NURSING - PHYSICAL ASSESSMENT
Questions from the notes and handouts on Physical Assessment
# Term Definition
1 What type of lesions would you Macules; a flat, localized lesion that shows as a
describe a first degree burn, change in skin color
petechiae, or purpura?
2 When assessing your patient's Inspection, Palpation, Percussion
bones and muscles, which of the
four assessment techniques could
you use?
3 What sound would you hear with booming, hyper-resonance sound
emphzyma?
4 In explaining your assessment to > Make the patient comfortable > Provide privacy
the patient, what are three things for them > Answer any ? they may have
to do?
5 What term is used to describe a Cyanosis
decrease in O2, leading to
blueness in the lips and nail beds?
6 When assessing your patient's Inspection, then Auscultation, then Palpation,
abdomen, which of the four then Percussion - hear before you feel on this
assessment techniques would you one!
use?
7 What is an example of tympany? Percussing the belly / abdomen; sound comes
from gas in the abdomen
8 In visually assessing a patient's Assess moisture, color, texture, shape, position,
eyes, ears, and nose, what are size, color, symmetry
several things you should look for?
9 When you see a patient that has Pustules, a vesicle or bullae filled with exudate
acne or furnuncles, you know that
they have ____________.
10 When assessing your patient's Inspection, Palpation
eyes, ears, nose, which of the four
assessment techniques could you
use?
, NURSING - PHYSICAL ASSESSMENT
# Term Definition
11 What four qualities of sound do Pitch, Intensity, Duration, and Quality
you look for when auscultating the
body?
12 True or False: When doing FALSE! Use the pads of your fingers
palpation, be sure to use the
whole palm of each hand to cover
more surface area.
13 When a patient has an allergy to Erythema
the hospital sheets, what term
would you use to describe their
rash on their back and posterior
legs?
14 When assessing your patient's Inspection, Palpation, Percussion, Auscultation
chest and back, which of the four
assessment techinques would you
use?
15 Now, what are two other parts of The patient's general appearance and behavior
the general survey/assessment ?!
16 When doing a head to toe physical Inspection, Palpation, Percussion, Auscultation
assessment, what four things will
you do with each patient and on
each body system of the patient?
17 What percussing over a bone, you flatness due to the dense tissue
should hear what?
18 What is the Point of Maximal The Apex / the point at which the ventricles are
Impulse ? closest to the chest wall - easiest location to hear
the (apical) pulse
19 What form do you use with light Always do light palpation first Go gently in a
palpation? circle so that the skin is slightly depresssed
20 What are the purposes of the It provides baseline data for the nursing dx and
physical assessment? POC It supplements, confirms, or refutes
information from the nursing hx It helps to make
clinical judgments on the pt's health status It is
used to evaluate the health care and progress of
the patient -It is systemmatic and efficient
Questions from the notes and handouts on Physical Assessment
# Term Definition
1 What type of lesions would you Macules; a flat, localized lesion that shows as a
describe a first degree burn, change in skin color
petechiae, or purpura?
2 When assessing your patient's Inspection, Palpation, Percussion
bones and muscles, which of the
four assessment techniques could
you use?
3 What sound would you hear with booming, hyper-resonance sound
emphzyma?
4 In explaining your assessment to > Make the patient comfortable > Provide privacy
the patient, what are three things for them > Answer any ? they may have
to do?
5 What term is used to describe a Cyanosis
decrease in O2, leading to
blueness in the lips and nail beds?
6 When assessing your patient's Inspection, then Auscultation, then Palpation,
abdomen, which of the four then Percussion - hear before you feel on this
assessment techniques would you one!
use?
7 What is an example of tympany? Percussing the belly / abdomen; sound comes
from gas in the abdomen
8 In visually assessing a patient's Assess moisture, color, texture, shape, position,
eyes, ears, and nose, what are size, color, symmetry
several things you should look for?
9 When you see a patient that has Pustules, a vesicle or bullae filled with exudate
acne or furnuncles, you know that
they have ____________.
10 When assessing your patient's Inspection, Palpation
eyes, ears, nose, which of the four
assessment techniques could you
use?
, NURSING - PHYSICAL ASSESSMENT
# Term Definition
11 What four qualities of sound do Pitch, Intensity, Duration, and Quality
you look for when auscultating the
body?
12 True or False: When doing FALSE! Use the pads of your fingers
palpation, be sure to use the
whole palm of each hand to cover
more surface area.
13 When a patient has an allergy to Erythema
the hospital sheets, what term
would you use to describe their
rash on their back and posterior
legs?
14 When assessing your patient's Inspection, Palpation, Percussion, Auscultation
chest and back, which of the four
assessment techinques would you
use?
15 Now, what are two other parts of The patient's general appearance and behavior
the general survey/assessment ?!
16 When doing a head to toe physical Inspection, Palpation, Percussion, Auscultation
assessment, what four things will
you do with each patient and on
each body system of the patient?
17 What percussing over a bone, you flatness due to the dense tissue
should hear what?
18 What is the Point of Maximal The Apex / the point at which the ventricles are
Impulse ? closest to the chest wall - easiest location to hear
the (apical) pulse
19 What form do you use with light Always do light palpation first Go gently in a
palpation? circle so that the skin is slightly depresssed
20 What are the purposes of the It provides baseline data for the nursing dx and
physical assessment? POC It supplements, confirms, or refutes
information from the nursing hx It helps to make
clinical judgments on the pt's health status It is
used to evaluate the health care and progress of
the patient -It is systemmatic and efficient
