NUR 104 Module I: health assessment and
physical examination UPDATED ACTUAL
Exam Questions and CORRECT Answers
purpose of physical examinaton - CORRECT ANSWER - gather baseline information
about a patient's health status, supplement/confirm/refute information learned during the history
taking, identify or confirm nursing diagnoses, make clinical judgements about a patient's current
or changing health status and ability to manage it, evaluate the outcomes of care
cultural sensitivity - CORRECT ANSWER - culture influences a patient's behavior,
consider health benefits, use of alternative therapies, nutritional habits, relationships with family
and person comfort zone, avoid stereotyping and gender bias
skills of physical assessment - CORRECT ANSWER - inspection, palpation, percussion,
auscultation, olfaction
organization of the examination - CORRECT ANSWER - assessment of each body
system, note subjective behavior, systematic and organized, head-to-toe approach
assess the skin - CORRECT ANSWER - nursing history, color, moisture, temperature,
texture, turgor or pallor, vascularity, edema, lesions
condition of nails reflects - CORRECT ANSWER - general health, state of nutrition,
occupation, level of self care
assess the mouth and pharynx - CORRECT ANSWER - lips, mouth, gums (color,
hydration, lesions), teeth
assess the ears - CORRECT ANSWER - auricles: texture, tenderness, swelling, lesions,
color, pain, cerumen
, assess the head - CORRECT ANSWER - inspect position, size, shape, contour, facial
symmetry, palpate skull (size, shape, contour)
nursing history of the thorax and lungs - CORRECT ANSWER - persistent cough,
productive or non productive, shortness of breath, orthopnea, dyspnea, tobacco use
assess the heart - CORRECT ANSWER - inspection and palpation, patient must be relaxed
and comfortable, PMI (point of maximal impulse), S1 and S2 heart sounds, capillary refill time
level of consciousness - CORRECT ANSWER - awake, alert, drowsy, lethargic, comatose
orientation - CORRECT ANSWER - person: know their name
place: knows where they are
time: knows date or season
orientation: x3
what does a comprehensive physical examination involve? - CORRECT ANSWER -
inspection, palpation, percussion, auscultation, and olfaction
inspection - CORRECT ANSWER - the use of vision to distinguish normal from abnormal
findings
what should you inspect each area for during a physical examination? - CORRECT
ANSWER - size, shape, color, symmetry, position, and abnormalities
palpation - CORRECT ANSWER - involves the use of hands to touch body parts and
make sensitive assessments
what changes during a physical examination when examining the abdomen? - CORRECT
ANSWER - you auscultate before you palpate unlike everything else
physical examination UPDATED ACTUAL
Exam Questions and CORRECT Answers
purpose of physical examinaton - CORRECT ANSWER - gather baseline information
about a patient's health status, supplement/confirm/refute information learned during the history
taking, identify or confirm nursing diagnoses, make clinical judgements about a patient's current
or changing health status and ability to manage it, evaluate the outcomes of care
cultural sensitivity - CORRECT ANSWER - culture influences a patient's behavior,
consider health benefits, use of alternative therapies, nutritional habits, relationships with family
and person comfort zone, avoid stereotyping and gender bias
skills of physical assessment - CORRECT ANSWER - inspection, palpation, percussion,
auscultation, olfaction
organization of the examination - CORRECT ANSWER - assessment of each body
system, note subjective behavior, systematic and organized, head-to-toe approach
assess the skin - CORRECT ANSWER - nursing history, color, moisture, temperature,
texture, turgor or pallor, vascularity, edema, lesions
condition of nails reflects - CORRECT ANSWER - general health, state of nutrition,
occupation, level of self care
assess the mouth and pharynx - CORRECT ANSWER - lips, mouth, gums (color,
hydration, lesions), teeth
assess the ears - CORRECT ANSWER - auricles: texture, tenderness, swelling, lesions,
color, pain, cerumen
, assess the head - CORRECT ANSWER - inspect position, size, shape, contour, facial
symmetry, palpate skull (size, shape, contour)
nursing history of the thorax and lungs - CORRECT ANSWER - persistent cough,
productive or non productive, shortness of breath, orthopnea, dyspnea, tobacco use
assess the heart - CORRECT ANSWER - inspection and palpation, patient must be relaxed
and comfortable, PMI (point of maximal impulse), S1 and S2 heart sounds, capillary refill time
level of consciousness - CORRECT ANSWER - awake, alert, drowsy, lethargic, comatose
orientation - CORRECT ANSWER - person: know their name
place: knows where they are
time: knows date or season
orientation: x3
what does a comprehensive physical examination involve? - CORRECT ANSWER -
inspection, palpation, percussion, auscultation, and olfaction
inspection - CORRECT ANSWER - the use of vision to distinguish normal from abnormal
findings
what should you inspect each area for during a physical examination? - CORRECT
ANSWER - size, shape, color, symmetry, position, and abnormalities
palpation - CORRECT ANSWER - involves the use of hands to touch body parts and
make sensitive assessments
what changes during a physical examination when examining the abdomen? - CORRECT
ANSWER - you auscultate before you palpate unlike everything else
