(Exam 1 & 2) NURS 5220 Health Assessment –
Complete Package Bundle (PDF)
1. You are conducting a health history on a new patient.
Which action best establishes trust?
A) Asking only closed-ended questions
B) Maintaining eye contact appropriate to the patient's
culture
C) Completing the review of systems before the history of
present illness
D) Typing notes continuously during the conversation
Answer: B
Rationale: Appropriate eye contact (culturally sensitive)
builds rapport. Continuous typing (D) reduces connection.
Open-ended questions should come first, not only closed-
ended (A).
2. A patient describes chest pain as "like an elephant
sitting on my chest." This is an example of:
A) Past medical history
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,B) Review of systems
C) History of present illness (HPI) quality
D) Functional assessment
Answer: C
Rationale: Quality (descriptive words) is one of the 7
attributes of an HPI (OLDCARTS: Onset, Location, Duration,
Character, Aggravating/Relieving, Timing, Severity).
3. Which question best assesses the "timing" of a symptom?
A) "What were you doing when it started?"
B) "Does it come and go or stay constant?"
C) "How bad is it on a scale of 0 to 10?"
D) "What makes it better?"
Answer: B
Rationale: Timing refers to frequency and constancy.
"What were you doing?" assesses onset/context. Severity
is separate. Relieving factors are separate.
4. A patient avoids answering a question about domestic
violence. Your best response is:
2
,A) "I'll come back to that later."
B) "Why won't you answer me?"
C) "You must tell me for your safety."
D) "Let's move on, it's not required."
Answer: A
Rationale: Pausing and returning later respects the
patient's emotional readiness while ensuring the topic is
not abandoned. Forcing or ignoring both harm rapport.
5. Which part of the health history is typically collected
first?
A) Review of systems
B) Past medical history
C) Chief concern
D) Family history
Answer: C
Rationale: The chief concern (or chief complaint) is the
patient's reason for seeking care and guides the entire
interview.
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, 6. A patient reports "feeling tired for 3 months." Which
follow-up question uses the PQRST mnemonic best?
A) "Do you have a fever?"
B) "What makes the fatigue worse?"
C) "Have you gained weight?"
D) "Is your family tired too?"
Answer: B
Rationale: PQRST: Provoking/Palliating factors. "What
makes it worse" targets provoking factors.
7. You are interviewing a patient through an interpreter.
Where should you position yourself?
A) Behind the interpreter
B) Facing the patient, slightly angled toward interpreter
C) Facing away from both
D) Next to the interpreter, both facing the patient
Answer: B
Rationale: You maintain eye contact with the patient
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Complete Package Bundle (PDF)
1. You are conducting a health history on a new patient.
Which action best establishes trust?
A) Asking only closed-ended questions
B) Maintaining eye contact appropriate to the patient's
culture
C) Completing the review of systems before the history of
present illness
D) Typing notes continuously during the conversation
Answer: B
Rationale: Appropriate eye contact (culturally sensitive)
builds rapport. Continuous typing (D) reduces connection.
Open-ended questions should come first, not only closed-
ended (A).
2. A patient describes chest pain as "like an elephant
sitting on my chest." This is an example of:
A) Past medical history
1
,B) Review of systems
C) History of present illness (HPI) quality
D) Functional assessment
Answer: C
Rationale: Quality (descriptive words) is one of the 7
attributes of an HPI (OLDCARTS: Onset, Location, Duration,
Character, Aggravating/Relieving, Timing, Severity).
3. Which question best assesses the "timing" of a symptom?
A) "What were you doing when it started?"
B) "Does it come and go or stay constant?"
C) "How bad is it on a scale of 0 to 10?"
D) "What makes it better?"
Answer: B
Rationale: Timing refers to frequency and constancy.
"What were you doing?" assesses onset/context. Severity
is separate. Relieving factors are separate.
4. A patient avoids answering a question about domestic
violence. Your best response is:
2
,A) "I'll come back to that later."
B) "Why won't you answer me?"
C) "You must tell me for your safety."
D) "Let's move on, it's not required."
Answer: A
Rationale: Pausing and returning later respects the
patient's emotional readiness while ensuring the topic is
not abandoned. Forcing or ignoring both harm rapport.
5. Which part of the health history is typically collected
first?
A) Review of systems
B) Past medical history
C) Chief concern
D) Family history
Answer: C
Rationale: The chief concern (or chief complaint) is the
patient's reason for seeking care and guides the entire
interview.
3
, 6. A patient reports "feeling tired for 3 months." Which
follow-up question uses the PQRST mnemonic best?
A) "Do you have a fever?"
B) "What makes the fatigue worse?"
C) "Have you gained weight?"
D) "Is your family tired too?"
Answer: B
Rationale: PQRST: Provoking/Palliating factors. "What
makes it worse" targets provoking factors.
7. You are interviewing a patient through an interpreter.
Where should you position yourself?
A) Behind the interpreter
B) Facing the patient, slightly angled toward interpreter
C) Facing away from both
D) Next to the interpreter, both facing the patient
Answer: B
Rationale: You maintain eye contact with the patient
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