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ATI Respiratory Health| Assessment
4&5| Questions and Answers| Verified
Exam
During auscultation, a nurse hears rhonchi. What’s this usually caused by?
Rhonchi are low-pitched sounds from mucus in the airways. Often clears with coughing,
unlike crackles.
A patient with a chest tube asks why it bubbles sometimes. What should the nurse explain?
Some bubbling in the water seal chamber is normal when they cough or breathe hard, but
constant bubbling might mean an air leak.
A patient recovering from pneumonia asks when they can go back to work. What’s the best
response?
Depends on their energy and if symptoms are gone, but usually after the fever is gone and
they’re not coughing up a ton of stuff.
A nurse is giving discharge teaching after lung surgery. What should they include about activity?
Encourage light walking but avoid heavy lifting or straining. Moving helps prevent clots and
keeps lungs clear.
A patient has a high respiratory rate and is anxious. What’s the nurse’s first action?
Stay calm and help them slow their breathing—maybe with guided breathing. Then figure out
the cause, like pain or hypoxia.
, 2
A nurse is teaching about air pollution risks. Who should be most careful?
Older adults, kids, and people with asthma or heart problems. They should avoid being
outside on high-pollution days.
A patient using oxygen at home says their nose is always dry. What should the nurse suggest?
Try a humidifier or saline nasal spray. Oxygen dries out mucous membranes, especially with
higher flow rates.
A nurse needs to assess a nonverbal patient’s breathing. What are the best signs to look for?
Check their chest rise, breathing rate, color (like lips or fingers), and if they look restless or
tired. Those show how well they’re breathing.
A patient says they want to quit smoking “eventually.” What’s a good next step?
Use motivational interviewing—ask what’s stopping them and what might help. Don't push
too hard, just get them thinking seriously about it.
A nurse is assessing a patient who smokes a pack of cigarettes a day and has a persistent cough.
What health promotion advice is most important right now?
Encourage the patient to stop smoking and offer resources like nicotine patches or a smoking
cessation group. Smoking is the biggest risk factor for chronic lung problems, so that’s the
priority here.
, 3
During an annual physical, a patient says they’ve started getting short of breath after walking up
stairs. What should the nurse do next?
Ask more about the shortness of breath—when it started, how bad it is, and what makes it
better or worse. You need more details before deciding how serious it is.
A nurse is teaching a patient with asthma how to use a peak flow meter. What’s the key point to
include?
Tell them to use it every day at the same time and blow into it as hard and fast as they can. It
helps track if their asthma is getting worse before they even feel symptoms.
A patient with COPD says they don't see the point of doing their pursed-lip breathing exercises.
What should the nurse explain?
That pursed-lip breathing keeps their airways open longer and makes it easier to get air out,
which helps with shortness of breath.
A nurse notices a patient using accessory muscles to breathe. What does this suggest?
They're working too hard to breathe—could mean respiratory distress. Time to check their
oxygen, breathing rate, and listen to their lungs.
When teaching about flu prevention, what’s the best way to explain how the vaccine helps?
Say it helps their body build protection against the flu virus, so even if they catch it, it’ll be
milder and less likely to cause serious problems like pneumonia.
ATI Respiratory Health| Assessment
4&5| Questions and Answers| Verified
Exam
During auscultation, a nurse hears rhonchi. What’s this usually caused by?
Rhonchi are low-pitched sounds from mucus in the airways. Often clears with coughing,
unlike crackles.
A patient with a chest tube asks why it bubbles sometimes. What should the nurse explain?
Some bubbling in the water seal chamber is normal when they cough or breathe hard, but
constant bubbling might mean an air leak.
A patient recovering from pneumonia asks when they can go back to work. What’s the best
response?
Depends on their energy and if symptoms are gone, but usually after the fever is gone and
they’re not coughing up a ton of stuff.
A nurse is giving discharge teaching after lung surgery. What should they include about activity?
Encourage light walking but avoid heavy lifting or straining. Moving helps prevent clots and
keeps lungs clear.
A patient has a high respiratory rate and is anxious. What’s the nurse’s first action?
Stay calm and help them slow their breathing—maybe with guided breathing. Then figure out
the cause, like pain or hypoxia.
, 2
A nurse is teaching about air pollution risks. Who should be most careful?
Older adults, kids, and people with asthma or heart problems. They should avoid being
outside on high-pollution days.
A patient using oxygen at home says their nose is always dry. What should the nurse suggest?
Try a humidifier or saline nasal spray. Oxygen dries out mucous membranes, especially with
higher flow rates.
A nurse needs to assess a nonverbal patient’s breathing. What are the best signs to look for?
Check their chest rise, breathing rate, color (like lips or fingers), and if they look restless or
tired. Those show how well they’re breathing.
A patient says they want to quit smoking “eventually.” What’s a good next step?
Use motivational interviewing—ask what’s stopping them and what might help. Don't push
too hard, just get them thinking seriously about it.
A nurse is assessing a patient who smokes a pack of cigarettes a day and has a persistent cough.
What health promotion advice is most important right now?
Encourage the patient to stop smoking and offer resources like nicotine patches or a smoking
cessation group. Smoking is the biggest risk factor for chronic lung problems, so that’s the
priority here.
, 3
During an annual physical, a patient says they’ve started getting short of breath after walking up
stairs. What should the nurse do next?
Ask more about the shortness of breath—when it started, how bad it is, and what makes it
better or worse. You need more details before deciding how serious it is.
A nurse is teaching a patient with asthma how to use a peak flow meter. What’s the key point to
include?
Tell them to use it every day at the same time and blow into it as hard and fast as they can. It
helps track if their asthma is getting worse before they even feel symptoms.
A patient with COPD says they don't see the point of doing their pursed-lip breathing exercises.
What should the nurse explain?
That pursed-lip breathing keeps their airways open longer and makes it easier to get air out,
which helps with shortness of breath.
A nurse notices a patient using accessory muscles to breathe. What does this suggest?
They're working too hard to breathe—could mean respiratory distress. Time to check their
oxygen, breathing rate, and listen to their lungs.
When teaching about flu prevention, what’s the best way to explain how the vaccine helps?
Say it helps their body build protection against the flu virus, so even if they catch it, it’ll be
milder and less likely to cause serious problems like pneumonia.
