,NU 345 Health Assessment and Promotion Across
the Life Span Exam Prep — Comprehensive Review
+ Practice MCQs — Herzing University 2026/2027
SECTION 1: FOUNDATIONS OF HEALTH ASSESSMENT (Questions 1–25)
1. According to the NU 345 course description, which three roles of the nurse are central to this course?
A. Prescribing, diagnosing, and treating
B. Health assessment, health maintenance, and health education
C. Surgery, anesthesia, and recovery
D. Billing, coding, and administration
Correct Answer: B — Health assessment, health maintenance, and health education
Rationale: The official course description states the course examines patterns of health and illness "as they
relate to the nurse's role in health assessment, health maintenance, and health education" .
2. What is the primary purpose of health assessment in nursing practice?
A. To replace the medical diagnosis
B. To gather data that forms the foundation for the nursing process
C. To determine insurance reimbursement
D. To fulfill documentation requirements only
,Correct Answer: B — To gather data that forms the foundation for the nursing process
Rationale: Health assessment is the first step of the nursing process, providing the data necessary for nursing
diagnosis, planning, implementation, and evaluation.
3. Which type of assessment is performed when a patient arrives in the emergency department with severe
shortness of breath?
A. Comprehensive assessment
B. Focused assessment
C. Emergency assessment
D. General survey
Correct Answer: C — Emergency assessment
Rationale: An emergency assessment is performed when a patient has a life-threatening or unstable condition,
focusing on airway, breathing, circulation, disability, and exposure (ABCDE).
4. A nurse performs a comprehensive assessment on a newly admitted patient. What is the primary purpose of
this assessment?
A. To address a specific problem or body system
B. To establish a baseline and identify all actual and potential health problems
C. To evaluate the response to a specific treatment
D. To determine discharge readiness
, Correct Answer: B — To establish a baseline and identify all actual and potential health problems
Rationale: A comprehensive assessment includes a complete health history and physical assessment, typically
performed on admission to establish a baseline.
5. A nurse assesses a postoperative patient's incision site and pain level. Which type of assessment is being
performed?
A. Comprehensive assessment
B. Emergency assessment
C. Focused assessment
D. Initial assessment
Correct Answer: C — Focused assessment
Rationale: A focused assessment is smaller in scope but greater in depth, targeting specific issues or body
systems after specific treatments or when a patient has a specific problem.
6. Which framework organizes assessment data around functional patterns such as health perception, activity
and exercise, nutrition, and elimination?
A. Head-to-toe assessment
B. Body systems assessment
C. Functional assessment
D. Emergency assessment
the Life Span Exam Prep — Comprehensive Review
+ Practice MCQs — Herzing University 2026/2027
SECTION 1: FOUNDATIONS OF HEALTH ASSESSMENT (Questions 1–25)
1. According to the NU 345 course description, which three roles of the nurse are central to this course?
A. Prescribing, diagnosing, and treating
B. Health assessment, health maintenance, and health education
C. Surgery, anesthesia, and recovery
D. Billing, coding, and administration
Correct Answer: B — Health assessment, health maintenance, and health education
Rationale: The official course description states the course examines patterns of health and illness "as they
relate to the nurse's role in health assessment, health maintenance, and health education" .
2. What is the primary purpose of health assessment in nursing practice?
A. To replace the medical diagnosis
B. To gather data that forms the foundation for the nursing process
C. To determine insurance reimbursement
D. To fulfill documentation requirements only
,Correct Answer: B — To gather data that forms the foundation for the nursing process
Rationale: Health assessment is the first step of the nursing process, providing the data necessary for nursing
diagnosis, planning, implementation, and evaluation.
3. Which type of assessment is performed when a patient arrives in the emergency department with severe
shortness of breath?
A. Comprehensive assessment
B. Focused assessment
C. Emergency assessment
D. General survey
Correct Answer: C — Emergency assessment
Rationale: An emergency assessment is performed when a patient has a life-threatening or unstable condition,
focusing on airway, breathing, circulation, disability, and exposure (ABCDE).
4. A nurse performs a comprehensive assessment on a newly admitted patient. What is the primary purpose of
this assessment?
A. To address a specific problem or body system
B. To establish a baseline and identify all actual and potential health problems
C. To evaluate the response to a specific treatment
D. To determine discharge readiness
, Correct Answer: B — To establish a baseline and identify all actual and potential health problems
Rationale: A comprehensive assessment includes a complete health history and physical assessment, typically
performed on admission to establish a baseline.
5. A nurse assesses a postoperative patient's incision site and pain level. Which type of assessment is being
performed?
A. Comprehensive assessment
B. Emergency assessment
C. Focused assessment
D. Initial assessment
Correct Answer: C — Focused assessment
Rationale: A focused assessment is smaller in scope but greater in depth, targeting specific issues or body
systems after specific treatments or when a patient has a specific problem.
6. Which framework organizes assessment data around functional patterns such as health perception, activity
and exercise, nutrition, and elimination?
A. Head-to-toe assessment
B. Body systems assessment
C. Functional assessment
D. Emergency assessment
