NURSING FINAL EXAM QUESTIONS WITH
CORRECT ANSWERS
1. What data should the nurse collect during the interview portion of a
health assessment?
a. Physical
b. Historical
c. Objective
d. Subjective - ANSWER-d. Subjective
2. A 59-year-old patient tells the nurse that he has ulcerative colitis. He
has been having "black stools" for the last 24 hours. How would the
nurse best document his reason for seeking care?
a. J.M. is a 59-year-old man seeking treatment for ulcerative colitis.
b. J.M. came into the clinic complaining of having black stools for
the past 24 hours.
c. J.M. is a 59-year-old man who states that he has ulcerative colitis
and wants it checked.
d. J.M. is a 59-year-old man who states that he has been having
"black stools" for the past 24 hours. - ANSWER-d. J.M. is a 59-
year-old man who states that he has been having "black stools"
for the past 24 hours.
3. The nurse is nearing the end of an interview. Which statement is
appropriate at this time?
a. "Did we forget something?"
b. "Is there anything else you would like to mention?"
c. "I need to go on to the next patient. I'll be back."
d. "While I'm here, let's talk about your upcoming surgery." -
ANSWER-b. "Is there anything else you would like to mention?"
4. When the nurse asks for a description of who lives with a child, the
method of discipline, and the support system of the child, what part of
the assessment is being performed?
a. Family history
, b. Review of systems
c. Functional assessment
d. Reason for seeking care - ANSWER-c. Functional assessment
5. The nurse is comparing the concepts of religion and spirituality. Which
statement describes an appropriate component of one's spirituality?
a. Belief in and the worship of God or gods
b. Being closely tied to one's ethnic background
c. Attendance at a specific church or place of worship
d. A connection with something larger than oneself and belief in
transcendence - ANSWER-d. A connection with something larger
than oneself and belief in transcendence
6. The nurse is taking an initial blood pressure reading on a 72-year-old
patient with documented hypertension. How should the nurse proceed?
a. Cuff should be placed on the patient's arm and inflated 30 mm
Hg above the patient's pulse rate.
b. Cuff should be inflated to 200 mm Hg in an attempt to obtain the
most accurate systolic reading.
c. Cuff should be inflated 30 mm Hg above the point at which the
palpated pulse disappears.
d. After confirming the patient's previous blood pressure readings,
the cuff should be inflated 30 mm Hg above the highest systolic
reading recorded. - ANSWER-c. Cuff should be inflated 30 mm Hg
above the point at which the palpated pulse disappears.
7. A 42-year-old patient of Asian descent is being seen at the clinic for an
initial examination. Why is it important for the nurse to consider the
basics of the patient's culture during the patient's health assessment?
a. Identify the cause of his illness.
b. Make accurate disease diagnoses.
c. The U.S. is becoming increasingly diverse.
d. Provide culturally relevant health care. - ANSWER-d. Provide
culturally relevant health care.
,8. The nurse is performing a mental status examination. Which statement
is true regarding the assessment of mental status?
a. Mental status assessment diagnoses specific psychiatric
disorders.
b. Mental disorders occur in response to everyday life stressors.
c. Mental status functioning is inferred through the assessment of
an individual's behaviors.
d. Mental status can be directly assessed, similar to other systems
of the body (e.g., heart sounds, breath sounds). - ANSWER-c.
Mental status functioning is inferred through the assessment of
an individual's behaviors.
9. The nurse is assessing a 75-year-old man. What should the nurse
expect when performing the mental status portion of the assessment?
a. Will have no decrease in any of his abilities, including response
time.
b. Will have difficulty on tests of remote memory because this
ability typically decreases with age.
c. May take a little longer to respond, but his general knowledge
and abilities should not have declined.
d. Will exhibit a decrease in his response time because of the loss
of language and a decrease in general knowledge. - ANSWER-c.
May take a little longer to respond, but his general knowledge
and abilities should not have declined.
