NR 509 Exam Question Bank (750 Q and A) /
NR509 Exam Question Bank (NEW, 2021) :
Chamberlain College of Nursing (750
Questions with Answers and Explanations,
Answers)
Section 1: Health History & Interviewing (Questions 1–15)
Question 1
A 58-year-old patient presents with chest discomfort. The nurse practitioner asks, "Can you tell
me more about what brought you in today?" Which interviewing technique is being used?
A. Closed-ended questioning
B. Open-ended questioning
C. Confrontation
D. Interpretation
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Open-ended questions invite patients to describe their concerns in their own words
without restricting the response, facilitating a more complete understanding of the health
concern and promoting active listening. Closed-ended questions yield yes/no or limited
answers, while confrontation and interpretation are advanced techniques used later in the
interview.
Question 2
During a health history, the patient describes abdominal pain. The nurse practitioner asks,
"What does the pain feel like—sharp, dull, burning, or cramping?" Which component of the HPI
is being assessed?
A. Severity
B. Quality
C. Timing
D. Radiation
,Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Quality describes the character or nature of the symptom (sharp, dull, burning,
cramping). Severity is typically rated on a 0–10 scale, timing refers to onset and duration, and
radiation describes where the symptom spreads.
Question 3
A patient states, "I stopped taking my blood pressure medication because I felt fine." The nurse
practitioner responds, "It sounds like you were concerned about taking a medication when you
didn't have symptoms. Can you tell me more about that?" Which technique is demonstrated?
A. Summarization
B. Transition statement
C. Empathic response and focused clarification
D. Confrontation
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: This response validates the patient's perspective (empathy) and asks for further
elaboration (focused clarification). Summarization recaps multiple points, transition statements
shift topics, and confrontation directly addresses discrepancies.
Question 4
A 45-year-old patient reports drinking alcohol. Which screening tool is the most widely validated
brief instrument for identifying alcohol use disorders in primary care?
A. CAGE questionnaire
B. AUDIT-C
C. GAD-7
D. PHQ-9
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The AUDIT-C (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption) is a 3-item
validated screening tool for alcohol use disorders in primary care. The CAGE is older and less
sensitive for detecting risky drinking. GAD-7 and PHQ-9 screen for anxiety and depression, not
substance use.
,Question 5
A patient who smokes one pack of cigarettes daily has done so for 20 years. What is the correct
pack-years calculation?
A. 10 pack-years
B. 20 pack-years
C. 40 pack-years
D. 2 pack-years
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Pack-years are calculated by multiplying the number of packs smoked per day by the
number of years smoked (1 pack/day × 20 years = 20 pack-years). This quantifies tobacco
exposure and lung cancer risk.
Question 6
During a family history assessment, the patient reports that her mother developed breast
cancer at age 42 and her maternal aunt had ovarian cancer at age 45. Which genetic risk should
the nurse practitioner discuss?
A. Lynch syndrome
B. BRCA1/BRCA2 mutation risk
C. Familial hypercholesterolemia
D. Li-Fraumeni syndrome
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Early-onset breast cancer (under 50) and ovarian cancer in first-degree relatives are
hallmark features of BRCA1/BRCA2 hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome. Lynch
syndrome is associated with colorectal and endometrial cancers.
Question 7
A patient reports taking lisinopril, metformin, and a daily multivitamin. The nurse practitioner
asks about the dose, route, frequency, reason for use, and duration for each. Which process is
being performed?
A. Medication reconciliation
B. Review of systems
C. Functional assessment
D. Health promotion counseling
, Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Medication reconciliation involves creating an accurate list of all medications
(prescription, OTC, supplements), including dose, route, frequency, indication, and duration, and
comparing it to the current medical record to identify discrepancies.
Question 8
The nurse practitioner is using the OLDCARTS mnemonic to assess a patient's symptom history.
What does the 'D' in OLDCARTS represent?
A. Date of onset
B. Degree of severity
C. Duration of the symptom
D. Diagnostic history
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: In the OLDCARTS mnemonic, the 'D' stands for Duration, referring to how long the
symptom has been present. OLDCARTS stands for Onset, Location, Duration, Character,
Aggravating factors, Relieving factors, Timing, and Severity. Duration is critical for determining
whether a condition is acute, subacute, or chronic.
Question 9
A patient who recently immigrated from a country where direct eye contact with authority
figures is considered disrespectful avoids looking at the nurse practitioner during the interview.
Which action best demonstrates cultural humility?
A. Insist on direct eye contact to ensure accurate assessment
B. Adapt the interview style to respect the patient's cultural norms
C. Document that the patient is uncooperative with the interview
D. Ask a family member to interpret the patient's behavior
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Cultural humility involves recognizing and respecting cultural differences by adapting
one's approach rather than imposing dominant cultural norms. In many cultures, avoiding direct
eye contact is a sign of respect, not disrespect. The nurse should adjust the interview style
accordingly while still gathering necessary assessment data.
