NSG 3800 Exam 2 Questions And Correct
Answers| Updated 2026 Galen College Of
Nursing
A patient is having her tonsils removed. The patient asks the nurse what function the
tonsils normally serve. Which of the following would be the most accurate response?
A) The tonsils separate your windpipe from your throat when you swallow.
B) The tonsils help to guard the body from invasion of organisms.
C) The tonsils make enzymes that you swallow and which aid with digestion.
D) The tonsils help with regulating the airflow down into your lungs. - ANSWER B
Feedback: The tonsils, the adenoids, and other lymphoid tissue encircle the throat.
These structures are important links in the chain of lymph nodes guarding the body
from invasion of organisms entering the nose and throat. The tonsils do not aid
digestion, separate the trachea from the esophagus, or regulate airflow to the bronchi.
The nurse is caring for a patient who has just returned to the unit after a colon
resection. The patient is showing signs of hypoxia. The nurse knows that this is
probably caused by what?
A) Nitrogen narcosis
B) Infection
C) Impaired diffusion
D) Shunting - ANSWER D
Feedback: Shunting appears to be the main cause of hypoxia after thoracic or
abdominal surgery and most types of respiratory failure. Impairment of normal diffusion
is a less common cause. Infection would not likely be present at this early stage of
recovery and nitrogen narcosis only occurs from breathing compressed air.
The nurse is assessing a patient who frequently coughs after eating or drinking. How
should the nurse best follow up this assessment finding?
A) Obtain a sputum sample.
B) Perform a swallowing assessment.
C) Inspect the patients tongue and mouth.
D) Assess the patients nutritional status. - ANSWER B
Feedback: Coughing after food intake may indicate aspiration of material into the
tracheobronchial tree; a swallowing assessment is thus indicated. Obtaining a sputum
sample is relevant in cases of suspected infection. The status of the patients tongue,
mouth, and nutrition is not directly relevant to the problem of aspiration.
The ED nurse is assessing a patient complaining of dyspnea. The nurse auscultates the
patients chest and hears wheezing throughout the lung fields. What might this indicate?
A) The patient has a narrowed airway.
,B) The patient has pneumonia.
C) The patient needs physiotherapy.
D) The patient has a hemothorax. - ANSWER A
Feedback: Wheezing is a high-pitched, musical sound that is often the major finding in
a patient with bronchoconstriction or airway narrowing. Wheezing is not normally
indicative of pneumonia or hemothorax. Wheezing does not indicate the need for
physiotherapy.
The nurse is caring for a patient admitted with an acute exacerbation of chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease. During assessment, the nurse finds that the patient is
experiencing increased dyspnea. What is the most accurate measurement of the
concentration of oxygen in the patients blood?
A) A capillary blood sample
B) Pulse oximetry
C) An arterial blood gas (ABG) study
D) A complete blood count (CBC) - ANSWER C
Feedback: The arterial oxygen tension (partial pressure or PaO2) indicates the degree
of oxygenation of the blood, and the arterial carbon dioxide tension (partial pressure or
PaCO2) indicates the adequacy of alveolar
ventilation. ABG studies aid in assessing the ability of the lungs to provide adequate
oxygen and remove carbon dioxide and the ability of the kidneys to reabsorb or excrete
bicarbonate ions to maintain normal body pH. Capillary blood samples are venous blood,
not arterial blood, so they are not as accurate as an ABG. Pulse oximetry is a useful
clinical tool but does not replace ABG measurement, because it is not as accurate. A
CBC does not indicate the concentration of oxygen.
The nurse is caring for a patient who has returned to the unit following a
bronchoscopy. The patient is asking for something to drink. Which criterion will
determine when the nurse should allow the patient to drink fluids?
A) Presence of a cough and gag reflex
B) Absence of nausea
C) Ability to demonstrate deep inspiration
D) Oxygen saturation of 92% - ANSWER A
Feedback: After the procedure, it is important that the patient takes nothing by mouth
until the cough reflex returns because the preoperative sedation and local anesthesia
impair the protective laryngeal reflex and swallowing for several hours. Deep
inspiration, adequate oxygen saturation levels, and absence of nausea do not indicate
that oral intake is safe from the risk of aspiration.
A patient with chronic lung disease is undergoing lung function testing. What test result
denotes the volume of air inspired and expired with a normal breath?