10. A nurse is helping at a health fair at a local mall. What should the
nurse keep in mind when taking blood pressures on a variety of
people?
a. After menopause, blood pressure readings in women are usually
lower than those taken in men.
b. The blood pressure of an African-American adult is usually higher
than that of a non-Hispanic White adult of the same age.
c. Blood pressure measurements in people who are overweight
should be the same as those of people who are at a normal
weight.
d. A teenager's blood pressure reading will be lower than that of an
adult. - ANSWER-b. The blood pressure of an African-American
, adult is usually higher than that of a non-Hispanic White adult of
the same age.
11. Which technique is correct when the nurse is assessing the radial
pulse of a patient?
a. Palpate for 1 minute, if the rhythm is irregular.
b. Palpate for 15 seconds and multiply by 4, if the rhythm is regular.
c. Palpate for 2 full minutes to detect any variation in amplitude.
d. Palpate for 10 seconds and multiply by 6, if the rhythm is regular
and the patient has no history of cardiac abnormalities. -
ANSWER-a. Palpate for 1 minute, if the rhythm is irregular.
12. A student is late for his appointment and has rushed across
campus to the health clinic. How should the nurse proceed?
a. Allow 5 minutes for him to relax and rest before checking his vital
signs.
b. Check the blood pressure in both arms, expecting a difference in
the readings because of his recent exercise.
c. Immediately monitor his vital signs on his arrival at the clinic and
then 5 minutes later, recording any differences.
d. Check his blood pressure in the supine position, which will
provide a more accurate reading and will allow him to relax at
the same time.
13. Feedback - ANSWER-a. Allow 5 minutes for him to relax and rest
before checking his vital signs.
14. The nurse is assessing an 8-year-old child whose growth rate
measures below the third percentile for a child his age. He appears
significantly younger than his stated age and is chubby with infantile
facial features. Which condition does this child likely have?
a. Acromegaly
b. Marfan syndrome
c. Hypopituitary dwarfism
d. Achondroplastic dwarfism - ANSWER-c. Hypopituitary dwarfism
CORRECT ANSWERS
1. What data should the nurse collect during the interview portion of a
health assessment?
a. Physical
b. Historical
c. Objective
d. Subjective - ANSWER-d. Subjective
2. A 59-year-old patient tells the nurse that he has ulcerative colitis. He
has been having "black stools" for the last 24 hours. How would the
nurse best document his reason for seeking care?
a. J.M. is a 59-year-old man seeking treatment for ulcerative colitis.
b. J.M. came into the clinic complaining of having black stools for
the past 24 hours.
c. J.M. is a 59-year-old man who states that he has ulcerative colitis
and wants it checked.
d. J.M. is a 59-year-old man who states that he has been having
"black stools" for the past 24 hours. - ANSWER-d. J.M. is a 59-
year-old man who states that he has been having "black stools"
for the past 24 hours.
3. The nurse is nearing the end of an interview. Which statement is
appropriate at this time?
a. "Did we forget something?"
b. "Is there anything else you would like to mention?"
c. "I need to go on to the next patient. I'll be back."
d. "While I'm here, let's talk about your upcoming surgery." -
ANSWER-b. "Is there anything else you would like to mention?"
4. When the nurse asks for a description of who lives with a child, the
method of discipline, and the support system of the child, what part of
the assessment is being performed?
a. Family history
, b. Review of systems
c. Functional assessment
d. Reason for seeking care - ANSWER-c. Functional assessment
5. The nurse is comparing the concepts of religion and spirituality. Which
statement describes an appropriate component of one's spirituality?
a. Belief in and the worship of God or gods
b. Being closely tied to one's ethnic background
c. Attendance at a specific church or place of worship
d. A connection with something larger than oneself and belief in
transcendence - ANSWER-d. A connection with something larger
than oneself and belief in transcendence
6. The nurse is taking an initial blood pressure reading on a 72-year-old
patient with documented hypertension. How should the nurse proceed?
a. Cuff should be placed on the patient's arm and inflated 30 mm
Hg above the patient's pulse rate.
b. Cuff should be inflated to 200 mm Hg in an attempt to obtain the
most accurate systolic reading.
c. Cuff should be inflated 30 mm Hg above the point at which the
palpated pulse disappears.
d. After confirming the patient's previous blood pressure readings,
the cuff should be inflated 30 mm Hg above the highest systolic
reading recorded. - ANSWER-c. Cuff should be inflated 30 mm Hg
above the point at which the palpated pulse disappears.
