NR 509 Final Exam 2025| NR509 Advanced Physical
Assessment Final Practice Questions with Verified Answers
Latest 2025, 2026 Excellent Guide - Chamberlain
A 37-year-old nurse comes for evaluation of colicky right upper quadrant abdominal
pain. The pain is associated with nausea and vomiting and occurs 1 to 2 hours after
eating greasy foods. Which one of the following physical examination descriptions
would be most consistent with the diagnosis of cholecystitis?
A) Abdomen is soft, nontender, and nondistended, without hepatosplenomegaly or
masses.
B) Abdomen is soft and tender to palpation in the right lower quadrant, without rebound
or guarding.
C) Abdomen is soft and tender to palpation in the right upper quadrant with
inspiration, to the point of stopping inspiration, and there is no rebound or
guarding.
D) Abdomen is soft and tender to palpation in the mid-epigastric area, without rebound
or guarding.
When crackles, wheezes, or rhonchi clear with a cough, which of the following is a likely
etiology?
A) Bronchitis
B) Simple asthma
C) Cystic fibrosis
D) Heart failure
A patient with longstanding COPD was told by another practitioner that his liver was
enlarged and this needed to be assessed. Which of the following would be reasonable
to do next?
A) Percuss the lower border of the liver
B) Measure the span of the liver
Page 1 of 49
,C) Order a hepatitis panel
D) Obtain an ultrasound of the liver
Mr. Patel is a 64-year-old man who was told by another care provider that his liver is
enlarged. Although he is a life-long smoker, he has never used drugs or alcohol and has
no knowledge of liver disease. Indeed, on examination, a liver edge is palpable 4
centimeters below the costal arch. Which of the following would you do next?
A) Check an ultrasound of the liver
B) Obtain a hepatitis panel
C) Determine liver span by percussion
D) Adopt a "watchful waiting" approach
You are palpating the abdomen and feel a small mass. Which of the following would you
do next?
A) Ultrasound
B) Examination with the abdominal muscles tensed
C) Surgery referral
D) Determine size by percussion
Mr. Kruger is an 84-year-old man who presents with a smooth lower abdominal mass in
the midline which is minimally tender. There is dullness to percussion up to 6
centimeters above the symphysis pubis. What does this most likely represent?
A) Sigmoid mass
B) Tumor in the abdominal wall
C) Hernia
D) Enlarged bladder
Page 2 of 49
,Which of the following is consistent with obturator sign?
A) Pain distant from the site used to check rebound tenderness
B) Right hypogastric pain with the right hip and knee flexed and the hip internally
rotated
C) Pain with extension of the right thigh while the patient is on her left side or while
pressing her knee against your hand with thigh flexion
D) Pain that stops inhalation in the right upper quadrant
A 57-year-old maintenance worker comes to your office for evaluation of pain in his
legs. He has smoked two packs per day since the age of 16, but he is otherwise
healthy. You are concerned that he may have peripheral vascular disease. Which of the
following is part of common or concerning symptoms for the peripheral vascular
system?
A) Intermittent claudication
B) Chest pressure with exertion
C) Shortness of breath
D) Knee pain
You are a student in the vascular surgery clinic. You are asked to perform a physical
examination on a patient with known peripheral vascular disease in the legs. Which of
the following aspects is important to note when you perform your examination?
A) Size, symmetry, and skin color
B) Muscle bulk and tone
C) Nodules in joints
D) Lower extremity strength
Page 3 of 49
, As the internal diameter of a blood vessel changes, the resistance changes as well.
Which of the following descriptions depicts this relationship?
A) Resistance varies linearly with the diameter.
B) Resistance varies proportionally to the second power of the diameter.
C) Resistance varies proportionally to the third power of the diameter.
D) Resistance varies proportionally to the fourth power of the diameter.
A 32-year-old warehouse worker presents for evaluation of low back pain. He notes a
sudden onset of pain after lifting a set of boxes that were heavier than usual. He also
states that he has numbness and tingling in the left leg. He wants to know if he needs to
be off of work. What test should you perform to assess for a herniated disc?
A) Leg-length test
B) Straight-leg raise
C) Tinel's test
D) Phalen's test
A 50-year-old realtor comes to your office for evaluation of neck pain. She was in a
motor vehicle collision 2 days ago and was assessed by the emergency medical
technicians on site, but she didn't think that she needed to go to the emergency room at
that time. Now, she has severe pain and stiffness in her neck. On physical examination,
you note pain and spasm over the paraspinous muscles on the left side of the neck, and
pain when you make the patient do active range of motion of the cervical spine. What is
the most likely cause of this neck pain?
