nurse notes documentation that a client is exhibiting Cheyne-Stokes respirations. On assessment of
the client, the nurse should expect to note which finding?
Rhythmic respirations with periods of apnea
Regular rapid and deep, sustained respirations
Totally irregular respiration in rhythm and depth
Irregular respirations with pauses at the end of inspiration and expiration - answers Rhythmic
respirations with periods of apnea
A client diagnosed with conductive hearing loss asks the nurse to explain the cause of the hearing
problem. The nurse plans to explain to the client that this condition is caused by which problem?