7. A 42-year-old patient of Asian descent is being seen at the clinic for an
initial examination. Why is it important for the nurse to consider the
basics of the patient's culture during the patient's health assessment?
a. Identify the cause of his illness.
b. Make accurate disease diagnoses.
c. The U.S. is becoming increasingly diverse.
d. Provide culturally relevant health care. - ANSWER-d. Provide
culturally relevant health care.
,8. The nurse is performing a mental status examination. Which statement
is true regarding the assessment of mental status?
a. Mental status assessment diagnoses specific psychiatric
disorders.
b. Mental disorders occur in response to everyday life stressors.
c. Mental status functioning is inferred through the assessment of
an individual's behaviors.
d. Mental status can be directly assessed, similar to other systems
of the body (e.g., heart sounds, breath sounds). - ANSWER-c.
Mental status functioning is inferred through the assessment of
an individual's behaviors.
9. The nurse is assessing a 75-year-old man. What should the nurse
expect when performing the mental status portion of the assessment?
a. Will have no decrease in any of his abilities, including response
time.
b. Will have difficulty on tests of remote memory because this
ability typically decreases with age.
c. May take a little longer to respond, but his general knowledge
and abilities should not have declined.
d. Will exhibit a decrease in his response time because of the loss
of language and a decrease in general knowledge. - ANSWER-c.
May take a little longer to respond, but his general knowledge
and abilities should not have declined.
10. A nurse is helping at a health fair at a local mall. What should the
nurse keep in mind when taking blood pressures on a variety of
people?
a. After menopause, blood pressure readings in women are usually
lower than those taken in men.
b. The blood pressure of an African-American adult is usually higher
than that of a non-Hispanic White adult of the same age.
c. Blood pressure measurements in people who are overweight
should be the same as those of people who are at a normal
weight.
d. A teenager's blood pressure reading will be lower than that of an
adult. - ANSWER-b. The blood pressure of an African-American
, adult is usually higher than that of a non-Hispanic White adult of
the same age.
11. Which technique is correct when the nurse is assessing the radial
pulse of a patient?
a. Palpate for 1 minute, if the rhythm is irregular.
b. Palpate for 15 seconds and multiply by 4, if the rhythm is regular.
c. Palpate for 2 full minutes to detect any variation in amplitude.
d. Palpate for 10 seconds and multiply by 6, if the rhythm is regular
and the patient has no history of cardiac abnormalities. -
ANSWER-a. Palpate for 1 minute, if the rhythm is irregular.
12. A student is late for his appointment and has rushed across
campus to the health clinic. How should the nurse proceed?
a. Allow 5 minutes for him to relax and rest before checking his vital
signs.
b. Check the blood pressure in both arms, expecting a difference in
the readings because of his recent exercise.
c. Immediately monitor his vital signs on his arrival at the clinic and
then 5 minutes later, recording any differences.
d. Check his blood pressure in the supine position, which will
provide a more accurate reading and will allow him to relax at
the same time.
13. Feedback - ANSWER-a. Allow 5 minutes for him to relax and rest
before checking his vital signs.
14. The nurse is assessing an 8-year-old child whose growth rate
measures below the third percentile for a child his age. He appears
significantly younger than his stated age and is chubby with infantile
facial features. Which condition does this child likely have?
a. Acromegaly
b. Marfan syndrome
c. Hypopituitary dwarfism
d. Achondroplastic dwarfism - ANSWER-c. Hypopituitary dwarfism
