NUR 164 CHAPTER 32 HYGIENE – NURSING STUDY GUIDE, PRACTICE
QUESTIONS & EXAM REVIEW 2026/2027
Factors affecting personal hygiene - ✔✔Culture
Socioeconomic class
Spiritual practices
Developmental level
Health state
Personal preferences
Nursing history and assessment questions: Skin - ✔✔How long have you had this problem?
Does it bother you?
How does it bother you?
Does it itch?
Have you found anything helpful in relieving these symptoms?
Nursing History and Assessment: Oral Cavity - ✔✔Identify patients normal oral hygiene practices
Identifying Risk Factors during Assessment: Oral cavity, eyes, ears, and nose - ✔✔Ill comatose,
dehydrated, confused, depressed, paralyzed, mental health problems, mouth breathers, malnourished
Nursing History and Assessment: Hair - ✔✔Usual hair and scalp practices
Changes in distribution, texture, or amount of hair
Nursing History and Assessment: Eyes, Ears, and Nose - ✔✔Identify visual or hearing prosthetics
Inquire about history of eye, ear, and nose problems
Nursing History and Assessment: Nails and Feet - ✔✔Normal nail and foot care practices
Type of footwear worn
History of nail or foot problems
Nursing History and Assessment: Perineal and Vaginal - ✔✔History of perineal or vaginal problems
Urinary or rectal incontinence or indwelling catheter
Rectal or genital surgery
History of UTIs, diabetes, or STIs
What is a good source of light while assessing the skin? - ✔✔Good source of light, preferably daylight
Assessing the skin - ✔✔Incorporate assessment of the skin during the assessment of other body
systems
Compare bilateral parts for symmetry.
Use standard terminology to report and record findings.
Allow data obtained in the nursing history to direct the skin assessment.
Identify any variables known to cause skin problems
What should you assess in the oral cavity? - ✔✔Lips
, Buccal mucosa
Color and surface of gums
Teeth
Tongue
Hard and soft palates
Oropharynx
In the oral cavity, what should you assess the lips for? - ✔✔Color, moisture, lumps, ulcers, lesions, and
edema
In the oral cavity, what should you assess the buccal mucosa for? - ✔✔Color, moisture, lesions, nodules,
and bleeding
In the oral cavity, what should you assess for in the gums? - ✔✔Color of gums and surface of the gums
for any lesions, bleeding, and edema
In the oral cavity, you should assess the teeth for? - ✔✔Any loose, missing, or carious (decayed) teeth
Note the presence and condition of dentures or other orthodontic devices
In the oral cavity, what should you assess the tongue for? - ✔✔Color, symmetry, movement, texture,
lesions
In the oral cavity, what should you assess the hard and soft palates for? - ✔✔Intactness, color, patches,
lesions, and petechiae (pinpoint round, red, purple, or brown spots that result from bleeding)
In the oral cavity, what should you assess the oropharynx for? - ✔✔Movement of the uvula and
conditions of tonsils, if present
Potential Oral Problems - ✔✔Dental caries or plaque, periodontal disease, gingivitis, periodontitis,
tartar, halitosis, stomatitis, glossitis, cheilosis, dry oral mucosa
Which gum disease manifests as a marked inflammation of the gums that also involves a degeneration of
the dental tissues and bone? - ✔✔Periodontitis
Gingivitis and periodontitis both involve inflammation of the gums, but periodontitis also affects the
dental periosteum and bone
Periodontitis symptoms - ✔✔Bleeding gums; swollen, red, painful gum tissues; receding gum lines with
formation of pockets between the teeth and gums; pus that appears when gums are pressed; loose
teeth
Tartar - ✔✔If unchecked, plague builds up and along with dead bacteria, forms hard deposits at gum
lines
What does tartar attack? - ✔✔Fibers that fasten teeth to the gums and eventually attack bone tissue.