A) Simple stiff neck
B) Aching neck
C) Cervical sprain
D) Cervical herniated disc
Page 4 of 49
Assessment Final Practice Questions with Verified Answers
Latest 2025, 2026 Excellent Guide - Chamberlain
A 37-year-old nurse comes for evaluation of colicky right upper quadrant abdominal
pain. The pain is associated with nausea and vomiting and occurs 1 to 2 hours after
eating greasy foods. Which one of the following physical examination descriptions
would be most consistent with the diagnosis of cholecystitis?
A) Abdomen is soft, nontender, and nondistended, without hepatosplenomegaly or
masses.
B) Abdomen is soft and tender to palpation in the right lower quadrant, without rebound
or guarding.
C) Abdomen is soft and tender to palpation in the right upper quadrant with
inspiration, to the point of stopping inspiration, and there is no rebound or
guarding.
D) Abdomen is soft and tender to palpation in the mid-epigastric area, without rebound
or guarding.
When crackles, wheezes, or rhonchi clear with a cough, which of the following is a likely
etiology?
A) Bronchitis
B) Simple asthma
C) Cystic fibrosis
D) Heart failure
A patient with longstanding COPD was told by another practitioner that his liver was
enlarged and this needed to be assessed. Which of the following would be reasonable
to do next?
A) Percuss the lower border of the liver
B) Measure the span of the liver
Page 1 of 49
,C) Order a hepatitis panel
D) Obtain an ultrasound of the liver
Mr. Patel is a 64-year-old man who was told by another care provider that his liver is
enlarged. Although he is a life-long smoker, he has never used drugs or alcohol and has
no knowledge of liver disease. Indeed, on examination, a liver edge is palpable 4
centimeters below the costal arch. Which of the following would you do next?
A) Check an ultrasound of the liver
B) Obtain a hepatitis panel
C) Determine liver span by percussion
D) Adopt a "watchful waiting" approach
You are palpating the abdomen and feel a small mass. Which of the following would you
do next?
A) Ultrasound
B) Examination with the abdominal muscles tensed
C) Surgery referral
D) Determine size by percussion
Mr. Kruger is an 84-year-old man who presents with a smooth lower abdominal mass in
the midline which is minimally tender. There is dullness to percussion up to 6
centimeters above the symphysis pubis. What does this most likely represent?
A) Sigmoid mass
B) Tumor in the abdominal wall
C) Hernia
D) Enlarged bladder
Page 2 of 49
,Which of the following is consistent with obturator sign?
A) Pain distant from the site used to check rebound tenderness
B) Right hypogastric pain with the right hip and knee flexed and the hip internally
rotated
C) Pain with extension of the right thigh while the patient is on her left side or while
pressing her knee against your hand with thigh flexion
D) Pain that stops inhalation in the right upper quadrant
A 57-year-old maintenance worker comes to your office for evaluation of pain in his
legs. He has smoked two packs per day since the age of 16, but he is otherwise
healthy. You are concerned that he may have peripheral vascular disease. Which of the
following is part of common or concerning symptoms for the peripheral vascular
system?
A) Intermittent claudication
B) Chest pressure with exertion
C) Shortness of breath
D) Knee pain
You are a student in the vascular surgery clinic. You are asked to perform a physical
examination on a patient with known peripheral vascular disease in the legs. Which of
the following aspects is important to note when you perform your examination?
A) Size, symmetry, and skin color
B) Muscle bulk and tone
C) Nodules in joints
D) Lower extremity strength
Page 3 of 49
, As the internal diameter of a blood vessel changes, the resistance changes as well.
Which of the following descriptions depicts this relationship?
A) Resistance varies linearly with the diameter.
B) Resistance varies proportionally to the second power of the diameter.
C) Resistance varies proportionally to the third power of the diameter.
D) Resistance varies proportionally to the fourth power of the diameter.
A 32-year-old warehouse worker presents for evaluation of low back pain. He notes a
sudden onset of pain after lifting a set of boxes that were heavier than usual. He also
states that he has numbness and tingling in the left leg. He wants to know if he needs to
be off of work. What test should you perform to assess for a herniated disc?
A) Leg-length test
B) Straight-leg raise
C) Tinel's test
D) Phalen's test
A 50-year-old realtor comes to your office for evaluation of neck pain. She was in a
motor vehicle collision 2 days ago and was assessed by the emergency medical
technicians on site, but she didn't think that she needed to go to the emergency room at
that time. Now, she has severe pain and stiffness in her neck. On physical examination,
you note pain and spasm over the paraspinous muscles on the left side of the neck, and
pain when you make the patient do active range of motion of the cervical spine. What is
the most likely cause of this neck pain?
A) Simple stiff neck
B) Aching neck
C) Cervical sprain
D) Cervical herniated disc
Page 4 of 49
