Nurs 631 Advanced Health Assessment Exam Questions
and answers REVISED 2025/2026
A 59 year old patients tells the nurse practitioner that he thinks he must have ulcerative colitis. He
has been having "black stools" for the last 24 hours. How would the nurse practitioner best
document THE FACTS for his reason for seeking care?
A) JM is a 59 year old male here for having "black stools" for the past 24 hours.
B) JM came into the clinic complaining of black stools for the past 24 hours.
C) JM is a 59 year old male here for "ulcerative colitis."
D) JM, a 59 year old male, states he has ulcerative colitis and wants it checked. - A) JM is a 59 year
old male here for having "black stools" for the past 24 hours.
Chief Complaint(s) The one or more symptoms or concerns causing the patient to seek care. Make
every effort to quote the patient's own words.
A patient tells the nurse practitioner that she has had abdominal pain for the past week. What would
be the best response by the nurse practitioner?
A) We'll talk more about that later in the interview."
B) "Have you ever had any children?"
C) "What have you had to eat in the last 4 hours?"
D) "Can you point to where it hurts?" - D) "Can you point to where it hurts?"
Each principle symptom should be well-characterized, with descriptions of location; along with the
other seven attributes. Location: Ask the patient to point to the pain because lay terms may not be
specific enough to localize the site of origin.
A 29-year-old woman tells the nurse that she has "excruciating pain" in her back. Which of the
following would be an appropriate response by the nurse to her statement?
A) "How does your family react to your pain?"
B) "That must be terrible. You probably pinched a nerve."
C) "I've had back pain myself and it can be excruciating."
D) "How would you say the pain affects your ability to do your daily activities?" - D) "How would you
say the pain affects your ability to do your daily activities?"
,Inquire about the effects of pain on the patient's daily activities, mood, sleep, work, and sexual
activity.
In recording the childhood illnesses of a patient who denies having had any, which of the following
notes by the nurse would be most accurate?
A) Patient denies usual childhood illnesses.
B) Patient states he was a "very healthy" child.
C) Patient states sister had measles, but he didn't.
D) Patient denies measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox, pertussis, rheumatic fever, and polio. - D)
Patient denies measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox, pertussis, rheumatic fever, and polio.
Childhood illnesses include measles, rubella, mumps, whooping cough, rheumatic fever, scarlet fever,
and polio. They are included in the past history.
A patient tells the nurse that he is allergic to penicillin. What would be the nurse's best response to
this information?
A) "Are you allergic to any other drugs?"
B) "How often have you received penicillin?"
C) "I'll write your allergy on your chart so you won't receive any."
D) "Please describe what happens to you when you take penicillin." - D) "Please describe what
happens to you when you take penicillin."
Allergies, including specific reactions to each medication, such as rash or nausea, must be recorded.
The nurse is taking a family history. Important diseases or problems to ask the patient about include:
A) emphysema.
B) head trauma.
C) mental illness.
D) fractured bones. - C) mental illness.
Specifically ask for any family history of heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, obesity,
blood disorders, ovarian cancer, colon cancer, sickle cell anemia, arthritis, allergies, alcohol or drug
addiction, mental illness, suicide, seizure disorder, kidney disease, and tuberculosis. The other
answers are acquired.
,The following information is recorded in the health history: "Patient denies chest pain, palpitations,
orthopnea, and paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea." Which category does it belong to?
A) Chief complaint
B) Present illness
C) Personal and social history
D) Review of systems - D) Review of systems
Most review of systems questions pertain to systems. You may also draw on Review of Systems
questions related to the Chief Complaint to establish positives and negatives that help clarify the
diagnosis.
Which of the following statements represents subjective data obtained from the patient regarding
his skin?
A) Skin appears dry.
B) No obvious lesions
C) Denies color change
D) Lesion noted lateral aspect right arm - C) Denies color change
Remember that the history (from the chief complaint through review of systems) should be limited
to patient statements or subjective data—factors that the person says were or were not present.
Subjective data is what the patient tells you.
The following information is best placed in which category? "The patient had a stent placed in the
left anterior descending artery (LAD) in 1999."