NR509 Exam Question Bank (NEW, 2021) :
Chamberlain College of Nursing (750
Questions with Answers and Explanations,
Answers)
Section 1: Health History & Interviewing (Questions 1–15)
Question 1
A 58-year-old patient presents with chest discomfort. The nurse practitioner asks, "Can you tell
me more about what brought you in today?" Which interviewing technique is being used?
A. Closed-ended questioning
B. Open-ended questioning
C. Confrontation
D. Interpretation
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Open-ended questions invite patients to describe their concerns in their own words
without restricting the response, facilitating a more complete understanding of the health
concern and promoting active listening. Closed-ended questions yield yes/no or limited
answers, while confrontation and interpretation are advanced techniques used later in the
interview.
Question 2
During a health history, the patient describes abdominal pain. The nurse practitioner asks,
"What does the pain feel like—sharp, dull, burning, or cramping?" Which component of the HPI
is being assessed?
A. Severity
B. Quality
C. Timing
D. Radiation
,Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Quality describes the character or nature of the symptom (sharp, dull, burning,
cramping). Severity is typically rated on a 0–10 scale, timing refers to onset and duration, and
radiation describes where the symptom spreads.
Question 3
A patient states, "I stopped taking my blood pressure medication because I felt fine." The nurse
practitioner responds, "It sounds like you were concerned about taking a medication when you
didn't have symptoms. Can you tell me more about that?" Which technique is demonstrated?
A. Summarization
B. Transition statement
C. Empathic response and focused clarification
D. Confrontation
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: This response validates the patient's perspective (empathy) and asks for further
elaboration (focused clarification). Summarization recaps multiple points, transition statements
shift topics, and confrontation directly addresses discrepancies.
Question 4
A 45-year-old patient reports drinking alcohol. Which screening tool is the most widely validated
brief instrument for identifying alcohol use disorders in primary care?
A. CAGE questionnaire
B. AUDIT-C
C. GAD-7
D. PHQ-9
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The AUDIT-C (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption) is a 3-item
validated screening tool for alcohol use disorders in primary care. The CAGE is older and less
sensitive for detecting risky drinking. GAD-7 and PHQ-9 screen for anxiety and depression, not
substance use.
,Question 5
A patient who smokes one pack of cigarettes daily has done so for 20 years. What is the correct
pack-years calculation?
A. 10 pack-years
B. 20 pack-years
C. 40 pack-years
D. 2 pack-years
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Pack-years are calculated by multiplying the number of packs smoked per day by the
number of years smoked (1 pack/day × 20 years = 20 pack-years). This quantifies tobacco
exposure and lung cancer risk.
Question 6
During a family history assessment, the patient reports that her mother developed breast
cancer at age 42 and her maternal aunt had ovarian cancer at age 45. Which genetic risk should
the nurse practitioner discuss?
A. Lynch syndrome
B. BRCA1/BRCA2 mutation risk
C. Familial hypercholesterolemia
D. Li-Fraumeni syndrome
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Early-onset breast cancer (under 50) and ovarian cancer in first-degree relatives are
hallmark features of BRCA1/BRCA2 hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome. Lynch
syndrome is associated with colorectal and endometrial cancers.
Question 7
A patient reports taking lisinopril, metformin, and a daily multivitamin. The nurse practitioner
asks about the dose, route, frequency, reason for use, and duration for each. Which process is
being performed?
A. Medication reconciliation
B. Review of systems
C. Functional assessment
D. Health promotion counseling
, Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Medication reconciliation involves creating an accurate list of all medications
(prescription, OTC, supplements), including dose, route, frequency, indication, and duration, and
comparing it to the current medical record to identify discrepancies.
Question 8
The nurse practitioner is using the OLDCARTS mnemonic to assess a patient's symptom history.
What does the 'D' in OLDCARTS represent?
A. Date of onset
B. Degree of severity
C. Duration of the symptom
D. Diagnostic history
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: In the OLDCARTS mnemonic, the 'D' stands for Duration, referring to how long the
symptom has been present. OLDCARTS stands for Onset, Location, Duration, Character,
Aggravating factors, Relieving factors, Timing, and Severity. Duration is critical for determining
whether a condition is acute, subacute, or chronic.
Question 9
A patient who recently immigrated from a country where direct eye contact with authority
figures is considered disrespectful avoids looking at the nurse practitioner during the interview.
Which action best demonstrates cultural humility?
A. Insist on direct eye contact to ensure accurate assessment
B. Adapt the interview style to respect the patient's cultural norms
C. Document that the patient is uncooperative with the interview
D. Ask a family member to interpret the patient's behavior
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Cultural humility involves recognizing and respecting cultural differences by adapting
one's approach rather than imposing dominant cultural norms. In many cultures, avoiding direct
eye contact is a sign of respect, not disrespect. The nurse should adjust the interview style
accordingly while still gathering necessary assessment data.
