NU 325 Health Assessment Exam 3 2026/2027 Nursing Course – Questions
and Answers A+ Study Guide
Precordium - (answer)area on the anterior chest wall directly overlying the heart and great vessels
Pericardium - (answer)tough, fibrous, double-walled sac that surrounds and protects the heart
Pericardial sac - (answer)contains a few ml of serous pericardial fluid. Ensures smooth, friction-free
movement of the heart muscle.
Myocardium - (answer)muscular, middle layer of the heart
Endocardium - (answer)thin layer of endothelial tissue that lines the inner surface of the heart chambers
and valves
Mediastinum - (answer)middle section of thoracic cavity containing esophagus, trachea, heart, and great
vessels
Where is the base of the heart located? - (answer)2nd intercostal space right and left of the sternum
Where is apex of the heart located? - (answer)4th or 5th ICS, midclavicular line on the left side of the
chest
Track blood circulation through the heart - (answer)Blood enters the heart through the inferior and
superior vena cava--> RA-->Tricuspid valve--> RV--> pulmonary semilunar valve--> pulmonary artery-->
pulmonic circulation (lungs)--> lungs back to heart--> LA--> mitral/bicuspid valve--> LV--> aortic
semilunar valve--> from heart to body via aorta--> aortic arch
What is the difference between circulation in a newborn and an adult? - (answer)Newborns don't use
their lungs when in the womb. Oxygenation takes place at the placenta, and the arterial blood is
returned to the right side the fetal heart. no need to blood to go to the lungs therefore, it is rerouted in 2
ways. About 2/3s of it is shunted through an opening in the atrial septum, the foramen ovale, into the
left side of the heart, where it is pumped through the aorta. The rest of the oxygenated blood is pumped
,NU 325 Health Assessment Exam 3 2026/2027 Nursing Course – Questions
and Answers A+ Study Guide
by the R side of the heart out through the pulmonary artery, but it is detoured through the ductus
arteriosus to the aorta.
What are the 2 atrioventricular valves? - (answer)tricuspid and mitral
Where is the tricuspid valve located? - (answer)between right atrium and right ventricle
Where is the mitral located? - (answer)between left atrium and left ventricle
When do the AV valves open? - (answer)During the hearts filling phase or diastole to allow the ventricles
to fill with blood
When do the AV valves close? - (answer)During systole- When ventricular pressure exceeds atrial
pressure
Why do the AV valves close? - (answer)To prevent regurgitation of blood back up into the atria.
What are the semilunar valves? - (answer)pulmonary and aortic valves
Each valve has - (answer)3 cusps that look like half moons
Where is the pulmonic valve located? - (answer)between right ventricle and pulmonary artery
Where is the aortic valve located? - (answer)between left ventricle and aorta
When do the semilunar valves open? - (answer)during pumping, systole
, NU 325 Health Assessment Exam 3 2026/2027 Nursing Course – Questions
and Answers A+ Study Guide
What is systole? - (answer)Contraction of the heart
What is diastole? - (answer)Relaxation of the heart
Where can you find the apical pulse? - (answer)5th intercostal space, mid-clavicular line left of the chest
What does it mean if the apical pulse is displaced? - (answer)It can signal cardiac distress. Displaced
because the heart is enlarged
What is S3? - (answer)Normally diastole is a silent event. it is A third heart sound caused when
ventricular filling creates vibrations that can be heard over the chest. It occurs when the venticles are
resistant to filling during the early rapid filling phase.
What is S4? - (answer)Occurs at the end of diastole, when the ventricle is filling. The atria contracts and
push blood into a noncompliant ventricle. This causes vibrations that are heard just before S1.
S1 is - (answer)The lub.
the closure of the AV valves (mitral and tricuspid).
Heard loudest at the apex
The beginning of systole.
S2 is - (answer)The dub
heard loudest at the base.
The beginning of diastole.