A) Medical
B) Surgical
C) Obstetrics/gynecology
D) Psychiatric - B) Surgical
Provide information relative to Adult Illnesses in each of four areas: Medical, Surgical,
Obstetric/Gynecologic, and Psychiatric.
, During the aging process, the hair can look gray or white and begin to feel thin and fine. The nurse
practitioner knows that this occurs because of a decrease in:
A) pigmentation
B) thyroid stimulating hormone
C) phagocytes
D) fungacytes - A) pigmentation
Hair undergoes a series of changes. Scalp hair loses its pigment (functioning of melanocytes) so the
hair looks gray or white and feels thin and fine. The other options are not correct.
You are speaking to an 8th grade class about health prevention and are preparing to discuss the
ABCDEs of melanoma. Which of the following descriptions correctly defines the ABCDEs?
A) A = actinic; B = basal cell; C = color changes, especially blue; D = diameter >6 mm; E = evolution
B) A = asymmetry; B = irregular borders; C = color changes, especially blue; D = diameter >6 mm; E =
evolution
C) A = actinic; B = irregular borders; C = keratoses; D = dystrophic nails; E = evolution
D) A = asymmetry; B = regular borders; C = color changes, especially orange; D = diameter >6 mm; E =
evolution - B) A = asymmetry; B = irregular borders; C = color changes, especially blue; D = diameter
>6 mm; E = evolution
You are examining the skin on a 22 year old female when you notice a circumscribed superficial
lesion that is elevated approximately 0.5cm in diameter, filled with serous fluid. What type of lesion
is this?
A) macule
B) papule
C) vesicle
D) spider angioma - C) vesicle
Vesicle - up to 1.0 cm filled with serous fluid
A 72-year-old teacher comes to a skilled nursing facility for rehabilitation after being in the hospital
for 6 weeks. She was treated for sepsis and respiratory failure and had to be on a ventilator for 3
weeks. The nurse is completing an initial assessment and evaluating the client's skin condition. On
her sacrum there is full-thickness skin loss that is 5 cm in diameter with damage to the subcutaneous
tissue. The underlying muscle is not affected. What is the stage of this pressure ulcer?
and answers REVISED 2025/2026
A 59 year old patients tells the nurse practitioner that he thinks he must have ulcerative colitis. He
has been having "black stools" for the last 24 hours. How would the nurse practitioner best
document THE FACTS for his reason for seeking care?
A) JM is a 59 year old male here for having "black stools" for the past 24 hours.
B) JM came into the clinic complaining of black stools for the past 24 hours.
C) JM is a 59 year old male here for "ulcerative colitis."
D) JM, a 59 year old male, states he has ulcerative colitis and wants it checked. - A) JM is a 59 year
old male here for having "black stools" for the past 24 hours.
Chief Complaint(s) The one or more symptoms or concerns causing the patient to seek care. Make
every effort to quote the patient's own words.
A patient tells the nurse practitioner that she has had abdominal pain for the past week. What would
be the best response by the nurse practitioner?
A) We'll talk more about that later in the interview."
B) "Have you ever had any children?"
C) "What have you had to eat in the last 4 hours?"
D) "Can you point to where it hurts?" - D) "Can you point to where it hurts?"
Each principle symptom should be well-characterized, with descriptions of location; along with the
other seven attributes. Location: Ask the patient to point to the pain because lay terms may not be
specific enough to localize the site of origin.
A 29-year-old woman tells the nurse that she has "excruciating pain" in her back. Which of the
following would be an appropriate response by the nurse to her statement?
A) "How does your family react to your pain?"
B) "That must be terrible. You probably pinched a nerve."
C) "I've had back pain myself and it can be excruciating."
D) "How would you say the pain affects your ability to do your daily activities?" - D) "How would you
say the pain affects your ability to do your daily activities?"
,Inquire about the effects of pain on the patient's daily activities, mood, sleep, work, and sexual
activity.
In recording the childhood illnesses of a patient who denies having had any, which of the following
notes by the nurse would be most accurate?
A) Patient denies usual childhood illnesses.
B) Patient states he was a "very healthy" child.
C) Patient states sister had measles, but he didn't.