What happens after tartar attacks the bone tissue in your teeth? - ✔✔Teeth will loosen and fall out
QUESTIONS & EXAM REVIEW 2026/2027
Factors affecting personal hygiene - ✔✔Culture
Socioeconomic class
Spiritual practices
Developmental level
Health state
Personal preferences
Nursing history and assessment questions: Skin - ✔✔How long have you had this problem?
Does it bother you?
How does it bother you?
Does it itch?
Have you found anything helpful in relieving these symptoms?
Nursing History and Assessment: Oral Cavity - ✔✔Identify patients normal oral hygiene practices
Identifying Risk Factors during Assessment: Oral cavity, eyes, ears, and nose - ✔✔Ill comatose,
dehydrated, confused, depressed, paralyzed, mental health problems, mouth breathers, malnourished
Nursing History and Assessment: Hair - ✔✔Usual hair and scalp practices
Changes in distribution, texture, or amount of hair
Nursing History and Assessment: Eyes, Ears, and Nose - ✔✔Identify visual or hearing prosthetics
Inquire about history of eye, ear, and nose problems
Nursing History and Assessment: Nails and Feet - ✔✔Normal nail and foot care practices
Type of footwear worn
History of nail or foot problems
Nursing History and Assessment: Perineal and Vaginal - ✔✔History of perineal or vaginal problems
Urinary or rectal incontinence or indwelling catheter
Rectal or genital surgery
History of UTIs, diabetes, or STIs
What is a good source of light while assessing the skin? - ✔✔Good source of light, preferably daylight
Assessing the skin - ✔✔Incorporate assessment of the skin during the assessment of other body
systems
Compare bilateral parts for symmetry.
Use standard terminology to report and record findings.
Allow data obtained in the nursing history to direct the skin assessment.
Identify any variables known to cause skin problems
What should you assess in the oral cavity? - ✔✔Lips
, Buccal mucosa
Color and surface of gums
Teeth
Tongue
Hard and soft palates
Oropharynx
In the oral cavity, what should you assess the lips for? - ✔✔Color, moisture, lumps, ulcers, lesions, and
edema
In the oral cavity, what should you assess the buccal mucosa for? - ✔✔Color, moisture, lesions, nodules,
and bleeding
In the oral cavity, what should you assess for in the gums? - ✔✔Color of gums and surface of the gums
for any lesions, bleeding, and edema
In the oral cavity, you should assess the teeth for? - ✔✔Any loose, missing, or carious (decayed) teeth
Note the presence and condition of dentures or other orthodontic devices
In the oral cavity, what should you assess the tongue for? - ✔✔Color, symmetry, movement, texture,
lesions
In the oral cavity, what should you assess the hard and soft palates for? - ✔✔Intactness, color, patches,
lesions, and petechiae (pinpoint round, red, purple, or brown spots that result from bleeding)
In the oral cavity, what should you assess the oropharynx for? - ✔✔Movement of the uvula and
conditions of tonsils, if present
Potential Oral Problems - ✔✔Dental caries or plaque, periodontal disease, gingivitis, periodontitis,
tartar, halitosis, stomatitis, glossitis, cheilosis, dry oral mucosa
Which gum disease manifests as a marked inflammation of the gums that also involves a degeneration of
the dental tissues and bone? - ✔✔Periodontitis
Gingivitis and periodontitis both involve inflammation of the gums, but periodontitis also affects the
dental periosteum and bone
Periodontitis symptoms - ✔✔Bleeding gums; swollen, red, painful gum tissues; receding gum lines with
formation of pockets between the teeth and gums; pus that appears when gums are pressed; loose
teeth
Tartar - ✔✔If unchecked, plague builds up and along with dead bacteria, forms hard deposits at gum
lines
What does tartar attack? - ✔✔Fibers that fasten teeth to the gums and eventually attack bone tissue.
What happens after tartar attacks the bone tissue in your teeth? - ✔✔Teeth will loosen and fall out
