Bates Nursing Guide – Physical Examination & History
Taking Exam 2026/2027 | Practice Questions And
Answers (Verified Answers) | Exam Prep |
Comprehensive Exam Guide 2026&2027
1. A nurse begins a health history with a new patient who appears anxious and guarded.
Which approach is most appropriate for establishing rapport?
A. Immediately begin asking detailed questions about the chief complaint
B. Explain the purpose of the interview and use an open-ended opening question
C. Ask the patient's family member to provide the history
D. Begin with a review of all previous diagnostic results
Answer: B
Explaining the purpose of the interview and beginning with an open-ended question
promotes trust and allows the patient to describe concerns in their own words.
2. During a health interview, a patient states, "I've been feeling terrible lately." Which
response best encourages clarification?
A. "Are you experiencing depression?"
B. "You should tell me exactly what is wrong."
C. "Can you tell me more about what feeling terrible means to you?"
D. "Have you had these symptoms before?"
Answer: C
The response is open-ended and encourages the patient to describe the concern without
imposing an interpretation on the symptom.
3. A patient reports abdominal pain that began three days ago. Which question best
assesses the onset of the symptom?
A. "What were you doing when the pain first started?"
B. "Does the pain radiate to your back?"
C. "How severe is the pain now?"
D. "What makes the pain better?"
Answer: A
Asking what was occurring when the pain began helps establish the timing and circumstances
of symptom onset.
4. Which finding is most appropriately documented as the patient's chief concern?
A. "Patient appears uncomfortable."
,B. "Possible gastrointestinal disorder."
C. "Abdominal pain for three days."
D. "Patient requires further evaluation."
Answer: C
The chief concern should reflect the patient's primary reason for seeking care, preferably
using the patient's own description when appropriate.
5. A nurse wants to determine whether a patient's headache has a predictable pattern.
Which question is most useful?
A. "Have you ever had a headache?"
B. "How often do the headaches occur, and do they occur at a particular time?"
C. "Are you worried about the headaches?"
D. "Do you take medication?"
Answer: B
Frequency and timing help establish the pattern of a symptom and may reveal important
diagnostic clues.
6. A patient reports chest discomfort. Which additional assessment is most important when
characterizing the symptom?
A. Favorite foods
B. Location, quality, severity, timing, and associated symptoms
C. Preferred sleeping position
D. Childhood immunization history
Answer: B
A systematic assessment of location, quality, severity, timing, aggravating or relieving
factors, and associated symptoms is essential when evaluating chest discomfort.
7. Which interview technique is most likely to limit the accuracy of a health history?
A. Allowing periods of silence
B. Clarifying unfamiliar terminology
C. Asking several questions at once
D. Summarizing information periodically
Answer: C
Multiple questions at once can confuse the patient and make it difficult to determine which
question is being answered.
8. A patient pauses and becomes tearful while discussing a recent diagnosis. What is the
most therapeutic response?
,A. Quickly change the subject
B. Continue asking questions without acknowledging the emotion
C. Say, "I can see this is difficult for you. Take your time."
D. Tell the patient not to worry
Answer: C
Acknowledging emotion and allowing time communicates empathy and supports the
therapeutic relationship.
9. Which information belongs in the past medical history?
A. The symptom that caused today's visit
B. Previous illnesses, hospitalizations, surgeries, and significant treatments
C. The patient's current review of systems
D. The patient's description of today's pain
Answer: B
Past medical history includes significant previous illnesses, hospitalizations, operations,
injuries, treatments, and related health events.
10. A patient states that a medication caused "a bad reaction" several years ago. What
should the nurse do first?
A. Document the medication as an allergy without further questioning
B. Ask the patient to describe the reaction
C. Tell the patient to avoid all medications in that drug class
D. Remove the medication from the patient's current list
Answer: B
The specific reaction must be clarified because an adverse effect, intolerance, and true allergic
reaction have different clinical implications.
11. Which question best assesses medication adherence?
A. "You take all your medications exactly as prescribed, correct?"
B. "Why do you keep missing your medications?"
C. "How do you usually take your medications each day?"
D. "Do your medications work?"
Answer: C
A neutral, nonjudgmental question encourages the patient to describe actual medication-
taking behavior.
12. During medication reconciliation, which information is particularly important?
A. Only prescription medications
, B. Prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, supplements, and herbal products
C. Only medications prescribed during the current visit
D. Only medications taken in the morning
Answer: B
A complete medication history includes prescription and nonprescription products,
supplements, and herbal preparations because all may affect care.
13. A patient reports taking an herbal preparation daily but is unsure of its name. What is
the best action?
A. Ignore it because it is not a prescription medication
B. Document it as an unknown medication and obtain additional identifying information
C. Tell the patient to discontinue it immediately
D. Assume it is harmless because it is natural
Answer: B
Unidentified supplements should be investigated because their ingredients, effects, and
interactions may be clinically significant.
14. Which question is most appropriate when assessing family history?
A. "Does anyone in your family have any diseases?"
B. "What illnesses caused the deaths of your parents or siblings, and at what ages?"
C. "Are your relatives healthy?"
D. "Did your parents take prescription medications?"
Answer: B
Family history is strengthened by identifying specific conditions, affected relatives, and ages
of onset or death when relevant.
15. A patient reports that both parents developed hypertension in their 50s. What does this
information primarily contribute to?
A. Social history
B. Family history and assessment of inherited risk
C. Review of systems
D. Surgical history
Answer: B
Hypertension in first-degree relatives is relevant family-history information and may
contribute to assessment of familial risk.