A) Total lung capacity
B) Forced vital capacity
C) Tidal volume
D) Residual volume - ANSWER C
,Feedback: Tidal volume refers to the volume of air inspired and expired with a normal
breath. Total lung capacity is the maximal amount of air the lungs and respiratory
passages can hold after a forced inspiration. Forced vital capacity is vital capacity
performed with a maximally forced expiration. Residual volume is the maximal amount
of air left in the lung after a maximal expiration.
In addition to heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, and temperature, the nurse
needs to assess a patients arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2). What procedure will best
accomplish this?
A) Incentive spirometry
B) Arterial blood gas (ABG) measurement
C) Peak flow measurement
D) Pulse oximetry - ANSWER D
Feedback: Pulse oximetry is a noninvasive procedure in which a small sensor is
positioned over a pulsating vascular bed. It can be used during transport and causes
the patient no discomfort. An incentive spirometer is used to assist the patient with
deep breathing after surgery. ABG measurement can measure SaO2, but this is an
invasive procedure that can be painful. Some patients with asthma use peak flow
meters to measure levels of expired air.
A patient asks the nurse why an infection in his upper respiratory system is affecting
the clarity of his speech. Which structure serves as the patients resonating chamber in
speech?
A) Trachea
B) Pharynx
C) Paranasal sinuses
D) Larynx - ANSWER C
Feedback: A prominent function of the sinuses is to serve as a resonating chamber in
speech. The trachea, also known as the windpipe, serves as the passage between the
larynx and the bronchi. The pharynx is a tubelike structure that connects the nasal and
oral cavities to the larynx. The pharynx also functions as a passage for the respiratory
and digestive tracts. The major function of the larynx is vocalization through the
function of the vocal cords. The vocal cords are ligaments controlled by muscular
movements that produce sound.
10. A patient with a decreased level of consciousness is in a recumbent position. How
should the nurse best assess the lung fields for a patient in this position?
A) Inform that physician that the patient is in a recumbent position and anticipate an
order for a portable chest x-ray.
B) Turn the patient to enable assessment of all the patients lung fields.
C) Avoid turning the patient, and assess the accessible breath sounds from the
anterior chest wall.
D) Obtain a pulse oximetry reading, and, if the reading is low, reposition the
patient and auscultate breath sounds. - ANSWER B
, Feedback: Assessment of the anterior and posterior lung fields is part of the nurses
routine evaluation. If the patient is recumbent, it is essential to turn the patient to
assess all lung fields so that dependent areas can be assessed for breath sounds,
including the presence of normal breath sounds and adventitious sounds. Failure to
examine the dependent areas of the lungs can result in missing significant findings.
This makes the other given options unacceptable.
A patient is undergoing testing to see if he has a pleural effusion. Which of the nurses
respiratory assessment findings would be most consistent with this diagnosis?
A) Increased tactile fremitus, egophony, and a dull sound upon percussion of the chest
wall
B) Decreased tactile fremitus, wheezing, and a hyperresonant sound upon
percussion of the chest wall
C) Lung fields dull to percussion, absent breath sounds, and a pleural friction rub
D) Normal tactile fremitus, decreased breath sounds, and a resonant sound upon
percussion of the chest wall - ANSWER C
Feedback: Assessment findings consistent with a pleural effusion include affected lung
fields being dull to percussion and absence of breath sounds. A pleural friction rub may
also be present. The other listed signs are not typically associated with a pleural
effusion.
The nurse doing rounds at the beginning of a shift notices a sputum specimen in a
container sitting on the bedside table in a patients room. The nurse asks the patient
when he produced the sputum specimen and he states that the specimen is about 4
hours old. What action should the nurse take?
A) Immediately take the sputum specimen to the laboratory.
B) Discard the specimen and assist the patient in obtaining another specimen.
C) Refrigerate the sputum specimen and submit it once it is chilled.
D) Add a small amount of normal saline to moisten the specimen. - ANSWER B
feedback:Sputum samples should be submitted to the laboratory as soon as possible.
Allowing the specimen to stand for several hours in a warm room results in the
overgrowth of contaminated organisms and may make it difficult to identify the
pathogenic organisms. Refrigeration of the sputum specimen and the addition of
normal saline are not appropriate actions.
The nurse is assessing a newly admitted medical patient and notes there is a
depression in the lower portion of the patients sternum. This patients health record
should note the presence of what chest deformity?
A) A barrel chest
B) A funnel chest
C) A pigeon chest
D) Kyphoscoliosis - ANSWER B
Feedback: A funnel chest occurs when there is a depression in the lower portion of the
sternum, and this may lead to compression of the heart and great vessels, resulting in
murmurs. A barrel chest is characterized by an increase in the
Answers| Updated 2026 Galen College Of
Nursing
A patient is having her tonsils removed. The patient asks the nurse what function the
tonsils normally serve. Which of the following would be the most accurate response?
