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Home Health Aide Certification (HHA) EXAM COMPLETE
500 QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED SOLUTIONS LATEST
UPDATE THIS YEAR
HHA (Home Health Aide Certification) EXAM
QUESTION: A nurse is preparing to assess the function of the client's trigeminal nerve (cranial
nerve V). Which of the following items should the nurse gather for the test?
A. Snellen Chart
B. Sugar
C. Cotton Wisps
D. Coffee - ANSWER-C. Cotton Wisps
Rationale: The trigeminal nerve has both sensory and motor capabilities. To assess its sensory
function, the nurse uses a safety pin to assess for recognition of pain and a cotton wisp to
evaluate recognition of touch sensations. To test motor abilities of cranial nerve (CN) V, the
nurse should ask the client to clench the teeth.
Incorrect answer:
A. The nurse should use the Snellen chart to test the function of the optic nerve (CN I|).
B. The nurse should use sugar to test the function of the facial nerve (CN VII)
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D. The nurse should use coffee to test the function of the olfactory nerve (CN I).
QUESTION: A bruit of the temporal artery is suspected when the nurse hears
A. a soft blowing sound
B. a clicking sound
C. a should like hair rustling
D. a vibration - ANSWER-A. a soft blowing sound
Rationale: A bruit can be heard through the bell of the stethoscope as a soft blowing sound and
is indicative of narrowing of the vessel. A click is often heard when there is an artificial heart
valve present. Vibrations usually are palpated, not heard. Some people compare respiratory
crackles with hair rubbing together.
QUESTION: A nurse is assessing a client's thyroid gland. Which of the following instructions
should the nurse give the client before inspecting and palpating this gland?
A. "Turn your head to the side against my hand."
B. "Tilt your head slightly forward."
C."Keep your head straight and look ahead of you."
D. "Tilt your head back and swallow." - ANSWER-D. "Tilt your head back and swallow."
A patient has hypoactive bowel sounds. The nurse knows that a potential cause of hypoactive
bowel sounds is:
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A. gastroenteritis.
B. diarrhea.
C. peritonitis.
D. laxative use. - ANSWER-C. peritonitis.
QUESTION: The nurse hears dullness while percussing over the left lower quadrant. What
would be the most appropriate question to ask the client?
A. "When was your last bowel movement?"
B. "Have you ever had splenomegaly?"
C. "Do you have pain after eating?"
D. "What is your normal diet?" - ANSWER-A. "When was your last bowel movement?"
Rationale: Percussion over the abdomen produces tympany and dullness is heard over solid
organs, such as the liver and spleen. Dullness may also indicate an enlarged uterus, distended
urinary bladder, and ascites. Dullness in the left lower quadrant may also indicate the presence
of stool in the colon.
QUESTION: While percussing over the liver, the nurse finds that the liver span is approximately
7 cm. This would be documented as:
A. displacement as a result of respiratory disease.
B. a normal finding.
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C. displacement due to ascites.
D. enlargement of the liver. - ANSWER-B. a normal finding.
Rationale: The normal liver span - the distance between the lower and upper borders of the
liver - should be approximately 5 to 10 cm (2-4 inches). Liver enlargement below the costal
margin suggests displacement downward as a result of respiratory disease, and displacement
upward suggests ascites or a mass.
QUESTION: The nurse palpates the abdominal aorta of an adult client and finds that it measures
approximately 6 cm in diameter. The next step for the nurse to take is
A. To palpate lightly to just under the xiphoid process
B. Discontinue palpation and document findings
C. Auscultate for bruits
D. To continue to apply deep palpation inferiorly to assess accurate measurement - ANSWER-B.
Discontinue palpation and document findings
Rationale: The aorta is palpable in the upper abdomen to the left of midline below the xiphoid
process and the average adult aorta is 3 cm wide. A widened aorta may indicate aneurysm and
should not be palpated to avoid rupture
QUESTION: The nurse is auscultating a client's abdomen for bowel sounds and no sounds have
been detected for at least two minutes. The nurse should
Home Health Aide Certification (HHA) EXAM COMPLETE
500 QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED SOLUTIONS LATEST
UPDATE THIS YEAR
HHA (Home Health Aide Certification) EXAM
QUESTION: A nurse is preparing to assess the function of the client's trigeminal nerve (cranial
nerve V). Which of the following items should the nurse gather for the test?