16. Which item is most appropriately included in the social history?
A. Previous appendectomy
Taking Exam 2026/2027 | Practice Questions And
Answers (Verified Answers) | Exam Prep |
Comprehensive Exam Guide 2026&2027
1. A nurse begins a health history with a new patient who appears anxious and guarded.
Which approach is most appropriate for establishing rapport?
A. Immediately begin asking detailed questions about the chief complaint
B. Explain the purpose of the interview and use an open-ended opening question
C. Ask the patient's family member to provide the history
D. Begin with a review of all previous diagnostic results
Answer: B
Explaining the purpose of the interview and beginning with an open-ended question
promotes trust and allows the patient to describe concerns in their own words.
2. During a health interview, a patient states, "I've been feeling terrible lately." Which
response best encourages clarification?
A. "Are you experiencing depression?"
B. "You should tell me exactly what is wrong."
C. "Can you tell me more about what feeling terrible means to you?"
D. "Have you had these symptoms before?"
Answer: C
The response is open-ended and encourages the patient to describe the concern without
imposing an interpretation on the symptom.
3. A patient reports abdominal pain that began three days ago. Which question best
assesses the onset of the symptom?
A. "What were you doing when the pain first started?"
B. "Does the pain radiate to your back?"
C. "How severe is the pain now?"
D. "What makes the pain better?"
Answer: A
Asking what was occurring when the pain began helps establish the timing and circumstances
of symptom onset.
4. Which finding is most appropriately documented as the patient's chief concern?
A. "Patient appears uncomfortable."
,B. "Possible gastrointestinal disorder."
C. "Abdominal pain for three days."
D. "Patient requires further evaluation."
Answer: C
The chief concern should reflect the patient's primary reason for seeking care, preferably
using the patient's own description when appropriate.
5. A nurse wants to determine whether a patient's headache has a predictable pattern.
Which question is most useful?
A. "Have you ever had a headache?"
B. "How often do the headaches occur, and do they occur at a particular time?"
C. "Are you worried about the headaches?"
D. "Do you take medication?"
Answer: B
Frequency and timing help establish the pattern of a symptom and may reveal important
diagnostic clues.
6. A patient reports chest discomfort. Which additional assessment is most important when
characterizing the symptom?
A. Favorite foods
B. Location, quality, severity, timing, and associated symptoms
C. Preferred sleeping position
D. Childhood immunization history
Answer: B
A systematic assessment of location, quality, severity, timing, aggravating or relieving
factors, and associated symptoms is essential when evaluating chest discomfort.
7. Which interview technique is most likely to limit the accuracy of a health history?
A. Allowing periods of silence
B. Clarifying unfamiliar terminology
C. Asking several questions at once
D. Summarizing information periodically
Answer: C
Multiple questions at once can confuse the patient and make it difficult to determine which
question is being answered.
8. A patient pauses and becomes tearful while discussing a recent diagnosis. What is the
most therapeutic response?
,A. Quickly change the subject
B. Continue asking questions without acknowledging the emotion
C. Say, "I can see this is difficult for you. Take your time."
D. Tell the patient not to worry
Answer: C
Acknowledging emotion and allowing time communicates empathy and supports the
therapeutic relationship.
9. Which information belongs in the past medical history?
A. The symptom that caused today's visit
B. Previous illnesses, hospitalizations, surgeries, and significant treatments
C. The patient's current review of systems
D. The patient's description of today's pain
Answer: B
Past medical history includes significant previous illnesses, hospitalizations, operations,
injuries, treatments, and related health events.
10. A patient states that a medication caused "a bad reaction" several years ago. What
should the nurse do first?
A. Document the medication as an allergy without further questioning
B. Ask the patient to describe the reaction
C. Tell the patient to avoid all medications in that drug class
D. Remove the medication from the patient's current list
Answer: B
The specific reaction must be clarified because an adverse effect, intolerance, and true allergic
reaction have different clinical implications.
11. Which question best assesses medication adherence?
A. "You take all your medications exactly as prescribed, correct?"
B. "Why do you keep missing your medications?"
C. "How do you usually take your medications each day?"
D. "Do your medications work?"
Answer: C
A neutral, nonjudgmental question encourages the patient to describe actual medication-
taking behavior.
12. During medication reconciliation, which information is particularly important?
A. Only prescription medications
, B. Prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, supplements, and herbal products
C. Only medications prescribed during the current visit
D. Only medications taken in the morning
Answer: B
A complete medication history includes prescription and nonprescription products,
supplements, and herbal preparations because all may affect care.
13. A patient reports taking an herbal preparation daily but is unsure of its name. What is
the best action?
A. Ignore it because it is not a prescription medication
B. Document it as an unknown medication and obtain additional identifying information
C. Tell the patient to discontinue it immediately
D. Assume it is harmless because it is natural
Answer: B
Unidentified supplements should be investigated because their ingredients, effects, and
interactions may be clinically significant.
14. Which question is most appropriate when assessing family history?
A. "Does anyone in your family have any diseases?"
B. "What illnesses caused the deaths of your parents or siblings, and at what ages?"
C. "Are your relatives healthy?"
D. "Did your parents take prescription medications?"
Answer: B
Family history is strengthened by identifying specific conditions, affected relatives, and ages
of onset or death when relevant.
15. A patient reports that both parents developed hypertension in their 50s. What does this
information primarily contribute to?
A. Social history
B. Family history and assessment of inherited risk
C. Review of systems
D. Surgical history
Answer: B
Hypertension in first-degree relatives is relevant family-history information and may
contribute to assessment of familial risk.
16. Which item is most appropriately included in the social history?
A. Previous appendectomy
