NR-509 Advanced Physical Assessment Final
Exam Test Bank
250+ Multiple Choice Questions with
Answers & Detailed Rationales
This comprehensive test bank covers the key topics for
Chamberlain University's NR-509 Advanced Physical
Assessment course. Questions are organized by body system
and patient population, with detailed rationales to support
clinical reasoning.
SECTION 1: Health History & Interviewing (Questions 1–25)
1. During a health history, a patient reports "chest pain
that feels like an elephant sitting on my chest." This is an
example of which component of the chief complaint?
A. Onset
B. Location
C. Character
D. Severity
Answer: C
,Rationale: Character describes the quality or sensation of
the symptom (e.g., crushing, burning, stabbing). Onset is
when it began; location is where it is felt; severity is intensity
(0–10 scale).
2. A patient with shortness of breath states, "It started
suddenly while I was sitting still and gets worse when I lie
flat." This best describes:
A. Paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea
B. Orthopnea
C. Platypnea
D. Trepopnea
Answer: B
Rationale: Orthopnea is dyspnea that worsens when lying
flat (common in heart failure). Paroxysmal nocturnal
dyspnea (PND) awakens the patient from sleep. Platypnea is
dyspnea worse when upright.
3. Which of the following is a component of the "OLD
CARTS" mnemonic for symptom analysis?
,A. Onset, Location, Duration
B. Onset, Location, Severity
C. Onset, Location, Character, Radiation, Associated
symptoms, Timing, Severity
D. Onset, Location, Quality, Radiation, Timing, Severity
Answer: C
Rationale: OLD CARTS stands for Onset, Location, Duration,
Character, Aggravating/Alleviating factors, Radiation, Timing,
Severity. It provides a systematic approach to symptom
analysis.
4. The “review of systems” (ROS) in a health history
includes:
A. A detailed review of all body systems to identify
symptoms the patient may not have mentioned
B. The patient’s past medical diagnoses
C. The patient’s family history of disease
D. The patient’s social history
Answer: A
Rationale: The ROS is a comprehensive inventory of
symptoms by body system, asked after the chief complaint
, and HPI, to identify issues the patient may not have
spontaneously reported.
5. A patient reports a history of "high blood pressure for 10
years, treated with lisinopril." This should be documented
under which section of the health history?
A. Chief complaint
B. History of present illness
C. Past medical history
D. Social history
Answer: C
Rationale: Past medical history includes chronic illnesses,
hospitalizations, surgeries, and medications. The HPI focuses
on the current chief complaint only.
6. When documenting the chief complaint, the clinician
should:
A. Use the patient’s own words in quotation marks
B. Paraphrase the patient’s concerns in medical terms
C. List only the most severe symptom
D. Include only physical examination findings
Exam Test Bank
250+ Multiple Choice Questions with
Answers & Detailed Rationales
This comprehensive test bank covers the key topics for
Chamberlain University's NR-509 Advanced Physical
Assessment course. Questions are organized by body system
and patient population, with detailed rationales to support
clinical reasoning.
SECTION 1: Health History & Interviewing (Questions 1–25)
1. During a health history, a patient reports "chest pain
that feels like an elephant sitting on my chest." This is an
example of which component of the chief complaint?
A. Onset
B. Location
C. Character
D. Severity
Answer: C
,Rationale: Character describes the quality or sensation of
the symptom (e.g., crushing, burning, stabbing). Onset is
when it began; location is where it is felt; severity is intensity
(0–10 scale).
2. A patient with shortness of breath states, "It started
suddenly while I was sitting still and gets worse when I lie
flat." This best describes:
A. Paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea
B. Orthopnea
C. Platypnea
D. Trepopnea
Answer: B
Rationale: Orthopnea is dyspnea that worsens when lying
flat (common in heart failure). Paroxysmal nocturnal
dyspnea (PND) awakens the patient from sleep. Platypnea is
dyspnea worse when upright.
3. Which of the following is a component of the "OLD
CARTS" mnemonic for symptom analysis?
,A. Onset, Location, Duration
B. Onset, Location, Severity
C. Onset, Location, Character, Radiation, Associated
symptoms, Timing, Severity
D. Onset, Location, Quality, Radiation, Timing, Severity
Answer: C
Rationale: OLD CARTS stands for Onset, Location, Duration,
Character, Aggravating/Alleviating factors, Radiation, Timing,
Severity. It provides a systematic approach to symptom
analysis.
4. The “review of systems” (ROS) in a health history
includes:
A. A detailed review of all body systems to identify
symptoms the patient may not have mentioned
B. The patient’s past medical diagnoses
C. The patient’s family history of disease
D. The patient’s social history
Answer: A
Rationale: The ROS is a comprehensive inventory of
symptoms by body system, asked after the chief complaint
, and HPI, to identify issues the patient may not have
spontaneously reported.
5. A patient reports a history of "high blood pressure for 10
years, treated with lisinopril." This should be documented
under which section of the health history?
A. Chief complaint
B. History of present illness
C. Past medical history
D. Social history
Answer: C
Rationale: Past medical history includes chronic illnesses,
hospitalizations, surgeries, and medications. The HPI focuses
on the current chief complaint only.
6. When documenting the chief complaint, the clinician
should:
A. Use the patient’s own words in quotation marks
B. Paraphrase the patient’s concerns in medical terms
C. List only the most severe symptom
D. Include only physical examination findings
