Practice Questions & Answers Advanced
Health Assessment
Based on search results for St. Thomas University's NUR 504 Exam 3 (Advanced
Health Assessment), here is a comprehensive practice exam covering high-yield
topics including dermatologic conditions, eye and ear assessment, neurologic
examination, and systemic disorders. Questions are formatted with answers in
bold and rationales in italics.
Section 1: Dermatologic Conditions (Questions 1-15)
Question 1:
A patient presents with red papules and areas of plaque on her skin with irregular
formations of exfoliated, keratinized cells. What is the most likely diagnosis?
A) Eczema
B) Acne
C) Psoriasis
D) Discoid lupus
Rationale: Psoriasis is characterized by red papules and plaques with irregular
formations of exfoliated, keratinized cells (scales). The described findings are
classic for psoriasis vulgaris.
Question 2:
An area of a patient's arm has very smooth skin and lacks any apparent superficial
features. This is most likely what?
,A) Psoriasis
B) Hypokeratinization
C) A scar
D) A skin tag
Rationale: Scar tissue lacks normal skin features such as hair follicles, sweat
glands, and pores, resulting in a smooth, featureless appearance.
Question 3:
A patient with greasy, adherent scales on coalescing macules along the brow and
scalp most likely has what form of dermatitis?
A) Allergic contact
B) Seborrheic
C) Stasis
D) Atopic
Rationale: Seborrheic dermatitis typically presents with greasy, yellowish scales on
sebum-rich areas such as the scalp, eyebrows, nasolabial folds, and presternal
area.
Question 4:
Which of the following is a premalignant disease?
A) Actinic keratosis
B) Paget's disease
C) Lipoma
D) Granuloma annulare
Rationale: Actinic keratosis is a precancerous lesion caused by cumulative sun
exposure that can progress to squamous cell carcinoma if left untreated.
, Question 5:
The physician has used a Wood's lamp exam to look more closely at a patient's
skin. What does this test help determine?
A) Whether the disease is M. canis or M. distortum
B) The exact pathology of a skin finding
C) Whether the disease was contact-related or internal
D) Whether the disorder lies in the epidermis or dermis
Rationale: Wood's lamp (ultraviolet light) examination helps distinguish between
epidermal and dermal processes. Epidermal lesions fluoresce more distinctly, while
dermal lesions appear darker.
Question 6:
A patient's chart mentions that their particular skin ailment is "confluent." What
does this describe?
A) Morphology
B) Structure
C) Distribution
D) Turgor
Rationale: "Confluent" describes the distribution pattern of lesions—meaning they
are merging or running together. Distribution terms describe how lesions are
arranged on the body.
Question 7:
A patient is suspected to have allergic or contact dermatitis. Which diagnostic test
should be used?
A) Patch testing
B) Biopsy
C) Serum total IgE
D) KOH scraping