GCU NUR 634 MIDTERM EXAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS LATEST 2025/2026
GRADED A
1. If auscultating lungs and you hear a decreased air movement with a high pitched
whistling on expiration, what is this indicative of?
Asthma
2. What can we do if our patient comes in and goes way off topic talking about things that
are not relevant to the reason for their visit?
Go back to the summary of why we are here, what our plan is, and what our
alternatives might be. (Summarize the actual reason they are there for)
3. Differential for patient that comes in with blood in the left eye?
Subconjunctival hemorrhage (ex. From vomiting)
4. Which of the following are normal parts of aging?
Cataracts: no
Glaucoma: no
Macular degeneration: no
Presbyopia (nearsightedness): yes
5. How to start an initial consult
Introduce yourself, sit down with the patient (build rapport with them)
6. What lymph nodes are behind the SCM?
Posterior cervical lymph nodes
7. A woman comes in with vague complaints of muscle aches, not sleeping well, what are
some differentials?
Depression
8. Education to provide to patient with history of GERD:
Limit spicy food, acidic foods, don’t eat before bed (lying flat)
9. If patient has blurred vision while covering one eye, what CN is affected?
CN III (oculomotor)
10. Medial epicondyle and lateral epicondyle; what conditions can happen with the elbow?
Lateral: Tennis elbow
Medial: Golfers elbow
11. Lung sounds should sound resonant on percussion, what if they start to sound dull?
Consolidation; PNA (could be unilateral or bilateral)
12. If we did an I&D on a lump on a patient’s back and a cheesy like substance came out of
the cyst, what is it?
Sebaceous cyst
13. What is the normal cup to disc ratio on an eye exam?
1:3
14. What is the cup to disc ratio is smaller; such as 1:2?
Glaucoma
15. If patient can do one single motion to describe their chest pain, what is the differential?
Angina
16. Patient loses all vision in one eye, what is a differential?
Retinal detachment
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, Optic neuritis
17. If there is tenderness when patient is touched between wrist and thumb, what is a
differential? (Snuff box)
Scaphoid fracture
18. What is the landmarks for the PMI?
5th intercostal space, midclavicular line
19. Patient complains of jaw pain, what are some questions we should ask?
Is it bilateral or unilateral, clicking, scalp tenderness, or facial tenderness? These
are all indicative of TMJ
20. If I was taking patient history, and we mention their education and occupation, what
part of the note would this be under?
Social history
21. Young elementary age girl comes in and mom complains that her hair is falling out and
everything else is normal, what is on our differential?
Alopecia
22. On physical exam, if there are spider web looking veins going up the neck, what should
be on the differential?
Esophageal varices (spider-mangiomas)
23. Physical exam findings that are consistent with exam findings of meningitis?
Nuchal rigidity (decreased ROM in neck)
24. Which CN is being assess when we are looking at the soft palate?
CN X, Vagus
25. If there is a small mass that can be moved around under a patient’s skin, is this a normal
or abnormal finding, and what do we think it is?
Normal; lymph nodes
26. Medical term forms a sty?
Hordeolum
27. Patient with history of lupus comes in with a new dark rash on her legs. Is this an
expected finding?
Very likely that it is lupus related and not worrisome
28. D.I.A.P.E.R.S:
This a pneumonic that we can use when questioning women who suffer from
incontinence. These are underlying causes
Delirium, infection, atrophic urethritis, psychology/pharmaceuticals, excessive
urine output, restricted mobility, stool impaction
29. If we move a patients shoulder passively and there is no pain, but he moves it actively
and there is pain, where is the pain coming from?
Intra-articular
30. A day care worker comes in and appears jaundice, what is a differential?
Hepatitis A
31. Skin condition that presents as silvery scales?
Psoriasis
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GRADED A
1. If auscultating lungs and you hear a decreased air movement with a high pitched
whistling on expiration, what is this indicative of?
Asthma
2. What can we do if our patient comes in and goes way off topic talking about things that
are not relevant to the reason for their visit?
Go back to the summary of why we are here, what our plan is, and what our
alternatives might be. (Summarize the actual reason they are there for)
3. Differential for patient that comes in with blood in the left eye?
Subconjunctival hemorrhage (ex. From vomiting)
4. Which of the following are normal parts of aging?
Cataracts: no
Glaucoma: no
Macular degeneration: no
Presbyopia (nearsightedness): yes
5. How to start an initial consult
Introduce yourself, sit down with the patient (build rapport with them)
6. What lymph nodes are behind the SCM?
Posterior cervical lymph nodes
7. A woman comes in with vague complaints of muscle aches, not sleeping well, what are
some differentials?
Depression
8. Education to provide to patient with history of GERD:
Limit spicy food, acidic foods, don’t eat before bed (lying flat)
9. If patient has blurred vision while covering one eye, what CN is affected?
CN III (oculomotor)
10. Medial epicondyle and lateral epicondyle; what conditions can happen with the elbow?
Lateral: Tennis elbow
Medial: Golfers elbow
11. Lung sounds should sound resonant on percussion, what if they start to sound dull?
Consolidation; PNA (could be unilateral or bilateral)
12. If we did an I&D on a lump on a patient’s back and a cheesy like substance came out of
the cyst, what is it?
Sebaceous cyst
13. What is the normal cup to disc ratio on an eye exam?
1:3
14. What is the cup to disc ratio is smaller; such as 1:2?
Glaucoma
15. If patient can do one single motion to describe their chest pain, what is the differential?
Angina
16. Patient loses all vision in one eye, what is a differential?
Retinal detachment
1|Page
, Optic neuritis
17. If there is tenderness when patient is touched between wrist and thumb, what is a
differential? (Snuff box)
Scaphoid fracture
18. What is the landmarks for the PMI?
5th intercostal space, midclavicular line
19. Patient complains of jaw pain, what are some questions we should ask?
Is it bilateral or unilateral, clicking, scalp tenderness, or facial tenderness? These
are all indicative of TMJ
20. If I was taking patient history, and we mention their education and occupation, what
part of the note would this be under?
Social history
21. Young elementary age girl comes in and mom complains that her hair is falling out and
everything else is normal, what is on our differential?
Alopecia
22. On physical exam, if there are spider web looking veins going up the neck, what should
be on the differential?
Esophageal varices (spider-mangiomas)
23. Physical exam findings that are consistent with exam findings of meningitis?
Nuchal rigidity (decreased ROM in neck)
24. Which CN is being assess when we are looking at the soft palate?
CN X, Vagus
25. If there is a small mass that can be moved around under a patient’s skin, is this a normal
or abnormal finding, and what do we think it is?
Normal; lymph nodes
26. Medical term forms a sty?
Hordeolum
27. Patient with history of lupus comes in with a new dark rash on her legs. Is this an
expected finding?
Very likely that it is lupus related and not worrisome
28. D.I.A.P.E.R.S:
This a pneumonic that we can use when questioning women who suffer from
incontinence. These are underlying causes
Delirium, infection, atrophic urethritis, psychology/pharmaceuticals, excessive
urine output, restricted mobility, stool impaction
29. If we move a patients shoulder passively and there is no pain, but he moves it actively
and there is pain, where is the pain coming from?
Intra-articular
30. A day care worker comes in and appears jaundice, what is a differential?
Hepatitis A
31. Skin condition that presents as silvery scales?
Psoriasis
2|Page
