BSN 246 HESI HEALTH ASSESSMENT 138
PRACTICE EXAMINATION 2026
QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS GRADED A+
◍ A nurse assesses a patient with a head injury who has slowing intellectual
functioning, personality changes, and emotional lability. The nurse
correlates these findings with which area of the brain?a) Frontal lobeb)
Parietal lobec) Thalamusd) Temporal lobe.
Answer: a) Frontal lobe
◍ The nursing process offers a framework to identify needs, create a plan of
care, and determine the effectiveness of interventions. Which of the
following stages of the nursing process involves the assessment of which
interventions were successful and which ones were
not?a.Assessmentb.Diagnosisc.Planningd.Evaluation.
Answer: D. Evaluation
◍ steatorrhea.
Answer: fatty stool- not associated with peptic ulcer disease (PUD)
◍ As a patient is walking down the hall, the nurse notices the patient's
staggering, unsteady gait and suspects a cerebellar problem. What findings
does the nurse anticipate on the neurologic examination?a) When the patient
stands with feet together, eyes open and then closed, an upright posture is
maintained.b) When the patient touches the end of each finger to the thumb
of the same hand, a tremor is observed in the fingers.c) When the patient is
giving a history to the nurse, a tremor is noticed as the patient's hands rest in
the lap.d) When lying supine, the patient is able to move the heel of one foot
down the shin of the other leg..
Answer: b) When the patient touches the end of each finger to the thumb of
the same hand, a tremor is observed in the fingers.
,◍ how does liver cirrhosis lead to varicose veins in the esophagus?.
Answer: increased portal pressure- shunts blood glow to esophageal vessels
◍ sensorineural hearing loss.
Answer: hearing loss caused by damage to the cochlea's receptor cells or to
the auditory nerves; also called nerve deafness- hears sound but does not
understand speech- hearing aid may not help, makes sounds louder but not
clearer
◍ IBS.
Answer: chronic functional GI disorder- abdominal pain and altered bowel
habits (diarrhea, constipation, or both)
◍ the nurse preparing to admit a client with a diagnosis of OCD to the mental
health unit would expect to note which behaviors in the client?a. sad and
tearfulb. suspicous and hostilec. frightened and delusionald. rigidness in
thought and inflexibility.
Answer: d. rigidness in thought and inflexibility
◍ Discontinuing an NG tube.
Answer: have patient take a deep breath and hold while pulled out slowly
(prevents aspiration)
◍ Leading questions may initiate untrue or inaccurate responses because such
questions:
A. Encourage short or vague answers
B. Require an educational level the patient may not possess
C. Prompt the patient to try to give a particular answer
D. Confuse the patient.
Answer: C.Prompt the patient to try to give a particular answer
◍ *The nurse examines a client's abdomen. Which finding indicates an
abnormal response when palpating the spleen?*
A. Pain notes when palpating McBurney's point.
B. Nontender mass palpable in the RU
Q. C. Rebound tenderness with compression over right lower quadrant.
, D. Firm mass palpated at bottom of left rib cage..
Answer: D. Firm mass palpated at bottom of left rib cage.
◍ When inspecting a patient's posterior wall of the pharynx and tonsils, a
nurse documents which finding as abnormal?a) Both tonsils have a smooth
surface.b) Left and right tonsils meet at the midline.c) Left and right tonsils
extend beyond the posterior pillars.d) Both tonsils have a glistening
appearance..
Answer: b) Left and right tonsils meet at the midline.
◍ * A client with streptococcus pharyngitis reports high fever, difficulty
swallowing and a muffled voice. Which complication should the nurse
suspect?
A. Foreign body obstruction.
B. Laryngeal polyps.
C. Peritonsillar abscess.
D. Nasal polyps.
Answer: C. Peritonsillar abscess.
◍ A patient tells the nurse, "I've been having gnawing pain in my upper belly
for several weeks that is worse on an empty stomach." The nurse
suspects:a)Gastroesophageal reflux diseaseb)Peptic ulcer
diseasec)Appendicitisd)Cholecystitis.
Answer: b)Peptic ulcer disease
◍ the nurse notes documentation that a newly admitted client experiences
flashbacks. what diagnosis would this notation support?a. anxietyb.
agoraphobiac. PTSDd. schizophrenia.
Answer: c. PTSD
◍ paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea (PND).