A. Snellen Chart
B. Sugar
C. Cotton Wisps
D. Coffee - ANSWER-C. Cotton Wisps
Rationale: The trigeminal nerve has both sensory and motor capabilities. To assess its sensory
function, the nurse uses a safety pin to assess for recognition of pain and a cotton wisp to
evaluate recognition of touch sensations. To test motor abilities of cranial nerve (CN) V, the
nurse should ask the client to clench the teeth.
Incorrect answer:
A. The nurse should use the Snellen chart to test the function of the optic nerve (CN I|).
B. The nurse should use sugar to test the function of the facial nerve (CN VII)
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D. The nurse should use coffee to test the function of the olfactory nerve (CN I).
QUESTION: A bruit of the temporal artery is suspected when the nurse hears
A. a soft blowing sound
B. a clicking sound
C. a should like hair rustling
D. a vibration - ANSWER-A. a soft blowing sound
Rationale: A bruit can be heard through the bell of the stethoscope as a soft blowing sound and
is indicative of narrowing of the vessel. A click is often heard when there is an artificial heart
valve present. Vibrations usually are palpated, not heard. Some people compare respiratory
crackles with hair rubbing together.
QUESTION: A nurse is assessing a client's thyroid gland. Which of the following instructions
should the nurse give the client before inspecting and palpating this gland?
A. "Turn your head to the side against my hand."
B. "Tilt your head slightly forward."
C."Keep your head straight and look ahead of you."
D. "Tilt your head back and swallow." - ANSWER-D. "Tilt your head back and swallow."
A patient has hypoactive bowel sounds. The nurse knows that a potential cause of hypoactive
bowel sounds is:
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A. gastroenteritis.
B. diarrhea.
C. peritonitis.
D. laxative use. - ANSWER-C. peritonitis.
QUESTION: The nurse hears dullness while percussing over the left lower quadrant. What
would be the most appropriate question to ask the client?
A. "When was your last bowel movement?"
B. "Have you ever had splenomegaly?"
C. "Do you have pain after eating?"
D. "What is your normal diet?" - ANSWER-A. "When was your last bowel movement?"
Rationale: Percussion over the abdomen produces tympany and dullness is heard over solid
organs, such as the liver and spleen. Dullness may also indicate an enlarged uterus, distended
urinary bladder, and ascites. Dullness in the left lower quadrant may also indicate the presence
of stool in the colon.
QUESTION: While percussing over the liver, the nurse finds that the liver span is approximately
7 cm. This would be documented as:
A. displacement as a result of respiratory disease.
B. a normal finding.
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C. displacement due to ascites.
D. enlargement of the liver. - ANSWER-B. a normal finding.
Rationale: The normal liver span - the distance between the lower and upper borders of the
liver - should be approximately 5 to 10 cm (2-4 inches). Liver enlargement below the costal
margin suggests displacement downward as a result of respiratory disease, and displacement
upward suggests ascites or a mass.
QUESTION: The nurse palpates the abdominal aorta of an adult client and finds that it measures
approximately 6 cm in diameter. The next step for the nurse to take is
A. To palpate lightly to just under the xiphoid process
B. Discontinue palpation and document findings
C. Auscultate for bruits
D. To continue to apply deep palpation inferiorly to assess accurate measurement - ANSWER-B.
Discontinue palpation and document findings
Rationale: The aorta is palpable in the upper abdomen to the left of midline below the xiphoid
process and the average adult aorta is 3 cm wide. A widened aorta may indicate aneurysm and
should not be palpated to avoid rupture
QUESTION: The nurse is auscultating a client's abdomen for bowel sounds and no sounds have
been detected for at least two minutes. The nurse should