A) The tonsils separate your windpipe from your throat when you swallow.
B) The tonsils help to guard the body from invasion of organisms.
C) The tonsils make enzymes that you swallow and which aid with digestion.
D) The tonsils help with regulating the airflow down into your lungs. - ANSWER B
Feedback: The tonsils, the adenoids, and other lymphoid tissue encircle the throat.
These structures are important links in the chain of lymph nodes guarding the body
from invasion of organisms entering the nose and throat. The tonsils do not aid
digestion, separate the trachea from the esophagus, or regulate airflow to the bronchi.
The nurse is caring for a patient who has just returned to the unit after a colon
resection. The patient is showing signs of hypoxia. The nurse knows that this is
probably caused by what?
A) Nitrogen narcosis
B) Infection
C) Impaired diffusion
D) Shunting - ANSWER D
Feedback: Shunting appears to be the main cause of hypoxia after thoracic or
abdominal surgery and most types of respiratory failure. Impairment of normal diffusion
is a less common cause. Infection would not likely be present at this early stage of
recovery and nitrogen narcosis only occurs from breathing compressed air.
The nurse is assessing a patient who frequently coughs after eating or drinking. How
should the nurse best follow up this assessment finding?
A) Obtain a sputum sample.
B) Perform a swallowing assessment.
C) Inspect the patients tongue and mouth.
D) Assess the patients nutritional status. - ANSWER B
Feedback: Coughing after food intake may indicate aspiration of material into the
tracheobronchial tree; a swallowing assessment is thus indicated. Obtaining a sputum
sample is relevant in cases of suspected infection. The status of the patients tongue,
mouth, and nutrition is not directly relevant to the problem of aspiration.
The ED nurse is assessing a patient complaining of dyspnea. The nurse auscultates the
patients chest and hears wheezing throughout the lung fields. What might this indicate?
A) The patient has a narrowed airway.
,B) The patient has pneumonia.
C) The patient needs physiotherapy.
D) The patient has a hemothorax. - ANSWER A
Feedback: Wheezing is a high-pitched, musical sound that is often the major finding in
a patient with bronchoconstriction or airway narrowing. Wheezing is not normally
indicative of pneumonia or hemothorax. Wheezing does not indicate the need for
physiotherapy.
The nurse is caring for a patient admitted with an acute exacerbation of chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease. During assessment, the nurse finds that the patient is
experiencing increased dyspnea. What is the most accurate measurement of the
concentration of oxygen in the patients blood?
A) A capillary blood sample
B) Pulse oximetry
C) An arterial blood gas (ABG) study
D) A complete blood count (CBC) - ANSWER C
Feedback: The arterial oxygen tension (partial pressure or PaO2) indicates the degree
of oxygenation of the blood, and the arterial carbon dioxide tension (partial pressure or
PaCO2) indicates the adequacy of alveolar
ventilation. ABG studies aid in assessing the ability of the lungs to provide adequate
oxygen and remove carbon dioxide and the ability of the kidneys to reabsorb or excrete
bicarbonate ions to maintain normal body pH. Capillary blood samples are venous blood,
not arterial blood, so they are not as accurate as an ABG. Pulse oximetry is a useful
clinical tool but does not replace ABG measurement, because it is not as accurate. A
CBC does not indicate the concentration of oxygen.
The nurse is caring for a patient who has returned to the unit following a
bronchoscopy. The patient is asking for something to drink. Which criterion will
determine when the nurse should allow the patient to drink fluids?
A) Presence of a cough and gag reflex
B) Absence of nausea
C) Ability to demonstrate deep inspiration
D) Oxygen saturation of 92% - ANSWER A
Feedback: After the procedure, it is important that the patient takes nothing by mouth
until the cough reflex returns because the preoperative sedation and local anesthesia
impair the protective laryngeal reflex and swallowing for several hours. Deep
inspiration, adequate oxygen saturation levels, and absence of nausea do not indicate
that oral intake is safe from the risk of aspiration.
A patient with chronic lung disease is undergoing lung function testing. What test result
denotes the volume of air inspired and expired with a normal breath?
