NURS 317 FINAL EXAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS GRADED A+
1. A patient's laboratory data reveal an elevated thyroxine (T4)
level. The nurse would proceed with an examination of the
gland.
A. Thyroid
B. Parotid
C. Adrenal
D. Parathyroid: A. Thyroid
The thyroid gland is a highly vascular endocrine gland that secretes T4 and
triiodothyronine (T3). The other glands do not secrete T4.
2. A patient says that she has recently noticed a lump in the
front of her neck below her "Adam's apple" that seems to be
getting bigger. During the assessment, the finding that leads the
nurse to suspect that this may not be a cancerous thyroid
nodule is that the lump (nodule):
A. Is tender.
B. Is mobile and not hard.
,C. Disappears when the patient smiles.
D. Is hard and fixed to the surrounding structures.: B. Is mobile and
not hard.
Painless, rapidly growing nodules may be cancerous, especially the appearance of a
single nodule in a young person. However, cancerous nodules tend to be hard and
fixed to surrounding structures, not mobile.
3. The nurse suspects that a patient has hyperthyroidism, and
the laboratory data indicate that the patient's T4 and T3 hormone
levels are elevated. Which of these findings would the nurse
most likely find on examination?
A. Tachycardia
B. Constipation
C. Rapid dyspnea
D. Atrophied nodular thyroid gland: A. Tachycardia
T4 and T3 are thyroid hormones that stimulate the rate of cellular metabolism,
resulting in tachycardia. With an enlarged thyroid gland as in hyperthyroidism, the
nurse might expect to find dittuse enlargement (goiter) or a nodular lump but not an
atrophied gland. Dyspnea and constipation are not findings associated with
hyperthyroidism.
,4. A patient's thyroid gland is enlarged, and the nurse is preparing
to auscul-tate the thyroid gland for the presence of a bruit. A
bruit is a sound that is heard best with the
of the stethoscope.
A. Low gurgling; diaphragm
B. Loud, whooshing, blowing; bell
C. Soft, whooshing, pulsatile; bell
D. High-pitched tinkling; diaphragm: C. Soft, whooshing, pulsatile; bell
If the thyroid gland is enlarged, then the nurse should auscultate it for the presence of a
bruit, which is a soft, pulsatile, whooshing, blowing sound heard best with the bell
of the stethoscope.
5. A woman comes to the clinic and states, "I've been sick for so
long! My eyes have gotten so puffy, and my eyebrows and hair
have become coarse and dry." The nurse will assess for other
signs and symptoms of:
A. Cachexia
B. Parkinson syndrome.
C. Myxedema.
D. Scleroderma.: C. Myxedema
Myxedema (hypothyroidism) is a deficiency of thyroid hormone that, when severe,
causes a nonpitting edema or myxedema. The patient will have a putty edematous
face, especially around the eyes (periorbital edema); coarse facial features; dry
skin; and dry, coarse hair and eyebrows.
6. A patient comes to the clinic complaining of neck and
, shoulder pain and is unable to turn her head. The nurse
suspects damage to CN and proceeds with
the examination by .
A. XI; palpating the anterior and posterior triangles
B. XI; asking the patient to shrug her shoulders against resistance
C. XII; percussing the sternomastoid and submandibular neck
muscles
D. XII; assessing for a positive Romberg sign: B. XI; asking the patient to
shrug her shoulders against resistance
The major neck muscles are the sternomastoid and the trapezius. They are innervated
by CN XI, the spinal accessory.
1. A patient's laboratory data reveal an elevated thyroxine (T4)
level. The nurse would proceed with an examination of the
gland.
A. Thyroid
B. Parotid
C. Adrenal
D. Parathyroid: A. Thyroid
The thyroid gland is a highly vascular endocrine gland that secretes T4 and
triiodothyronine (T3). The other glands do not secrete T4.
2. A patient says that she has recently noticed a lump in the
front of her neck below her "Adam's apple" that seems to be
getting bigger. During the assessment, the finding that leads the
nurse to suspect that this may not be a cancerous thyroid
nodule is that the lump (nodule):
A. Is tender.
B. Is mobile and not hard.
,C. Disappears when the patient smiles.
D. Is hard and fixed to the surrounding structures.: B. Is mobile and
not hard.
Painless, rapidly growing nodules may be cancerous, especially the appearance of a
single nodule in a young person. However, cancerous nodules tend to be hard and
fixed to surrounding structures, not mobile.
3. The nurse suspects that a patient has hyperthyroidism, and
the laboratory data indicate that the patient's T4 and T3 hormone
levels are elevated. Which of these findings would the nurse
most likely find on examination?
A. Tachycardia
B. Constipation
C. Rapid dyspnea
D. Atrophied nodular thyroid gland: A. Tachycardia
T4 and T3 are thyroid hormones that stimulate the rate of cellular metabolism,
resulting in tachycardia. With an enlarged thyroid gland as in hyperthyroidism, the
nurse might expect to find dittuse enlargement (goiter) or a nodular lump but not an
atrophied gland. Dyspnea and constipation are not findings associated with
hyperthyroidism.
,4. A patient's thyroid gland is enlarged, and the nurse is preparing
to auscul-tate the thyroid gland for the presence of a bruit. A
bruit is a sound that is heard best with the
of the stethoscope.
A. Low gurgling; diaphragm
B. Loud, whooshing, blowing; bell
C. Soft, whooshing, pulsatile; bell
D. High-pitched tinkling; diaphragm: C. Soft, whooshing, pulsatile; bell
If the thyroid gland is enlarged, then the nurse should auscultate it for the presence of a
bruit, which is a soft, pulsatile, whooshing, blowing sound heard best with the bell
of the stethoscope.
5. A woman comes to the clinic and states, "I've been sick for so
long! My eyes have gotten so puffy, and my eyebrows and hair
have become coarse and dry." The nurse will assess for other
signs and symptoms of:
A. Cachexia
B. Parkinson syndrome.
C. Myxedema.
D. Scleroderma.: C. Myxedema
Myxedema (hypothyroidism) is a deficiency of thyroid hormone that, when severe,
causes a nonpitting edema or myxedema. The patient will have a putty edematous
face, especially around the eyes (periorbital edema); coarse facial features; dry
skin; and dry, coarse hair and eyebrows.
6. A patient comes to the clinic complaining of neck and
, shoulder pain and is unable to turn her head. The nurse
suspects damage to CN and proceeds with
the examination by .
A. XI; palpating the anterior and posterior triangles
B. XI; asking the patient to shrug her shoulders against resistance
C. XII; percussing the sternomastoid and submandibular neck
muscles
D. XII; assessing for a positive Romberg sign: B. XI; asking the patient to
shrug her shoulders against resistance
The major neck muscles are the sternomastoid and the trapezius. They are innervated
by CN XI, the spinal accessory.