D) Patient denies measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox, pertussis, rheumatic fever, and polio. - D)
Patient denies measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox, pertussis, rheumatic fever, and polio.
Childhood illnesses include measles, rubella, mumps, whooping cough, rheumatic fever, scarlet fever,
and polio. They are included in the past history.
A patient tells the nurse that he is allergic to penicillin. What would be the nurse's best response to
this information?
A) "Are you allergic to any other drugs?"
B) "How often have you received penicillin?"
C) "I'll write your allergy on your chart so you won't receive any."
D) "Please describe what happens to you when you take penicillin." - D) "Please describe what
happens to you when you take penicillin."
Allergies, including specific reactions to each medication, such as rash or nausea, must be recorded.
The nurse is taking a family history. Important diseases or problems to ask the patient about include:
A) emphysema.
B) head trauma.
C) mental illness.
D) fractured bones. - C) mental illness.
Specifically ask for any family history of heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, obesity,
blood disorders, ovarian cancer, colon cancer, sickle cell anemia, arthritis, allergies, alcohol or drug
addiction, mental illness, suicide, seizure disorder, kidney disease, and tuberculosis. The other
answers are acquired.
,The following information is recorded in the health history: "Patient denies chest pain, palpitations,
orthopnea, and paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea." Which category does it belong to?
A) Chief complaint
B) Present illness
C) Personal and social history
D) Review of systems - D) Review of systems
Most review of systems questions pertain to systems. You may also draw on Review of Systems
questions related to the Chief Complaint to establish positives and negatives that help clarify the
diagnosis.
Which of the following statements represents subjective data obtained from the patient regarding
his skin?
A) Skin appears dry.
B) No obvious lesions
C) Denies color change
D) Lesion noted lateral aspect right arm - C) Denies color change
Remember that the history (from the chief complaint through review of systems) should be limited
to patient statements or subjective data—factors that the person says were or were not present.
Subjective data is what the patient tells you.
The following information is best placed in which category? "The patient had a stent placed in the
left anterior descending artery (LAD) in 1999."
A) Medical
B) Surgical
C) Obstetrics/gynecology
D) Psychiatric - B) Surgical
Provide information relative to Adult Illnesses in each of four areas: Medical, Surgical,
Obstetric/Gynecologic, and Psychiatric.
, During the aging process, the hair can look gray or white and begin to feel thin and fine. The nurse
practitioner knows that this occurs because of a decrease in:
A) pigmentation
B) thyroid stimulating hormone
C) phagocytes
D) fungacytes - A) pigmentation
Hair undergoes a series of changes. Scalp hair loses its pigment (functioning of melanocytes) so the
hair looks gray or white and feels thin and fine. The other options are not correct.
You are speaking to an 8th grade class about health prevention and are preparing to discuss the
ABCDEs of melanoma. Which of the following descriptions correctly defines the ABCDEs?
A) A = actinic; B = basal cell; C = color changes, especially blue; D = diameter >6 mm; E = evolution
B) A = asymmetry; B = irregular borders; C = color changes, especially blue; D = diameter >6 mm; E =
evolution
C) A = actinic; B = irregular borders; C = keratoses; D = dystrophic nails; E = evolution
D) A = asymmetry; B = regular borders; C = color changes, especially orange; D = diameter >6 mm; E =
evolution - B) A = asymmetry; B = irregular borders; C = color changes, especially blue; D = diameter
>6 mm; E = evolution
You are examining the skin on a 22 year old female when you notice a circumscribed superficial
lesion that is elevated approximately 0.5cm in diameter, filled with serous fluid. What type of lesion
is this?
A) macule
B) papule
C) vesicle
D) spider angioma - C) vesicle
Vesicle - up to 1.0 cm filled with serous fluid
A 72-year-old teacher comes to a skilled nursing facility for rehabilitation after being in the hospital
for 6 weeks. She was treated for sepsis and respiratory failure and had to be on a ventilator for 3
weeks. The nurse is completing an initial assessment and evaluating the client's skin condition. On
her sacrum there is full-thickness skin loss that is 5 cm in diameter with damage to the subcutaneous
tissue. The underlying muscle is not affected. What is the stage of this pressure ulcer?