The closure of the semi-lunar valves (pulmonic and aortic)
Where is aortic valve best heard? - (answer)2nd intercostal space, right sternal border
and Answers A+ Study Guide
Precordium - (answer)area on the anterior chest wall directly overlying the heart and great vessels
Pericardium - (answer)tough, fibrous, double-walled sac that surrounds and protects the heart
Pericardial sac - (answer)contains a few ml of serous pericardial fluid. Ensures smooth, friction-free
movement of the heart muscle.
Myocardium - (answer)muscular, middle layer of the heart
Endocardium - (answer)thin layer of endothelial tissue that lines the inner surface of the heart chambers
and valves
Mediastinum - (answer)middle section of thoracic cavity containing esophagus, trachea, heart, and great
vessels
Where is the base of the heart located? - (answer)2nd intercostal space right and left of the sternum
Where is apex of the heart located? - (answer)4th or 5th ICS, midclavicular line on the left side of the
chest
Track blood circulation through the heart - (answer)Blood enters the heart through the inferior and
superior vena cava--> RA-->Tricuspid valve--> RV--> pulmonary semilunar valve--> pulmonary artery-->
pulmonic circulation (lungs)--> lungs back to heart--> LA--> mitral/bicuspid valve--> LV--> aortic
semilunar valve--> from heart to body via aorta--> aortic arch
What is the difference between circulation in a newborn and an adult? - (answer)Newborns don't use
their lungs when in the womb. Oxygenation takes place at the placenta, and the arterial blood is
returned to the right side the fetal heart. no need to blood to go to the lungs therefore, it is rerouted in 2
ways. About 2/3s of it is shunted through an opening in the atrial septum, the foramen ovale, into the
left side of the heart, where it is pumped through the aorta. The rest of the oxygenated blood is pumped
,NU 325 Health Assessment Exam 3 2026/2027 Nursing Course – Questions
and Answers A+ Study Guide
by the R side of the heart out through the pulmonary artery, but it is detoured through the ductus
arteriosus to the aorta.
What are the 2 atrioventricular valves? - (answer)tricuspid and mitral
Where is the tricuspid valve located? - (answer)between right atrium and right ventricle
Where is the mitral located? - (answer)between left atrium and left ventricle
When do the AV valves open? - (answer)During the hearts filling phase or diastole to allow the ventricles
to fill with blood
When do the AV valves close? - (answer)During systole- When ventricular pressure exceeds atrial
pressure
Why do the AV valves close? - (answer)To prevent regurgitation of blood back up into the atria.
What are the semilunar valves? - (answer)pulmonary and aortic valves
Each valve has - (answer)3 cusps that look like half moons
Where is the pulmonic valve located? - (answer)between right ventricle and pulmonary artery
Where is the aortic valve located? - (answer)between left ventricle and aorta
When do the semilunar valves open? - (answer)during pumping, systole
, NU 325 Health Assessment Exam 3 2026/2027 Nursing Course – Questions
and Answers A+ Study Guide
What is systole? - (answer)Contraction of the heart
What is diastole? - (answer)Relaxation of the heart
Where can you find the apical pulse? - (answer)5th intercostal space, mid-clavicular line left of the chest
What does it mean if the apical pulse is displaced? - (answer)It can signal cardiac distress. Displaced
because the heart is enlarged
What is S3? - (answer)Normally diastole is a silent event. it is A third heart sound caused when
ventricular filling creates vibrations that can be heard over the chest. It occurs when the venticles are
resistant to filling during the early rapid filling phase.
What is S4? - (answer)Occurs at the end of diastole, when the ventricle is filling. The atria contracts and
push blood into a noncompliant ventricle. This causes vibrations that are heard just before S1.
S1 is - (answer)The lub.
the closure of the AV valves (mitral and tricuspid).
Heard loudest at the apex
The beginning of systole.
S2 is - (answer)The dub
heard loudest at the base.
The beginning of diastole.
The closure of the semi-lunar valves (pulmonic and aortic)
Where is aortic valve best heard? - (answer)2nd intercostal space, right sternal border
