160+ NCLEX-style multiple-choice
questions for the NR-302 Health
Assessment I Final Exam
Part I: Health History and Communication (Questions 1–
20)
1. The nurse is conducting a health history interview.
Which question is most appropriate to begin the
interview?
A. “Do you have any allergies to medications?”
B. “What brought you to the clinic today?”
C. “Have you ever had surgery?”
D. “Do you smoke or drink alcohol?”
Rationale: The interview should start with an
open-ended question about the patient’s reason for
seeking care (“chief complaint”). This allows the patient
to describe concerns in their own words and establishes
rapport.
2. A patient tells the nurse, “I don’t need to take my
blood pressure medication because I feel fine.” Which
,response by the nurse is most therapeutic?
A. “You must take it or you will have a stroke.”
B. “Tell me more about your thoughts on taking the
medication.”
C. “Your doctor prescribed it for a reason.”
D. “You will feel better if you take it.”
Rationale: Exploring the patient’s beliefs and concerns
(B) is therapeutic and allows the nurse to provide
education. False reassurance (D) and confrontational
statements (A, C) are nontherapeutic.
3. The nurse is taking a health history. Which question is
most appropriate to assess the patient’s family history?
A. “Does anyone in your family have high blood
pressure?”
B. “Have any of your immediate family members
(parents, siblings, children) been diagnosed with heart
disease, diabetes, or cancer?”
C. “Do your relatives have any health problems?”
D. “What did your grandparents die from?”
Rationale: A focused family history should include
specific questions about immediate family members and
,common genetic or familial disorders. Option B is specific
and complete.
4. During the health history, the patient reports a
history of rheumatic fever as a child. This information
would be documented in which section?
A. Chief complaint
B. Past medical history
C. Family history
D. Review of systems
Rationale: Past medical history includes childhood
illnesses, chronic diseases, surgeries, hospitalizations,
injuries, and immunizations.
5. A nurse is assessing a patient’s pain using the PQRST
mnemonic. What does the “R” stand for?
A. Relief
B. Region/radiation
C. Rhythm
D. Recurrence
Rationale: PQRST: Provocation/Palliation, Quality,
Region/Radiation, Severity, Timing.
, 6. A patient reports chest pain that radiates to the left
arm. The nurse should ask which additional question to
assess for associated symptoms?
A. “Does the pain change with deep breathing?”
B. “Are you having any shortness of breath or nausea?”
C. “Does the pain get worse when you move?”
D. “Have you had this pain before?”
Rationale: When a patient describes symptoms
suggestive of possible cardiac origin, the nurse should
assess for associated symptoms (dyspnea, diaphoresis,
nausea, lightheadedness).
7. A nurse is using the mnemonic “OLDCARTS” to assess
a symptom. What does the “A” stand for?
A. Aggravating factors
B. Associated symptoms
C. Alleviating factors
D. Anatomic location
Rationale: OLDCARTS: Onset, Location, Duration,
Character, Aggravating factors, Relieving factors, Timing,
Severity.
questions for the NR-302 Health
Assessment I Final Exam
Part I: Health History and Communication (Questions 1–
20)
1. The nurse is conducting a health history interview.
Which question is most appropriate to begin the
interview?
A. “Do you have any allergies to medications?”
B. “What brought you to the clinic today?”
C. “Have you ever had surgery?”
D. “Do you smoke or drink alcohol?”
Rationale: The interview should start with an
open-ended question about the patient’s reason for
seeking care (“chief complaint”). This allows the patient
to describe concerns in their own words and establishes
rapport.
2. A patient tells the nurse, “I don’t need to take my
blood pressure medication because I feel fine.” Which
,response by the nurse is most therapeutic?
A. “You must take it or you will have a stroke.”
B. “Tell me more about your thoughts on taking the
medication.”
C. “Your doctor prescribed it for a reason.”
D. “You will feel better if you take it.”
Rationale: Exploring the patient’s beliefs and concerns
(B) is therapeutic and allows the nurse to provide
education. False reassurance (D) and confrontational
statements (A, C) are nontherapeutic.
3. The nurse is taking a health history. Which question is
most appropriate to assess the patient’s family history?
A. “Does anyone in your family have high blood
pressure?”
B. “Have any of your immediate family members
(parents, siblings, children) been diagnosed with heart
disease, diabetes, or cancer?”
C. “Do your relatives have any health problems?”
D. “What did your grandparents die from?”
Rationale: A focused family history should include
specific questions about immediate family members and
,common genetic or familial disorders. Option B is specific
and complete.
4. During the health history, the patient reports a
history of rheumatic fever as a child. This information
would be documented in which section?
A. Chief complaint
B. Past medical history
C. Family history
D. Review of systems
Rationale: Past medical history includes childhood
illnesses, chronic diseases, surgeries, hospitalizations,
injuries, and immunizations.
5. A nurse is assessing a patient’s pain using the PQRST
mnemonic. What does the “R” stand for?
A. Relief
B. Region/radiation
C. Rhythm
D. Recurrence
Rationale: PQRST: Provocation/Palliation, Quality,
Region/Radiation, Severity, Timing.
, 6. A patient reports chest pain that radiates to the left
arm. The nurse should ask which additional question to
assess for associated symptoms?
A. “Does the pain change with deep breathing?”
B. “Are you having any shortness of breath or nausea?”
C. “Does the pain get worse when you move?”
D. “Have you had this pain before?”
Rationale: When a patient describes symptoms
suggestive of possible cardiac origin, the nurse should
assess for associated symptoms (dyspnea, diaphoresis,
nausea, lightheadedness).
7. A nurse is using the mnemonic “OLDCARTS” to assess
a symptom. What does the “A” stand for?
A. Aggravating factors
B. Associated symptoms
C. Alleviating factors
D. Anatomic location
Rationale: OLDCARTS: Onset, Location, Duration,
Character, Aggravating factors, Relieving factors, Timing,
Severity.