A) Total lung capacity
B) Forced vital capacity
C) Tidal volume
D) Residual volume - ANSWER C
,Feedback: Tidal volume refers to the volume of air inspired and expired with a normal
breath. Total lung capacity is the maximal amount of air the lungs and respiratory
passages can hold after a forced inspiration. Forced vital capacity is vital capacity
performed with a maximally forced expiration. Residual volume is the maximal amount
of air left in the lung after a maximal expiration.
In addition to heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, and temperature, the nurse
needs to assess a patients arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2). What procedure will best
accomplish this?
A) Incentive spirometry
B) Arterial blood gas (ABG) measurement
C) Peak flow measurement
D) Pulse oximetry - ANSWER D
Feedback: Pulse oximetry is a noninvasive procedure in which a small sensor is
positioned over a pulsating vascular bed. It can be used during transport and causes
the patient no discomfort. An incentive spirometer is used to assist the patient with
deep breathing after surgery. ABG measurement can measure SaO2, but this is an
invasive procedure that can be painful. Some patients with asthma use peak flow
meters to measure levels of expired air.
A patient asks the nurse why an infection in his upper respiratory system is affecting
the clarity of his speech. Which structure serves as the patients resonating chamber in
speech?
A) Trachea
B) Pharynx
C) Paranasal sinuses
D) Larynx - ANSWER C
Feedback: A prominent function of the sinuses is to serve as a resonating chamber in
speech. The trachea, also known as the windpipe, serves as the passage between the
larynx and the bronchi. The pharynx is a tubelike structure that connects the nasal and
oral cavities to the larynx. The pharynx also functions as a passage for the respiratory
and digestive tracts. The major function of the larynx is vocalization through the
function of the vocal cords. The vocal cords are ligaments controlled by muscular
movements that produce sound.
10. A patient with a decreased level of consciousness is in a recumbent position. How
should the nurse best assess the lung fields for a patient in this position?
A) Inform that physician that the patient is in a recumbent position and anticipate an
order for a portable chest x-ray.
B) Turn the patient to enable assessment of all the patients lung fields.
C) Avoid turning the patient, and assess the accessible breath sounds from the
anterior chest wall.
D) Obtain a pulse oximetry reading, and, if the reading is low, reposition the
patient and auscultate breath sounds. - ANSWER B
, Feedback: Assessment of the anterior and posterior lung fields is part of the nurses
routine evaluation. If the patient is recumbent, it is essential to turn the patient to
assess all lung fields so that dependent areas can be assessed for breath sounds,
including the presence of normal breath sounds and adventitious sounds. Failure to
examine the dependent areas of the lungs can result in missing significant findings.
This makes the other given options unacceptable.
A patient is undergoing testing to see if he has a pleural effusion. Which of the nurses
respiratory assessment findings would be most consistent with this diagnosis?
A) Increased tactile fremitus, egophony, and a dull sound upon percussion of the chest
wall
B) Decreased tactile fremitus, wheezing, and a hyperresonant sound upon
percussion of the chest wall
C) Lung fields dull to percussion, absent breath sounds, and a pleural friction rub
D) Normal tactile fremitus, decreased breath sounds, and a resonant sound upon
percussion of the chest wall - ANSWER C
Feedback: Assessment findings consistent with a pleural effusion include affected lung
fields being dull to percussion and absence of breath sounds. A pleural friction rub may
also be present. The other listed signs are not typically associated with a pleural
effusion.
The nurse doing rounds at the beginning of a shift notices a sputum specimen in a
container sitting on the bedside table in a patients room. The nurse asks the patient
when he produced the sputum specimen and he states that the specimen is about 4
hours old. What action should the nurse take?
A) Immediately take the sputum specimen to the laboratory.
B) Discard the specimen and assist the patient in obtaining another specimen.
C) Refrigerate the sputum specimen and submit it once it is chilled.
D) Add a small amount of normal saline to moisten the specimen. - ANSWER B
feedback:Sputum samples should be submitted to the laboratory as soon as possible.
Allowing the specimen to stand for several hours in a warm room results in the
overgrowth of contaminated organisms and may make it difficult to identify the
pathogenic organisms. Refrigeration of the sputum specimen and the addition of
normal saline are not appropriate actions.
The nurse is assessing a newly admitted medical patient and notes there is a
depression in the lower portion of the patients sternum. This patients health record
should note the presence of what chest deformity?
A) A barrel chest
B) A funnel chest
C) A pigeon chest
D) Kyphoscoliosis - ANSWER B
Feedback: A funnel chest occurs when there is a depression in the lower portion of the
sternum, and this may lead to compression of the heart and great vessels, resulting in
murmurs. A barrel chest is characterized by an increase in the