Answer: sudden and severe SOB that occurs at night most common cause is
left-sided heart failure
◍ Which description of pain from the patient makes a nurse suspect the
patient's pain is originating from a muscle?a) "Crampy"b) "Dull and deep"c)
PRACTICE EXAMINATION 2026
QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS GRADED A+
◍ A nurse assesses a patient with a head injury who has slowing intellectual
functioning, personality changes, and emotional lability. The nurse
correlates these findings with which area of the brain?a) Frontal lobeb)
Parietal lobec) Thalamusd) Temporal lobe.
Answer: a) Frontal lobe
◍ The nursing process offers a framework to identify needs, create a plan of
care, and determine the effectiveness of interventions. Which of the
following stages of the nursing process involves the assessment of which
interventions were successful and which ones were
not?a.Assessmentb.Diagnosisc.Planningd.Evaluation.
Answer: D. Evaluation
◍ steatorrhea.
Answer: fatty stool- not associated with peptic ulcer disease (PUD)
◍ As a patient is walking down the hall, the nurse notices the patient's
staggering, unsteady gait and suspects a cerebellar problem. What findings
does the nurse anticipate on the neurologic examination?a) When the patient
stands with feet together, eyes open and then closed, an upright posture is
maintained.b) When the patient touches the end of each finger to the thumb
of the same hand, a tremor is observed in the fingers.c) When the patient is
giving a history to the nurse, a tremor is noticed as the patient's hands rest in
the lap.d) When lying supine, the patient is able to move the heel of one foot
down the shin of the other leg..
Answer: b) When the patient touches the end of each finger to the thumb of
the same hand, a tremor is observed in the fingers.
,◍ how does liver cirrhosis lead to varicose veins in the esophagus?.
Answer: increased portal pressure- shunts blood glow to esophageal vessels
◍ sensorineural hearing loss.
Answer: hearing loss caused by damage to the cochlea's receptor cells or to
the auditory nerves; also called nerve deafness- hears sound but does not
understand speech- hearing aid may not help, makes sounds louder but not
clearer
◍ IBS.
Answer: chronic functional GI disorder- abdominal pain and altered bowel
habits (diarrhea, constipation, or both)
◍ the nurse preparing to admit a client with a diagnosis of OCD to the mental
health unit would expect to note which behaviors in the client?a. sad and
tearfulb. suspicous and hostilec. frightened and delusionald. rigidness in
thought and inflexibility.
Answer: d. rigidness in thought and inflexibility
◍ Discontinuing an NG tube.
Answer: have patient take a deep breath and hold while pulled out slowly
(prevents aspiration)
◍ Leading questions may initiate untrue or inaccurate responses because such
questions:
A. Encourage short or vague answers
B. Require an educational level the patient may not possess
C. Prompt the patient to try to give a particular answer
D. Confuse the patient.
Answer: C.Prompt the patient to try to give a particular answer
◍ *The nurse examines a client's abdomen. Which finding indicates an
abnormal response when palpating the spleen?*
A. Pain notes when palpating McBurney's point.
B. Nontender mass palpable in the RU
Q. C. Rebound tenderness with compression over right lower quadrant.
, D. Firm mass palpated at bottom of left rib cage..
Answer: D. Firm mass palpated at bottom of left rib cage.
◍ When inspecting a patient's posterior wall of the pharynx and tonsils, a
nurse documents which finding as abnormal?a) Both tonsils have a smooth
surface.b) Left and right tonsils meet at the midline.c) Left and right tonsils
extend beyond the posterior pillars.d) Both tonsils have a glistening
appearance..
Answer: b) Left and right tonsils meet at the midline.
◍ * A client with streptococcus pharyngitis reports high fever, difficulty
swallowing and a muffled voice. Which complication should the nurse
suspect?
A. Foreign body obstruction.
B. Laryngeal polyps.
C. Peritonsillar abscess.
D. Nasal polyps.
Answer: C. Peritonsillar abscess.
◍ A patient tells the nurse, "I've been having gnawing pain in my upper belly
for several weeks that is worse on an empty stomach." The nurse
suspects:a)Gastroesophageal reflux diseaseb)Peptic ulcer
diseasec)Appendicitisd)Cholecystitis.
Answer: b)Peptic ulcer disease
◍ the nurse notes documentation that a newly admitted client experiences
flashbacks. what diagnosis would this notation support?a. anxietyb.
agoraphobiac. PTSDd. schizophrenia.
Answer: c. PTSD
◍ paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea (PND).
Answer: sudden and severe SOB that occurs at night most common cause is
left-sided heart failure
◍ Which description of pain from the patient makes a nurse suspect the
patient's pain is originating from a muscle?a) "Crampy"b) "Dull and deep"c)
