NR509 Advanced Physical Assessment
Final Exam Practice Question Bank
(Latest 2026/2027 Edition) – Questions
with Answers and Rationales
SECTION 1: HEALTH HISTORY & INTERVIEWING TECHNIQUES
Questions 1-25
1. A patient tells the nurse, "I have been having pain in my chest for the past few
days." Which response by the nurse would be most appropriate to gather more
data?
A. "Is the pain sharp or dull?"
B. "What were you doing when the pain started?"
C. "Have you ever had this pain before?"
D. "Does the pain radiate to your arm?"
☑CORRECT ANSWER: B. "What were you doing when the pain started?"
,Rationale: Open-ended questions allow the patient to describe the circumstances
surrounding the symptom. Asking about the activity at onset helps establish
context and precipitating factors, which is part of the OLD CART mnemonic
(Onset, Location, Duration, Characteristics, Aggravating factors, Relieving factors,
Treatment).
2. When obtaining a patient's chief complaint, the nurse should record it in:
A. Medical terminology
B. The patient's own words
C. Technical language
D. Abbreviated form
☑CORRECT ANSWER: B. The patient's own words
Rationale: The chief complaint should be documented using the patient's exact
words to maintain accuracy and avoid misinterpretation. This preserves the
,patient's perspective and prevents the clinician from imposing their own
interpretation.
3. Which of the following is an example of objective data?
A. "I feel dizzy when I stand up."
B. "The pain is a 6 on a scale of 0 to 10."
C. Blood pressure 140/90 mmHg
D. "I have had a fever for two days."
☑CORRECT ANSWER: C. Blood pressure 140/90 mmHg
Rationale: Objective data are measurable, observable facts obtained through
physical examination, vital signs, and laboratory tests. Subjective data are
reported by the patient and cannot be independently verified.
, 4. The nurse uses the mnemonic "OLD CART" to assess a patient's pain. What
does the "A" stand for?
A. Aggravating factors
B. Assessment
C. Associated symptoms
D. Analysis
☑CORRECT ANSWER: A. Aggravating factors
Rationale: OLD CART stands for Onset, Location, Duration, Characteristics,
Aggravating factors, Relieving factors, and Treatment. This mnemonic provides a
systematic approach to characterizing symptoms in the history of present illness.
5. A patient states, "I don't want to take that medicine; it makes me sick." The
nurse's best response is:
Final Exam Practice Question Bank
(Latest 2026/2027 Edition) – Questions
with Answers and Rationales
SECTION 1: HEALTH HISTORY & INTERVIEWING TECHNIQUES
Questions 1-25
1. A patient tells the nurse, "I have been having pain in my chest for the past few
days." Which response by the nurse would be most appropriate to gather more
data?
A. "Is the pain sharp or dull?"
B. "What were you doing when the pain started?"
C. "Have you ever had this pain before?"
D. "Does the pain radiate to your arm?"
☑CORRECT ANSWER: B. "What were you doing when the pain started?"
,Rationale: Open-ended questions allow the patient to describe the circumstances
surrounding the symptom. Asking about the activity at onset helps establish
context and precipitating factors, which is part of the OLD CART mnemonic
(Onset, Location, Duration, Characteristics, Aggravating factors, Relieving factors,
Treatment).
2. When obtaining a patient's chief complaint, the nurse should record it in:
A. Medical terminology
B. The patient's own words
C. Technical language
D. Abbreviated form
☑CORRECT ANSWER: B. The patient's own words
Rationale: The chief complaint should be documented using the patient's exact
words to maintain accuracy and avoid misinterpretation. This preserves the
,patient's perspective and prevents the clinician from imposing their own
interpretation.
3. Which of the following is an example of objective data?
A. "I feel dizzy when I stand up."
B. "The pain is a 6 on a scale of 0 to 10."
C. Blood pressure 140/90 mmHg
D. "I have had a fever for two days."
☑CORRECT ANSWER: C. Blood pressure 140/90 mmHg
Rationale: Objective data are measurable, observable facts obtained through
physical examination, vital signs, and laboratory tests. Subjective data are
reported by the patient and cannot be independently verified.
, 4. The nurse uses the mnemonic "OLD CART" to assess a patient's pain. What
does the "A" stand for?
A. Aggravating factors
B. Assessment
C. Associated symptoms
D. Analysis
☑CORRECT ANSWER: A. Aggravating factors
Rationale: OLD CART stands for Onset, Location, Duration, Characteristics,
Aggravating factors, Relieving factors, and Treatment. This mnemonic provides a
systematic approach to characterizing symptoms in the history of present illness.
5. A patient states, "I don't want to take that medicine; it makes me sick." The
nurse's best response is:
